The Frontier of 2009 - Virtual Worlds

Virtual reality has been around in one way or another for many years. In the 1950's computer scientists began to envision the day when computers would be used for display of digital information. Early radar systems were forms of virtual reality that allowed military personnel to monitor a screen for evidence of problematic activity. There were addictive early computers games using only text characters and in the 1980's these became popular in many circles. The real marriage of the home entertainment computer and the business computer was an absolute as the first users began to discover modems. Television shows such as Star Trek had given people a picture of a world where one could do anything through virtual reality. Using the Star Trek holodeck a person could instantly scuba dive in the ocean or climb a mountain. However, even as our society became more technology oriented, people seemed to find it easier to sit in front of a television or computer monitor.

People began to discover ways to reconnect with the "village" and find community - online. Internet providers such as American Online caught on and offered ways for people to communicate, work and play. Online games and virtual communities allowed people to do even more. Operating a digital extension of self allowed a person to interact in a virtual environment. At first, this was primarily done in a gaming environment such as World of Warcraft. Entrepreneurs saw a need for a similar "society" but in a non-goal oriented setting. Virtual worlds such as Whyville and Second Life were born. As of 2008, these virtual worlds have already seen phenomenal growth rates. A student can enter their campus in a virtual world and flap their arms to fly to class where they hear a lecture given by a real professor.

Are average people using virtual worlds yet? Most young people are probably involved in virtual worlds in one way or another. Cutting edge businesses and schools also have a presence. The average brick and mortar store usually does not have a 3D digital version of the store online. Just a decade or two ago, though, the average business did not have a web presence. Now any moderate-sized store will have a website. Young people getting out of college and attaining jobs become shoppers and voters. Smart business owners knew that to keep up they would need to go where the young people were. And where are the young people today, the consumers of tomorrow? In virtual worlds. A technology analyst group, Gartner, asserts that 80 percent of active Internet users and large companies will be in virtual worlds by 2011. During 2007 and 2008, interest in virtual worlds has grown but primarily among those cutting edge businesses and the users themselves. As we proceed into 2009 and on, it is the small business owners and average folks who will be looking for information on how to get a toehold in virtual worlds.