Virtual Worlds

What’s This About? Theory and Practice: Paper-Labs-Business A Quick Introduction Where did this come from? Virtual Reality Games Helping You To Think About Virtual Worlds A Peek Into Trends

Theory and Practice: Paper-Labs-Business

A Quick Introduction

Where did this come from?

Virtual Reality

Games

Helping You To Think About Virtual Worlds

A Peek Into Trends

Contents What are Virtual Worlds? The Larger Picture: Virtual Reality Frames To look at This: Tool versus World Visual Thinking Emergent Properties Trends Closed Virtual Worlds versus Immersive Web What’s Happening Around The World. The Tour.

What are Virtual Worlds?

The Larger Picture: Virtual Reality

Frames To look at This:

Tool versus World

Visual Thinking

Emergent Properties

Trends

Closed Virtual Worlds versus Immersive Web

What’s Happening Around The World.

The Tour.

The Simplest Definition An environment in a computer There is something to interact with. The User has choices to make.

An environment in a computer

There is something to interact with.

The User has choices to make.

Familiar Examples Games Second Life

Games

Second Life

Second Life Facts A virtual world created by its users Owner and platform provider: Linden Lab Went public in 2004 Active user base: 1,102,867 (as of April 4, 2008) “ Residents” meet, hang out, create, buy, sell and explore in-world. Currency: the Linden dollar. (L$270 = 1 USD) Daily Transaction about $1 million

A virtual world created by its users

Owner and platform provider: Linden Lab

Went public in 2004

Active user base: 1,102,867 (as of April 4, 2008)

“ Residents” meet, hang out, create, buy, sell and explore in-world.

Currency: the Linden dollar. (L$270 = 1 USD)

Daily Transaction about $1 million

Why is it not a game? “ Games are artificial systems , separate in some way from ordinary life.” Salen & Zimmerman “ I consider a game to be something that provides us with a common goal , the achievement of which has no bearing on anything that it outside the game .” – De Koven “ Rules impose limits … put us inside the game world.” Second Life has: A fully convertible currency, credit cards, banks?

“ Games are artificial systems , separate in some way from ordinary life.” Salen & Zimmerman

“ I consider a game to be something that provides us with a common goal , the achievement of which has no bearing on anything that it outside the game .” – De Koven

“ Rules impose limits … put us inside the game world.”

Second Life has: A fully convertible currency, credit cards, banks?

The Current Meaning Simulations of some form. Which are not designed to be a “game” in the conventional sense However this does not mean it is not fun.

Simulations of some form.

Which are not designed to be a “game” in the conventional sense

However this does not mean it is not fun.

Tools v.s Worlds What is Microsoft Windows? What is a Theme Park? What is Ngee Ann Poly?

What is Microsoft Windows?

What is a Theme Park?

What is Ngee Ann Poly?

Virtual Worlds as a Tool Quotes from Virtual Reality Eg. Intelligence amplifier Visual Thinking as an important way to be creative and problem solve. Some problems are just 3 Dimensional

Quotes from Virtual Reality

Eg. Intelligence amplifier

Visual Thinking as an important way to be creative and problem solve.

Some problems are just 3 Dimensional

Virtual Worlds as a Tool Has This already happened? Auto-CAD and engineering software. Should we teach this in school? What is the focus? Practical Play with it: Discover, Invent.

Has This already happened?

Auto-CAD and engineering software.

Should we teach this in school?

What is the focus?

Practical

Play with it: Discover, Invent.

Virtual Worlds as System SIMS: A Sandbox Game Second Life: Real people living online lives Emergent Properties: What is Emergence? Why should we care?

SIMS: A Sandbox Game

Second Life: Real people living online lives

Emergent Properties:

What is Emergence?

Why should we care?

Emergent Properties of VW Learning about systems for users to “create with”. User Creating his own experience. What will come out of Virtual Worlds? Nobody Knows. Today: Entertainment, New Economies. Taking advantage of emergence: Our Opportunity.

Learning about systems for users to “create with”.

User Creating his own experience.

What will come out of Virtual Worlds?

Nobody Knows.

Today: Entertainment, New Economies.

Taking advantage of emergence: Our Opportunity.

3-D INTERNET BEGINS WITH VIRTUAL WORLDS. Today’s Situation: Closed Virtual Worlds Immersive Internet.

Today’s Situation:

Closed Virtual Worlds Entering an experience. Install a programme Run it Connect to the internet Why? That was the state of the technology. Easier to keep tabs on and control users.

Entering an experience.

Install a programme

Run it

Connect to the internet

Why?

That was the state of the technology.

Easier to keep tabs on and control users.

Closed Virtual Worlds Second Life is the most sucessful Many other ‘boutique players’ are entering the market. “ The Dream” is to link all the closed virtual worlds: CREATING THE METAVERSE

Second Life is the most sucessful

Many other ‘boutique players’ are entering the market.

“ The Dream” is to link all the closed virtual worlds: CREATING THE METAVERSE

Open Virtual Environments Plug-in Based Environment Unity Plug-in: Paradise Paintball in Facebook www.vastpark.com www.pelicancrossing.com

Plug-in Based Environment

Unity Plug-in: Paradise Paintball in Facebook

www.vastpark.com

www.pelicancrossing.com

Open Virtual Environments Anyone can access the 3-D internet through a web browser. People make their own content and host it on their own websites. All open source technology. IMML – Vastpark.com X3D – Community based open-source

Anyone can access the 3-D internet through a web browser.

People make their own content and host it on their own websites.

All open source technology.

IMML – Vastpark.com

X3D – Community based open-source

Open Virtual Environments A new form of website User-created content Korean example Vastpark click and drag They prefer to call it the “Immersive Web”.

A new form of website

User-created content

Korean example

Vastpark click and drag

They prefer to call it the “Immersive Web”.

Now What? We know there are 2 main approaches to the 3-D internet Closed Virtual Environments Open Virtual Environments What are the approaches companies are taking? Again I’m focusing on technology.

We know there are 2 main approaches to the 3-D internet

Closed Virtual Environments

Open Virtual Environments

What are the approaches companies are taking?

Again I’m focusing on technology.

KOREA. PART OF MY SOCIAL NETWORK. Cyworld.com habbo hotel The Whirlwind Tour of the 3-D internet.

Cyworld.com habbo hotel

The Whirlwind Tour of the 3-D internet.

GERMANY. UK. PEOPLE LIKE THE REAL WORLD! Second Interest’s Virtual Berlin The Whirlwind Tour of the 3-D internet.

Second Interest’s Virtual Berlin

The Whirlwind Tour of the 3-D internet.

SINGAPORE. VIRTUAL WORLD, REAL FACE. XID’s Tycoona The Whirlwind Tour of the 3-D internet.

XID’s Tycoona

The Whirlwind Tour of the 3-D internet.

CHINA. VIRTUAL AND REAL ARE LINKED. Cyber Recreation District and the Dotman platform The Whirlwind Tour of the 3-D internet.

Cyber Recreation District and the Dotman platform

The Whirlwind Tour of the 3-D internet.

AUSTRALIA. DO WHAT YOU WANT. WE’LL JUST HELP YOU DO IT. Vastpark The Whirlwind Tour of the 3-D internet.

Vastpark

The Whirlwind Tour of the 3-D internet.

Other Trends The rise of the Virtual Worlds Developer. Anshe Chung Studios Second Interest Metaversatlity And many many more. Professional 3-D content developers are on the rise.

The rise of the Virtual Worlds Developer.

Anshe Chung Studios

Second Interest

Metaversatlity

And many many more.

Professional 3-D content developers are on the rise.

The Corporate Come in Who can pay for professional quality virtual worlds development? MNCs Universities Churches To advise them, IBM and Gardner are involved in virtual worlds.

Who can pay for professional quality virtual worlds development?

MNCs

Universities

Churches

To advise them, IBM and Gardner are involved in virtual worlds.

Corporate Advisors say… Gardner “ 80% of internet users will have a ‘second life’ (using virtual worlds)” – Steve Prentice, Gardner Analyst. IBM “ IBM is helping to drive the growth and adoption of the 3-D Internet with insights and actions that will shape the future of the 3-D landscape.” –IBM site Working with Second Life and Open SIM.

Gardner

“ 80% of internet users will have a ‘second life’ (using virtual worlds)” – Steve Prentice, Gardner Analyst.

IBM

“ IBM is helping to drive the growth and adoption of the 3-D Internet with insights and actions that will shape the future of the 3-D landscape.” –IBM site

Working with Second Life and Open SIM.

Pit-falls This is a game-based technology. It’s hard to see it used for serious stuff. Corporate 3-D content changes the ‘rules’ At this point, we don’t have a common language to use the interface. How do I use this to collaborate with others in projects. The technology will take awhile to stablize.

This is a game-based technology.

It’s hard to see it used for serious stuff.

Corporate 3-D content changes the ‘rules’

At this point, we don’t have a common language to use the interface.

How do I use this to collaborate with others in projects.

The technology will take awhile to stablize.

3-D internet leads to Mixed Reality 3-D internet will be layered over reality. It comes with new technologies in screens and information input. It’s part of mixed reality.

3-D internet will be layered over reality.

It comes with new technologies in screens and information input.

It’s part of mixed reality.

The Samsung Labs example. (Samsung in California)

(Samsung in California)

In Summary There is NO conclusion for Virtual Worlds Potential. Closed Virtual Worlds versus Immersive Web Focus: User-Created Content and Participation Way to think: Tool System with Emergent Properties

There is NO conclusion for Virtual Worlds

Potential.

Closed Virtual Worlds versus Immersive Web

Focus: User-Created Content and Participation

Way to think:

Tool

System with Emergent Properties

My prediction Today we tell and show each other our experiences. Tomorrow we let our friends re-live our experiences. How do we want to take part in this? [email_address]

Today we tell and show each other our experiences.

Tomorrow we let our friends re-live our experiences.

How do we want to take part in this?

What’s The Big Deal? Its about what people are doing. Early Potential: It changes the way we use computers. “Cyber Space” Current Potential The Questions It Asks.

Its about what people are doing.

Early Potential:

It changes the way we use computers.

“Cyber Space”

Current Potential

The Questions It Asks.

Part of Virtual Reality People and Interfaces interact with virtual reality.

People and Interfaces interact with virtual reality.