Virtual Environments – Escape from Reality?

In reading about all of the nuances of virtual environments like Second Life, the consistent theme is reinvention – finding ways to live vicariously through an avatar (that does not even look like the person!) and a customized virtual community. Some argue that there is value in marketing from virtual environments. For example, Coke has an interactive site where customers may provide new ideas for Coke’s products. Maybe for businesses, the virtual environment provides a good “testing” ground in product development; but aren’t there other ways to increase customer engagement without creating an imaginary world?