Via Linden Lab One of the challenges that virtual world creators face is the trade-off between rich visual detail and geometric complexity. Ideally, by adding more and smaller faces to an object, a designer can model different surface textures and create realistic variations in the interplay of light and shadow. However, adding faces also quickly increases the size of … [Read more...] about Project to Improve Graphics Rendering in Second Life
Virtual Worlds
ABC Island to Close in Second Life
It's not surprising but sad all the same: the wonderful community-driven project that is ABC Island in Second Life, is to close on the 22nd of September. The island has been a staple of the Australian Second Life scene since March 2007, and it's undergone a number of iterations since then (check out a lot of them here). Given the relatively small number of Australian … [Read more...] about ABC Island to Close in Second Life
The Secret World: A Review
FunCom's new MMORPG The Secret World is a universe full of magic, deception, and darkness. You play as a member of one of three secret societies - the Illuminati, the Templars, or the Dragon. Regardless of which society you choose, you're probably still the bad guy, sent all over the world to guard your secrets and fight rival factions. A lot of the time, you won't even know … [Read more...] about The Secret World: A Review
Machinima Expo 2012: submissions open
Pooky Amsterdam has tapped me about this, and I’m happy to slip-in this post for her. This year marks the 5th annual Machinima Expo, a three day virtual machinima festival which bridges Second Life and the real world. The Expo will be held over the weekend of the 17th-18th November 2012, and submissions are now open for those wishing to participate. There is … [Read more...] about Machinima Expo 2012: submissions open
Choosing the virtual reality experience that’s right for you
I think 'several decades' is probably pessimistic by a decade or so in my opinion...-----We're still several decades away from developing completely immersive computer simulations, but it's not too early to dream about the ways we'll be able to use them. Today we're exploring the tremendous potential with new gadgets like Glass, Google's computer glasses. But that's just the … [Read more...] about Choosing the virtual reality experience that’s right for you