The coming revolution in massively multiuser persistent worlds

An emerging category of entertainment software known as massively multiuser persistent worlds (MMPW) has begun driving radical developments in unexpected areas. MMPWs provide environments that allow real-time interaction among hundreds or even thousands of users distributed across the Internet. In these worlds, the concept of persistence is crucial: the world continues to change and develop whether or not any particular subscriber is logged into it. Time passes and actions have consequences that affect others over extended periods. In addition to providing a greater sense of immersion, this persistence fosters an ongoing sense of social connection among the inhabitants. The article discusses the state of the art and likely future developments in this field. It predicts that the real and virtual worlds will merge once innovation blurs the boundary between them.