Social implications of IT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

Social implications of IT - Essay Example It is the fastest growing branch of electronics and computer technology. The distinguishing feature of VR is that its users feel that they are living in the computer – generated scene. VR games and other accessories are generally available with Incredible Universe and CompUSA chain stores. The present estimation regarding sales in the virtual reality market is approximately ninety million dollars per annum; and this is expected to increase to nearly six billion dollars in the future1. Virtual reality can be attributed to Sutherland who performed several pioneering works to develop the concept of virtual reality in the 1960’s. However the phrase virtual reality was coined for the first time in the late 1980’s. Some historians claim that the VR industry emerged during the 1990’s. VR gained popularity due to the extraordinary efforts of the early pioneers in this field2. Virtual reality is a computer – simulated world with which users can interact. These simulations, generally have some common characteristics, such as shared workspaces for the interaction of people with the programme, graphical user interface, real – time action, interactivity and persistence. Almost all simulations can be accessed over the internet. In those simulated worlds, there will be changes to the themes and landscapes, irrespective of the users who access the site. Online real time games come under this category of VR. For instance, Massively – multiplayer online role – playing games or MMORPGS are played in the virtual worlds. These are video games, which allow players to choose the persona of the characters in the play, and these persona are termed as avatars. MMORPGs and other virtual worlds are considered to be social networking programmes. Moreover, players can interact, form clubs, groups and chat with each other3. The availability of personal computers increased in the