Reality Game

Online disinformation stormed our political process in 2016 and has only worsened since. Yet as Samuel Woolley shows in this urgent book, it may pale in comparison to what's to come: humanlike automated voice systems, machine learning, "deepfake" AI-edited videos and images, interactive memes, virtual reality, and more. These technologies have the power not just to manipulate our politics, but to make us doubt our eyes and ears and even feelings. Deeply researched and compellingly written, The Reality Game describes the profound impact these technologies will have on our lives.

What the MECH is going on here?In a future where the line between man and machine blurs, the fate of humanity rests in the hands of a daring mech pilot and his ragtag band of rebels. Amidst the unforgiving landscape of the Rocky Mountains, they wage a desperate war for survival and freedom against the relentless march of AI overlords. Enter a world ravaged by technological tyranny, where Hunter, once a noble defender of the people, now navigates the treacherous pathways of rebellion. Joined by Lee, a brilliant tactician with a knack for unraveling AI deceit, and Jester, the wildcard pilot ...

Would you be prepared to work for free? How would you like to bust your hump for a large corporation 60-plus hours a week without a wage or a single day off for the vague promise of some mysterious perks in the distant future? You'd refuse point blank, wouldn't you? But what if the job in question was playing a state-of-the-art fantasy MMORPG game? And what if this was the only thing you're really good at? Especially considering that your in-game partner is someone really special to you - and this person already lives a virtual life?

The aggressive invaders from another galaxy cannot be stopped. The Composite keeps capturing system after system wiping out everything in its path, and there is no sign of a force capable of standing up to it. In the search for allies, Gnat embarks on a long journey aimed at uniting the various branches of the human race. And though the potential for alliance is there, how can he convince them to set off to fight a suicidal war with such a disastrous balance of forces?

To be on a starship that's just sustained serious damage in a space battle and lost its thrusters and to find yourself in a totally different galaxy.... You might think that would be cause for panic or, at the very least, despondency, right? Not at all! Gnat maintains optimism, gradually gets his space frigate back in working order, and even finds upsides to what happened.

The Singularity - the merger of man and machine into a greater whole - is finally within humanity's grasp. When programmer Jeff Lawing gets the opportunity to join Singularity Online, the world's first realistic VRMMO and the testing ground that will lead to the Singularity, he leaps to accept. Singularity is much more realistic and darker than Jeff had imagined, though.

Finn Harris should have been the one to die. But he wasn't - his wife took his place. What was worse, he only had himself and his company to blame. They let their passion outpace their prudence, determined to revolutionize the world. While all innovation comes with a price, he never imagined it would cost him Rachael. Nearly a decade later, Finn is content to hole himself up and wait out the rest of his life. That is, until his daughter intervenes, forcing him out of his grief and into a new virtual reality game developed by his old employer. They're calling it Awaken Online.

Is it possible to create a digital world indistinguishable from reality? No longer a Matrix-like idea from science fiction and fantasy authors, many academic scientists and philosophers now theorize that we already live trapped within a computer simulation created by an advanced species or ourselves in the future. In Creating Plato’s Cave, Dr. Mark Bowles argues that analyzing the history of our earliest video games, from the 1960s to today’s latest virtual reality simulations, is the first step in understanding humanity’s potential to create a new reality. After the author presents ...

For Fans of West World and Vikings! Why does the Viking King of Valhalla, King Boden, harbor such a fascination for me? Even though the online world of Viking Valhalla is a vacation destination for the uber-rich, it looks and feels beyond real. I can feel pain here just as easily as I can in the real world, but I can also feel pleasure. And no one offers the promise of pleasure more than the Viking King, Boden. Only problem is I'm not here for fun--I'm here to catch a killer. As the top detective in my small Alaskan town, I’ve seen my fair share of cases. But when a distraught widow ...

Angus Bjornson only ever wanted to do one thing: to continue crafting exquisite weapons and pieces of armor for his loyal customers. Unfortunately, after one accident too many that leaves the old blacksmith completely disabled, it would seem he has no other choice but to hang up his hammer. However, that would be underestimating the stubbornness of the self-made man. 

The year is 2245, and the world has undergone explosive growth in multiple industries. The age of Virtual Reality came long ago, opening up new fields for people to enjoy and seek employment. There were even those that chose to sacrifice their physical bodies, becoming digital existences that lived within Internet communities. But with the age of VR, everyone still dreamed of that next step, the next level of adventure.

New Standalone Tower of Gates Novel! Learn how Benji entered the simulation and other surprises! Bernard, responsible for his father's gambling debts, decides to sign up for a study at ECNEP corporation. Their fully immersive virtual reality simulations are being tested for consumer use. At first he's not very into it, but he soon becomes friends with at least one person he finds interesting. When they try to hack the code of the simulation, things begin to go very wrong. Can they survive and hang onto their humanity while trapped inside a limitless virtual world. This is a STANDALONE ...

Last Horizon, the world's first fully immersive RPG, leaves beta and goes live! Rejoin David, Miriam, Will, and Lavender as they spend David's last few months trying to find happiness and joy within the world of Last Horizon and deal with those not content to let the friends enjoy their time together.

Step into the enthralling new world of game development with "The Ultimate Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Game Development Guide", a captivating manual that will take you on an enchanting journey through the realms of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) creation. Unleash the power of VR and AR as we delve into their awe-inspiring potentials in the world of game development. Unravel the interplay between VR and AR as we embark on discovering the future of gaming. Explore the fascinating evolution of VR and AR, tracing the captivating history and technological advancements....

Xan and his friends thought it would be fun to try out an unfinished VR game demo. But when they find themselves trapped in a terrifying virtual reality realm, the dangers become shockingly real. To escape the nightmarish trials set by The Gatekeeper and his monstrous guardians, the friends must band together and confront their deepest fears. Will their wits, skills, and bonds of loyalty be enough to uncover the dark secrets and master this deadly game before it conquers them? For fans of thrilling game-lit and spine-tingling virtual horror, this intense YA adventure will keep you guessing ...

Gaming is more than a way of life, it’s my job. Josh Dailey has spent the last two years on the dark side of the gaming world, as a gold farmer. He doesn’t do it to cheat; he does it to survive. And with the launch of a mysterious new game, Avarice Online, his hopes for a better life finally seem within reach. Living in a Slab City trailer with his foster family is not the end of the line for him; he will see to it, if it’s the last thing he does. The day the game launches, his life turns to shambles, leaving him desperate and at a new low. He must now put everything he has into ...

In today’s society, games are fulfilling real human needs in ways that reality is not. Hundreds of millions of people globally - 174 million in the United States alone - regularly inhabit game worlds because they provide the rewards, stimulating challenges and epic victories that are so often lacking in the real world. Jane McGonigal argues that we need to figure out how to make the real world—our homes, our businesses and our communities—engage us in the way that games do.

The problem of online disinformation is only getting worse. Social media may well play a role in the the US 2020 presidential election and other major political events. But that doesn't even begin to describe what future propaganda will look like. We may not be able to alter how the internet was used to challenge democracy in years past, but we can follow the signals to prevent manipulation in the future - and to use these powerful new tools not to control people but to empower them.

"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." - Albert Einstein Do you ever feel like you're a player inside an incredibly difficult video game? A game where the rules are unclear, and the odds are stacked against you? A game where your actions have consequences, and where we often act as our own worst enemy? This is because our lives are taking place within a physical virtual-reality simulation. Since the beginning of time, mankind has been on a quest to understand the nature of reality and the true meaning of life. Albert Einstein spent the latter part of his life ...

2018- 5 Star Readers Favorite Winner Imagine gorgeous rich bachelors being flown to your doorstep every hour. Charissa is heartbroken. Her favorite niece, who is like a daughter to her, needs expensive medical treatment. To save her niece, Charissa is willing to risk anything, which includes going back to the ugly world of reality TV. She needs to confront the ever-present watching eye of the camera and the constant wave of gorgeous, rich men vying to win her love. A man is flown to her on Catalina Island every hour. How will she be able to help her niece, and navigate so many men? Is it ...