These "virtual worlds" have been created in numerous iterations over the years, although technology has slowly allowed their actual functionality to improve the reality is that you're still playing a game and buying into something that could disappear tomorrow. It's ironic considering how often the Chinese government periodically cracks down on things like so-called internet addiction and shows that their society is still very erratic in how it can cope with these things. While they may use it as a method to master artificial intelligence and other advanced software, Facebook actually have a lot more know-how to produce these virtual worlds based on their acquisitions over time.