Work and Play in Shared Virtual Environments brings together contributions from leading social scientists and computer scientists who have conducted research on online gaming and practical applications in various types of virtual environments. It includes a variety of research perspectives and among the contributors are social psychologists and systems developers. The book presents a well-rounded overview of current applications, which fall mainly into the gaming and several distinct practical applications. This volume focuses on practical and empirical findings that are relevant to future research, development, and exploitation of this technology.

Useful to students in media studies and digital arts, to practitioners who are developing systems and applications, and to a wider public whose daily lives are affected by current and future forms of computer-mediated-communication and new media technologies.