Could a new virtual environment platform, Metaplace, bring virtual spaces to the masses? Raph Koster, one of the former developers of massively multiplayer online game Ultima Online who quit his job to form a brand new MMO company, thinks so. He recently announced Metaplace, a brand new virtual world venture that promises an open-platform, open-ended approach to virtual worlds. Users of Metaplace (http://www.metaplace.com) will be able to build 3D virtual worlds quickly using simple, sharable building blocks and templates.

The resulting online spaces, which could be used for gaming, e-commerce, or socializing, can be embedded in a webpage, MySpace or Facebook profile or weblog.

“We are out to democratise virtual worlds and bring them to absolutely anybody,” said Mr Koster, founder of Areae, the company that is producing Metaplace. “You can come to the site, press a button and have a functioning virtual world that supports multiple users in about 30 seconds.”

While details are sparse at the moment, all we know is that Metaplace is a very ambitious attempt to go beyond merely building a virtual world. It’s an attempt to build an open virtual world standard. Metaplace claims that the platform will be able to integrate smoothly into current web standards. This means that people should be able to integrate whatever is built in Metaspace into websites, RSS feeders, and more.

Recently featured as one of the top 40 hottest startups at the TechCrunch40 conference, Metaplace is definitely a virtual environment to keep an eye on.

• In short: The sister of There, a private virtual world technology for domains such as e-learning, military and homeland security training, healthcare, etc.
• URL: http://www.forterrainc.com
• Maintained by: Forterra Systems since 2005.
• Price: Depends on service
• Forterra System Requirements
• Platforms supported: PC

Forterra Systems Overview

Originally founded in 1998 as There, Inc., Forterra Systems Inc. is a company that “builds distributed virtual world technology…for domains such as e-learning, military and homeland security training, healthcare, and entertainment industries.” Based upon the Online Interactive Virtual Environment (OLIVE) Technology Platform, one can rapidly generate realistic 3D virtual environments that are scalable and (like many virtual environments) useful for simulations, planning, training, and collaboration in ways previously considered impractical or impossible. OLIVE is private and secure, open and extensible.

The History of Forterra Systems and There

There Inc., a Silicon Valley startup, was created by Will Harvey and Jeffrey Ventrella in 1998 and was launched in October 2003. In June 2004, There Inc. went through a major restructuring, and went through a process of layoffs.
Robert Gehorsam approached There Inc. about pitching the software to the military for training purposes. Shortly thereafter, he had won a four-year, $3.5 million contract from the Army’s Research Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) to utilize There for military use. Ultimately, the company announcing in April 2005 that it would be splitting into two companies: Makena Technologies (which operates the current massively multiplayer online game There (there.com) and Forterra Systems (a government contracted client that would initially modify the client for military training use), led by Gehorsam as CEO.

Forterra therefore shifted its focus from entertainment to Serious Games that service the military, healthcare, education, among other domains, while There continued on as a social virtual world. Both have grown to be successful in their respective foci.

Recent News

In August 2007, Forterra Systems announced that the Defense Department’s Joint Advanced Distributed Learning (JADL) Co-Laboratory, selected Forterra to build and study Counter-Improvised Explosive Device (CIED) training system within a virtual environment. This is meant to directly benefit the military’s efforts in Iraq. The results of this will also be applicable to other Department of Defense missions and other requirements of military training.

Developed under DoD’s ADL initiative to establish common guidelines and specifications for learning on a global scale, SCORM is designed to allow users to create a future learning environment that is better, faster, and less costly, anytime and anywhere it is needed, to meet the training requirements.

Forterra Screenshots

Screenshots below developed by Forterra Systems.

Corporate

1st Responders

Medical

Military

Resources

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These proceedings serve as a snapshot of the state of education in Second Life as it is today. It includes “exemplar case studies illustrating how institutional issues in establishing Second Life can be overcome and a number of examples showing how the platform is being adapted to support learning in a wide range of fields and with diverse groups of learners.” It is notable that the sciences and arts are both well represented, demonstrating the breadth of interest and content found in the community of educators that use Second Life.

Selected highlights include Global Kids Inc. Best Practices for Using Virtual Worlds for Education, various ways educators have taught nutrition, emergency preparedness training, the environment, creative arts. etc.

Read the Second Life Education Workshop Proceedings here.

• In short: A 3D world with fully customizable avatars and a built-in scripting and building language. Users imagine and create all sorts of objects, including educational simulations and real-world products for sale.
• URL: http://www.secondlife.com
• Maintained by: Linden Lab since June 2003
• Price: Free basic accounts. Premium accounts are $9.95, which allows one to own land on which you can build upon.
• Second Life system requirements
• Platforms supported: Windows, Mac

Second Life Overview

Second Life (or SL for short) is a 3D online virtual world that is “imagined, created, and owned by its residents.” The software is a free download and basic membership is free. Second Life is a collaborative virtual environment in which residents can socialize, meet other real people, go exploring, participate in events and various activities, and create and barter user-created items and services. There are no winners or losers or predefined quests to complete. It is a virtual world that has been described as a builder’s world, open to exploration and limited only by one’s creativity.

The virtual currency in Second Life is the Linden Dollar. The exchange rate of Linden Dollars to US Dollars is generally about $260-$300 Linden Dollars per US Dollar. More than $1.1 million US dollars is exchanged within Second Life every day.

More than 9 million accounts have been registered, although many seem to be inactive. Many corporations have built islands within Second Life, including Dell, Nissan, IBM, and many others.

Educational Uses of Second Life

Second Life has been hailed by many for its educational potential. Many colleges and universities have purchased islands within Second Life and have built virtual campuses inside. To date, over 74 schools have already built virtual campuses. See SimTeach’s for a list of Second Life virtual campuses. Others have built informal learning exhibits, or proof-of-concept educational simulations (e.g. the Heart Murmur Simulation). There is a listserve for educators who wish to use Second Life for formal education.

This video provides many examples of current Science Learning Opportunities within Second Life, including real-time visualizations, hands-on genomics simulations, ARC Research Center’s 3-D anatomy exhibits, and New Media Consortium’s clinical simulation modules.

Second Life Screenshots

Second Life Resources (Note: we are not responsible for the content on these external pages)

• SimTeach Wiki – Linden Lab’s official resource for educators in Second Life.
• Corporations in Second Life – A list of corporations with islands in Second Life, including Adidas, BMW, Dell, Kraft, Nissan, Reuters, Sears, Toyota, and others.

• In short: A user-generated 3D world created by teenagers for teenagers.
• URL: http://teen.secondlife.com
• Maintained by: Linden Lab since June 2003
• Price: Free basic accounts. Premium accounts are $9.95, which allows one to own land on which you can build upon.
• Teen Second Life system requirements
• Platforms supported: Windows, Mac

Teen Second Life Overview

Teen Second Life is a 3D online virtual world, an “international gathering place for teens 13-17 to make friends and to play, learn and create.” To promote a safer environment for teen participants, only teenagers of this age range are allowed to participate in the virtual world (adults must use the regular version of Second Life). Because Teen Second Life is on located a separate “grid” from the regular Second Life, it is physically impossible for registered teens and adults to transfer from grid to grid. Other than the Linden Liasons (Linden Lab’s staff), all other residents are teenagers, or on occasion, teachers for various educational projects. Educators may also purchase discounted private islands for class purposes.

ownloading the software and creating a basic account is free. Second Life features an object oriented scripting language that allows virtually anything to be built. In this way, it is described as a 3D online virtual world that is “imagined, created, and owned by its residents.” Residents can socialize, meet other teenagers from around the world, participate in social events and activities, and design and create items and services. There is much to explore and create in this virtual environment filled with user-created content.

Strong language, nudity, and other adult content are prohibited in the teen grid. The virtual currency in Second Life is the Linden Dollar. The exchange rate of Linden Dollars to US Dollars is generally about $260-$300 Linden Dollars per US Dollar.

Educational Uses of Teen Second Life

• Global Kids – Global Kids Island, run by a nonprofit organization based in New York, is a place for teen SL residents to learn about important social and world issues.
• British Council Isle – A project to create a 3D virtual self-access center for English learners, and to provide an engaging intercultural space for English language learners and native speaking teens to meet and practice speaking English.

Teen Second Life Screenshots

Second Life Resources (Note: we are not responsible for the content on these external pages)

• SimTeach Wiki – Linden Lab’s official resource for educators in Teen Second Life.