While I’ve been rereading Ready Player One, I am struck by how applicable the book is to today’s world. The book touches upon ideas like digital ownership, and that the virtual world is more attractive than the real world. In the book, the real world sucks, energy costs are through the roof, the environment is degrading, the currencies are weak, and most people live off government vouchers.
Since most people can’t afford luxury travel we take for granted today, they get lost in the Oasis, a virtual world where they can enjoy their lives. Business takes place in this world because traveling is too expensive with high energy costs. The currency in the Oasis and the items there are more valuable than real-life items. Games as a platform can already show these types of effects, including World of Warcraft, Destiny, Fortnite, etc.
With the rise of virtual reality, augmented reality, NFTs, and other cryptocurrencies, the book can raise philosophical questions related to virtual goods. In a world where most people value virtual goods over tangible goods, which world is the actual real world? If the world degrades to a certain point, our standard of living significantly decreases. Why live in the real world when we have a better virtual world?