Community is the killer app

I have played with several virtual reality systems over the last few years, but just recently bought my own PlayStation VR headset for my family. It's pretty whiz-bang. Although VR still has kinks (including motion sickness for many users), it's impressive how well even these first-generation consumer products convey what researchers call "presence", the feeling of truly being transported somewhere else. I have piloted Starfighters through dogfights, descended through a coral reef and walked through virtual theme parks.

If only it weren't so lonely in all these beautiful locales.

The social aspect of the internet and games has been my field of research for 15 years. I've run dozens of experiments and analyzed the "big data" of detailed play records from billions of gamers. What I consistently find is that the social aspect of a new technology - how it enables, restricts or encourages us to connect with each other - matters more than just about everything else.