Real life is going to be more and more virtual, and virtuality is going to be more and more real, until both are basically the same; meaning our real-life will be 50% virtual/augmented and our virtual life is going to be 50% real. Therefore, like in RL, paying to win is the name of the game. If you have the money, you’ll get what you want.
PS: Just look at the image below. The average home-sim-pit has more switches, than this cockpit; yet it’s from one of the most up-to-date fighters today; the F-35 Lightning II. Of course, is this thing a bazillion times more capable than a WWII fighter, and has actually multiple times the amount of switches, BUT only virtually displayed.(and ya, the HOTAS system replaces a lot of physical switches too)
Not to mention, that the F-35 and the F-22 are basically the last manned fighter/attack planes in the US arsenal at all. And at one day even infantry soldiers will be replaced by a huge percentage of remote controlled machines and autonomous operating ones. Wich means in essence, that rich countrys will basically fight virtual wars in the future.
(btw. I don’t want to make any kind of political statement here, I’m just thinking about the evolution of virtuality)
I wouldn’t say, that I’m particulary looking forward to it, but at one day, maybe even in the not so distant future, many people in the northern hemisphere will live 80% virtual lifes; a bit like in the movie Surrogates; though I’d imagine in a more subtle and less fancy way.
