1. Signal Connections (USA) - Game On for NATO Virtual Training. "NATO’s innovative arm, the Allied Command Transformation (ACT), demonstrated a new way to improve the alliance’s military effectiveness using virtual worlds. Developers from the command presented a game called Boarders Ahoy! at the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC), and … [Read more...] about The Watch – virtual worlds in the news
The Archive
Queensland Flood Relief in Second Life
Two years ago, a number of Second Life vendors got together to raise funds for the Victorian Bushfire victims. Thanks to another bunch of dedicated people, coordinated by Brisbane-based Kat Johnston, there are a range of things you can do to raise money for the Queensland Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal. It's all under the banner of Extend A Helping Hand (EAHH), and there's … [Read more...] about Queensland Flood Relief in Second Life
The Watch – virtual worlds in the news
1. Government Computer News (USA) - How far can virtual worlds go in improving the real one? "Computer simulation models are great tools for layering massive amounts of data into visual form, and they are becoming incredibly fine-grained, providing high-def views of both the forest and trees in our surroundings. But can they make people omniscient? That almost seems to be the … [Read more...] about The Watch – virtual worlds in the news
The partial death and refocus of Blue Mars
In a fairly unexpected move, Avatar Reality's CEO Jim Sink has announced the cessation of development of the PC application version of virtual world Blue Mars, with the soon to be smaller company moving to focus on developing for the iOS (read: iPhone / iPad) platform. The change involves the loss of a number of staff, including Jim himself. You can also listen to audio of his … [Read more...] about The partial death and refocus of Blue Mars
Surviving a day in Minecraft
I appear on a snow-covered beach and look around me. The sun is rising, but it is doing it very quickly. The whole day will pass in just a few minutes, and I have a lot to do. First I test the ice. It holds me up well enough and there’s an interesting island out in the lake off to my right. First thing, though, I’m looking for trees. I turn around and climb up the slope to … [Read more...] about Surviving a day in Minecraft