A recent BBC article discussed the ways that social scientists and academics are using virtual worlds to study human behavior. A review in the journal Science reveals that researchers are able to use online societies as "virtual laboratories" to gain insights into real life, and suggests that MMO gaming behavior and online socialization can help scientists studying ideas about government and even the individual sense of self-- while other researchers are beginning to identify behaviors specific to online worlds and how those differ from real-world interaction.

According to the article, Dr. Willian Bainbridge, the head of "Human-Centered Computing" at the US National Science Foundation wrote in Science about how studies in online worlds offer scientists new opportunities by eliminating some of the problems researchers encounter when gathering subjects in the real world-- primarily, Bainbridge said, difficulties finding the right amount of research subjects quickly, or securing funds to conduct the research. The high userbase in popular online worlds (Bainbridge cited World of Warcraft and Second Life as examples) means a ready pool of subjects that can be recruited over long periods of time for little cost.

The worlds themselves also gather statistics on player behavior that scientists can easily analyze, Bainbridge added.

Early studies of online worlds have already begun to reveal the ways in which players' behavior mirrors their real-life-- for example, user avatars keep the same radius of personal space as people tend to in the real world, standing about the same distance apart. Many commentators also highlighted differences between individual online communities -- like the tendency of Second Life users to create a single character with whom they closely identify, while WoW users tend to make several different ones which, Bainbridge observes, they view as possessions. Bainbridge believes variations like these will shed light on people's ideas about self and presentation to others.

The article says online games could also let scientists run large studies of alternative governmental regimes that would be, as Bainbridge wrote, "next to impossible in society at large." out large-scale studies of alternative governmental regimes that would be "next to impossible in society at large," he wrote.

For example, Bainbridge wrote, WoW players' ongoing faction wars over valuable resources could be viewed as a "field experiment" in "how individuals can be induced to cooperate in producing public goods".

Makes you wonder if someone's jotting notes on your gameplay patterns! Many active users of WoW and other online games and communities often note, for example, their own tendency to gravitate towards certain types of characters and experience, and wonder what those choices might say about them. Perhaps we'll soon know more.

[Via BBC News]

[Each day, Worlds in Motion will be taking a closer look at individual virtual worlds. We'll start with a nuts-and-bolts overview, then move on to an in-depth tour, to be followed up with a conclusion-- all with the aim of bringing you all the essential info and details on each world in the rapidly-developing virtual landscape.]

Let's kick off this week with a look at MapleStory, the hugely popular MMO from Nexon. Reported to have more than 60 million worldwide users (about three million in the US), we'll explore the world and find out what's driving such broad adoption.

Earlier today we reported that social scientists are looking at online societies as helpful representations of real-world ones; now, a Rome-based Jesuit magazine called La Civilta Cattolica reviewed by the Vatican Secretariat of State before publication has released an article identifying virtual worlds as an important new frontier for evangelism.

According to the Catholic News, which also identified "great dangers to faith" in virtual societies, Jesuit Father Antonio Spadaro says it is not "possible to turn a blind eye to this phenomenon, or offhandedly pass judgment glorifying it or condemning it."

Spadaro surmises that the widespread popularity of online worlds may be a reflection of humanity's need to become better people by seeking another life, and that with so many users finding meaning in the intangible world, "at heart, the digital world may also be in its own way considered to be mission territories."

Spadaro also fears that people might become alienated from reality in an imaginary world, where the transient nature of identity fosters a "spontaneity that knows no limits or discretion."

Though the article suggests that residents of worlds like Second Life, which was its primary focus, might soon see more churches, missionaries and informational pamphlets, Spadaro also had some interesting insights, as he wondered if those who "[opt] for the simulated" might be expressing "a kind of diffidence and resignation" regarding real life -- and he also wondered whether online worlds, by creating low-risk environments where everything is "under control and reversible," make the real world seem frightening and result in "worrying emotional and affective consequences."

[Via CatholicOnline]

The Chinese government has long been concerned about the amount of time teenagers spend playing online games, holding the games responsible for victimizing young people, creating addiction and even motivating suicides as China becomes the second-place nation in the world in terms of internet usage. Chinese surveys, for example, find that 90 percent of college flunk-outs and 70 percent of juvenile delinquencies are attributed to online game addiction.

"[Online games] are bringing calamity to the country and the people, but some of them end up being held up as outstanding enterprises!" Said Chinese sociologist Tao Hongkai, according to an article in Shanghai Daily. Hongkai treats patients suffering from "hardcore game addiction."

The Chinese government also funds a military-run "boot camp" that serves as a rehab to which sufferers are consigned (though they can also commit themselves voluntarily), in the wake of a China National Children's Center report that found that 13% of Chinese teens -- 2.3 million minors-- are "internet addicts."

Earlier this month, the Chinese government began implementing rules intended, according to the published guidelines, to "clean up the internet environment" and "promote civilized internet use." Online game makers are now required to install software that limits playtime for underage users, who must register with their ID card, to three hours or less a day, and users' points are cut in half if they persist past that time-- with all of their gains wiped entirely if they play beyond five hours.

But more than 20 game operators have failed to implement the regulation, and now the Audio & Video and Online Publication Management Division of the General Administration of Press and Publication of China (GAPP) has issued a warning that those operators in violation have ten days, upon the receipt of the notice, to adopt the anti-addiction software.

According to the article in China CSR:

Kou Xiaowei, deputy director of the Audio & Video and Online Publication Management Division of GAPP, has told local media that fully implementing the anti-addiction system is an important measure taken to carry out the State Council's rule on molding Chinese teenagers' morals and promoting the sustainable and healthy development of China's online game industry. He has called on the companies to strengthen their social responsibility and consult with the concerned departments to ensure the anti-addiction tasks can be carried out smoothly.

[Via China CSR]

Caleb Booker and Nick Wilson of Metaversed have just announced their very first virtual worlds-focused weekly podcast, in which they'll discuss the top stories in the space.

Among the topics they plan to discuss in their first installment is the big rush of new youth-oriented social worlds, which we've been covering here at Worlds in Motion as we talk about BarbieGirls, Be-Bratz and Webkinz, and add worlds like Nicktropolis and Toontown to our Atlas, with more to come.

Also on tap for Booker and Wilson are "5 Things You Didn't Know about the Upcoming Twinity Beta," where they plan to talk about key facts surrounding the upcoming beta launch from German company Metaversum -- who describes Twinity as "a virtual world that is closely entangled with the real world. Twinity will enhance your real life instead of helping you escape from it."

According to Metaversed, who spoke with Metaversum's community and operations VP Jeremy Snyder, Twinity plans to have a real cash economy (as Entropia Universe does), and a mix of proprietary and open-source systems, and will model the "fairly standard" virtual world concept.

Like Aardman's WebbliWorld, KnowledgeAdventure's JumpStartWorld doesn't yet have a multi-user component, but it is an educational online service for kids that lets them explore a "3D Theme Park" with mission-based rewards.

One key feature about JumpStartWorld is the opportunity for parental engagement. From the press release:

One of JumpStart World's distinguishing qualities is the opportunity for parent participation. Moms and Dads can send their child photos and other forms of encouragement that appear in the world as the child plays, allowing parents to stay connected, even on the road.

So, not a "world" per se, but an interactive environment for kids with an online component that demonstrates the way this kind of technology can be leveraged to create connected participatory experiences that extend beyond the familiar "web-portal-with-minigames" interface. The website features avatars that "grow" with the child, getting taller (and hipper) looking at each grade level, and promising "personalized learning that responds to your child's pace" and "new play experiences every time your child signs on."

JumpStartWorld is available either in a retail box or via download, both at a cost of $19.99.

[Via Virtual Worlds Forum Blog]

Tabletop RPG and card game gurus Wizards of the Coast, Inc. has announced a partnership with Nexon America Inc. to launch the MapleStory iTrading Card Game (iTCG) in the US and Canada in November. The iTCG is comprised of real-world cards with codes redeemable for exclusive in-game content in the MapleStory world.

Wizards of the Coast did the a similar thing with the Neopets trading card game in 2003, with some differences. "Unlike codes in other TCGs that redeem online for limited-value vanity items, codes in the Maplestory iTCG will unlock exclusive online rewards and game experiences such as highly sought-after artifacts, rare virtual pets, and all-new quests," Says Laura Tommervik, Wizards of the Coast brand manager.

In a press release received by Worlds in Motion, the company says they also hope that fans of trading card games will find a point of entry into the MapleStory world through a format already familiar to them.

The MapleStory card game will play much like its online counterpart, the company says -- with the exception that the card game adds the character-versus-character element not possible in MapleStory.

The game is available in starter sets and booster packs. Starter sets contain 34 cards, including one code, one booster pack, game rules and a CD-ROM with the MapleStory online game client. Booster packs include 9 cards and one code.

"Wizards of the Coast created some of the world's most popular brands as a leader in role-playing, trading card game and tabletop strategy games," said Min Kim, director of game operations for Nexon America. "MapleStory's extraordinary world and rich characters give Wizards of the Coast a distinctive establishment to build the next great trading card game."

Over at eBizQ, Peter Schoof's got a podcast (and transcript) of an interview he did with Dave Cole, Director of Security Response at Symantec, in which the digital security vet discusses the evolution of computer security's needs in an era of Web 2.0. Salientely, Cole comments on virtual worlds and social networking sites in this excerpt:

The last couple of things I'd mention is the trend toward virtualization that is just starting to be understood from a security perspective. It's fairly early in that arena so as organizations move to wholly adopt virtualization for a number of reasons, for costs purposes, management purposes and so forth, we've yet to fully understand the impact of what virtualization is going to have on the security landscape. So that will be interesting to watch.

And lastly, we're starting to see the evolutions of threats that are service-specific. So, take a look at the wild world of Web 2.0, and social networks like MySpace, or Facebook, take a look at things like Second Life and these virtual worlds that are out there. We've seen some pretty interesting custom worms that exist only inside those services and only affect people using those services so, again, attacks in the future may not just be regional specific but they may also be specific to the online communities and services you're using.

[Via EbizQ]

The University of Edinburgh has already announced a few virtual worlds-specific panels at the Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival, to be hosted August 12-14th. Now they've added an additional symposium on August 15th, which will feature sessions specific to combining video games with academia, aiming to "generate new insights into the industry and culture of interactive digital media, computer games and virtual worlds."

The symposium will be keynoted by online games consultant and producer Jessica Mulligan, and Ofcom strategy manager William Garood and IBM's Chris Francis are also set to speak. Other sessions will include "Computer Games and Innovation," "Regulating Virtual Worlds," and "Industry and the Role of Education."

Speakers include William Garood, strategy manager at Ofcom, and Chris Francis, from government programmes at IBM.

Registration for the event costs GBP 50,($100 USD) or GBP 40 ($80) for attendees also registered for EIF, and there is no registration fee for full-time students.

The event is being organised by Hanna Sommerseth, of the University's Visual and Cultural Studies Unit, and Ren Reynolds of Terra Nova.

[Via GamesIndustry.biz]

[Each day, Worlds in Motion will be taking a closer look at individual virtual worlds. We'll start with a nuts-and-bolts overview, then move on to an in-depth tour, to be followed up with a conclusion-- all with the aim of bringing you all the essential info and details on each world in the rapidly-developing virtual landscape.]

It's time for a closer look at Nexon's MapleStory, so let's have an in-depth tour!

Great discussion going on at the Terra Nova blog, started by Robert Bloomfield. He's set to moderate a panel called "From the Laboratory to the Virtual World" at the annual meeting of the American Accounting Association, and he's prepping for the big question: "I figure that over the three days of the conference, I will be asked 300 times 'What in G-d's name is a virtual world??'"

Bloomfield and lots of others struggle to describe the phenomenon in less than 100 words, and I think he makes a good run of it:

You can think of many virtual worlds as video games that thousands of people can play at once, together. Each player controls an animated character, called an "avatar." But other virtual worlds don’t even have something you would recognize as a "game." Instead, they are more like three-dimensional spaces in which you can get together with friends to talk, watch movies or listen to music. These worlds tend to have very active economies, because they allow residents to create and sell their own content, from clothing for their avatars to software that will animate objects and store data.

A little more tongue-in-cheek (but perhaps no less accurate), blogger Jeffrey Freeman suggests: "Tell 'em they could get rich by investing in virtual property, if they play their cards right."

It's definitely an issue we should expect to confront a lot in the coming months, as virtual worlds don't seem to be ceasing growth -- what are the most salient points about the use and value of virtual worlds for play, socialization and enterprise, and how will we explain them as more and more users inevitably catch wind?

Though, if growth takes place at the rate some predict, it could be that they'll just learn by doing!

Club Penguin is now Disney's Club Penguin. The Walt Disney Company has announced its acquisition of the successful, snow-laden virtual world for kids, as part of its stated objective of "establishing clear leadership in the kids and families online virtual worlds space around the globe.”

PaidContent.org is reporting the acquisition to the tune of $350 million up-front, with the opportunity to earn out an additional $350 million by 2009.

“This acquisition is consistent with our strategy of leveraging technology to create and deliver high-quality entertainment around the world and our commitment to investing our capital to generate growth and value for our shareholders,” said Bob Iger, Disney president and CEO.

“We have been actively searching for an organization that not only shares our values and concerns for children, but also has the ability and desire to help us bring Club Penguin to more children throughout the world. We’ve found that partner in Disney,” said Lane Merrifield, one of Club Penguin’s three founders. “As a former employee of Disneyland, I’ve always had a great respect for what Walt created. When he first envisioned Disneyland, he wanted to create a safe place that he and his daughters could enjoy. In the process of creating Club Penguin, we shared that passion and often pulled from Walt’s vision in the hope of creating a unique place online that we would be comfortable letting our own children visit.”

Disney’s Club Penguin will retain the original URL (www.clubpenguin.com) and its home base in Kelowna, British Columbia. The company’s three founders, Lane Merrifield, Dave Krysko and Lance Priebe, will join Disney and continue as Club Penguin senior management; Merrifield will also become an EVP ofThe Walt Disney Internet Group (WDIG), reporting to WDIG President Steve Wadsworth.

“Club Penguin is going to continue to exist as is. ... The experience will not change at all. It will continue to evolve.” Iger said. “We really don’t intend to get in the way of that or do anything by virtue of the way we own it.”

With the help of WDIG resources, though, Club Penguin's poised to go international, with plans to create versions in Europe, Asia, and the Americas, as WDIG and Club Penguin management aim to integrate Club Penguin into the Disney-connected entertainment network over time.

Worlds in Motion toured Club Penguin as part of our ongoing Online World Atlas -- you can see our comprehensive tour here.

The Multiverse Network, Inc., which builds networks for MMOs and 3D virtual worlds, has released version 1.0 of their platform, a software solution for online worlds developers. The Multiverse Platform has been in beta until now, and the company says that over 11,000 development teams participated.

The Multiverse Network has also launched an initiative it calls "Worlds in Progress," a collection of early prototype games and worlds built on its platform, with the aim of providing consumer access to the network. Four worlds have been launched, and all of them are accessible via Multiverse World Browser, a free downloadable that enables consumer access to any game on the network.

Among the Worlds in Progress currently launched, the featured MMO is Dark Horizons Universe, built by indie game studio Max Gaming Technologies (Lore Invasion, Kachinko). The other new prototype world is Doomsberg Entertainment's Forgotten Legends, a skill and power-based fantasy game,

Two other offerings that Multiverse calls "sample worlds" are the Multiverse Social World, which provides a basic environment for people to chat and dance, and the Multiverse Fantasy World, which puts players into a basic MMOG-style game.

Also on the horizon for the network is Wardog Studios' Force of Arms, a futuristic hero RPG, and RETRO Laboratory's LunarQuest, where players, as cadets, are tasked with colonizing the moon.

Multiverse says it expects production-quality versions of these worlds to become available on its network in late 2007 or early 2008, and that they will continue to launch new prototype games and worlds as they become available.

Included with the Multiverse Platform, development teams receive the complete source code for both sample worlds, which they can use as a starting point for their own products, or as training material. Multiverse says it has no plans to continue developing either world beyond their current state.

"By providing our technology without upfront fees and eliminating many technical barriers, we've made virtual world development faster and less expensive than ever before," said Bill Turpin, Multiverse co-founder and CEO.

Be-Bratz, MGA's new online world with its own line of Bratz dolls, has announced its beta debut. The target audience, girls aged 6 and up, will be able to create their own virtual Bratz character, interact with other users, play games, raise virtual pets and explore the world.

The world is accessible with a special "glam necklace" USB key that comes with one of three new Bratz fashion dolls. The dolls also come with a mouse and mouse pad, and each doll has her own pet. The package will retail for $29.99.

The company says that monitored text messaging chat is currently available, with live chat to come later this year. Also coming later in the year is Mac and Vista support for the Be-Bratz world, which is presently only compatible with Windows OS 2000/XP.

"The online experience is ubiquitous in play patterns of today’s young girls, so this connection between doll and web is a natural for MGA, especially given the success of our past toy/web initiatives,” said Isaac Larian, CEO of MGA Entertainment.

A new article in The Engineer explains how researchers at Queen's University, Belfast, are making strides toward developing technology that will bring the sense of touch to virtual worlds. According to the article, a new study in the field of haptic technology makes feasible a future where shoppers can feel the products they want to buy online, or get a sense of force when the ball hits the racquet in a digital tennis game.

The researchers will spend the next three years working on the network architecture needed to support such technology. Specifically, they need to find a way to compensate for network delays that affect the quality of haptic performance -- in other words, the sense of the ball hitting the racquet might be delayed on a slow network connection.

Professor Alan Marshall, the principal investigator of the project, says that haptics can cause an even greater delay than the approximately 50 milliseconds associated with voice. "We know that when we put echo cancelling on voice it can reduce delay time, so what we need to do is to develop the equivalent of an echo canceller for haptics," he explains.

Marshall explains that the stereoscopic images used to create 3D worlds are actually ideal for haptic technology, because they create the dimension of depth essential to touch -- which has exciting implications for adding another of the real human five senses to virtual environments.

At the panel, Rosedale predicted that in ten years, virtual worlds will outpace the Web as the primary form of connection and access. “The technical infrastructure will be some sort of highly open and decentralized architecture,” he said. “The network of machines will be larger than the Web architecture today. Google has a couple hundred thousand machines–the virtual world will have tens of millions of hosts.”

Panelists discussed the hot-button question: whether virtual worlds will truly become a "real" business, or merely a tool for socialization and casual play. "Meetings, learning and training may be the killer apps of the virtual world. Don’t underestimate any technologies that help us do that in a more human way,” Wladawsky-Berger advised."As a result, we'll be able to do a tremendous amount more. Enterprise resource planning will be reinvented for virtual worlds."

Melissinos agrees, calling virtual worlds "critical to adoption of next-gen services," and "a multimillion-dollar marketplace across the board."

Lanier asserted that people are more courteous and better-behaved in virtual worlds-- as opposed to chat rooms, blogs and IMs-- because economic or deeply-vested emotional ties to their property means "more to lose if they're creepy," he said. He also theorized that seeing others, even as avatars, causes an empathetic response.

So, what's the big "killer app" of the virtual world? According to Lanier, it's that human civility.

[Via CNET]

We caught up with executive producer Chris Waldron at Comic-Con to discuss Cartoon Network Universe: FusionFall, an intriguing Korean-developed action-multiplayer MMO featuring a multitude of Cartoon Network characters.

The game itself, which is being developed by Seoul, Korea-based Grigon Entertainment, is a blend of massively multiplayer online role playing games such as Phantasy Star Online and a more conventional 3D platform game. During the interview, Waldron answered questions about the company's business model, its kid-friendly features, and what makes FusionFall stand out from a sea of rapidly encroaching online games.

Has long has FusionFall been in development?

We started development early last year, I think in April of 2006. Before that I have been trying to get the project green-lit for about four years.

Why did it take so long for FusionFall to get green-lit?

We had a lot of business responsibilities to do. We work for Turner / Time Warner and it’s a big company. We had to make sure the business model was right and to find a partner, honestly. We looked all over the world for the right partner and finally found Grigon Entertainment in Seoul, South Korea who is the perfect match for us.

Why did you eventually choose a Korean developer to work on FusionFall - perhaps an unconventional move in some ways?

We talked to a number of people here in the United States. But when we went over to Korea to look at what gaming was going on over there, we were blown away. By the number of games, the number of types of business models they had over there, the different styles they were doing. In the United States we tend to focus on just the fantasy genre, but Korea had a lot more going on.

When we were there, we met with a number of different companies. When we saw the style Grigon had, the animated style and the sense of humor. We talked with them for a while and found out we would make great partners.

Speaking of business models, Korea is one of the pioneers of alternative models for online games. Have you thought about using alternates to monthly subscriptions?

We've definitely thought about it, but we haven’t made a decision finally about what the business model is going to look like. We need more a little more testing to figure out what people in the USA are comfortable with. We definitely like the idea of a cash-item model and our developers in Korea, they prefer the idea of a cash-item model.

The problem is that, since this is a game targeted to kids, it is a little risky to assume parents are going to be OK with it. You know, I have a kid. I’m not sure I want my kid to come up to me all the time saying, 'I want a little bit more money, a little bit more money, a little bit more money.' The subscription may be easier on the parent at the end of the day. We’re still deciding that, figuring it out, doing research to determine what we want to do.

Regardless of which business model we choose, we have a competitive advantage in the United States over something like Maple Story where the characters aren’t as well known here. We are working with Cartoon Network characters that are pretty well liked by the kids. Plus, we have the power of the network and CartoonNetwork.com to drive people to the game.

At the end of the day, my hope is that when people try the game out, because there will be a free component to the game, they will be hooked.

Do you plan to do any on-air Cartoon Network promotions for the title?

In a certain way, yes. We've got to be careful. There are laws set around that so we don’t use our characters to sell products. We need to be very conscientious about how we’re positioning this product as a pay-based product. But there will certainly be stunts, and there will be cross-promotion back and forth with the network.

How about parental controls for the game, since it's obviously kid-focused?

We've made FusionFall as safe as we possibly could by adding a lot of features. A parent can administer their child’s account, to make sure the parent has complete control over how much their kid can chat with other people, and monitor what their kid is doing.

We are going to announce later this year some really specific details about how we are going to keep the game safe. But the goal is that parents and kids can play together, or if the parent is not there they know their kid is safe in the game.

What the story hook for kids that allowed you to bring in all of the Cartoon Network characters into this world?

The first thing to note is this is the Cartoon Network Universe. So all of the Cartoon Network characters like Dexter, Ben 10, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends and the Powerpuff Girl - they are all in this one world. But it is a different world from what you would see on TV. In some cases the characters are a little bit older; it's set a little bit into the future.

The characters have been reinterpreted with a more anime style. This world is a very kid friendly world, but it is being invaded by the planet Fusion. That is a giant massive planet that is eating other planets and is coming after our planet. Of course, your job is to jump in the game, and partner with your friends and all the other players to save the world. That is basically the storyline - you are fending off a galactic threat.

We saw some Cartoon Network characters like Mojo Jojo and Mandark. But do you plan to bring back some more obscure characters like Sheep from Sheep in the Big City or the Time Squad?

If you keep going back to fusionfall.com we will show you more and more characters as time goes on. I can't announce those specifically, but I will say we are going to reach pretty deep into the library to bring characters that make sense in the game and people like.

How is FusionFall different from other MMOs?

The thing that we’re excited about is we are taking the best [elements] of MMORPGs. The character development, the world exploration, the playing with other people, grouping up with other folks, creating guilds or clubs as we call them, the stuff that really makes it fun in the multiplayer world and combining that with what we like in console gaming.

We're also including platform action, solving these puzzles where you need to jump a lot, slide down slides, zip lines, those kinds of games. We’re merging them together in a way I’ve never seen before. I think this may be a new kind of MMORPG. That is the basic gameplay. There is combat, collecting and there is also this platform gaming element.

But also, we are introducing our characters in an additional way into the game with the creation of the things called nanos. The nanos are super deformed, little versions of our characters that you collect and carry with you throughout the game. Each one gives you a different power. Your skill system is based on what nanos you have with you.

Think of it like Magic: the Gathering, Pokemon or Yu-Gi-Oh, where you can collect a lot of different characters, but when you go out in the world you have to choose which ones you want to take with you. If you want to take the ones to make you a healer, you can do that. If your buddy in the group wants to take the ones to be a tank he can do that. You can group up and play off each other like that.

Or if you don’t want to play with anybody you just take the ones that make you a better solo-er. Or if you don’t care about any of that, if you just like the Powerpuff Girls, take the Powerpuff Girls and call it a day.

How do you collect nanos?

The “real characters” are in the game and you are going to get quests from them, go on missions with them. They are basically going to give you assignments. Throughout the course of the game, they will give you assignments that will allow you to unlock or collect one of these nanos. For example, if you want a Megas XLR nano you may need to do a mission for [Megas XLR character] Coop who can help you build a Megas nano.

[This interview originally ran on WorldsInMotion's sister site Gamasutra.com, and was conducted by Spencer Yip.]

The cards come in two different designs for the $10 card, and one for the $25 card, and feature a scratch-off code that users enter in the "vouchers" section of their Habbo purse. The cards will be sold out of the Music/Movie section at Target, and the Habbo website even provides the Target SKUs of the cards so that users can get help from employees to find them.

With the announcement early this year at the Game Developers Conference that the PlayStation Network's virtual world, Home, would be launching in the fall -- followed up by a presentation conducted in the Home world at this year's E3 -- Sony's demonstrated a strong interest in the virtual worlds space. Now, Sony Europe has set up a new website as a touchstone for its pet Blu-ray hi-def format, and it takes the shape of a 3D environment that showcases Blu-ray films and upcoming PlayStation movies.

There are two interactive areas on the site; the MoLR (Museum of Low Resolution), a minimalist riff on New York's MoMA, features a stylish projection of a woman's face presenting an in-depth FAQ and history of the Blu-Ray format, while the MMG Venue presents the front of an alleyway jazz club with a sports car and projection screen, where users can select upcoming Blu-Ray releases, both PlayStation 3 games and movies, to preview.

It's fairly simple, but another example that seems to indicate that the web format of interacting with 3D objects instead of text and link lists is continuing its trend of prevalence.

[Via HDTV UK]

Organizers at New York Law School in partnership with Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, Trinity University, and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore will host a global conference on virtual worlds, focusing on the impact of online social environments on education, law, politics and society. State of Play V: Building the Global Metaverse will be held on 19-22 August 2007 at the Marina Mandarin Hotel, Singapore, the event's first time in Asia.

From the press release:

"State of Play V looks seriously into virtual worlds and massively multiplayer online games," says Dan Hunter, conference co-chair. "We have expert panels who will talk about how these worlds create legal challenges for real world governments, we will examine how they can be used in education and for learning, and we will ask what are the philosophical implications for the widespread migration of users into these worlds. In addition, we also have a series of discussions about how to make a buck from these worlds, and the challenges of building them. In the workshops at the end of the conference we will have focused sessions on issues of identity, commerce, and the opportunities for ASEAN nations in the development of these worlds."

Experts from around the world will speak about:

• Cross-cultural communication and avatar-to-avatar diplomacy
• Strategies for understanding behaviors and values of virtual world residents
• Regulating speech, property, and addiction in the metaverse
• Building transnational businesses in virtual worlds
• Using virtual environments to teach students of all ages
• Space, place, and virtual world cultures

Further info and registration information for State of Play V can be found at www.nyls.edu/stateofplay.

IBM recently demonstrated how seriously it takes online worlds when it published official guidelines for its employees' conduct in virtual worlds. Its Institute for Business Value has also conducted research about in-world leadership skills, and how practicing them in games like World of Warcraft or EverQuest can foster corporate growth.

The Institute's 20-page report asserts that the skills required to manage a 40-person guild and conduct them in raids are the same as those required to coordinate human capital at a corporate organization, and that playing the games may in fact offer "fresh insight" into the development of new leadership abilities.

From the report:

The similarities between the online, globe-spanning gaming world and the emerging picture of the globally integrated enterprise of the future are actually quite striking. As technological innovation enables companies to disaggregate and send increasing amounts of work to employees and external partners around the world, organizations are conducting more work virtually. Corporate leaders must both coordinate and motivate individuals who are separated by time zones and cultures. Collaboration – at an individual and corporate level – has become a necessity. And in today’s dynamic business environment, leaders must take more risks and execute with greater speed – briskly connecting talent and moving information and knowledge around the globe to fulfill organizational needs.

The report also highlighted the key factors that MMOs have in common with the corporate world -- for example, both require participants to self-organize and develop skills, require risk-taking, provide performance-based incentives, and require group collaboration under a leader. No word, though, as to whether playing WoW on company time counts as "work," though!

[Each day, Worlds in Motion will be taking a closer look at individual virtual worlds. We'll start with a nuts-and-bolts overview, then move on to an in-depth tour, to be followed up with a conclusion-- all with the aim of bringing you all the essential info and details on each world in the rapidly-developing virtual landscape.]

This week, we spent time in Nexon's MapleStory, fighting cute mushroom and snail creatures as we pursued a new job class. So what's the overall impression?