If you’re familiar with virtual worlds you probably also know that they lack a true value proposition. What’s the elevator pitch? You’re most likely to hear that the technology is nifty. Nifty just isn’t going to cut it. I still believe that eventually virtual world technology will  be everywhere, just as 3D video games became the market. The first few 3D games didnt’ fare well, but eventually the technology caught up and game companies focused less on them being 3D and more just on the game play. In the end as they say, content is king. Which brings me to my question – is context necessary for a virtual world to resonate with users? By context I mean a back story, something to give users an idea that they’re partaking in something.

PlayStation Home tries to recreate the real world in a way, all the way down to virtual lines to play games. Originally I thought this was a mistake but now I’m beginning to appreciate how it grounds the world. It might still prove a failed strategy but it is some kind of context. Entropia has a fantasy world for context. WoW certainly has context. Google Livley had none, it was also closed in December. Second Life is all over the place and it’s growth has stalled.

If a virtual world lacks context does that make it simply 3D chat, a social network, or game platform? Is that enough when I can get that in many other places?