2. My Goals...
• Set some overall perspective
• Challenge a few things
• Provide some possible ideas...
Special Thanks : Tim Holt
3. Multiplayer Taxonomy
Massive Massive
Multiplayer Multiplayer
Multiplayer Multiplayer
Opponents Tournament
(Shareded) (Grid)
No. of Players 1-4 8-64 1000-10,000 Everyone
Player Hosted
Server? Via Provider or P2P
Third Party Hosted
Provider Only Provider Only
In classroom Most FPS games Most MMPs use Other MMPs
group games use fit this approach this approach use this approach
Notes this approach
Making History America’s Army Lunar Quest Second Life
Social Networks
Name ARGs Web MMP Play By Email Games
File Attached to Social Network API
How Played Message Boards, Etc. Turn Based Compliant Application
Client
SmartyPants
Example World Without Oil Sim Country Scrabble EA | Blueprint
4. Why you should not
make a Virtual World
Because they are “hot”
Because “everyone” is doing it
To be like <Insert Name of Virtual World>
5. Why you should play with
virtual worlds...
To experiment and seek out utility
To create a space for social interaction
To let players act and react to each other and their environment in a
big world
To create a persistent environment where people can visit and
return
To create a new avenue to digital simulations and game applications
that educate people
To reach different audiences
6. Experimentation & Utility
• It’s good to experiment - but set
expectations
• Utility - Distributed teams, geospatial
orientation, visualization...
7. People & Simulations
• Virtual worlds might need to be more then
a social atmosphere...
• Virtual worlds are attracting people from
other media and especially other Web
media
9. 2D: Habbo Hotel
Free, Shockwave/web
based virtual community
“Fun, social non-violent
concepts that inspire
creativity”
Built by Sulake in
Helsinki, Finland
www.habbo.com
10.
11. 2D: Whyville
Free Java/web based
virtual community with
strong educational
content
Extremely simplistic
graphics, but highly
successful
Built by Numedeon
www.whyville.net
12.
13. 3D: RuneScape
Free Java + web based
fantasy RPG MMO
Hugely popular despite low
quality graphics
Built by Jagex
www.runescape.com
14. Lessons...
• Not all virtual worlds share an approach of real-time 3D
and many which don’t are actually very successful
• There are MANY vying if not viable solutions and this will
stay this way for sometime - expect failures
• We’re not sure what the “killer app” is for virtual worlds
• It’s not clear that certain 3D spaces are in fact productive
spaces as is
15. Questions...
• Do you build your own “world” or do you inhabit other
world(s) or both?
• Where do people have accounts?
• What are they doing in this world?
• What will my world offer?
16. Possible Answers...
• World as third “space”... especially for meetings
• World as educational simulation of your topic(s)
• For your core readers?
• For people outside of the readership (e.g. kids)
• A totally different sense of world...
17. A Different Sense of World...
• Wikipedia
• FaceBook
• PMOG
• SimCountry
• MUDs
• Webkinz
18. Mirror Worlds
• Google Maps 5.0
• Microsoft ESP
• Pictometry...
• Mobile Meets Virtual Worlds
19. Games as Worlds
• Animal Crossing
• World of Warcraft
• Half-Life 2
• Maple Story
20. It’s About Properties First
• Socialness
• Persistence What of these
• World properties
• Simulation/Play/Narrative are you
interested?
• Immersion
• Inventiveness
21. Summary...
• Experiment widely
• Look at the entire spectrum of activity
• Set aside common organization utility
• Multi-tiered strategy likely outcome
• Re-think “who is your audience”
