That's the point. It's an 80s nostalgia fest for the narrow audience who grew up & wallowed in the media of the time, presenting the grand fantasy pulled together by the then-promise of VR (tragically lacking the hardware needed).

This is a story needing a Spielberg to present in cinema, someone with enough pull to include the vast array of intellectual property & cameos required.

No I'm pretty sure that's literally the plot of the book.