This document discusses virtual worlds and their uses. It describes virtual worlds as computer-simulated environments where users interact through avatars. It outlines how virtual worlds can be used for social networking, education, training, marketing, and more. It also discusses the types of virtual worlds that exist, including commercial worlds like Second Life as well as open-source options. Potential future applications are explored, such as fully integrating virtual worlds into education and combining them with augmented reality.

1. Andrew M Hughes
Instructor
University of
Cincinnati
&
President / CEO
Designing Digitally,
Inc.

2.  It’s not a game…
 A virtual world is a computer-based
simulated environment intended
for its users to inhabit and interact
via avatars.
 It’s an effective social network tool
if you dare to try… Development of a virtual university by
DDINC in Second Life
 Participating in a virtual world
takes both know-how and practice
(think of learning how to create an
avatar, manipulating it in the virtual
world and more).

3.  A digital version of you…
 It can be a person, robot,
superhero, cartoon character, a
furry, a box, anything!
 What can your digital you do?
 You can interact with other digital
people via voice chat, text chat,
animations, play games, dance,
laugh, sing, and anything you can
do in the real world (minus
smelling).

5.  Travel is Expensive
 Reduce your carbon footprint by using VW’s
 Reduce travel expenses
 Able to quickly meet as if in a phone conference
 Not just a 2D collaboration tool (such as GoToMeeting)
 Purchasing complex training and distance education
equipment can be costly
 Virtual worlds can cut down on training by creating
simulations in them
 Scenario based training is becoming more popular as
technology evolves
 Able to create live seminars quickly for users to learn the
subject material

6.  Commercial Virtual Worlds…
 More stable due to R&D
 More features
 Technical support and updates provided by vendor
 More effective for the users
 You become dependant upon the vendor to assist
 Open Source Virtual Worlds…
 Cost Effective
 Easily updated by multiple developers
 Large community for assistance
 More control over the server side of the system
 No dependency on a vendor
 Sometimes not as stable as commercial virtual worlds
(you get what you pay for)

7.  Application Based Virtual Worlds…
 Large application download
 Must open ports in your network to use all features
 Must get application approved for your institution
 Must update the application as the software evolves
 Browser Based Virtual Worlds…
 No application download (usually a small browser
plug-in)
 Becoming more robust each and every year
 Able to render high quality
 Able to implement all interactions and simulations
 Google is now supporting Unity3d in its next update
release of Chrome

8.  Commercial Virtual Worlds…
 Activeworlds, Amazing Worlds, Blue Mars, Club
Cooee, Empire of Sports, Football Superstars, Free
Realms, HiPiHi, IMVU, Just Leap In, Kaneva, Meet-
Me, Moondo, Moove, Novoking, OnVerse, PS3,
Protosphere, Prototerra, Red Light Center, Second
Life, There.com, Twinity, Vivaty, vSide, Worlds.com,
3DXplorer, Multiverse, OLIVE, Vastpark, Habbo,
web.alive, and many many more!
 Open Source Virtual Worlds…
 Project Wonderland / Chainsaw, Project Cobalt, Unity
Engine, OpenSim, Sirikata, Open Croquet, Smartfox
Server, Darkstar Engine, realXtend, Vastpark,
Syntensity, Unreal Engine, and many many more!

13.  Training / corporate learning:
 Used for serious game simulations
 Virtual conferences / presentations / meetings

14.  University / Educational Uses:
 Used for serious game simulations
 Virtual classrooms / classes
 Can be used for any subject due to the flexibility
 Virtual marketing / community awareness
 Virtual promotion of the campus / school

15.  Commercial / Marketing:
 Rapid prototype development
 Test drive a product before buying
 Purchase a digital version of the product
 Virtual promotion of a company
 Virtual face-to-face meetings with employees and
clients within the virtual worlds

16.  Government Agencies:
 Rapid prototype development
 Military scenario training (PTSD)
 Research projects / community awareness
 Conferences / private seminars

17.  Limitations
 Specifications / Computer
Power
 Firewall
 Bandwidth

18.  Currently full integration of Moodle into
Second Life with a module called Sloodle
 Proton Media's Protosphere now integrates
with Sharepoint
 BlackBoard awarded a $25,000 Greenhouse
Grant for Virtual Worlds to Ball State
University to develop a full integration of
Second Life into Blackboard.
 Opensim uses MSSQL database and/or
MYSQL databases that can be imported or
exported into your LMS. See
http://www.mychinese360.com
 Moodle integrates with ExitReality Virtual
World. http://www.moodle3d.org/

19. Second Life users have
had digital affairs that
lead to real life divorces.
World of Warcraft
gamers have died from
playing due to
dehydration.
Second Life users have
had funerals for people
that have died in real life.
Autistic people have
been able to
communicate
http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/ more effectively
through virtual worlds.

20.  The number of people creating new avatars
doubles every year.
 Avatars will be able to move from one VW to another
with the same avatar
 Users will have their billing account setup with one
system
 Users will be able to communicate between each
virtual world
 Users will be able to create content that can be
implemented in all virtual worlds regardless of poly,
mesh, or primitive development
http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2007/10/virtual-worlds-.html

22.  Currently, it’s difficult to obtain your ROI for virtual
worlds. This will become vastly improved through time
spent within these spaces.
 Virtual Worlds will be adopted as we have adopted cell
phones. We will access them on our cell phones within
the very near future.

23.  There will be consortium that will enforce cross platform
travel through these virtual worlds with one single
avatar.

24.  Virtual worlds will replace our 2D web sites. We will
explore the items we want to buy on eBay instead of
viewing a 2D picture.
 Our “web site” will become more of a portal for clients
and users to be provided instant feedback on services
and/or products as they do not with 2D chat. See this
URL

25.  Virtual worlds will integrate augmented reality to allow
for a fully interactive experience between the
environment and user. Click here for URL

26.  Schools will fully integrate
and allow students to
attend school from home
using these systems. We
can hire qualified teachers
to teach through this
virtual world.
 This is ALREADY
Virtual campus and video create by Designing Digitally, Inc.
HAPPENING! So how
long until it’s the standard
in education? Time is
ticking!

27. Andrew Hughes
Instructor
University of Cincinnati
513-360-8042
hughesaw@uc.edu
OR
Andrew Hughes
President
Designing Digitally, Inc.
866-316-9126
andrew.hughes@designingdigitally.com