One of the hottest burgeoning phenoms on the Web are virtual worlds. Second environments where you can play someone else and interact with thousands even millions of other people/players. Typically, these worlds are games with specific settings and rules like World of Warcraft (WoW). But there are also non-game-specific virtual places like Second Life.

 

Naturally, anything that looks to be a big draw in the future means a close examination by cyberspace's second-oldest profession. And, wouldn't you know it, they've decided to get in on the action.

 

A site called Naughty America has already put up what it considers to be high-quality x-rated material, such that it you might consider it an online equivalent to the Playboy channel. Unable to comment on that as they're a pay-for-skin site and I'm chronically broke.

 

This spring, these same guys are putting out Naughty America: The Game. Figure WoW but without the swords, sorcery and orcs. Instead, you're in a virtual resort-style city, containing casinos, parks, neighborhoods, luxury condos as well as back alleys and sex shops. You can take vacations on cruise ships, take a date on a ferris wheel ride and similar activities. Just you, your online avatar and your profile connecting with other such 'players' in a very large and very pretty online setting.

 

The 'naughty' part supposedly comes when you enable 'Sex Mode.' I'm not making any of the obvious wise cracks, so I want points for that.

 

This sounds mighty impressive, but I'm calculating the back-end requirements needed to really do what they're claiming, and it just doesn't sound like it's going to happen. I'm expecting a lot smaller environment than described and quite a bit of chat-style interaction with one-handed keyboarders pretending to be 15-year old cheerleaders.

 

Think I'll stick to WoW.