<![CDATA[Kotaku: Virtual Worlds]]> http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/kotaku.com.png <![CDATA[Kotaku: Virtual Worlds]]> http://kotaku.com/tag/virtual worlds http://kotaku.com/tag/virtual worlds <![CDATA[In The Virtual World, His Fiancée Never Died]]> "Obviously, I can't bring people back to life," Jon Jacobs recently told me. Obviously. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5806088&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Exploring the Most Beautiful Video Game Worlds]]> In today's Speak-Up on Kotaku, commenter Monsieur.Froid urges us to sit back, relax, and get lost in the wondrous landscapes of the most gorgeous virtual worlds gaming has to offer. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5796616&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Battling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder With A Virtual Suicide Bombing]]> The Humvee drives down a crowded street in a foreign land. A child waves. Merchants display their wares. Suddenly soldiers raise their rifles as a suicide bomber runs into the street, detonating his lethal package. This is virtual PTSD therapy. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5743201&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Former Sims Head Becomes The Boss Of Second Life]]> First Rod Humble worked on EverQuest. Then he headed the EA Play label, which manages The Sims franchise. After those jobs becoming the new CEO of Second Life creator Linden Lab seems like a natural progression. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5716899&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[IRS: Second Life Saves Taxpayers Millions]]> The Internal Revenue Service isn't all about taking your money. It's also about saving you money by foregoing NASCAR sponsorships in favor of a virtual presence in Second Life. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5337538&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Second Skin Coming To DVD In August]]> Second Skin, a documentary about virtual worlds and their inhabitants that we've been keeping tabs on since it started casting in 2006, is finally coming to DVD this August. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5304805&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Muxlim Launching Islamic Virtual World]]> Muslim social networking site Muxlim.com is planning a Islam-themed virtual world. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5067110&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA['Ghost Whisperer' Tackles Video Games Tonight, Expect Hilarity]]> Tonight's episode of Ghost Whisperer, the Jennifer Love Hewitt vehicle about the personal problems of the undead, delves into dangerous territory: the warped TV version of video games. Episode three of the show's fourth season is titled "Ghost in the Machine," because there's a ghost in a machine. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5065365&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[IBM and the Palace Museum Launch the 'Virtual Forbidden City']]> In a move that seems designed to provide Chinese historians with even more ways to torture their poor students (I know at least one thing I'm forcing my sections to do next quarter), IBM and the Palace Museum have teamed up to offer a virtual, immersive, and interactive version of the Forbidden Palace of Beijing. In contrast to the more typical 3D 'tours' that abound, the "Forbidden City: Beyond Space & Time" is sort of Second Life meets the Qing dynasty and eunuchs (minus advertising, a virtual economy, and sex). It's running like a snail on my computer, but is certainly a very neat idea — and in the future, we'll perhaps being seeing more creative uses of virtual worlds for 'cultural' purposes? Full release after the jump: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5062167&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[The Business of 'Avatar Rights']]> The rights of 'avatars' — more to the point, the people who control them and their virtual assets — is an interesting and murky part of legal issues, EULAs, and player-company relations. Court cases have been tried over 'illegal' seizing of assets, and with the amount of time (and money) that people pour into their online characters and assets, we can expect to see more and more real-world legal problems related to virtual issues. But are companies on the ball?: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5052839&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[The Promise of User Created Content - the Kodak Effect]]> Ian Bogost has an interesting essay up comparing the flowering of user generated content to the Kodak Brownie camera — in comparison to the unwieldy early cameras, the Brownie brought snapshots to the people. Simple and portable, it allowed people to create their own personal snapshots, something that Kodak capitalized on. In much the same way that Brownies allowed non-professionals to photograph personal moments that had a limited audience, so too does user generated content allow people to create digital 'snapshots.' That is, with the introduction of tools that just about anyone can use, people are able to create things that have personal meaning, but probably little meaning to the world at large. But meaning — and quality — aren't the point here: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5049628&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Future Trends for Virtual Worlds]]> The Virtual Worlds Expo took place last week in Los Angeles, and there's been bits and pieces of news from the event floating around — the wrap ups of roundtables and panels are the most interesting. Over at Free To Play, they have put together five big trends in virtual worlds, ranging from 'the war on geekiness' (oh, ouch) to one I'm most interested in, the movement from virtual world to real world instead of the other way around: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5049427&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Study Finds Racial Bias Common In Virtual Worlds]]> Anyone thinking that virtual worlds are edging towards some kind of utopia, please revise your hopes downwards. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5048435&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[A Quick Q&A On Google Lively]]> A few weeks ago, Bonnie Ruberg wrote about a few gripes with Google Lively's user interface and chat system; Mark Young, the user experience designer for Lively, quickly got back regarding the complaints and the two shared an interesting little Q&A on future plans for making Lively more user friendly. On the topic of what bits of the interface are still being tweaked, Young had this to say: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5037861&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Virtual Worlds for Fun and Research]]> We mentioned Arden, the university-design MMO, a few times; a working paper has just been released that looks at economic behavior in MMOs using the game. The interesting thing here isn't so much the fact that people replicate real-world behaviors online (in this case, they purchased less of an item when it was more expensive), but that it's yet another piece of a growing literature explaining the utility of virtual worlds in actual research: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5029517&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[The Utility of Serious Games for Marketing]]> A new report has been released on the utility of 'serious games' and in-game marketing in virtual spaces like Second Life; OTOinsights, the research arm of One to One Interactive, takes a look at the success (or lack thereof) of marketing attempts by major firms. They describe the results as 'uneven' and make some suggestions on how companies can better utilize virtual spaces to pitch their product(s): More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5024687&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[From the Margins to the Mainland: the Future of Virtual Worlds?]]> Those concerned with 'virtual worlds' — as opposed to 'games' — spend a lot of time contemplating the role of virtual worlds in a wider market; over at Terra Nova, Bruce Damer looks at the potential future of virtual worlds, which could be a lot bigger than most people imagine. Some potential answers to keep the industry growing? Piggybacking off platforms that are currently growing at a rapid clip, making sure virtual worlds are 'worth' something — perhaps some as of yet undiscovered little platform will be the key: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5022269&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[My Brief Surprise Visit To Sony's PS3 Home Beta]]> Sony's virtual world Home service is still not open to the public. And it's beta is closed to only select people, a group that doesn't include the press. But I recently found myself in front of a PlayStation 3 that had the Home Beta running on it and decided to give it a try. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5019317&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA['Why User Generated Content Matters' (For Some)]]> User generated content is something of a hot issue, with even universities like Stanford getting in on the game of how to make it easier and more intuitive for people to make their own stuff for games. At the recent Social Gaming Summit, a couple of industry types got together to talk about user generated content in virtual worlds, and why the model works for their games (such as Habbo Hotel or Puzzle Pirates): More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5018640&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Second Life Celebrates Five Years]]> Linden Labs is celebrating the five year anniversary of the launch of their virtual world Second Life, and you're all invited, even if most of you won't come! In honor of this milestone, the Lindens will be holding a two-week long Virtual World Fair, complete with parties, roundtable discussions, and exhibits that highlight the genitalia perversion creativity of the world's residents. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5018266&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Paralyzed Man Walks in Second Life]]> And happily, no one was on hand to grief it. A 41-year-old Japanese man who suffers from a progressive muscle disease that has left him almost totally paralyzed, moved his Second Life character about a virtual environment using his brain waves, reports Agence France-Presse. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5014255&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Sims Franchise To Explore, uh, Virtual Worlds?]]> In a somewhat bizarre interview with The Times Online, Nancy Smith (head of the Sims division at EA) said that " in light of the popularity of virtual worlds ... the Sims may soon become a multi-player game." The article fails to mention the failed experiment of The Sims Online, later rebranded to "EA-Land" and scheduled for closure in August. But Smith talks of potential new (and old) modes for online play: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5014238&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Virtual Worlds Getting Ready To Explode]]> Sure, laugh when I tell you that I spent the better part of last night DJing a virtual wedding in Second Life, but the next wedding I DJ could be yours. In a report released today titled ""Market Forecasts for Virtual World Experiences", Strategy Analytics predicts that over the course of the next decade, 22 percent of broadband users around the world will be subscribed to one or more virtual worlds. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5013271&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Finding Gainful (Virtual) Summer Employment]]> My summer will be filled with exactly the same things my school year is (herding students along to enlightenment, reading, and research), minus pesky seminars, but for the younger generation, gainful summer employment is getting harder to come by. One solution? Turning to virtual worlds for employment: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5009576&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[90% of Virtual Worlds Will Fail Within 18 Months]]> For those that lament the plethora of crappy MMOs and poorly-planned 'virtual worlds' of various stripes — fear not, a new report indicates that 90% are doomed to failure within a year and a half. Gartner, the research and advisory firm that produced the report, notes that the high rate of failure could be due to a number of factors; perhaps most importantly, the low cost of entry means that more experimentation is taking place (and like any experiment, a lot of virtual experiments fail). But it's not all doom and gloom: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5009504&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Virtual Property Disputes Landing in Real Courts]]> Ok, so virtual property disputes aren't exactly new, but there's a little wrap up on some of the current issues over at a Canadian website. Most of the issues discussed revolve around Second Life, but the questions of virtual property and other virtual issues are getting increasing attention: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5009502&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Linden Labs New CEO Slowly Rezzing]]> After last month's resignation of Linden Labs founder and CEO Philip Rosedale, Kotaku readers have had only one question on their minds - is there any way I can get Grand Theft Auto IV early? The answer, of course, is no, but the knowledge that the Second Life company shall soon be in good hands will help massage the disappointment out of your collective furrowed brow. Former CEO of digital communications agency Organic Inc., Mark Kingdon is only one alphabetical space away from having an awesome last name. What he does have is an MBA from the Wharton School of Business and a BA in economics from UCLA, and he's just thrilled to be here.
"To me, the CEO role at Linden Lab combines perfectly my passions for art and design, business and technology. Until Second Life, we experienced the digital world passively in two dimensions. By enabling users to create a rich and immersive virtual world, Second Life is transforming the way we connect, collaborate, learn and transact online.
Kingdon will assure the role of CEO on the 15th of May, spontaneously appearing in the office with his hair attached to his ass and a boot sticking out of his chest, his clothing still loading. It's an SL thing. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=382877&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Disney's Virtual Magic Kingdom Closing, Fans Hysterical]]> Once upon a time, Disney had this virtual world called (creatively enough) Virtual Magic Kingdom: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=381861&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[NASA Wants Second Life On The Moon]]> A sense of community is important to NASA. That's why they opened a NASA mansion for parties and just hanging out, hacking software and making Uranus jokes. But the NASA mansion was only good during the night. NASA's Andrew Hoppin explains how Second Life allowed connections during the day.
...we got employees from all around NASA - the 10 geographies around the country - showing up at these Tuesday afternoon meetings. We formed a community of NASA and non-NASA, started coworking in Second Life. Cultural change started to take place at the agency...
But Hoppin would like to see this cultural change happen far, far outside the agency: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=376128&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Second Life and ESL Instruction]]> A while back, we mentioned a journal article on using MMOs to aid second language acquisition. Now Forbes has a piece discussing the same issue, only with Second Life. The author spoke with several teachers about their approaches to using SL to educate: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=373763&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Human and Property Rights in Virtual Worlds]]> SXSW hosted what sounds like a very interesting panel on the issue of personal property rights in virtual worlds: this is becoming an ever more important issue, with lawsuits a-flyin' and people getting arrested for virtual property theft. So, how is this issue going to get nailed down? And when? And by whom? The panel consisted of GoPets CEO Erik Bethke, Live Gamer co-founder Andrew Schneider and attorney Greg Boyd, with Charles River Ventures' Susan Wu moderating. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=368328&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Should Virtual Item Loss Be Classed As Real Life Theft?]]> A short and sweet and mildly thought provoking piece over at Terra Nova asks the question: "Why not qualify the taking away of virtual objects as theft?" The author speaks in reference to Dutch law specifically, but a few cases have cropped up in recent months (Shanda getting sued after forgetting to return some virtual items; the case that this post was based on, where virtual theft in Habbo Hotel led to a real life arrest) that raise the question of what do you do with virtual items when they're stolen? Slap a pair of real life cuffs on the thief's wrists? Ignore it, since the items never left the virtual space they inhabited? More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=360073&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Government After Terrorists in MMORPGs]]> And you thought gold farmers were irritating. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has released a report on data-mining that includes information on a new initiative called the Reynard project. The point of the foxy initiative? More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=359973&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Metaverse U Roundup]]> Stanford's Metaverse U conference has been going on this past weekend, and Joey Seiler has been blogging from the event, which has a lot of academic theory, predictions about where virtual worlds are headed, as well as how people are trying to implement some of the theoretical aspects into actual practice. One of the most interesting panels looked to be on avatars, some experiments with virtual reality, and preservation of virtual worlds: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=357440&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Passively Multiplayer Online 'Games']]> Worlds in Motion has a quick write—up of something that may become a new trend: passively multiplayer ... web browsing? From the GameLayer's website comes a description of a Firefox add on that turns web browsing into something else: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=354647&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[The Case Against Media Convergence In Games]]> A few weeks ago, Leigh Alexander made the case for media convergence in the gaming industry — now she's back making the case against. With the talk of user-driven worlds, personalized content, more media cross—overs than you can shake a stick at (because 95% of games-cum-movies or movies-cum-games are oh—so—successful, yes?), there is a downside — and is this what we really want? More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=354629&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[10 Reasons Free To Play Growth May Be Slow]]> Over at Free To Play, a list of ten potential reasons the free to play model may never take hold in the West like it has in Asia, or at least why it may take a long, long time. It's an interesting roundup of a number of issues facing virtual worlds and some games more broadly (issues with RMT, bad ad campaigns, bad advergaming, etc.) - I'm always interested to see people's attitudes toward the free to play model, which is frequently met with much hostility. One of the most pressing issues is the issue of an onslaught of repetitive MMORPG or virtual space clones: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=351941&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Air Force Unveils Plans For Air Force 2.0]]> Never accuse the USAF of being too far behind the times - they've just unveiled a long term plan to create 'Air Force 2.0,' including social networking (MyBase!), virtual training, and more ways to appeal to those tech savvy kids than you can shake a stick at. The Air Education and Training Command paper details the plan (but no real mention of cost), wrapping up with a look at three of the ways they hope Air Force 2.0 will function: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=351932&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Real Money Transaction Lawsuit Gets Interesting - Very Interesting]]> Internet Gaming Entertainment (IGE) is a virtual property company that's found itself in some hot water (or its founder has found himself in hot water, at least) - Debonneville v. Pierce was filed last summer in California alleging all sorts of shady business dealings on the part of the founder, Brock Pierce. This wouldn't be interesting if documents relating to the suit hadn't surfaced last week, which give an insider's look at the world of RMT companies (and a lot of drama to boot). There have been countersuits filed, and everything is scheduled to go to trial in May of this year. In the meantime, you can't make the contents of the original complaint up: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=351906&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Stanford Announces Metaverse U Conference]]> Stanford has put together a conference that is going to be running the weekend before GDC. Being held on the 16th and 17th of February, the aim is to bring together a pack of interesting and varied speakers to talk about (what a shock!) the 'metaverse' and virtual worlds. The list of speakers is solid and it looks to be an interesting event - registration is now open and you can find out more at the Metaverse U site. Full details after the jump: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=349393&view=rss&microfeed=true