the watch

1. University World News (USA) - Alliance to create virtual worlds. "A major IT company has teamed up with a Canadian open university to establish a research centre that will create bespoke three-dimensional virtual learning environments. Sun Microsystems of Canada Inc has announced the creation of a new education centre for excellence at Athabasca University, Canada's … [Read more...] about The Watch – virtual worlds in the news

1. Forbes (USA) - The Second Life Hype Has Fizzled—Is Twitter Next? "Second Life is still a vibrant virtual world—with over 12.2 million registered users and more than 54,000 online the last time I logged in—but you wouldn’t know it from the media coverage (or lack thereof) lately. It wasn’t always this way, as MediaShift’s Mark Glaser recounts, in a post covering how Second … [Read more...] about The Watch – virtual worlds in the news

1. Los Angeles Times (USA) - Virtual Muslim world bans drinking, sex. "Ever wanted to experience life in the Muslim world but didn't have enough money to fly to Cairo? The first-ever virtual version of the Muslim world was recently launched online. Muxlim Pal lets you adopt an animated avatar and interact with others online in a virtual world governed by the rules of Islam. You … [Read more...] about The Watch – virtual worlds in the news

1. SiliconValley.com (USA) - Some startups adding muscle in tough economy. "MVU Chief Executive Cary Rosenzweig used to make his living pushing practical products such as Tide, Clorox and QuickBooks Payroll. Now he leads an Internet "virtual world" company where visitors spend actual money for something as seemingly frivolous as a new wardrobe for their digital alter egos and … [Read more...] about The Watch – virtual worlds in the news

1. Escapist (USA) - World of Warcraft: A Religion? "To say that hardcore WoW players are fanatics is one thing, but to call them religious is another. That's what a graduate student at the University of Colorado is arguing, though. Citing the French sociologist Danil Hervieu-Lger's definition of religion, Theo Zijderveld argues that though World of Warcraft isn't a religion … [Read more...] about The Watch – virtual worlds in the news