Computer Graphics World

January 2009 29 Virtual Worlds n n n n site. For instance, the Chinese government has been developing its own planet in En- tropia. Its own Cyber Recreation Develop- ment Corp. has planned a planet containing education, gaming, and entertainment areas that, when fully realized, will support up to a million users. is addition is expected to add more than a million new residents to Entropia. Considering that Entropia cur- rently supports about 10,000 concurrent users, this is a very ambitious project. In addition, the Creative Kingdom, Inc. (CKI), a thematic architectural firm, is branching out and addressing the virtual world. CKI is building a new studio com- plex in Chiang Mai, ailand, and the first project for the new studio is a new planet for MindArk. Other projects from CKI include the Palm Island, World Island, and Madinat Jumeirah Resort in Dubai, UAE. ough the MindArk job is the first virtual project for the company, CKI and the gov- ernment of ailand are focusing on the development of jobs in online creation for the people in that country. MindArk hopes the project will encourage other companies, or countries, to form their own planet. Meanwhile, MTV is building a world in the online space ere.com, where it can appeal to its natural demographic: teens. Additionally, the participation of uni- versities is helping to grow the diversity in virtual communities. Furthermore, uni- versities are experimenting with holding classes in 3D worlds. e Los Angeles Art Institute uses Second Life as a training tool for students in Interactive Design as well as a forum for online classes. is makes a lot of sense in Second Life, where an aptitude for graphics can generate revenue. It's also a place for the university and its students to show off their work. For example, scientists and colleges are using 3D worlds to dem- onstrate augmented reality techniques that combine real-world objects with virtual ob- jects. Yes, dear friends, the head-mounted display is back. And Georgia Tech is only one of several universities that have a site on Second Life's Augmented Reality Island to show off its experiments. Creating a New Reality Arguably the real source of income in 3D virtual worlds stems from people's urge to create. After all, standing around and chat- ting tends to get old after a while—it's kind of like a long, awkward cocktail party un- less you have something to do and to talk about. You can even turn yourself into a more interesting person. You can become a real estate mogul who buys land, improves it, builds on it, and sells it. If that doesn't work, dance. In Second Life, dance is an art form. Acquiring dance moves is an im- portant pastime for some, and supposedly there is work available as dancers in the var- ious clubs to give the illusion that there re- ally is a party going on. It's not the kind of work your mother would approve of—but you are a different person in Second Life, and so is she. For all you know, she's the fairy dancing next to you. Specific tools have been created for con- tent creation in Second Life and ere. com, but users can also use third-party tools. Active Worlds offers free access to Caligari TrueSpace, an easy-to-use 3D modeler. In contrast, Entropia Universe offers its users in-house creation tools, and that fits into the world's philosophy, which is based on its own conservation-of-energy theory: Energy can neither be created nor destroyed…except by MindArk, Entropia's parent company. MindArk has two goals in tightly control- ling objects within the Entropia Universe. First, the company wants to be sure that creations complement the look of Entropia Universe. However, it also wants to limit the number of objects that are sold or bartered in Entropia so that they maintain their val- ue. In contrast, Second Life residents often take pleasure in making gifts of clothing and other objects rather than selling them. It's the happy newbie who runs across these types. With its philosophy of tightly control- ling goods, Entropia Universe more closely resembles the controlled worlds of online games rather than 3D communities. Sim- monds explains how he sees the mantra that governs online economies: "ere are people with lots of time and no money, and people with lots of money and no time." In Entropia, you can't make something from nothing, he points out, "so people can go in and work with stuff, very much like in the real world." For instance, they can take lowly jobs, like gathering dung for fertil- izer, to earn money. People with property can improve their land and allow hunting or host other activities on it. "If you're a successful businessman, there's Here, virtual visitors participate in a party, held within the Entropia Universe.

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