Link: http://vimeo.com/3365942

I've always been intrigued by the posibilities offered by virtual reality and virtual world simulations such as Second Life, and to a lesser extent, games like The Sims. I think for me the holodeck on the Enterprise 'D' was one of the most fascinating depictions of the common use of VR technology (albeit a few hundred years in the future, even in a fictional universe). While persistent online multiplayer games like World of Warcraft or A Tale in the Desert offer an alternate means to interact with people socially, they are still just games that are structured exercises for the user.

Of all the VR games/sims that have ever existed, only Second Life really seems to even touch on the grand possibilities offered by this technology, and elements of that promising simulation can be seen in the fantastic and very moving video below by Bruce Branit:

World Builder from Bruce Branit on Vimeo.