It's surprising how much virtual world literature cites conflicting dates, events, and definitions as being correct.
If you didn't get all five correct, don't feel bad. Rank the popularity of the following virtual worlds from most to least popular, based upon total user accounts at the height of their popularity: Club Penguin, EverQuest, Habbo, Second Life, and World of Warcraft. Is a reference to the Dungeons & Dragons game from which early virtual worlds drew inspiration. What is the connection between Luke Skywalker and virtual world avatars?
What was the first virtual world to enable its users to create in–world objects? In what year was the first virtual world created? The answer key is at the end of this article. 5).įor demonstration purposes, the following is a short quiz try it and see how you do. ), "Some old–timers know the history of MMOs and whence they came, but most of today's developers haven't a clue" (para. As virtual world pioneer, Richard Bartle, wrote on the 30th anniversary of the virtual world MUD ( However, for all of the growth and inroads virtual worlds have made into education and society at large, there are very few educators, researchers, and everyday gamers who understand how virtual worlds, their genres, platforms, features, and affordances have evolved over the decades to their current state. In more recent years, Harvard University, Indiana University, and University of Wisconsin have led the way in educational research related to virtual worlds.
Within education, renowned institutions around the world have long been affiliated with virtual worlds (e.g., University of Essex, University of Illinois, and Carnegie Mellon University). A quick search of academic journals and respected Internet sources will demonstrate that there is a growing literature base addressing the application of virtual world environments for a variety of purposes, including educational research, the delivery of instructional courses and programs, community development, entertainment, and more. Virtual worlds represent a small but dynamic platform within the field of computer technology. Keywords: virtual worlds, history, computer technology, evolution This article synthesizes histories and definitions from virtual world developers, industry leaders, academic researchers, trade journals, and texts in order to form a coherent historical narrative of events that contributed to the evolution and shaping of the virtual worlds as we currently know and use them in education and society in general. The end result is a twisted and often thorny history for a technology that now actively engages hundreds of millions of users worldwide and millions of users within education alone. Many of the innovations we readily recognize today (e.g., user creation of in–world objects in worlds like Second Life) began as grassroots efforts by gaming and computer enthusiasts who were long on passion but short on documentation. Despite their worldwide acceptance and usage, few educators, researchers, or everyday gamers fully understand the history and evolution of virtual worlds – their genres, platforms, features, and affordances. Virtual worlds represent a small but dynamic sector of the computer technology field with global applications ranging from art and entertainment to online instructional delivery and educational research.
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