Massively

MIT developing educational MMO funded by Gates Foundation

Jef Reahard — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, News items, Kids, Miscellaneous

Is gaming the answer to the math- and science-related apathy plaguing American school kids? Some folks at MIT think so, and a new press blurb outlines how the institute is developing an MMO designed to further science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.

"In contrast to the way that (STEM) is currently taught in secondary schools -- which often results in students becoming disengaged and disinterested in the subjects at an early age -- educational games like the one to be developed give students the chance to explore STEM topics in a way that deepens their knowledge while also developing 21st-century skills," the release says.

The title is being developed in collaboration with Filament Games, and MIT's Eric Klopfer says that it will be a powerful educational tool. "This genre of games is uniquely suited to teaching the nature of science inquiry," he explains, "because they provide collaborative, self-directed learning situations. Players take on the roles of scientists, engineers and mathematicians to explore and explain a robust virtual world." The project is being financed by a $3 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

MIT developing educational MMO funded by Gates Foundation originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Behind the Mask: Science, technology and fantasy

Patrick Mackey — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Lore, Opinion, Free-to-play, Champions Online, Behind the Mask

Last week's Behind the Mask generated quite a bit of controversy over fantasy and the suspension of disbelief. This week, I'm going to follow up. We'll cover how the Champions Online universe deals with fantasy in its lore and why realism is important.

We'll also cover how fantasy elements can use realism to expand -- rather than subtract -- your options for roleplaying. Last week, we only covered weapons technology, but there's a lot more to any fictional setting than just weapons. Everything from communications and transportation to food production is important to discuss, and while we can't touch on everything, we can look at the hows and whys of the superhero genre.

Continue reading Behind the Mask: Science, technology and fantasy

Behind the Mask: Science, technology and fantasy originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Older gamers more likely to drop money in cash shops to save time

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, Culture, News items, Free-to-play, Miscellaneous

How long are you willing to wait for your next level in a given game? According to a recent study, the older you are, the less likely you'll wait and the more likely you'll be to just whip out a credit card and buy an experience booster. Flurry Analytics conducted a survey of mobile and social gamers and found that older players are far more likely to just spend some money if it'll save some painful grinding in the long run.

While the study was focused on the social gaming side of the coin, the business model is not dissimilar from that employed by many free-to-play MMOs that frequently offer in-game options to earn items that can also be purchased outright. And the logical conclusion is drawn -- younger players have less disposable income but more time to buckle down and grind, while older players have more responsibilities and more free money to spend. It's an interesting look at the spending patterns, one which looks to be increasingly relevant as free-to-play options continue to multiply.

Older gamers more likely to drop money in cash shops to save time originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 10 Sep 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Captain's Log: Class spotlight - Tactical

Brandon Felczer — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Captain's Log, Guides

Captain's Log, Stardate 65168.1...

Hello, computer (and players)! Welcome to Captain's Log and the second installment in a three-part series focusing on the classes within Star Trek Online. After exploring some of the amazing powers available to those who roll a Science captain, we shift our focus away from support and healing this week to dive into the realm of DPS. While this realm can be filled with members of all three classes, Tactical captains, if specced correctly, take the trophy each and every time.

Ever since the game launched early last year, my main toon has always been a Tactical captain. During the time I leveled up, I tested out different types of ships at each rank. While flying a science ship as a Tactical captain was fun during the early stages of leveling, I would definitely suggest flying an escort, or if you must, a cruiser, when you first make it to Rear Admiral. I am sure there are some Tacticals out there flying Science classes, but I feel that the Bridge Officer stations equipped on escorts allow the best Tactical abilities to come into play. But enough about telling you what to do -- let's move onto talking about some of the best attack powers in the game.

Ensign, warp 10! It's time to help our reads unload some DPS on their next enemy...

Continue reading Captain's Log: Class spotlight - Tactical

Captain's Log: Class spotlight - Tactical originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Astronaut: Moon, Mars, and Beyond developer talks educational mission

Jef Reahard — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Real life, Culture, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Kids, Family, Miscellaneous

Astronaut: Moon, Mars, and Beyond has been in the news a lot lately, but just who are the folks behind the educational MMO from NASA and Project Whitecard? A new piece at Gamasutra sheds a bit of light on that as well as a few more details about the project as a whole.

"I'm originally a developer," says Project Whitecard CEO Khal Shariff. "I thought, 'oh, I could be a developer for the rest of my life, or I could start my own company.'" That company has some pretty lofty goals for its first MMO, including reaching out to millions of kids worldwide and getting them interested in STEM education (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).

"We are dedicated to using game technology to do things that, when somebody interacts with the game, it maybe leaves the world better or leaves somebody smarter," Shariff says.

Astronaut: Moon, Mars, and Beyond developer talks educational mission originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Astronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond meets fundraising goals, updates FAQ

Jef Reahard — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 21:00:00 EST

Astronaut: Moon, Mars, and Beyond has taken several small steps over the course of its short lifetime, but can it make one giant leap to a full-fledged release product? It's off to a decent start, judging by its Kickstarter fundraising tally.

The devs have issued a press release proclaiming the success story and are drafting a FAQ document designed to get more information out there to potential investors (and eventually, players). The latest version of the FAQ is viewable on the official website, and we've included a few highlights for you here:

The game is a follow-up to Moonbase Alpha (released in 2010)
Project Whitecard and Wisdom Tools are the developers per a "Space Act Agreement" with NASA
The target audience will be the 5-24 age and the gaming and science enthusiast markets
The game will be available for iOS and Windows PC; other platforms are being considered
Unreal Engine 3 is being used to develop the game
A beta is planned for December 2012

Astronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond meets fundraising goals, updates FAQ originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Captain's Log: Class spotlight - Science

Brandon Felczer — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Captain's Log, Guides

Captain's Log, Stardate 65150.3...

Hello, computer (and players)! McCoy, Crusher, Bashir, the EMH and Phlox are all known for their amazing medical skills throughout the many series of Star Trek. While some of these Doctors were the most beloved characters in all of the franchise, Science officers seem to be a rare item in the Star Trek Online universe. Although Science is the least commonly played career, many who do venture into the field have rewarding gaming experiences due to the different sub-careers they can spec into.

This week's Captain's Log introduces the first installment in a three-part series that will span the next few weeks -- each entry will focus on a different class and provide some great information that you will be able to reference the next time you roll a new character. Whether you prefer to provide support through healing, debuffs, or powerful expose attacks that leave your enemies vulnerable to vaporization, this spotlight on Science captains has something for everyone. Continue past the jump for information of some of my favorite skills for Science officers.

Ensign, warp 10! Let's get those medical tricorders ready for use...

Continue reading Captain's Log: Class spotlight - Science

Captain's Log: Class spotlight - Science originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Aug 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Captain's Log: The lower decks

Brandon Felczer — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Expansions, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Captain's Log

Captain's Log, Stardate 64977.3...

Spock, Riker, Kira, Worf, Chakotay, and T'Pol. What do they all have in common? They are the notable men and women who served under their Captains as First Officer. Joret, Sito, Alyssa, Taurik, Sam and Geniveve. What do they all have in common? No one knows who the heck they are. In the world of Star Trek, these "unknowns" are the members of the lower decks, people whose work goes unnoticed, whose accomplishments are unacknowledged, and who are often killed off at the end of the episode when you finally do get to know them.

While the ships in Star Trek Online currently seem to be manned only by the Captain, his or her Bridge Officers (BOff), and some random crewmen walking around the ship, this is about to change. In the next couple months, get ready to welcome new members to your ship's lower decks. The Duty Officer (DOff) system will be adding a new form of gameplay to STO and give players even more ways to level characters and become immersed in the universe surrounding them. While there are a ton of random pieces of information about it floating out there, I think that Captain's Log is the perfect place to put it all together and give you a more concise picture of how it will work.

Ensign, warp 10! It's time to attend your new favorite class, DOffs 101...

Continue reading Captain's Log: The lower decks

Captain's Log: The lower decks originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Jun 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Wasteland Diaries: Apocalypse DIY

Edward Marshall — Fri, 27 May 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, MMOFPS, Wasteland Diaries, Post-Apocalyptic

A few weeks back I did a piece on crafting, covering the basics of Fallen Earth's crafting system. In this article I want to focus on the early part of a crafter's career. If you only play one clone, I strongly suggest you make that clone a crafter. If you are an altaholic like I am, you should have a dedicated crafter, and that dedicated crafter should have his Social skill maxed out (eventually). If you don't have a crafter and you have an empty character slot, you need to create one post-haste. It's a little extra work that will pay off a lot later. In Fallen Earth, if you put in the time, you can make everything.

If your crafter and your main happen to be the same, be sure to grab every resource within reach while you run missions. If you find a good spot, mark it with a waypoint (ALT+P) for future reference. Scavenging profusely will help keep you from being perpetually broke. If you have a dedicated crafter, don't bother running missions with him; just harvest and craft. He should level slowly but surely by simply harvesting and crafting. Send all of the materials that your other clone(s) harvest if you have the vault space. That covers the basics. The road to self-sufficiency continues after the cut.

Continue reading Wasteland Diaries: Apocalypse DIY

Wasteland Diaries: Apocalypse DIY originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 May 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ethnologist researches the development of social skills in World of Warcraft

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Culture, News items, Virtual worlds

A lot of players probably think that World of Warcraft breeds social skills, to the extent that contempt for one's fellow human beings can be considered a social skill. But according to Peter Stenberg of Umea University in Sweden, there are some actual developments taking place when you play. Stenberg has just released a thesis detailing the social developments he observed during his 250-day stint in the game, discussing the ways in which the virtual environment begins to blend into the real world and develop complex social structures.

As Stenberg puts it, the overall atmosphere of the game forms a collective and developed society apart from the real world, something he claims "challenges the rather persistent view of the computer game enthusiast as a lone figure with only a flickering screen for company." Of course, veteran players of MMOs have no doubt noticed a wide variety of social structures that develop within a game, but Stenberg's work is interesting if for no other reason than it's meant as a serious examination of the phenomenon.

Ethnologist researches the development of social skills in World of Warcraft originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Lost Pages of Taborea: A peek behind the fountain rune

Jeremy Stratton — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-play, Runes of Magic, Lost Pages of Taborea

Runes of Magic's fountain rune is one of many slottable runes that fall outside the standard attribute boosters. Its job is simple: It increases the rate at which you regenerate mana points. It doesn't fill up one of the six statistic slots that are burned onto an item. It gets plugged into one of up to four slots that are found randomly or drilled on accessories. It's also a great eater of time and resources to tier it in the arcane transmutor.

I've been testing a tier 4 fountain rune on two of my characters that are different levels in order to see the difference in output. If you look on the Runes of Magic Database, you'll see it says a fountain 4 adds +22 MP recovery rate. Those who use the addon StatRating will see the same figure. Now I know that the numbers that equipment and runes show are not indicative of what you actually get. I also know that StatRating is there to tell you the actual numbers you get for any stat, but 22 for a tier 4 rune sounded like a lot. It doesn't really tell you how that number is applied, but I think of mana regen in terms of ticks. If a tier 4 fountain gave +22 mana per tick, and we can upgrade it to tier 10, and we can stack different tiers on five different accessories... there's just no way that number can mean that, can it? This week I found my own answers to what the fountain rune gives you. I also share some thoughts on using -- or not using -- the fountain rune.

Continue reading Lost Pages of Taborea: A peek behind the fountain rune

Lost Pages of Taborea: A peek behind the fountain rune originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hyperspace Beacon: We hope this never makes it into SWTOR, but knowing our luck, it probably will, again

Larry Everett — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Lore, New titles, Opinion, Humor, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon

Like a kowakian monkey-lizard in heat, Larry Everett is back again with another edition of your guide to EA-BioWare's yet-to-be-released game Star Wars: The Old Republic. Welcome to the Hyperspace Beacon.

Every once in awhile, the Star Wars universe produces the strangest plot devices or game items. Some of these concoctions should never see the light of day, but unfortunately, they do. I like to highlight these malformed ideas in a segment of the Hyperspace Beacon called "We hope this never makes it into SWTOR, but, knowing our luck, it probably will" or WHTNMIISWTORBKOLIPW, for short.

This week's column revolves around the prequels. Although there are many, many, many things wrong with the prequels, I would like to take a look at some of the highlights. To help those who may not know what is being discussed, I will give you a brief explanation of what each item is, then explain what is wrong with it, and follow that with a humorous explanation of how BioWare will ruin SWTOR by implementing it in our beloved game. Let's see what creative blunders we have in store this week.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: We hope this never makes it into SWTOR, but knowing our luck, it probably will, again

Hyperspace Beacon: We hope this never makes it into SWTOR, but knowing our luck, it probably will, again originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Captain's Log: A guide to Lieutenant progression

Kyle Horner — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Guides, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Captain's Log

Star Trek Online goes out of its way to make sure the player always has a bevy of mission choices at their fingertips. That makes a step-by-step guide on progressing through Lieutenant (i.e. the first ten "levels") somewhat worthless to write. So, I'm taking a different approach this week.

This guide is aimed at helping to quicken the pace of leveling towards your first new ship. The Miranda class ship is nice and all -- but everyone just really wants their first real ship. Plus, as an added bonus, you can use these tips throughout your entire Star Trek Online experience!

Continue reading Captain's Log: A guide to Lieutenant progression

Captain's Log: A guide to Lieutenant progression originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Winners announced in STO's ship naming contest

Kyle Horner — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Contests, New titles, News items, Star Trek Online

Cryptic's gone and announced the winnings names (and prizes!) for their ship naming contest. You can see all three Tier 5 ship name here, and of course there's friendly screenshots to go along with the name. If you're just looking to know the names for each of the three ship archetypes, we can help there. T5 Cruisers will be known as Emissary Class, Escorts have been named Dervish Class and Science vessels of the T5 variant are named Destiny Class.

Each winner of the contest is set to receive a Digital Deluxe Edition of Star Trek Online as well as a poster featuring the ship they've named. For everyone else who submitted a name, the special in-game title "Utopia Planetia Staff" will be given. Wearing it will tell everyone in the game you've participated in the contest, which we have to admit is a nice consolation prize. There's certain to be future naming contests as well and we're looking forward to that -- especially since it means new ships for the game!

Winners announced in STO's ship naming contest originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 10 Jan 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Cryptic Studios devs explain ground combat in Star Trek Online

James Egan — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, New titles, PvE, Star Trek Online

Ask Cryptic is a regular Q&A series from Cryptic Studios that addresses player questions on Star Trek Online and Champions Online. While previous Q&A's answered a random set of questions posed by the fans, the latest Ask Cryptic for Star Trek Online is a bit more focused on one topic: ground combat.

Unlike other sci-fi MMOs both on the market and in development, Star Trek Online will have those ill-fated away teams from the Star Trek IP. While things didn't always go smoothly on all those away missions in the shows and films, it could make for some fun gameplay. We're hoping so at least, and what the STO devs have explained about away teams gives us a better idea of what to expect.

Continue reading Cryptic Studios devs explain ground combat in Star Trek Online

Cryptic Studios devs explain ground combat in Star Trek Online originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Star Trek Online dev chat explains ship classes and configurations

James Egan — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, PvP, PvE, Star Trek Online

Star Trek Online is a game that's being built upon one of the most popular sci-fi IPs of all time. As such, gamers have certain expectations of the title, particularly when it comes to the ships they'll be flying. As with the Star Trek films and shows, the game will stick to certain ship classes and configurations, but the developers at Cryptic Studios also need to allow for customization within that system -- everyone wants to fly something that's unique in some way. Something that's their own. This customization was the theme of a recent Star Trek Online dev chat with executive producer Craig Zinkievich.

Ships in Star Trek Online will have defined purposes, with Escort (cannons, heavy attack rating), Cruiser (general purpose, large crew), and Science vessels (emphasis on deflector dish 'powers') to be in the game at launch. Of course, you'll be able to modify them in various ways. The producer explains that the customization options won't allow players to drastically alter the look or silhouette of any of the ship classes from Star Trek canon, but you'll definitely have options within your chosen configuration.

Continue reading Star Trek Online dev chat explains ship classes and configurations

Star Trek Online dev chat explains ship classes and configurations originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

MMO players are doing science, academic proposes

Adrian Bott — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, Academic

We've seen plenty of arguments in support of MMOs, claiming they improve everything from hand-eye co-ordination to math to economics to social skills. Even if some of these seem overblown, we'd rather have MMOs shown in a positive light than the alternative. Now, though, an academic from the University of Wisconsin has pointed out something which in retrospect seems obvious: gamers who engaged with difficult challenges were utilizing the scientific method in order to beat them.

This didn't simply mean fighting ice beasties with fire powers, or the jolly gonzo science we've seen in the past. The gamers were coming up with specific hypotheses, testing them with empirical data, and modifying the hypotheses accordingly, using Excel spreadsheets to analyze their findings. This is, as she put it, 'the essence of science'.

Continue reading MMO players are doing science, academic proposes

MMO players are doing science, academic proposes originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

An early look at the lore of Earthrise

James Egan — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Lore, New titles, Earthrise

More information about the lore of Earthrise has surfaced, giving readers a preview of the post-apocalyptic MMO's setting of Enterra. Although still in a pre-beta stage of development at Masthead Studios, some details were already known about the organizations in Earthrise. The newest information comes from IGN's RPG Vault, which has released their first of three installments on the lore of Earthrise.

The IGN pieces will focus on Continoma, the corporate entity that governs the lives of Enterra's citizens. "Continoma: The Beginning" looks at how the Continoma Project developed into humanity's only viable chance for survival, via genetic rebirth which followed the cataclysmic Third World War. If you're a fan of the lore in your MMOs and sci-fi is your thing, check out the full story over at RPG Vault.

An early look at the lore of Earthrise originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 09 Aug 2008 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Finding the Science! in World of Warcraft

Michael Zenke — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Academic

In amongst articles about explaining chrondrule formation, intracellular signaling, and discussions of hatchling crocodile habits, Science Magazine online is hosting a writeup about a very unique event. The latest "Gonzo Scientist" column is all about the first scientific conference held in the World of Warcraft. Scientists from around the globe descended on Blizzard's gameworld of Azeroth to discuss topics of real scientific import, kill a few hyenas, and even participate in a pirates vs. ninjas dance-off.

The article is as insightful as it is amusing, with author John Bohannon offering real hope for meaningful discource via virtual worlds. From the sounds of things some real work was accomplished via this virtual meeting, with a number of interesting topics discussed. Even the logistics behind setting up the conference (locations in-world, communication methods, etc) make for interesting reading. Check it out, and be especially sure to see the accompanying machinima presentation. It's clear that with respect for not only academic pursuits and scientific education but gameworlds and online cultures, real progress is being made to bridge the gap between utility offline and online.
[Via WoW Insider]

Finding the Science! in World of Warcraft originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Earthrise organizations revealed

James Egan — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Forums, News items, Races, Earthrise

Masthead Studios has released information about the factions that will populate the post-apocalyptic setting of Earthrise. These groups are referred to as 'organizations' rather than factions; players will work with them to gain access to 'design technology'. This acquired technology can be applied to items, 'creating unique, powerful, and highly sought-after creations.'

The details released thus far on these four organizations in Earthrise suggest that the game will have high science/technomagic and psionics, as well as 'light' peacekeepers and 'dark' mercenaries. The organization descriptions also give some clues as to how they will relate to one another in the game's Enterra Island locale.

Continue reading Earthrise organizations revealed

Earthrise organizations revealed originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Scientists, we need your swords!

Brenda Holloway — Mon, 12 May 2008 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Economy, Events, in-game, News items, Academic, Virtual worlds

This past weekend, scientists gathered on World of Warcraft's Earthen Ring server to discuss how WoW changes and is changed by its ten million, hugely international player base. They might have held their "Convergence of the Real and Virtual" conference in a conference room near some airport somewhere, but that would have been dull. Airport hotels don't provide photo opportunities with Thrall -- and Thrall doesn't DO hotels. Any session notes that advise attendees to get the flight point AHEAD of time are sure to end up someplace fun.

Sessions included the use of online games as laboratories to study human behavior; the interrelationship of virtual and real-world economies; the future of virtual worlds; and why Professor Abercrombie won't let elemental shamans on her Karazhan runs. Well, maybe not the last one. We have some questions of our own. If you could do your real world job in an MMO such as WoW -- would you? And if you did work in WoW, and your boss was dressed in blues and greens he picked up from the Murlocs in Southshore while you were fitted in epics from Black Temple, would you still respect him?

[Via Virtual World News]

Scientists, we need your swords! originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 May 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Study finds game violence soothes the savage breast

Akela Talamasca — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, At a glance, Fantasy, Culture, Events, real-world, News items, Academic

Middlesex University has released their finding on a study conducted to explore the effects of game violence on players. At the British Psychological Society's Annual Conference in Dublin, the study claims that playing WoW actually helps players relax, rather than fuels anger or violent tendencies.

"There were actually higher levels of relaxation before and after playing the game as opposed to experiencing anger but this did very much depend on personality type," said researcher Jane Barnett, though the referring article does not elucidate what those types might be. However, with a sample size of 292 World of Warcraft players between the ages of 12 and 83, out of the millions of subscribers the game can boast, this would hardly seem to be a properly-evaluated submission. But it's little steps like these that help abolish long-held assumptions and biases, so we're all for it. Science, FTW!

Study finds game violence soothes the savage breast originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 02 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Cinemassively: Global Kids' practices science on Teen Grid

Moo Money — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Real life, Video, Events, real-world, Events, in-game, Second Life, Cinemassively, Machinima, Academic, Education

Two weeks ago, we wrote about an interactive science lab being used for education on the Teen Grid in Second Life. Today, we'll look at another campus, Global Kids, and how they work on their scientific projects. Global Kids has one of the most popular groups of islands on TG, as part of their program is open to everyone, while the other part is exclusive to their real life after school program.

In the video, the students are building homes and then measuring their carbon footprints. They are displaying the data on signs that reflect the usage of water, power use, garbage, recycling, and food products. They then discuss how they can make better environmental choices. Why wasn't stuff like this around when we were students?

Cinemassively: Global Kids' practices science on Teen Grid originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 30 Mar 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Genomes on the map

Tateru Nino — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Second Life, Academic, Virtual worlds

Genome Island in Second Life is a real treat if you're a genetics geek or a science geek. If you're not, it's still an amazingly cool place to visit. Max Chatnoir (Dr M. A Clark, Professor of Biology, Texas Wesleyan University) has brought this site to life along with the help of some skilled and able assistants, most notably Elizabeth Gloucester (Professor of Microbial Molecular Genetics at a medica school in New England), and Apaul Balut (Professor of Microbiology at a medical school in the Midwest USA).

Three-dimensional protein sequences hang in the air, among educational displays and trivia games, and giant reproductions of individual cells, with labeled structures in motion and larger than your head.

Gallery: Second Life Genome Island

Continue reading Genomes on the map

Genomes on the map originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments