"Peter Ludlow is not just a computer gaming enthusiast. He's also a philosophy professor, with an abiding interest in the relationship between the real and the virtual worlds. So when the world's most successful virtual-reality game, the Sims, launched an ..."

Grok Headline matches for "Peter Ludlow is not just a computer gaming enthusiast. He's also a philosophy professor, with an abiding interest in the relationship between the real and the virtual worlds. So when the world's most successful virtual-reality game, the Sims, launched an ..."

Game Theories: Are these virtual worlds
the best place to study the real one?

Game Theories: Are these virtual worlds
the best place to study the real one? 05/17/2004 08:55 AM
Game Theories: Are these virtual worlds the best place to study the real one? The Gross National Product of EverQuest, measured by how much wealth all the players together created in a single year inside the game. It turned out to be $2,266 U.S. per capita. By World Bank rankings, that made EverQuest richer than India, Bulgaria, or China, and nearly as wealthy as Russia. (by Clive Thompson)

Kasparov beats computer in the 3rd game
to tie up virtual reality match

Kasparov beats computer in the 3rd game
to tie up virtual reality match 11/16/2003 10:45 PM
Canadian Press via Canada.com Nov 16 2003 9:20PM ET

Virtual gaming worlds overtake Namibia

Virtual gaming worlds overtake Namibia 08/19/2004 03:42 AM
Inhabitants of virtual worlds are giving the games they play real economic power, a study has found.

Real Economies In Virtual Worlds

Real Economies In Virtual Worlds 05/10/2004 02:58 AM
We've had numerous discussions about legal issues associated with virtual worlds, but there are also plenty of economic issues (which often are related to the legal ones). Wired News is running an article looking at some of the economic info available about various online games and comes to the conclusion that the only thing that really matters is if the game is still enjoyable to its players (which seems fairly obvious). It's not important that a virtual economy be a "successful" economy in the traditional sense as long as it's fun for the players. Of course, a disastrous in-game economy isn't going to be that much fun, which is why many more games (usually from the smaller online gaming companies) are paying a lot more attention to the in-game economic situation.

Virtual Worlds Meet the Real One

Virtual Worlds Meet the Real One 07/29/2004 05:01 AM
How did you spend your summer vacation? These students learned about urban renewal -- by playing video games. By Michelle Delio.

Virtual hooking, real censorship in The
Sims Online

Virtual hooking, real censorship in The
Sims Online 12/15/2003 11:35 AM
An independent in-game newspaper published in The Sims Online is being censored by Maxis for running ads for underage in-game sex.

So The Alphaville Herald continues to push the edge of the envelope. In this case the envelope has "Underage Child Sexual Solicitation in Virtual Worlds" written all over it. They're running a mind-boggling interview with an avatar who's been turning tricks in TSO since the early days. Since this sexual activity involves real money, an under-age protagonist, and the violation of a serious number of federal and state sexual solicitation statutes, it's your required reading for the day. Call it research.

Oh, did we mention that Maxis, the developers of TSO, have started to delete in-world references to The Alphaville Herald?

Link

GameToys.com adds XaviX Virtual Reality
Gaming

GameToys.com adds XaviX Virtual Reality
Gaming 07/09/2004 03:18 AM
GameToys.com, the leading distributor of video gaming products, with the lowest price guarantee, has added XaviX Virtual Reality Gaming products to it long list of video game offerings. [PRWEB Jul 9, 2004]

Kasparov beats computer to tie up
virtual reality match

Kasparov beats computer to tie up
virtual reality match 11/16/2003 08:31 PM
AP via New Jersey Online Nov 16 2003 8:10PM ET

Real property rights to virtual game
objects

Real property rights to virtual game
objects 11/14/2003 09:14 AM
The Terra Nova gaming groupblog reports that Second Life, a massively multiplayer online game, has amended its terms of service to allow players to "retain real world property rights in the virtual world products they produce." Link

The Real Deal: How a Philosophy
Professor With a Checkered Past Became
the Most Influential Catholic Layman in
George W. Bush's Washington

The Real Deal: How a Philosophy
Professor With a Checkered Past Became
the Most Influential Catholic Layman in
George W. Bush's Washington 08/21/2004 08:17 PM
From the National Catholic Reporter .. investigation .. who resigned .. takedown

nationalcatholicreporter.org/update/bn081904.htm
track this site | 3 links

Virtual reality calms the chemo reality

Virtual reality calms the chemo reality 08/01/2004 08:03 AM
Chicago Tribune Aug 1 2004 12:13PM GMT

Freedom of Expression in Virtual Worlds

Freedom of Expression in Virtual Worlds 01/18/2004 01:28 AM

Virtual worlds overtake Namibia

Virtual worlds overtake Namibia 08/20/2004 04:15 AM
BBC Aug 20 2004 8:51AM GMT

Legal Issues Seeping Into Virtual Worlds

Legal Issues Seeping Into Virtual Worlds 11/13/2003 02:55 PM
Just in dealing with websites there have been all sorts of legal questions about jurisdictions and do offline laws apply in an online world. Now the issue is becoming even more complex as more and more "virtual world" games are showing up - and actions in those virtual worlds may seem very much like actions in the offline world. So the question is whether or not those actions are just "part of the game" or are they real actions with legal consequences. It's a very fine line. We had mentioned this issue a couple months ago, but now some folks are holding an entire conference focused on the legal questions presented by online gaming. Some think that the virtual worlds will be a good "testing ground" for new laws and rules that could be applied in the real world. However, others are simply focused on how offline laws carry over into the online virtual worlds. If someone steals from you, is it theft? If someone defames you, can you sue? The biggest issue, it seems, is when real world money crosses over into the virtual worlds. Once money gets involved, so does the law - which could present problems for the crop of new games focused on bringing in real money. In many cases, it seems that the company creating the virtual world really is that world's government - and they make the laws that apply within the sandbox of the virtual world. Still, many people will undoubtedly try to pull things out of that sandbox and into the very real world court system.

What's inherently hard to model in
virtual worlds?

What's inherently hard to model in
virtual worlds? 01/22/2004 12:47 PM
Interesting Terra Nova rumination on what kinds of objects are inherently hard to model in virtual worlds:

What happens when your avatar puts sugar in a bowl of water or dips an apple into honey? Even if we program the honey to get stuck on the apple and slowly drip off the apple, Richard notes that this will surely lead to a player wondering (at some juncture) why honey drips off kittens at the same rate it drips off apples.

Link

Raking virtual muck in 'The Sims Online'

Raking virtual muck in 'The Sims Online' 12/12/2003 07:45 PM
Salon Dec 12 2003 6:56PM ET

Terra Nova - Virtual Worlds
Collaborative Blog

Terra Nova - Virtual Worlds
Collaborative Blog 04/03/2005 07:57 AM
Terra Nova - Virtual Worlds Collaborative Blog
http://terranova.blogs.com/

Terra Nova is a collaborative weblog experiment. It is about an emerging social phenomenon called "virtual worlds" -- computer-generated, persistent, immersive, and representational social platforms. Currently, the most popular virtual worlds are massively multiplayer online roleplaying games (MMORPGs), such as Everquest and Star Wars Galaxies. However, there are many other old and new varieties of virtual worlds. Posts at Terra Nova will offer news and opinions regarding the social, economic, legal, psychological, and political aspects of these worlds. They will feature scholarship, insights, and data relevant to the study of virtual worlds. This has been added to Social Informatics Subject Tracer™ Information Blog.

Sorting Through The Legal Questions Of
Property Rights In Virtual Worlds

Sorting Through The Legal Questions Of
Property Rights In Virtual Worlds 04/28/2004 08:12 PM
We've discussed the many questio ns raised about property rights in all of these new virtual game worlds. Do the laws of the outside world apply? If so, what country's laws apply? What about the end user license agreement? If that rules who owns property in the game, then (effectively) that makes the company law enforcement. So what happens when law enforcement in the community violates the laws of the nation? Obviously, these aren't easy questions and eventually they'll end up in courts. John has submitted a story about a case in China where someone is suing an online game company for deleting a weapon he bought in the game. Apparently, the seller had "duplicated" the weapon in the game, which was against the rules. He then sold the duplicate to the guy suing - and the company deleted it once they realized it was a duplicate. The guy is suing, saying that he worked hard to make the virtual cash to buy the virtual sword, and it's unfair for the game to simply delete it. The company claims that the rules are clear that dupes aren't allowed - but, only the seller knows it's a dupe. So, when you unravel it, this is a fairly complex legal question involving different layers of intellectual property. First, you have the problems of the "duplicates," which could be seen as infringement on its own. Then, the guy sold the unauthorized copy for profit (admittedly within the game, for virtual currency) and kept the "original". The buyer paid with virtual money and received the "illegal" copy of the virtual sword which was then deleted. So, who's really at fault? It certainly sounds like the guy who created the dupe and sold it is the most reasonable target, but how do you deal with the situation where the guy then sells the "real" virtual sword to someone else? Who gets to keep it? The simple answer - of course - is both of them. It is virtual property after all, and can be reproduced at will by the powers that be. However, the company claims this will destabilize the game. Meanwhile, the guy who's suing only really has a claim if the virtual property he bought with virtual money is considered his to own. The gaming company will, most likely, claim that it's really theirs. It seems like we'll be seeing plenty of more related lawsuits.

Virtual Server becomes reality

Virtual Server becomes reality 09/09/2004 10:46 AM
After two years of fits and starts, Microsoft will finally deliver its Virtual Server 2005 product, which company officials contend will be an important contributor to its Dynamic Systems Initiative (DSI), the company's plan for managing distributed systems.

Whatever Happened to Virtual Reality?

Whatever Happened to Virtual Reality? 03/20/2003 01:05 PM
Less than a dozen years ago, it seemed as though virtual reality was poised to be the next major technology, though actual implementations were mainly being put to use in arcades. Then, as quickly as it arose amid much hype, the field seemed to disappear. Even the shoot-em-up headsets at the arcades were hard to find.

Virtual Reality the World Over

Virtual Reality the World Over 04/21/2004 04:48 AM
One of the most ambitious VR projects undertaken has just gone online: a gallery of immersive vistas shot all over the globe during the first day of spring. By Leander Kahney.

Virtual Real Estate Boom Draws Real
Dollars (Reuters)

Virtual Real Estate Boom Draws Real
Dollars (Reuters) 06/02/2004 03:30 PM
Reuters - Rising interest rates have yet to cool white-hot real estate prices. Perhaps that's why the concept of virtual home ownership has captured the imagination of a growing number of online gamers, who are plunking down real cash for their own slice of the digital frontier.

Virtual Real Estate Boom Draws Real
Dollars

Virtual Real Estate Boom Draws Real
Dollars 06/03/2004 03:29 PM

Virtual computing offers real benefits,
real challenges

Virtual computing offers real benefits,
real challenges 04/29/2004 10:42 AM
ZDNet UK Apr 29 2004 1:50PM GMT

'Matrix Online' a new virtual reality

'Matrix Online' a new virtual reality 03/29/2005 08:09 PM
San Jose Mercury News Mar 30 2005 12:45AM GMT

Virtual Reality Book Overlays

Virtual Reality Book Overlays 09/26/2004 08:54 AM

'Matrix Online' a New Virtual Reality
(AP)

'Matrix Online' a New Virtual Reality
(AP) 03/29/2005 05:48 PM
AP - You've watched the movies. Now you can jack in and play it — no cranial implants required.

Darkport Virtual Reality Shell

Darkport Virtual Reality Shell 04/17/2004 05:53 PM
Re-Realization of a Dream

Virtual Reality Security Scanner and IDS

Virtual Reality Security Scanner and IDS 11/12/2003 10:24 PM
Update on Project November 2003

Poll Finds Increasing Interest in
Virtual Tours

Poll Finds Increasing Interest in
Virtual Tours 12/31/2004 10:24 AM
TechWeb Dec 31 2004 2:21PM GMT

On the Therapist's Couch, a Jolt of
Virtual Reality

On the Therapist's Couch, a Jolt of
Virtual Reality 02/18/2004 09:24 PM
Therapists are using software to create virtual environments that can help people face down their fears.

Virtual reality brings past to life

Virtual reality brings past to life 02/12/2004 05:46 AM
BBC Feb 12 2004 9:50AM GMT

Virtual Reality May Distract the Brain
from Pain

Virtual Reality May Distract the Brain
from Pain 07/05/2004 02:41 PM

New high-resolution camera nears virtual
reality

New high-resolution camera nears virtual
reality 06/02/2004 10:33 AM

BBC NEWS | Technology | Virtual reality
brings past to life

BBC NEWS | Technology | Virtual reality
brings past to life 02/14/2004 02:21 AM
"We are trying to give the impression of going back in time," .. 3D digital replicas of historical and artistic sites .. virtual reality simulations of the Hagia Sofia .. Virtual reality brings past to life

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3472589.stm
track this site | 5 links

Virtual PC 7 The first major update to
Virtual PC since Microsoft bought the
emulation program from Connectix

Virtual PC 7 The first major update to
Virtual PC since Microsoft bought the
emulation program from Connectix 01/03/2005 07:57 PM
MacWorld Jan 3 2005 11:05PM GMT

Virtual Meetings Get More Real

Virtual Meetings Get More Real 01/26/2004 12:34 PM
Forbes Jan 26 2004 4:05PM GMT

World's first Internet church falls
victim to virtual devils

World's first Internet church falls
victim to virtual devils 05/19/2004 07:18 AM
Hindustan Times May 19 2004 11:58AM GMT

Magnetar Appoints Virtual Reality Markup
Language (VRML) Inventor to its Advisory
Board

Magnetar Appoints Virtual Reality Markup
Language (VRML) Inventor to its Advisory
Board 06/17/2004 11:39 AM
BC Technology Jun 17 2004 4:17PM GMT
Grok Description matches for "Peter Ludlow is not just a computer gaming enthusiast. He's also a philosophy professor, with an abiding interest in the relationship between the real and the virtual worlds. So when the world's most successful virtual-reality game, the Sims, launched an ..."
GrokA matches for "Peter Ludlow is not just a computer gaming enthusiast. He's also a philosophy professor, with an abiding interest in the relationship between the real and the virtual worlds. So when the world's most successful virtual-reality game, the Sims, launched an ..."

"Peter Ludlow is not just a computer gaming enthusiast. He's also a philosophy professor, with an abiding interest in the relationship between the real and the virtual worlds. So when the world's most successful virtual-reality game, the Sims, launched an ..."

The following phrases have been identified by the grok system as matching this entry: