Walking your toon into a different game? (longish article from The Economist)

Castigator · 06-13-2007, 05:38 AM

Paste & Copy from The Economist.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Online gaming's Netscape moment?
Jun 7th 2007
From The Economist print edition

Video games: Existing virtual worlds are built on closed, proprietary platforms, like early online services. Might they now open up, like the web?

WHEN you sit down to play a “massively multiplayer online” (MMO) game such as “World of Warcraft” or enter a virtual world such as Second Life, your computer connects to a distant server which holds all the data needed to model the synthetic realm and to co-ordinate the actions of different players. The “client” software on your computer updates the server with your every move, and the server keeps all players informed of each other's actions. This enables each player's computer to render a vivid, three-dimensional world.

The software that does this, however, is proprietary: each game requires its own client and server software. MMOs and virtual worlds are, in short, like walled gardens. You cannot move from one virtual world to another. Just as with early online services—CompuServe, Genie, AOL and Prodigy—users exist in separate communities, each of which has its own way of doing things. “There is a place for such worlds,” says Richard A. Bartle of the University of Essex, who was the co-author of MUD, the first ever multi-user adventure game on a computer. “But that's by no means the whole story, any more than AOL is the whole internet.”

What happened on the internet, of course, was that the web came along and provided common, open standards for both client and server software, doing away with proprietary online services and bringing together previously separate communities as CompuServe, AOL and the rest adopted the web's open standards. Now a firm called Multiverse Network hopes to do the same for MMOs. It has created MMO client and server software based on open standards, and a way to move between virtual worlds built on its platform, just like following a link from one web page to another. And it has made its software available for free download by anyone who wants to build and host a virtual world.

If this all sounds reminiscent of Netscape, the company that popularised the web browser, that may be because Multiverse was founded by four Netscape veterans. They decided they wanted to work together again and turned to the idea of creating an MMO. But they soon realised that it would be too expensive and time-consuming for a small, independent team. So they chose instead to create a platform and the tools to allow just about anyone to create an MMO, without having to make their own client and server software from scratch.

As the video-game industry matures, the economics of providing such software are becoming increasingly attractive. Producing the artwork, character designs, script, sound effects and score for a modern game is complex and expensive enough as it is—why reinvent the wheel and build the software from scratch? Technology licensing is becoming more common as game studios buy in specialist programs to perform physics modelling, handle network communications, provide the game's main graphical “engine”, and so on.

Several modern “first-person-shooter” games are based on Unreal, a three-dimensional graphics engine. In the 1990s id Software licensed the engines behind its popular games, “Doom” and “Quake”. Now the same thing is starting to happen with MMOs, since they are hugely expensive to develop. Multiverse is not alone: other firms such as Hero Engine and BigWorld Technology are also developing MMO platforms for others to use, in the hope of defining the industry standard.

As with the web, the hope is that the emergence of a single, open platform will encourage wider adoption and new uses of the technology. Before the web, companies that wished to establish an online presence had to do so on proprietary platforms. The same is true today. Lots of companies are setting up shop in Second Life, but some might prefer to have their own worlds, not just islands in someone else's world, just as they have their own websites. Multiverse says that companies are starting to create worlds for training simulations, business collaboration, and modelling disasters.

One advantage that Second Life has, as AOL and its kind did in the mid-1990s, is a critical mass of users at whom advertising can be targeted. Companies that create their own worlds, or set up new game worlds, will need to find a way to attract visitors—just as they have to with their websites. “You have to figure out why you're creating your virtual world, what people will do there, how you'll promote it,” says Bill Turpin, the boss of Multiverse. And how will people find relevant or interesting worlds? Multiverse will provide a number of ways to search, though this too will be open. Corey Bridges of Multiverse says it would be “fantastic” if Yahoo! and Google wanted to add support for searching for worlds.

Providing backwards compatibility with existing worlds is difficult, however, because each uses its own data structures and communications protocols. So just as the Netscape browser could not access Prodigy or Genie, the Multiverse browser will not work with “World of Warcraft” or Second Life. It is already proving popular among developers nonetheless. Over 10,000 developer teams have registered to use the platform, in part because of Multiverse's attractive business model. All of its software is free to use, but once developers begin to make money from their worlds—from subscriptions, in-game advertising or sales of in-game items—they pay 10% of their revenue.

One such developer is Edward Castronova, a professor at Indiana University. Given a grant by the MacArthur Foundation to evaluate the potential impact of virtual worlds, he is building a world called “Arden”, an idealised portrayal of Shakespearean England. He and his students have spent the past year recreating medieval Somerset—geography, villages, characters, and an economy—on the Multiverse platform. This will provide a way to explore Shakespeare's works, an arena in which to perform social-science experiments, experience of game design for those hoping to go into the industry—and, Mr Castronova hopes, a good game.

He is optimistic about the Multiverse approach, which will provide a choice of hundreds of worlds to explore. “You'll be in one world, you'll click on a portal, and you'll be in the next one,” he says. Just as the web makes it possible to create and follow links between a huge variety of websites, an open platform for virtual worlds could allow users to stroll seamlessly through Atlantis, across Mars and all the way to Shakespeare's Arden.

---------------------------------------------------

Think about it

Dendory · 06-13-2007, 06:25 AM

It's an interesting idea, but the issues are much bigger than for the web. For example what about setting, how would an avatar from a fantasy MMO go to a sci-fi MMO. Then there's progression, what's the point of leveling to 70 in a game just to start another game at the top. And finally the biggest problem is technology, every single new MMO tries new technology and new ideas, so the "standards" would have to change not only every few years but at every new MMO. Even a single company often changes its engine at each new MMO.

I think for the foreseeable future we'll remain at what we have now, namely a handful of companies specialized in MMOs like SOE, NCsoft, Turbine etc, and the only integration will be a common launchpad and billing system.

tad10 · 06-13-2007, 07:32 AM

Problem with the article is that it doesn't differentiate between MMOW (non-RPG) and MMOW (RPG). It seems reasonable to say jump from (and I fell a little nauseous typing the following two words) Second Life to the Arden MMOW (NRPG) listed up above. But going from any RPG to any other RPG (whether or not it is a genre change) defeats the whole purpose of the RPG.

So yeah I can see moving between a bunch of little virtual worlds with minimal gaming elements like the Arden example -- that are essentially 3D chat clients.

* * *

Now what would be interesting is an Internet Registry for Avatar names. IIRC, when WoW first came out Thott of AL (a pretty well known MMO name in EQ) couldn't use his name because some twerp had managed to use it first in WoW. Have the various companies that make MMOs require that you register with the db. So you'll be able to use the same name in multiple MMOs w/o fear that some guy is intentionally or accidentally going to use the same Avatar name.

Drtyrm · 06-13-2007, 07:39 AM

So then we'd have Avatar Squatters?

FOR SALE:

Aragorn $500 Aragornn $40 Arragorn $40 Araagorn $40

Dendory · 06-13-2007, 07:43 AM

We'd end up like the domain system where it's impossible to get any decent name with .com and you need to use some weird name or go to other extensions.

Maxxius · 06-13-2007, 07:47 AM

Yeah how they would treat names would be interesting. Will someone eventually be Samxxxxxxxxxxx to the millionth power?

I'm Rich Bitch · 06-13-2007, 07:47 AM

Very interesting article. I bet Smed and SOE are already experimenting with this issue in their multiple collection of games. SOE will probably take the lead in this and push themselves pass Blizzard. This is very exciting.

tad10 · 06-13-2007, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dendory

We'd end up like the domain system where it's impossible to get any decent name with .com and you need to use some weird name or go to other extensions.

Well.. I'm sure we'd be first to file and grab all the good names. But you're probably right.

On the other hand a particularly famous toon might want to trademark their name (not an IP lawyer but offhand I don't see any reason why you couldn't do this). Many (all) EULA/Codes of Conduct preclude use of trademarked names -- so you might be able to prevent Avatar stealing that way (on the other hand perhaps the EULA might go so far as to preclude you from using your trademarked named in their IP -- so could be no-go that way too).

Zerai · 06-13-2007, 08:26 AM

I have to agree. The theory sounds good but I can't see any way this would work practically. At least with games. 3D chat clients sure, but they aren't games.

Any game where your character has worth and isn't just a representation, you're going to have massive issues.

Sounds like just another journalist talking out his ass about shit he doesn't know about.

Cybsled · 06-13-2007, 09:56 AM

This would be %100 unworkable for games in the sense of "Let me bring my EQ character to WoW!". Artwork is easy, but how could progress/abilities ever be transfered to a game that likely has completely different rulesets, to say nothing of an engine? Furthermore, why would a developer even allow it...these aren't exactly free services they are running.

It's just another "lawl i hav gud idea about teh internets!" journalist who is putting 2 and 2 together and getting 13. Chat programs or maybe even intra-company MMOs (if designed to accept such)? Sure. Games? Unlikely.

Jait · 06-13-2007, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cybsled

It's just another "lawl i hav gud idea about teh internets!" journalist who is putting 2 and 2 together and getting 13. Chat programs or maybe even intra-company MMOs (if designed to accept such)? Sure. Games? Unlikely.

Yeap. It's something that would likely have to be built from the ground up. Trying to make it compatible with current games would result in a major faceplant.

mek · 06-13-2007, 10:06 AM

This Multiverse crap will probably take off with the Second Life crowd, as in people looking for a 3d chatroom to furrysex in.

In all seriousness, companies like SoE will probably explore "soft integration" of MMORPGs, where your actions in one game can potentially unlock content in others, or let you get a head start, or interact in some other non-direct manner. Say Game A has a skill training system where you have to be online for your character to learn; but if you have an SoE Station Pass, time spent playing ANY Sony game will count as training time in Game A.

Full-on interaction between seperate MMORPGs is completely absurd at this stage in the game, and competing companies have no interest in creating an MMO-net as their products are more valuable on their own, than in a diluted marketplace.

Itzena · 06-13-2007, 10:09 AM

Aw, but I want to bring my Apocalypse-class battleship to Norrath or Azeroth!

rinthea · 06-13-2007, 10:13 AM

er, so is this anything other than a well publicized game engine?

its not even open source... right?
10% of revenue...

nosf · 06-13-2007, 10:23 AM

So you could walk your level max toon from Game A to Game B and then complain there's a lack of content? I'm sure something like this would sell well to the graphical IRC client with furry sex crowd, but for games I can't really see it flying. Having the same name in all games would be a boon, then it would be easier to weed out 'tards from game to game. Good luck ever getting "your" name though.

It really sounds like an idea floated by someone who doesn't play MMOGs and I'm fairly positive this was all floated years and years ago when we all transitioned from UO to EQ.

06-13-2007, 05:38 AM	#1 (permalink)
Castigator Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Phnom Penh Posts: 950	Walking your toon into a different game? (longish article from The Economist) Paste & Copy from The Economist. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Online gaming's Netscape moment? Jun 7th 2007 From The Economist print edition Video games: Existing virtual worlds are built on closed, proprietary platforms, like early online services. Might they now open up, like the web? WHEN you sit down to play a “massively multiplayer online” (MMO) game such as “World of Warcraft” or enter a virtual world such as Second Life, your computer connects to a distant server which holds all the data needed to model the synthetic realm and to co-ordinate the actions of different players. The “client” software on your computer updates the server with your every move, and the server keeps all players informed of each other's actions. This enables each player's computer to render a vivid, three-dimensional world. The software that does this, however, is proprietary: each game requires its own client and server software. MMOs and virtual worlds are, in short, like walled gardens. You cannot move from one virtual world to another. Just as with early online services—CompuServe, Genie, AOL and Prodigy—users exist in separate communities, each of which has its own way of doing things. “There is a place for such worlds,” says Richard A. Bartle of the University of Essex, who was the co-author of MUD, the first ever multi-user adventure game on a computer. “But that's by no means the whole story, any more than AOL is the whole internet.” What happened on the internet, of course, was that the web came along and provided common, open standards for both client and server software, doing away with proprietary online services and bringing together previously separate communities as CompuServe, AOL and the rest adopted the web's open standards. Now a firm called Multiverse Network hopes to do the same for MMOs. It has created MMO client and server software based on open standards, and a way to move between virtual worlds built on its platform, just like following a link from one web page to another. And it has made its software available for free download by anyone who wants to build and host a virtual world. If this all sounds reminiscent of Netscape, the company that popularised the web browser, that may be because Multiverse was founded by four Netscape veterans. They decided they wanted to work together again and turned to the idea of creating an MMO. But they soon realised that it would be too expensive and time-consuming for a small, independent team. So they chose instead to create a platform and the tools to allow just about anyone to create an MMO, without having to make their own client and server software from scratch. As the video-game industry matures, the economics of providing such software are becoming increasingly attractive. Producing the artwork, character designs, script, sound effects and score for a modern game is complex and expensive enough as it is—why reinvent the wheel and build the software from scratch? Technology licensing is becoming more common as game studios buy in specialist programs to perform physics modelling, handle network communications, provide the game's main graphical “engine”, and so on. Several modern “first-person-shooter” games are based on Unreal, a three-dimensional graphics engine. In the 1990s id Software licensed the engines behind its popular games, “Doom” and “Quake”. Now the same thing is starting to happen with MMOs, since they are hugely expensive to develop. Multiverse is not alone: other firms such as Hero Engine and BigWorld Technology are also developing MMO platforms for others to use, in the hope of defining the industry standard. As with the web, the hope is that the emergence of a single, open platform will encourage wider adoption and new uses of the technology. Before the web, companies that wished to establish an online presence had to do so on proprietary platforms. The same is true today. Lots of companies are setting up shop in Second Life, but some might prefer to have their own worlds, not just islands in someone else's world, just as they have their own websites. Multiverse says that companies are starting to create worlds for training simulations, business collaboration, and modelling disasters. One advantage that Second Life has, as AOL and its kind did in the mid-1990s, is a critical mass of users at whom advertising can be targeted. Companies that create their own worlds, or set up new game worlds, will need to find a way to attract visitors—just as they have to with their websites. “You have to figure out why you're creating your virtual world, what people will do there, how you'll promote it,” says Bill Turpin, the boss of Multiverse. And how will people find relevant or interesting worlds? Multiverse will provide a number of ways to search, though this too will be open. Corey Bridges of Multiverse says it would be “fantastic” if Yahoo! and Google wanted to add support for searching for worlds. Providing backwards compatibility with existing worlds is difficult, however, because each uses its own data structures and communications protocols. So just as the Netscape browser could not access Prodigy or Genie, the Multiverse browser will not work with “World of Warcraft” or Second Life. It is already proving popular among developers nonetheless. Over 10,000 developer teams have registered to use the platform, in part because of Multiverse's attractive business model. All of its software is free to use, but once developers begin to make money from their worlds—from subscriptions, in-game advertising or sales of in-game items—they pay 10% of their revenue. One such developer is Edward Castronova, a professor at Indiana University. Given a grant by the MacArthur Foundation to evaluate the potential impact of virtual worlds, he is building a world called “Arden”, an idealised portrayal of Shakespearean England. He and his students have spent the past year recreating medieval Somerset—geography, villages, characters, and an economy—on the Multiverse platform. This will provide a way to explore Shakespeare's works, an arena in which to perform social-science experiments, experience of game design for those hoping to go into the industry—and, Mr Castronova hopes, a good game. He is optimistic about the Multiverse approach, which will provide a choice of hundreds of worlds to explore. “You'll be in one world, you'll click on a portal, and you'll be in the next one,” he says. Just as the web makes it possible to create and follow links between a huge variety of websites, an open platform for virtual worlds could allow users to stroll seamlessly through Atlantis, across Mars and all the way to Shakespeare's Arden. --------------------------------------------------- Think about it Last edited by Castigator : 06-13-2007 at 05:57 AM.

06-13-2007, 07:32 AM	#3 (permalink)
tad10 Never give up. Never surrender, you fucks! Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 2,825 -24 Internets	Problem with the article is that it doesn't differentiate between MMOW (non-RPG) and MMOW (RPG). It seems reasonable to say jump from (and I fell a little nauseous typing the following two words) Second Life to the Arden MMOW (NRPG) listed up above. But going from any RPG to any other RPG (whether or not it is a genre change) defeats the whole purpose of the RPG. So yeah I can see moving between a bunch of little virtual worlds with minimal gaming elements like the Arden example -- that are essentially 3D chat clients. * * * Now what would be interesting is an Internet Registry for Avatar names. IIRC, when WoW first came out Thott of AL (a pretty well known MMO name in EQ) couldn't use his name because some twerp had managed to use it first in WoW. Have the various companies that make MMOs require that you register with the db. So you'll be able to use the same name in multiple MMOs w/o fear that some guy is intentionally or accidentally going to use the same Avatar name. __________________ Surface - Drunken Monk of Seradon

06-13-2007, 09:56 AM	#10 (permalink)
Cybsled Registered User Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 9,215 +14 Internets	This would be %100 unworkable for games in the sense of "Let me bring my EQ character to WoW!". Artwork is easy, but how could progress/abilities ever be transfered to a game that likely has completely different rulesets, to say nothing of an engine? Furthermore, why would a developer even allow it...these aren't exactly free services they are running. It's just another "lawl i hav gud idea about teh internets!" journalist who is putting 2 and 2 together and getting 13. Chat programs or maybe even intra-company MMOs (if designed to accept such)? Sure. Games? Unlikely. __________________ Training the citizens of Norrath from 1999-2003!

06-13-2007, 10:09 AM	#13 (permalink)
Itzena SOS-dan #76564674 Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Near a big fucking castle, the UK Posts: 6,032 -19 Internets	Aw, but I want to bring my Apocalypse-class battleship to Norrath or Azeroth! __________________

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes	Rate This Thread
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode	Rate This Thread:

06-13-2007, 06:25 AM	#2 (permalink)
Dendory Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 48 +0 Internets	It's an interesting idea, but the issues are much bigger than for the web. For example what about setting, how would an avatar from a fantasy MMO go to a sci-fi MMO. Then there's progression, what's the point of leveling to 70 in a game just to start another game at the top. And finally the biggest problem is technology, every single new MMO tries new technology and new ideas, so the "standards" would have to change not only every few years but at every new MMO. Even a single company often changes its engine at each new MMO. I think for the foreseeable future we'll remain at what we have now, namely a handful of companies specialized in MMOs like SOE, NCsoft, Turbine etc, and the only integration will be a common launchpad and billing system.

06-13-2007, 07:39 AM	#4 (permalink)
Drtyrm Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Location: The River Posts: 542 +0 Internets	So then we'd have Avatar Squatters? FOR SALE: Aragorn $500 Aragornn $40 Arragorn $40 Araagorn $40

06-13-2007, 07:43 AM	#5 (permalink)
Dendory Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 48 +0 Internets	We'd end up like the domain system where it's impossible to get any decent name with .com and you need to use some weird name or go to other extensions.

06-13-2007, 07:47 AM	#6 (permalink)
Maxxius Banned Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: n/a Posts: 1,607 +1 Internets	Yeah how they would treat names would be interesting. Will someone eventually be Samxxxxxxxxxxx to the millionth power?

06-13-2007, 07:47 AM	#7 (permalink)
I'm Rich Bitch Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 3,137 -69 Internets	Very interesting article. I bet Smed and SOE are already experimenting with this issue in their multiple collection of games. SOE will probably take the lead in this and push themselves pass Blizzard. This is very exciting.

06-13-2007, 08:26 AM	#9 (permalink)
Zerai ~ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: An Igloo Posts: 2,718 -11 Internets	I have to agree. The theory sounds good but I can't see any way this would work practically. At least with games. 3D chat clients sure, but they aren't games. Any game where your character has worth and isn't just a representation, you're going to have massive issues. Sounds like just another journalist talking out his ass about shit he doesn't know about.

06-13-2007, 10:06 AM	#12 (permalink)
mek homosexual Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada Posts: 1,283 -13 Internets	This Multiverse crap will probably take off with the Second Life crowd, as in people looking for a 3d chatroom to furrysex in. In all seriousness, companies like SoE will probably explore "soft integration" of MMORPGs, where your actions in one game can potentially unlock content in others, or let you get a head start, or interact in some other non-direct manner. Say Game A has a skill training system where you have to be online for your character to learn; but if you have an SoE Station Pass, time spent playing ANY Sony game will count as training time in Game A. Full-on interaction between seperate MMORPGs is completely absurd at this stage in the game, and competing companies have no interest in creating an MMO-net as their products are more valuable on their own, than in a diluted marketplace.

06-13-2007, 10:13 AM	#14 (permalink)
rinthea omghax Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 918 -24 Internets	er, so is this anything other than a well publicized game engine? its not even open source... right? 10% of revenue...

06-13-2007, 10:23 AM	#15 (permalink)
nosf Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 505 +1 Internets	So you could walk your level max toon from Game A to Game B and then complain there's a lack of content? I'm sure something like this would sell well to the graphical IRC client with furry sex crowd, but for games I can't really see it flying. Having the same name in all games would be a boon, then it would be easier to weed out 'tards from game to game. Good luck ever getting "your" name though. It really sounds like an idea floated by someone who doesn't play MMOGs and I'm fairly positive this was all floated years and years ago when we all transitioned from UO to EQ.