I don't know if this will help any as I am a newcomer to SR (I only have the 4 and 4A books) but I graduated in 2001.
As far as the economics of SR4A 2072 go, I see it a lot like the world of today only the "free" market has been allowed to run wild, you know, sorta like the latest depression. Say, wasn't there a dip in the market in the 70s/80s after a bunch of deregulation too? Rich get richer, poor get poorer, regulation of the system goes bye-bye, crashes become more and more frequent but periods of insane profits happen too and so on and so on. The biggest things in SR verse that seems to have not contributed to social-economic change appears to be resource shortages and climate change, which between the VITAS reducing world population significantly and magic restoring some of nature's dominance on climate change seem to be what prevented those end/change games. SR even screwed with religious dogma dominance too, didn't it? SRs wars probably contributed too.
I kinda see it like the world has had its economic complete collapse clock reset back to the days of just when the Train Barons started to get going, only now those lines go completely around the World. say in a Wide Web. The world balkanized but not at the same time.
As far as the economics of SR4A 2072 go, I see it a lot like the world of today only the "free" market has been allowed to run wild, you know, sorta like the latest depression. Say, wasn't there a dip in the market in the 70s/80s after a bunch of deregulation too? Rich get richer, poor get poorer, regulation of the system goes bye-bye, crashes become more and more frequent but periods of insane profits happen too and so on and so on. The biggest things in SR verse that seems to have not contributed to social-economic change appears to be resource shortages and climate change, which between the VITAS reducing world population significantly and magic restoring some of nature's dominance on climate change seem to be what prevented those end/change games. SR even screwed with religious dogma dominance too, didn't it? SRs wars probably contributed too.
I kinda see it like the world has had its economic complete collapse clock reset back to the days of just when the Train Barons started to get going, only now those lines go completely around the World. say in a Wide Web. The world balkanized but not at the same time.
Except, of course, that the corp future that Shadowrun [and most cyberpunk portray] is an unworkable one.
The last year has shown the precarious nature of corporations and banks - all it takes is a single event and they tumble like dominoes.
Which leads to more regulation, not less.
Almost all the big companies from the last 100 years are gone - a result of their basic business model not being a longterm viable one.
The cost of constantly hiring staff would reduce any profits gained by a company - loss of skills, hiring costs, etc.
In a future where smart machines control drones, interface mind to machines and exist in dataspace, a $10k processor core will do the work of a roomful of low wage people [since they would not be doing anything requiring high levels of skills - data entry, basic admin, etc] - without the need for floorspace, excercise, training, etc.
To maintain that a company would rather hire and abuse a roomful of people is desperately trying to maintain an office as we have in the 2000's.
But back to the topic in hand...
...Entertainment will be the same as now - some people will enjoy virtual lives, some people will enjoy sports, some people will enjoy no sports at all.
Rich people will probably not do virtual sports, because to do real sports shows off their wealth - as now, getting hot and sweaty and actually doing something often gives way to being seen and flaunting cash.
of course, they'll undergo maintainance surgery to keep trim and beautiful - like they do now.
Poor people are more likely to do sports [real or virtual] - because they can't afford the access time.
And a lucky few will be good enough to make money from their ability.