E-Media Tidbits

World of Warcraft What can news/media orgs learn from virtual worlds such as World of Warcraft?

This is the second part of my list of noteworthy aspects about massively multiplayer online roleplaying games (MMORPGs), like Second Life and World of Warcraft.

I focus on the challenges and opportunities these environments offer for businesses (including news/media organizations), and how we need to reposition our notion of what media is before we can make any sense of it.

(See Part 1, points 1-5.)

6. People spend more quality time in the game. Even if you spend less time interacting with a virtual world, it will probably feel like quantitatively "better" time than the time you spend in your real life because you have chosen to spend it that way. By implication, something in the virtual world appeals to you more than your current real-life situation. Some people watch TV, others play sports, some inhabit strange worlds that don't really exist. The point is that for many in the game it is a time spent feeling good -- which is the best time to transact.

7. New and unimaginable markets are opening up. The "physics" of these new worlds and how they work are flexible and subject to change. Therefore, the potential range of needs or desires is significantly different from those of the real world -- and some won't have a real-world equivalent. This means new markets will develop for things that never existed before.

8. Everyday mundanity can now be part of an escape. Going to the bank or shopping for groceries is a drudge in real life. However, put those activities in a virtual world and suddenly everything seems fun. Companies that understand this will be able to increase their customer base by making their products interesting to find and buy.

9. Customer service can be personal again. As customer service has migrated from interpersonal to telephonic to online, the quality of the service has grown worse -- even though responses are faster. However, avatar-based customer service can restore some of the interpersonal aspects of human communication, while other parts of the customer service process continue to be automated.

10. God is present (to fix bugs and release new versions). Game and world developers keep an active eye on how virtual worlds operate. This means that critical changes can be made quickly. Also, the community of users can influence the direction of development. No virtual world will remain stagnant for hundreds of years at a time.

11. This is just the beginning. The world of massively multiplayer games is only in its infancy. The economic, political and cultural impact has only just begun to become apparent on a small scale. I believe the ultimate impact will be significant. The questions are: significant for how many, and what happens to people who either don't have access or interest?