Golf is a social sport.
Except for professional golfers, playing golf is as much about the socialising as it is about hitting the ball. Golf games are like meetings on the move, the long gaps between the actual task of hitting the ball are part of the nature of the game.
Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) persistent worlds share a great similarity with golf. Certainly there are tasks and goal-driven activities to occupy and distract. But these are not the heart of MMO Chatworlds.
It is important to draw a distinction, at this point, between MMO Chatworlds, MMO Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) and Short (non-persistent) Multiplayer(MP) games. MMORPGs and Short MP games are much more task-centric and goal-driven. Some MMORPGs have very strong social communities but these are a side-effect of the main dynamic of the game.
It is the Chatworlds, where socialising is central and activities secondary, that represent a major leap in the design of digital worlds. Chatworlds are the "New Golf" - socialising environments interspersed with some goal-driven activities.
So what's the big deal about 3D chatworlds then?
Does the world NEED another golf?
The significance of 3D Chatworlds is that it presents casual users with an accessible and attractive way of participating in interactive digital entertainment. Before Chatworlds, you either had to be a hardcore gamer or messageboard junkie to take part in an online community.
With 3D Chatworlds, you get all the bells and whistles of high-tech visuals but without the nagging demands of a task-centric game. In this respect, even the SimsOnline is more game than chatworld.
Although there are others, my favorite Chatworld is THERE (http://www.there.com) - it is revolutionary for being the most persuasive implementation of an alternate universe for your alternate self. It features slick, smooth 3D animated characters AND integrates Voice-over-IP (VoIP). So as you wander and meet other avatars in this world, you/it speaks in your own voice. This is initially a slightly eerie experience, but very quickly, the interface becomes utterly natural and you become one with your avatar.
In the THERE world, you are free to use the space purely for socialising. There are games to play and things to buy, but all that is strictly optional. You meet people, make friends and basically just "hang out". If you were to look for another real-world parallel, it is like going down to the pub. It is as much about meeting your mates as it is about drinking (I hope!).
So, herald the coming of the New Golf.
The coming of digital worlds designed for the many, driven by the most basic need of human nature - the need to belong.
