How Virtual Worlds Shape our Real Identities with Richard Bartle & David Birch #1
Feb 23, 2022
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Richard Bartle, Co-Creator of MUD, and David Birch, FinTech expert, explore virtual identities, tokenization, the interplay between digital and physical worlds, and the difference between credentials and biometric identification in this captivating episode. They discuss how characters in virtual worlds differ from our real-world identity, the gamification of personalities on different platforms, and the potential impact of biometrics on identification. This thought-provoking conversation also touches on the exploration of gender in virtual worlds and the liberating and constraining aspects of gaming on individual identity.
Virtual worlds can shape and influence our real-world identity by blurring the boundaries between our in-game characters and ourselves.
Tokenization in the metaverse offers potential economic benefits and lower costs compared to traditional financial systems, but raises questions about privacy and government regulations.
Deep dives
The Evolution of Identity in Virtual Worlds
In this podcast episode, Richard Bartle, an expert in game research and design, and David Birch, a thought leader in digital identity and digital money, discuss the evolution of identity in virtual worlds. Bartle explains that players start viewing their in-game character as their representative, but as they become more immersed in the game world, their character becomes an aspect of themselves. Birch adds that experimenting with different identities is a common phenomenon in virtual worlds, and it can provide a safe space for exploration. The conversation also touches on the potential economic aspects of the metaverse and the concept of tokenizing oneself. The guests emphasize the importance of distinguishing between verifiable credentials and identity, suggesting that focusing on credentials and reputation can lead to a more meaningful understanding of identity in virtual spaces.
Tokenization and Economic Avatars in the Metaverse
The podcast explores the concept of tokenization in the metaverse and how it can enable economic transactions and interactions. Birch discusses the idea of buying tokens that represent shares in an artist or public figure, highlighting the potential benefits and lower costs of this approach compared to traditional financial intermediation. The conversation also touches on the potential role of biometrics in verifying identities in the metaverse. The guests express varying perspectives on the commodification of identity in virtual environments, with considerations around the potential liberation or constraint it may bring. Overall, they emphasize the need to think beyond traditional notions of identity and focus on credentials and reputation in order to navigate the future of identity in digital spaces.
The Role of Reputation and Credentials in Identity
Bartle and Birch agree on the importance of reputation and credentials in defining identity in virtual worlds. They highlight the shift from identity as a fixed label to a more fluid and context-dependent concept. The guests discuss the potential use of DNA for data storage and the tokenization of assets and economic goods in virtual spaces. They also explore the idea of self-tokenization, where individuals can tokenize aspects of themselves and create economic value around those tokens. The conversation touches on the interplay between tokenization, identity, and biometric authentication, raising questions around privacy and government regulations. Both guests emphasize the need for a nuanced understanding of identity, recognizing that different contexts may require different approaches.
Moving Towards Credentials and Reputation
In concluding the podcast episode, Bartle and Birch highlight the importance of shifting the focus from conventional identity frameworks to credentials and reputation. They suggest that verifiable credentials and a focus on what individuals can do rather than who they are can lead to a more practical and meaningful understanding of identity, particularly in virtual environments. The guests highlight recent advancements in the use of credentials driven by the W3C verifiable credential standard. They also express optimism about the potential for tokenization and the use of credentials to enable secure and efficient economic transactions within the metaverse. Overall, they encourage listeners to explore new ways of thinking about identity and its relationship to reputation and credentials.
Welcome to The Future of You, a podcast where we’ll explore the various ways in which emerging technologies will affect our identity.
Kicking off our journey into the future of the digital self, we’ll hear from two of the brightest minds in virtual worlds and digital financial technology.
Richard Bartle is the Co-Creator of MUD, the oldest virtual world in existence, and is a legend in the video game research space, while David Birch’s expertise in FinTech is demonstrated through contributions to Forbes, as well as his spot as one of WIRED’s Top 15 sources of business information globally.
This tour de force of an episode takes us through the concepts of experimentation with identity, self-tokenization, interplay between virtual & physical worlds, and the fine line between credentials and biometric identification.
This episode of The Future of You covers:
How our characters in virtual/game worlds can differ from - and influence - our real world identity
The gamification of our personalities on different platforms
Tokenization of the self
The interplay between the digital and physical worlds and our ‘economic avatars’
How biometrics could play into credentials & identification, and the difference between the two
