Web, Web 2.0 and Virtual Worlds Roo Reynolds Metaverse Evangelist [email_address]

Web

Netscape Navigator – 1994 - 1998

Mosaic - 1993

WorldWideWeb - 1990

First web server (Tim Berners-Lee’s NeXTcube) – 1990 "This machine is a server. DO NOT POWER IT DOWN!!"

Web 2.0

Web 2.0 examples (then and now) Personal websites -> blogs Britannica Online -> Wikipedia DoubleClick -> Google AdSense Domain name speculation -> search engine optimisation Screen scraping -> web services Content management systems -> wikis Directories (taxonomy) -> tagging ("folksonomy")

Personal websites -> blogs

Britannica Online -> Wikipedia

DoubleClick -> Google AdSense

Domain name speculation -> search engine optimisation

Screen scraping -> web services

Content management systems -> wikis

Directories (taxonomy) -> tagging ("folksonomy")

Web 2.0 components / characteristics The Web as “ The Platform” Tools: RSS, AJAX, PHP, Ruby Services, not packaged software Architecture of participation Small pieces loosely joined, or “re-mixed” Harnessing collective intelligence Software that gets better as more people use it Standards: REST, XHTML Techniques: Mash-up, wiki, tagging, blogging Rich user experience Light-weight programming models

Key themes to remember User-generated content Social networking Feeds – the glue that holds it together

User-generated content

Social networking

Feeds – the glue that holds it together

Web 2.0 attitude “ Web 2.0 is an attitude not a technology . It’s about enabling and encouraging participation through open applications and services . By open I mean technically open with appropriate APIs but also, more importantly, socially open , with rights granted to use the content in new and exciting contexts.” Ian Davis http://iandavis.com/blog/2005/07/talis-web-20-and-all-that

“ Web 2.0 is an attitude not a technology . It’s about enabling and encouraging participation through open applications and services . By open I mean technically open with appropriate APIs but also, more importantly, socially open , with rights granted to use the content in new and exciting contexts.”

Virtual Worlds

Mars Base Alpha 4

Some history Text based adventure games - Adventure / ‘Advent’, 1975 MUD ( M ulti- U ser D ungeon/Domain/Dimension) - 1978 Talker - real-time, text-based communication, 1984 Rogue - early 80s ASCII ‘graphics’. e.g. Nethack is ‘roguelike’ Graphical MUD - Habitat, 1985 IRC - Internet Relay Chat, 1988 (via MUT talker) MOO ( M UD O bject O riented) - AlphaMOO, 1990. Later LambdaMOO 3D games - Wolfenstein 3D, first 3D F irst P erson S hooter, 1992 Online FPS - Doom, 1993 Instant messaging - (` talk`), popularised with GUIs (ICQ, AOL) ’90s MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) Virtual Worlds…

Text based adventure games - Adventure / ‘Advent’, 1975

MUD ( M ulti- U ser D ungeon/Domain/Dimension) - 1978

Talker - real-time, text-based communication, 1984

Rogue - early 80s ASCII ‘graphics’. e.g. Nethack is ‘roguelike’

Graphical MUD - Habitat, 1985

IRC - Internet Relay Chat, 1988 (via MUT talker)

MOO ( M UD O bject O riented) - AlphaMOO, 1990. Later LambdaMOO

3D games - Wolfenstein 3D, first 3D F irst P erson S hooter, 1992

Online FPS - Doom, 1993

Instant messaging - (` talk`), popularised with GUIs (ICQ, AOL) ’90s

MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game)

Virtual Worlds…

Virtual Worlds – as distinct from MMORPGs MMORPGs (Massively multiplayer online role-playing games) e.g. NeverWinter Nights, Everquest, World of Warcraft, Ultima Online, Runescape… Virtual Worlds - Massively multiplayer (but not role-playing games) e.g. There.com, Second Life, Big World, … The users generate the content Not a game ; no objectives Terminology: Virtual World or virtual social environment, MUVE (multi user virtual environment), synthetic world, …

MMORPGs (Massively multiplayer online role-playing games)

e.g. NeverWinter Nights, Everquest, World of Warcraft, Ultima Online, Runescape…

Virtual Worlds - Massively multiplayer (but not role-playing games)

e.g. There.com, Second Life, Big World, …

The users generate the content

Not a game ; no objectives

Terminology: Virtual World or

virtual social environment, MUVE (multi user virtual environment), synthetic world, …

Who are the games players? In 2005, video and computer games sales came in at $7billion Slightly down on 2004 – due to new consoles 69% of American heads of households play computer or video games The average game player age is 33 25% of gamers were over the age of 50 42% of online game players are female Women aged 18 or older represent a significantly greater portion of the game-playing population (30%) than boys age 17 or younger (23%) Source: Entertainment Software Association., “Essential Facts about the Computer and Video Game Industry, 2006”

In 2005, video and computer games sales came in at $7billion

Slightly down on 2004 – due to new consoles

69% of American heads of households play computer or video games

The average game player age is 33

25% of gamers were over the age of 50

42% of online game players are female

Women aged 18 or older represent a significantly greater portion of the game-playing population (30%) than boys age 17 or younger (23%)

Source: Entertainment Software Association., “Essential Facts about the Computer and Video Game Industry, 2006”

Second Life Stats 4,490,000+ user accounts and growing fast 1,600,000+ logged on in past 2 months. Usually 20,000+ concurrently online Not a game A place for meeting, building, selling, collaborating and exploring Active economy Millions of US$ changes hands between players every month. Media coverage BBC, Wired, Economist, Business Week, Observer, Sunday Times, Guardian, Channel 4, CBS, USA Today, The Register, Forbes, … everyone

Stats

4,490,000+ user accounts and growing fast

1,600,000+ logged on in past 2 months. Usually 20,000+ concurrently online

Not a game

A place for meeting, building, selling, collaborating and exploring

Active economy

Millions of US$ changes hands between players every month.

Media coverage

BBC, Wired, Economist, Business Week, Observer, Sunday Times, Guardian, Channel 4, CBS, USA Today, The Register, Forbes, … everyone

More thoughts Are you an immersionist or an augmentationist ? Replacing real life, or augmenting it? How to treat each world. Its own country? Each has own culture(s), with etiquette and often economies. Tax? Who are the rulers? “ The Web in ‘96” Immature, lacking many conventions. Sex and gambling. Walled gardens. At least the Web had HTTP

Are you an immersionist or an augmentationist ?

Replacing real life, or augmenting it?

How to treat each world. Its own country?

Each has own culture(s), with etiquette and often economies. Tax? Who are the rulers?

“ The Web in ‘96”

Immature, lacking many conventions. Sex and gambling. Walled gardens.

At least the Web had HTTP

BBC – One Big Weekend concert with streaming audio and video

Major League Baseball event hosted in virtual stadium

Regina Spektor – marketed in-world by Warner Bros.

American Apparel virtual store

Reuters have a Second Life office, complete with embedded journalist

Why does IBM care?

Meetings

IBM Alumni event (http://greateribm.com)

IBM Innovation Jam, CEO and VP present from SL

IBM 12 island innovation complex

Circuit City

Sears

Wimbledon demo… Integrating real-world ‘Hawkeye’ ball tracking data with Second Life for Wimbledon demo July 2006

Australian Open Jan 2007

More possibilities Marketing, brand promotion Retail (consumer feedback) Design (trials) Media and entertainment Education (e-learning, blended learning, …) Training (and rehearsal) Conferences Community events Networking and collaboration Modelling (visualisation, simulation, …) Research, including monitoring (and data-mining) …

Marketing, brand promotion

Retail (consumer feedback)

Design (trials)

Media and entertainment

Education (e-learning, blended learning, …)

Training (and rehearsal)

Conferences

Community events

Networking and collaboration

Modelling (visualisation, simulation, …)

Research, including monitoring (and data-mining)

…

What’s next? eightbar.co.uk rooreynolds.com

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