The bulk of this conference focuses on pre-built and pre-scripted virtual worlds. The illusion of choice is presented by quantity; here are 19 different shirts for your avatar, here is a game where you collect virtual pets, here is a puzzle with 11 branching pathways.
But not only is customization not true creativity, it actively diverts it, in the same way that junk food fills you up but provides no nutrients. A type of choice is involved in selecting skin tones and hairstyles from a menu, but as a closed system it is not creative at all. It is also perfect for the commodification of those impulses, as finite systems have closely defined elements that can be (and are) packaged and sold. This environment of faux choice is further compounded by the fact that we live in a culture of commodification anyway, from objects to ideas, and so we're familiar with that context and easily fall into the usual behavior patterns.
This qualitative difference, between customization and creativity, is where the tech can really be used for good or evil.
