I had to have a bit of a smile when I saw Tateru Nino's story on The Sims' creator Will Wright joining the Linden Lab board. Over the past week I've been playing The Sims Social, the Facebook-based version of the game. I'd argue it's actually one of the least social versions of the game in that there is no live interaction with your Facebook friends and it's a flurry of more … [Read more...] about Will Wright joins Linden Lab Board of Directors (and a quick Sims Social review)
Op-ed
Euclideon and Unlimited Detail: no cookies for you…yet
A couple of weeks ago I ran a story on a potential new 3D engine called Unlimited Detail. I was particularly intrigued on the information supplied because of its claim of massively increased levels of detail - something that's crucial in areas like simulation for the sciences, education and health professions. The feedback on that initial story was interesting. Like the wider … [Read more...] about Euclideon and Unlimited Detail: no cookies for you…yet
Linden Lab CEO: we’re growing but we’re not sure why
Another year, another Second Life Community Convention. Last year it was Philip Rosedale addressing the convention. This year it's Rod Humble and today he spent 45 minutes talking about his initial time at Linden Lab and his thoughts on the success and future of Second Life and answering questions. He starts off by emphasising that right now, there are still 16-thousand new … [Read more...] about Linden Lab CEO: we’re growing but we’re not sure why
Gamification of work: a pointed critique
As you're probably aware, there's been a lot of interest over the past couple of years in 'gamification' - the application of gaming principles to work or any activity where the objective is greater participation. We reviewed one of the tomes dedicated to it last year - the arguments for the concept are appealing to say the least. That said, I was just as engaged with the … [Read more...] about Gamification of work: a pointed critique
History with purpose: MUDs and MOOs
I've bored friends and colleagues with my stories of discovering the power of MUDS in the early 1990s. I have a massive soft spot for the original virtual worlds (as pictured), but aside from sentimentality there remains a real role for these text-based worlds. Justin Olivetti over at Massively has a great article on MUDs that showcases some of the good ones and the people who … [Read more...] about History with purpose: MUDs and MOOs