<P> In the 2040s , the world has been gripped by an energy crisis from the depletion of fossil fuels and the consequences of global warming , and overpopulation , causing widespread social problems and economic stagnation . To escape the decline their world is facing , people turn to the OASIS , a virtual reality simulator accessible by players using visors and haptic technology such as gloves . It functions both as an MMORPG and as a virtual society , with its currency being the most stable in the real world . It was created by James Halliday who , when he died , had announced in his will to the public that he had left an Easter egg inside OASIS , and the first person to find it would inherit his entire fortune and the corporation . The story follows the adventures of Wade Watts , starting about five years after the announcement , when he discovers one of the three keys pointing to the treasure . </P>
what is the oasis in ready player one
a virtual reality simulator