We all know the knack about MMORPGs (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) and social network websites like our newly famous Facebook or the all time classic Friendster, and we all know about them being highly addictive because of their ability to create a new world for you to immerse in, both being fun.

But this–Redlight Center–an MMORPG about love, dating, and sex, to me, is getting tee a bit weird.

Redlight Center combines the best of both worlds–the 3D virtual world of MMORPGs and (adult) social networking in one single game. Yes, you can create your own character and be able to change it anytime when you play, you can be a Latino hunk with a tattoo on your chest or a Japanese babe in a French maid outfit. In the Redlight Center world you can explore everything that you can find in a real redlight district, from dance clubs, sauna/baths, porn cinemas and even sex toy shops that you can buy and use.

Thats not all, you can interact with other characters by chatting, dancing, dating, flirting, and yes, even sex. You can even go to private rooms with BDSM toys available, or even do it in the public, all possible in this virtual world.

No, I’m not writing a sponsored post for the game, I’m in fact questioning, how real is virtual reality, and why do people want to immerse in such virtual sex extravaganza than going out to search for some real stuff?

Earlier this semester, my class did a warm-up project and one of my classmates, Raymond, brought up an issue about virtual reality. He said that only in a virtual world perfection can be archieved, because the virtual world itself is created by humans, and in the virtual world we can play God and put in only the best and beautiful things that we want. Virtual world is perfect, because we created it, and it is what we want it to be. Fantasies and desires can be lived in the virtual world–you can kill thousands of monsters in games and you can Photoshop yourself to become the most beautiful person on Earth, and many people indulge in the virtual world because of the benefits from the Net.

Think online games, think social networking websites, think online chatrooms. Some people spend more of their time in virtual reality more than what we call reality, and they constructed a world in the virtual reality, seperated from the reality. Many of us had an identity on the Net, yet we’re different when we’re off it. Frankly, how many of you can say that you are exactly the same when you’re on and off the Net? How many can talk and act exactly the same with the limited communication methods of the Net, as you can no longer communicate through facial expression, body language, tone of voice or even touch and smell? How can you be so sure that your messages within the limits of using only typing, drawing images, webcamming and pictures can be perceived correctly by the reader, viewer, or friend?

And hell, what’s so fun about cybersex when you can’t hear the other person moaning and feel his/her heat for real?

Virtual reality is real, there’s no doubt to it, as it is created and lived within us, a world contructed by our imaginations, fantasies, thoughts, and great programming and design skills. But nothing beats reality, it is what we call life. Life on the Net is only virtual, how can you rely on it?? Games and sites can be fun, yeah they are real fun, Redlight Center is quite fun, but to me, don’t let it get into you too much. You still have a life to live.

Of course I’m sure many of you will disagree with me on this matter, as technology progresses Web 2.0 made e-commerce and advanced interaction possible. Thus there are people playing Redlight Center to satisfy their sexual fantasies and urges. Hell how do I know? Because I downloaded it and played it for one hour, of course, and I haven’t got lucky with any hunks in the game. Darn.

Originally from conancat.com