Virtual Worlds: Game or Virtual Society?

Abstract

Virtual worlds such as Second Life (SL) have become increasingly popular during the last few years. In these worlds, individuals create – sometimes look-alike – avatars, which engage in all kinds of social activities. This chapter claims that SL is not a game in the sense of goal orientation, rule regulation, or strategic moves by predesigned avatars, as is usually the case in traditional computer games. It is argued that SL has become part of social media and offers an opportunity for a new dimension of social interaction. What had started out as a mere pastime has become a complex meeting place for social groups. Observing such structural and motivational changes to SL bears proof that SL is becoming a virtual community in which social structures increasingly exhibit traits of a civil society. At the same time, it appears that the borders between play and game are blurring ever more as the personal and political interests and (human) states of mind shift and the virtual world’s citizens (avatars) increasingly dictate its activities and structures. On the basis of these observations, the conclusion is drawn that the constants of human cohabitation exist even in virtual communities.