Musing about the ending * Spoiler Alert*

[Michael]

After all is said and done, do you think Wade will ultimately use the button in Halliday's study to shut down the Oasis?

[Jonathan]

My interpretation of the ending was that he would shut the whole thing down almost immediately.

Of course it's left open to interpretation.

For me the Oasis was always the escape from the terrible reality he found himself in. His reliance on the system was no longer needed by the end so therefore the Oasis had served its purpose. Something I think Halliday had intended all along.

[Danielle]

I'm really surprised that anyone even considered he would hit the button, I definitely didn't. The reality they are living in is so harsh that OASIS is their only sanctuary. Wade had already pointed out that virtually his entire education had taken place in the virtual world and how education was provided free to children. I don't think he would deny that opportunity to millions of children the world over, I prefer to think that they would concentrate on making the world, including OASIS a better place.

[Michael]

Good point Danielle. I hadn't fully considered the socialist implications of the OASIS. I was thinking more about Art3mis and her influence on Wade. She wants to save the real world and it would seem that this will never happen as long as humanity has this virtual utopia to escape to. It raises some interesting questions about the state of our own world and the prevalence of technology.

[Debbie]

Michael wrote: "Good point Danielle. I hadn't fully considered the socialist implications of the OASIS. I was thinking more about Art3mis and her influence on Wade. She wants to save the real world and it would se..."

I think that though Wade wouldn't enter OASIS unless it was entirely necessary he would leave it open for the rest of the world. And if he saw that too many people took advantage of it and it's power he might just do it. While in the meantime I agree with Danielle. Certainly I think he would focus on weakening large companies like IOI. I'm not saying that he would increase his monopoly over mankind, jus t attempting to ensure that the power doesn't fall into the hands of people that would tak advantage of it.

[Melanie]

I never thought he would shut it down. For him that was his only escape and he realizes there are others out there like him.

However, having this money I see him trying to make the world a better place where you need less escape inside Oasis.

[John]

Melanie wrote: "...However, having this money I see him trying to make the world a better place where you need less escape inside Oasis."

But there's the rub, even if the real world were not so bleak, would people choose it over the fantasy? Dealing with crushing poverty and despair is certainly an extreme case, but dealing with any reality is hard. A noise complaint from a neighbor in the real world would be a lot harder to deal with than a death threat in OASIS.

I think the fantasy is addictive independent of the reality you're escaping from. So the question becomes whether Wade believes that escapism to be a net negative, and if so, does he have the right to act on that view on behalf of the rest of humanity?

Personally, I don't think he would pull the plug right away, but as he aged/matured the conviction that the OASIS should be destroyed would grow.

[Melanie]

I know with me when I'm enjoying real life or busy I'm not playing around on the computer or Facebook, because I'm out living. Now if Wade can help make some changes to improve the real world than people dont need to live in Oasis.

[Josh]

I agree that to some point it is an inevitability. The kill switch wouldn't have been included in the story if it would never be used.

I was sort of reminded of The Matrix, except humanity voluntarily secluded themselves into the fake world. At some point it has to end if the real world is ever to be healed.

[Ernest Gonzales]

Wade shutting down OASIS would force him to be a power/control freak in the same way that IOI was trying to be and therefore its something he couldn't bring himself to do.

[JT]

The on-line high school school was an interesting concept and fairly contemporary as he signed up for it in the 6th grade(even though we have had on-line Universities for quite some time.) Why not extrapolate Oasis as an educational tool, like Og was doing. Undeniably it's a phenomenal communication device. Perhaps he should consider regulating it with the right frame of mind. The key here is doing what is necessary to make the world a better place. Only in that respects should he use the button.

[Jon]

I think that the final few pages show a development of Wade as an individual, and if anything draw him further from making a rash decision such as pulling the plug without considering the consequences. I like to read it as Wade turning from the Oasis, rather than turning on the Oasis.

Not to mention Cline's suggestion that he'd like to continue writing in the Ready Player One's universe. I think we'll be re-entering the Oasis, which is teeming with far too many possibilities to switch off just yet.

[Kieran]

Wade is truly the only one who can be trusted with the Kill Switch. It is trusted to him because they know he will never use it.

[Forrest]

I don't know, but I hope this means there's gonna be a sequel.

[Existence]

I'd like to see three more. All the same story, but one through Wade's eyes as we already saw. One through Art3mis', one through Aech's, and one through Shoto's. It would not just be the same thing as they all lead up differently,and only Wade makes it to the final. Also, we could see exactly what Art3mis was doing after her and Wade broke up at Og's party. Also, on another note, I don't think Wade presses the button.

[C.C.]

I would think that since the majority of the world's business and education were transacted through the Oasis, shutting it down would create unimaginable chaos.

Ultimately the key wasn't entrusted to Wade, he won it, so it is an interesting question of Halliday's motivations considering he had no idea who would win, nor any idea what they might do with that power, but he did know that the Sixers would have a very good chance.

And I can only hope there is a sequel.

[Khia]

The thought crossed my mind that he would eventually shut the OASIS down. It may be the way to bring back "real" civilization, no matter how dated that may sound in 2044, so that the "real" world can evolve as it seemed to be declining.

I'm up for a sequel.

[Alan]

I think that Wade and his friends are gouing to make the real world a better place, with the money they make from the OASIS, then Wade is going to shut it down... Halliday makes it pretty clear when he says to Parzival, to push the red button at the right time
But... like many people here i am totally in for the sequel

[Nils]

I'm in the improve the OASIS to improve the world field. Why would you kill a tool that has so many beneficial uses?

And is killing it any use at all? Like any technology, it has been invented once - it will be found again.

I think the best thing to do would be to make the whole OASIS free, to make information available to anyone. Information is power and gives you agency, so a tool that gives this power to the wider masses will improve the world.

[John]

Nekroskop wrote: "I think the best thing to do would be to make the whole OASIS free, to make information available to anyone. Information is power and gives you agency, so a tool that gives this power to the wider masses will improve the world. "

I disagree. When something is free, people don't appreciate it.

It's like the coffee supplied at places I've worked. When it was free coffee, people constantly had a cup of coffee which they most of the time didn't even drink. It sat and got cold, and they would dump it out and grab another one. However, when they charged $0.25/cup it was still heavily subsidized and people appreciated it, but there wasn't the waste.

So, make the OASIS available, make sure that anyone who wants to can get access somehow, but not for free. Otherwise, it will encourage decay and waste rather than progress.