Virtual World Closure
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In Identity as Place, author Celia Pearce writes about players’ triumphs as their virtual homes were eliminated. Many former players struggled to consider new virtual worlds to reside in. “The two primary candidates that came to the forefront were Second Life and There.com, both online virtual worlds that were less games and more virtual recreation zones; each of these worlds also had mechanisms for players to create their own virtual artifacts and environments.” While reading this, I was amazed to realize how persistent some users were to find a new “home”. It is almost as if the virtual community is equally important to them as the real world. These players live through their avatars and create an alternate identity for themselves. It is sad to acknowledge that these individuals have been unexpectedly evicted from their virtual homes, possibly several times. If one relates this to a real life situation, it would truly be a tragedy. Imagine if one day, the government decides that all inhabitants of Champaign are to be forced from their homes and all their property is to be demolished. In addition, these residents are not given enough warning ahead of time to prepare for this. Does this seem ethically justified? Although many argue that Uru is just a game and this kind of thing happens, dedicated players were stripped of all their time and effort in collecting items to establish a second life for themselves. They were forced to migrate to another place to live. It is a miserable occurrence and its comparison to real life situations makes it seem more authentic.
Do you think that the closure of a virtual world can be compared to similar situations in real life? If you were an avid inhabitant of a virtual world that closed, how did you cope with the loss?
I think the closure of a virtual world can be compared to similar situations in real life but i don't think its as drastic as "refugees" as the article called them. To me it seems more like comparing it to a local restaurant or rec center. You might have made new friends at a places like these and love hanging out there but once it closes you don't move to a new restaurant and try changing the stuff on the walls to look like the old place you loved. You just have to try and move on and enjoy the times for what they were and keep in touch with the people you met because its the community that made it great not the place.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very good example! though people have done things like 'restored" historic sites like old theaters and mansions and such. Is this what the URUvians are trying to do?
ReplyDeleteYes i think the closing of a virtual world can cause just as much damage to someone in comparison to a tragic incident in real life. Changing virtual communities is like changing high schools and having to leave all your friends; its very upsetting and a big inconvenience.
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