James Ivory

Virtual Lives

A Reference Handbook

• Gebundenes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

This book is the THE source for information on virtual worlds, covering every aspect of this intriguing and fast-changing social practice and the technologies upon which it rests. Virtual Lives: A Reference Handbook describes the history, development, and role of virtual worlds, also known as virtual environments and immersive virtual environments. It provides detailed background about virtual worlds and their societal impact, from early precursors and inspirations to the latest trends and developments. Specifics on user demographics are included, as are descriptions of virtual worlds' functions, discussion of societal concerns and opportunities, and information about relevant research data and key persons and organizations. Although virtual worlds in their current form are a relatively new phenomenon, other online social environments have served as precursors for decades and literary inspirations go back even further. This handbook therefore covers some early developments dating back to the mid-20th century. Its primary focus, however, is on developments since the mid-1990s and especially on the current state and social impact of virtual worlds, including their impact both in the United States and around the world.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: ABC-CLIO
• Seitenzahl: 288
• Erscheinungstermin: 6. Januar 2012
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 235mm x 157mm x 20mm
• Gewicht: 573g
• ISBN-13: 9781598845853
• ISBN-10: 1598845853
• Artikelnr.: 33816373

Autorenporträt

James D. Ivory, PhD, is assistant professor in the Department of Communication at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA.

Inhaltsangabe

Preface
Acknowledgments
1 Definitions
Background
and History
Characteristics of Virtual Worlds
What Are Virtual Worlds?
Interactivity
Physicality
Persistence
The History of Virtual Worlds
The First Virtual World
The Early Growth of Virtual Worlds
Not a Game Anymore: Second Life and Social Virtual Worlds
World of Warcraft Changes the Game
Other Virtual Worlds Look to Keep Up
Other Related Online Games
Communities
and Environments
Graphical Chat Applications
Social Network Games
Looking Back: Virtual Worlds' Ancestry and Inspirations
Direct Precursors to Virtual Worlds
Earlier Online Ancestors of Virtual Worlds
Offline Inspirations for Virtual Worlds
The Future of Virtual Worlds
2 The Audience and Function of Virtual Worlds
Access to Virtual Worlds
Global Access to the Internet
Global Access to Virtual Worlds
Users of Virtual Worlds
Who Uses Virtual Worlds?
Why Do People Use Virtual Worlds?
The Function of Virtual Worlds
How a User Creates an Avatar and Enters a Virtual World
How a User Navigates a Virtual World
Activities
Tasks
and Goals in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games
Activities in Social Virtual Worlds
Developers of Virtual Worlds
Creating and Managing a Commercial Virtual World
Smaller-Scale Virtual Worlds
More Users in More Worlds
3 Societal Concerns and Opportunities
Problems and Concerns
Addiction and Problematic Use
Aggression and Violence
Distorted Perceptions of Social Reality
Harassment and Griefing
Opportunities and Benefits
Social Opportunities
Educational Opportunities
Behavioral Research Opportunities
Commercial Opportunities
Managing Concerns and Opportunities
4 Chronology
5 Biographical Sketches
Craig A. Anderson
Timothy Anderson
David Lance Arneson
Jeremy N. Bailenson
lRichard A. Bartle
Marc Blank
James J. Blascovich
Amy Susan Bruckman
Brad J. Bushman
Edward Castronova
Pavel Curtis
Bruce K. Daniels
Julian Dibbell
F. Randall Farmer
Christopher J. Ferguson
Richard Garriott
William Ford Gibson
Ailin Graef
Ernest Gary Gygax
Rod Humble
Dan Hunter
Jon Jacobs
Donald R. Kaye
Kim Tack Jin
Andrew Kirmse
Chris Kirmse
Alan E. Klietz
Raphael Koster
Greg Lastowka
P. David Lebling
Joseph Carl Robnett Licklider
Thomas M. Malaby
Brad McQuaid
Chip Morningstar
Bonnie Nardi
Cory Ondrejka
Robert Pardo
Mark Pincus
Howard Rheingold
Philip Rosedale
John L. Sherry
John Smedley
Song Jae-Kyeong
Jeffrey Steefel
Neal Town Stephenson
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien
Roy Trubshaw
Sherry Turkle
Ibe Van Geel
Vernor Steffen Vinge
Ryan G. Van Cleave
Dmitri Williams
Bruce Sterling Woodcock
Nicholas Yee
6 Tables
Charts
and Images
The Appearance of Virtual Worlds
Populations of Virtual Worlds
Research on Users of Virtual Worlds
MUDs and MUD-Type Text-Based Online Environments
7 Organizations
Government Organizations
Academic Associations and Other Nonindustry Organizations
Industry Organizations
Industry Companies
8 Print and Online Resources
Books
Book Chapters and Contributions to Edited Volumes
Articles
Other Academic Papers
Websites
Glossary of Terms
Index