The Virtual Future

Nonfiction, Computers, Database Management, Data Processing, General Computing
Cover of the book The Virtual Future by William Sims Bainbridge, Springer London
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: William Sims Bainbridge ISBN: 9780857299048
Publisher: Springer London Publication: September 6, 2011
Imprint: Springer Language: English
Author: William Sims Bainbridge
ISBN: 9780857299048
Publisher: Springer London
Publication: September 6, 2011
Imprint: Springer
Language: English

The newest communication technologies are profoundly changing the world's politics, economies, and cultures, but the specific implications of online game worlds remain mysterious.  The Virtual Future employs theories and methods from social science to explore nine very different virtual futures:  The Matrix Online, Tabula Rasa, Anarchy Online, Entropia Universe, Star Trek Online, EVE Online, Star Wars Galaxies, World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade, and The Chronicles of Riddick

Each presents a different picture of how technology and society could evolve in coming centuries, but one theme runs through all of them, the attempt to escape the Earth and seek new destinies among the stars.  Four decades after the last trip to the moon, a new conception of spaceflight is emerging.  Rather than rockets shooting humans across vast physical distances to sterile rocks that lack the resources to sustain life, perhaps robot space probes and orbiting telescopes will glean information about the universe, that humans can then experience inside computer-generated environments much closer to home. 

All nine of these fantastically rich multiplayer masterpieces have shown myriads of people that really radical alternatives to contemporary society could exist, and has served as a laboratory for examining the consequences.  Each is a prototype of new social forms, a utopian subculture, and a simulation of technologies that have yet to be invented.  They draw upon several different traditions of science fiction and academic philosophy, and they were created in several nations.  By comparing these nine role-playing fantasies, we can better consider what kind of world we want to inhabit in the real future.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The newest communication technologies are profoundly changing the world's politics, economies, and cultures, but the specific implications of online game worlds remain mysterious.  The Virtual Future employs theories and methods from social science to explore nine very different virtual futures:  The Matrix Online, Tabula Rasa, Anarchy Online, Entropia Universe, Star Trek Online, EVE Online, Star Wars Galaxies, World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade, and The Chronicles of Riddick

Each presents a different picture of how technology and society could evolve in coming centuries, but one theme runs through all of them, the attempt to escape the Earth and seek new destinies among the stars.  Four decades after the last trip to the moon, a new conception of spaceflight is emerging.  Rather than rockets shooting humans across vast physical distances to sterile rocks that lack the resources to sustain life, perhaps robot space probes and orbiting telescopes will glean information about the universe, that humans can then experience inside computer-generated environments much closer to home. 

All nine of these fantastically rich multiplayer masterpieces have shown myriads of people that really radical alternatives to contemporary society could exist, and has served as a laboratory for examining the consequences.  Each is a prototype of new social forms, a utopian subculture, and a simulation of technologies that have yet to be invented.  They draw upon several different traditions of science fiction and academic philosophy, and they were created in several nations.  By comparing these nine role-playing fantasies, we can better consider what kind of world we want to inhabit in the real future.

More books from Springer London

Cover of the book Aspects of Safety Management by William Sims Bainbridge
Cover of the book Stochastic Modeling for Reliability by William Sims Bainbridge
Cover of the book Finite Element Analysis for Satellite Structures by William Sims Bainbridge
Cover of the book Probability Theory by William Sims Bainbridge
Cover of the book Acute Phase Proteins in the Acute Phase Response by William Sims Bainbridge
Cover of the book Essentials of Autopsy Practice by William Sims Bainbridge
Cover of the book Principles of Loads and Failure Mechanisms by William Sims Bainbridge
Cover of the book Handbook of Face Recognition by William Sims Bainbridge
Cover of the book Guide to Brain-Computer Music Interfacing by William Sims Bainbridge
Cover of the book Cloud Computing by William Sims Bainbridge
Cover of the book Current Concepts and Management of Eye Injuries by William Sims Bainbridge
Cover of the book Rheumatic Disease by William Sims Bainbridge
Cover of the book Regression by William Sims Bainbridge
Cover of the book Stroke Genetics by William Sims Bainbridge
Cover of the book Regional Analgesia in Obstetrics by William Sims Bainbridge
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy