Virtual > and/or = Real?

Dear Mr. William Bainbridge,

From reading your article, I not only agree with your stance on the real world being inspired by the virtual world, but it can actually exceed our mediocre life itself. Although this may sound very nerdy, massive multiply player role playing games such as World of Warcraft and Second Life have brought people from all over the world together. It attracts all sorts of people, allowing them to experience a world without being labeled by their race, appearances, sex, and their background. This type of development already have affected people in their real life. Joe Sanchez, the author of "A Social History of Virtual Worlds stated: "In this co-evolution, players of virtual worlds became residents of virtual worlds, and what were once fantasy worlds over time became mirrored worlds: worlds complete with social and financial dynamics that seeped out from cyberspace into real space. Second Life is a prime example of the co-evolution of virtual world technology and user experiences" (Sanchez 2009). Being a former WoW player myself, I cannot even begin to imagine if people were to combine this game along with the accomplishments Second Life has done. As far as I know, people are much more addicted to Warcraft than any other MMORPGs, and the gameplay in WoW actually encourages players to learn how to operate some concepts that can apply to real life. Although WoW is mainly based on entertainment and self satisfaction, it can really make an individual think of all the great things WoW can accomplish. The virtual world is and already has taken over the real world, if we can somehow manage to use it to benefit our real life, it can be the turn of the century.