Exodus to the Virtual World

<p>Virtual worlds have exploded out of online game culture and now capture the attention of millions of ordinary people: husbands wives fathers mothers workers retirees. Devoting dozens of hours each week to massively multiplayer virtual reality environments (like <i>World of Warcraft </i>and <i>Second Life</i>) these millions are the start of an exodus into the refuge of fantasy where they experience life under a new social political and economic order built around <i>fun</i>. Given the choice between a fantasy world and the real world how many of us would choose reality? <i>Exodus to the Virtual World</i> explains the growing migration into virtual reality and how it will change the way we live--both in fantasy worlds and in the real one.</p>