Johnny-come-lately? No, virtual worlds are here. Now.
Virtual Worlds, or massively multiplayer online games (MMOG), are growing quickly and slowly at the same time. New ones crop up every few months, ripining in the light of millions spent in game development, market research, promotion etc., many destined only to die on the vine, or, as in the case of Cyan's Uru, even shortly after launch.
What is growing slowly and steadily is the virtual world as a genre. Virtual worlds are here to stay, and they will only become more sophisticated and more engaging as time goes on.
<--! Note to readers: I have been toying with the idea of creating a new category in this blog called Computer Game FRINGE. There is sooo much going on in the non-mainstream computer gaming that speaks to me from the old days of play-by-mail, board, collectible card gaming. Did you ever wonder where all the enegy spent developing those pre-internet-yet-still-multiplayer games went to? Well, like everything else in gaming, the low-tech has progressed, adapted and become something different. Play-by-mail has become play-by-email, new board games are now based on successful computer games and online collectible card games, where the cards you purchase are made of bits rather than cardboard, are big business. There are plenty of fringe games out there that aren't makeing big money too. I am just scratching the surface here.
To create categories for this blog I'll have to move from Blogger.com to another hosted, more full service free blog site which, while not especially difficult, is kind of a hassle. I have yet to decide if I want to expend the effort. So for now, metally file this article and link under a virtual FRINGE heading. -->
Here is an article written by perhaps the first 'imbedded' virtual world journalist. Wagner James Au is a blogger sponsored by Linden Lab, the developer of the MMOG called Second Life. As stated in the title of his blog 'New World Notes' , he 'reports first-hand on Second Life society as it develops'. In this article Au interviews a recently disabled veteran of the war in Iraq who has become a 'mini-tycoon in the newly burgeoning enterprise of virtual land speculation'.
Virtual worlds *are* here to stay. They have their own complex economies and this year alone there is a 900 million real dollar market for virtual game objects and realestate. Players are making real life livings off virtual economics; this is one masssive experiment. And with a little seed money, you can get in on the ground floor.
POST-WAR RECONSTRUCTION, PART I
http://secondlife.blogs.com/nwn/2004/04/postwar_reconst.html
Other sources:
What is growing slowly and steadily is the virtual world as a genre. Virtual worlds are here to stay, and they will only become more sophisticated and more engaging as time goes on.
<--! Note to readers: I have been toying with the idea of creating a new category in this blog called Computer Game FRINGE. There is sooo much going on in the non-mainstream computer gaming that speaks to me from the old days of play-by-mail, board, collectible card gaming. Did you ever wonder where all the enegy spent developing those pre-internet-yet-still-multiplayer games went to? Well, like everything else in gaming, the low-tech has progressed, adapted and become something different. Play-by-mail has become play-by-email, new board games are now based on successful computer games and online collectible card games, where the cards you purchase are made of bits rather than cardboard, are big business. There are plenty of fringe games out there that aren't makeing big money too. I am just scratching the surface here.
To create categories for this blog I'll have to move from Blogger.com to another hosted, more full service free blog site which, while not especially difficult, is kind of a hassle. I have yet to decide if I want to expend the effort. So for now, metally file this article and link under a virtual FRINGE heading. -->
Here is an article written by perhaps the first 'imbedded' virtual world journalist. Wagner James Au is a blogger sponsored by Linden Lab, the developer of the MMOG called Second Life. As stated in the title of his blog 'New World Notes' , he 'reports first-hand on Second Life society as it develops'. In this article Au interviews a recently disabled veteran of the war in Iraq who has become a 'mini-tycoon in the newly burgeoning enterprise of virtual land speculation'.
Virtual worlds *are* here to stay. They have their own complex economies and this year alone there is a 900 million real dollar market for virtual game objects and realestate. Players are making real life livings off virtual economics; this is one masssive experiment. And with a little seed money, you can get in on the ground floor.
POST-WAR RECONSTRUCTION, PART I
http://secondlife.blogs.com/nwn/2004/04/postwar_reconst.html
Other sources:
| Journalism Grows Inside Virtual Worlds http://www.publish.com/article2/0,1895,1871582,00.asp | |
posted by d20 at 7:06 AM
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