Virtual Reality gaming: Friend or Foe

Criterion A- Presentation of the issue.

My Portfolio will be based on a research paper written by Sandra L. Calvert to highlight the dangers of virtual gaming. In 2008, virtual reality games like world of warcraft, perfect world and cabal online had become so popular that over 60% of the world’s youth sit for hours on end playing them on the computer (Calvert 2008). Over 90% of these virtual games require a subscriber to create an online character and therefore have a second life different from reality. Living one life has its own problems but living two lives is just beyond normal.

World of Warcraft, One of the world’s current leading multinational virtual games

Currently totals more than 2 million subscribers in Europe, more than 2.5 million in North America and approximately 5.5 million in Asia. This means that there are about 10 million people playing this game worldwide. Towards the end of December 2008, blizzard, the producer of world of warcraft announced that the total number of were about 11.5 million people, more than Ohio, USA’s population.

World of warcraft is only 1 in over 200 online virtual games, this therefore raises a lot of questions and doubts in the minds of people. This great increase in virtual gaming brings up a lot of questions not only regarding the social impact on the subscribers as highlighted in (Calvert, 2008) but also the mental issue. What will be the outcome or result of this many subscribers to virtual games? What social and mental impacts will it have on the subscribers and their daily lives? What is the force behind this sudden virtual gaming boom?