EXISTIR E HABITAR EM MUNDOS VIRTUAIS: SOBRE COISAS E TRECOS IMATERIAIS

Abstract

This article focuses on examining the interest, pleasure, and hedonism associated with developing a virtual existence by comparing three different platforms: Second Life, The Sims 4, and World of Warcraft. In relation to these worlds, emphasis is placed on understanding the elements that constitute their “worldliness” and confer authenticity, especially the crucial role of the avatar as a central technical object that enables engagement in this mode of existence. The virtual space assumes relevance due to its ability to consolidate the presence and involvement of the individual in this experience with the avatar, based on the affordances provided by the environment and in the creation of an atmosphere where one wants to exist. From the direct observation of years of existence of the authors in the three worlds, the specificities that distinguish them are compared, but, above all, the common characteristics that attract and maintain consistent engagements of users with the sociotechnical objects that they have learned to singularize. In this sense, in addition to the singularization of the virtual body and virtual space, its composition tells a story in which the different engagements elaborate the atmosphere and deepen the immersion experience.