Over 10 million players worldwide? Virtual co-branding deals with Coca Cola China, and annual revenues in excess of $1 billion a year - in real money! Real sweat shops in East Asia with hundreds of paid gamers earning points and skills and cyber possessions to sell (for real money) to less agile or impatient players. But tilt it slightly, and the “real” people morph into their alter ego avatars in a virtual environment they have chosen to inhabit with millions of other players.Īfter a quick but erudite introductory essay by Julian Dibbell, (printed in large type), I was already fully engaged and ready to soak up more insight.

One way, it shows a real-life portrait of two people in a city. The book looks simple and fun, smart and savvy – and it is! The cover itself is one of those plastic lenticular double photos that switches as you tilt it back and forth.

For the most part, it seems, the reality of virtual reality is far more complex and interesting. But, after reading Alter Ego, Avatars and Their Creators, my mind has opened with amazement and respect to the thriving existence of online virtual worlds that I had wrongly thought were simply silly, violent, cartoon-like eye-candy distractions populated by people who had nothing better to do with their time. I don’t even enjoy analog games like Monopoly or Charades. For anyone interested in pop culture phenomena, I think this book is a must-read.įirst of all, let me confess, I have never played an online game, nor participated in chat-rooms, or even purchased anything on eBay.

Alter ego game review