E-Commerce environments as 3D electronic institutions

Many researchers have paid close attention in the recent past to 3D product presentation in E-Commerce systems. Surprisingly, not many practical results have been shown. In this paper we outline the reasons for the lack of success and propose the use of 3D Virtual Worlds that not only offer natural ways of product presentation but also provide means to satisfy the social needs of customers, which are mostly neglected in nowadays E-Commerce solutions. Virtual Worlds are somewhat unregulated environments, which do not have the means to enforce technological norms and rules on their inhabitants. But these norms can be enforced with the help of the Electronic Institution methodology. It is shown how two metaphors, Virtual Worlds and Electronic Institutions are combined into a single metaphor, 3D Electronic Institution, while retaining the features and advantages of both, and how the 3D Electronic Institutions are generated.