Real world issues crash online party

Daniel Drezner points out how serious the virtual world has become. A real economist suggests that burgeoning virtual economies should be taxed. Does this imply that the government will provide virtual services to game-players? The campaign trail has already entered the virtual world, as a former Virginia governor held court on Second Life recently via an avatar.

Sweatshops have also invaded the online world, and I'm not talking about the cubicle farms of avatar-builders. Sim Sweatshop is the latest serious game to catch my eye (thanks Pienso), where you make sneakers for 50 cents an hour. Interesting timing, given the recent multinational huffing and puffing over China's proposed labor legislation.

Taxes, politicians, sweatshops. Anyone else miss Pong?