A critical eye's been fixed on virtual worlds and gaming in general lately, with academics, pundits and parents wondering whether such play is constructive-- or destructive-- to children. Examining the issue is London-based Brunel University's School of Sport and Education, where Dr. Simon Bradford and Nic Crowe followed a group of kids ages 13 to 16 for three years, as they played RuneScape, a fantasy MMO from Jagex.

According to the press release, the research found that rather than creating a legion of pale, anemic shut-ins, online worlds "enhance, rather than constrict the imagination of young people," by letting them experiment with different identities and abilities, and try their hands at opportunities and situations they might not have access to in their offline lives.

"We met many players taking part in online role playing, sometimes to extend or to compensate for experiences in the real world," said Dr. Bradford. "For example, young people whose parents could not afford a summer holiday enjoyed virtual holidays online– hanging out with friends, visiting beaches and going to clubs at night to meet new people.”

Further, according to the study, kids seem to be able to reap benefits from interacting in virtual worlds that reach beyond leisure, such as managing virtual currency and property. Bradford noted "how entrepreneurial young players engaged in business deals online, experiencing positive opportunities often not open to them in the material world.”

It isn't immediately clear what specific markers were used to evaluate the study participants, or how many there were. Still, Brunel says it plans to continue its research into gaming, hoping to study behavioral differences in gender next.