Schilling, the Warcraft enthusiast

Last Saturday afternoon, Curt Schilling sat calmly behind a desk fielding an array of questions from a packed auditorium. The questions didn't involve his newest ring, his new contract, or even baseball at all.

The focus of the panel discussion at Harvard Business School related to the future of online, virtual-world video games, such as Warcraft, and how Schilling's company, 38 Studios, intends to compete with the wildly popular franchise.

Schilling, along with a panel of the top minds in the business, discussed how this niche developed for hardcore gamers can expand to encompass a wider fan base.

Their ideas ranged from allowing for greater "organic" growth of the genre - which assumes that the companies behind these games are trying to make it easier for people with knowledge of computer programming to create their own additions to the game - to the economic implications or trying to compete with Warcraft, which basically has a stranglehold on the market.

For two hours, the star-studded panel, which included a number of chief creative officers, programmers, and a venture capitalist, discussed their differing views for the future of the games. They all agreed that something had to be done to attract a wider user base, and to create greater demand and revenue.

One idea presented was to give the software away for free and to charge the users for in-game power-ups, or to charge for land rights within the virtual world. Corey Bridges, of Multiverse Studios, brought this idea to a whole new level.

He said that his company is developing a platform allowing people to create their own virtual-world games for free and to charge them only once the creator started charging the game's players.

The panel unanimously agreed that the biggest problem to incorporating a greater fan base is the user interface. Once a simpler user interface is developed, these games would be more attractive to people who wouldn't consider themselves as "gamers."

It was also noted that these virtual worlds are lagging way behind their console counterparts in terms of graphics and gameplay, which makes Xbox and Playstation games much more attractive to the wider audience that these online game companies desire.

This panel of experts believes that once that interface is developed, the future of these virtual online worlds is going to be like what Mike Hirschland, a venture capitalist, described as "a virtual Facebook."

These worlds are going to allow for people to meet other individuals with the same interests and lifestyles, regardless of what state, or even country they live in.

The other half of the conference focused on how to create revenue in this new environment.

Some of the experts discussed incorporating what could be described as "old media" and advertisements into the virtual creation - for example, picture a wizard on quest through an enchanted forest, casting spells as he passes by a giant billboard advertising CBS's newest fall line-up.

Other strategies include charging the gamer for power-ups and access to new levels within the game. This tactic has generated a massive return on investment in Asia, and the game developers are trying to create a demand for it within the United States.

Schilling noted that the business world of video games is very similar to the world of sports that he is more accustomed to.

He said that the relentless competition in baseball is comparable to the competition and demand involved in staying one step ahead of others in the business world.

He added that his company, 38 Studios, is trying to incorporate the gaming world into cell phones and handhelds. "Our goal is to get [the user] involved in our world 24/7," Schilling said.

These companies are targeting a wider audience, beyond the normal base of gamers, and regardless of users' level of commitment. The future of these virtual worlds is wide open, with seemingly endless possibility to grow.

This genre of games has a bright future, with huge room for growth in a plethora of areas. Whether to socialize in a virtual world, to entertain the base of hardcore game enthusiasts, or to allow for any kid with a computer to create a digital world, the industry of interactive virtual worlds is going to become increasingly important.

Soon enough, online worlds are going to be for more than just that kid down the hall that stays up all night and only emerges once a month.