Includes bibliographical references (p. [311]-317) and index.
Contents
Introduction: the changing meaning of play -- Part I: The synthetic world: a tour. Daily life on a synthetic earth -- The user -- The mechanics of world-making -- Emergent culture: institutions within synthetic reality -- The business of world-making -- Part II: When boundaries fade. The almost-magic circle -- Free commerce -- The economics of fun: behavior and design -- Governance -- Topographies of terror -- Toxic immersion and internal security -- Part III: Threats and opportunities. Implications and policies -- Into the age of wonder -- Appendix: a digression on virtual reality.
