Playbour Camps and Virtual Sweatshops

Creative labour is undergoing transformation within XR environments, where identity is expressed through avatars, fashion is created as digital assets, and the body increasingly functions as an interactive interface. As fashion and gaming industries converge, issues such as monetization of self-expression, bodily autonomy, exploitation, and representation give rise to new sociotechnical tensions. To explore these, we used a speculative design approach to examine blurred boundaries between labour, play, and identity. A fictional scenario developed during a design workshop, combining “playbour camps” and “virtual fashion”. The scenario is enacted through four archetypal characters, each embodying a distinct perspective on technological change in creative industries. The analysis of dialogues highlights two key areas of tension: complex relations between online play and labour, where activities such as influencer work, fashion design, and platform-based creation blur boundaries between self-expression, economic value, and professional legitimacy; entanglement of avatar identity and physical embodiment, which illustrates how digital presence and bodily experience intersect, while also revealing generational divides in the recognition of virtual labour. These fictional interactions reflect current dynamics in XR-based content creation, wearable technologies, and virtual economies, raising critical questions around user autonomy, bodily integrity, and ethical responsibility. Rather than offering a singular vision of the future, the scenario opens a reflective space for critically examining how creative industries are reshaped within immersive environments. This study demonstrates how speculative narratives can surface sociotechnical frictions and contribute to broader discussions on design, labour, and embodiment in XR.