Comments on: Categories of virtual world http://www.raphkoster.com/2007/10/02/categories-of-virtual-world/ Raph Koster's personal website: MMOs, gaming, writing, art, music, books Sun, 12 Feb 2012 06:02:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Are you winning at Digg? | Susan Crawford bloghttp://www.raphkoster.com/2007/10/02/categories-of-virtual-world/comment-page-1/#comment-132441 Are you winning at Digg? | Susan Crawford blog Fri, 11 Jan 2008 02:05:50 +0000 http://www.raphkoster.com/2007/10/02/categories-of-virtual-world/#comment-132441 [...] Koster makes the point that virtual worlds are becoming more and more intertwined with (and perhaps indistinguishable [...]

[...] Koster makes the point that virtual worlds are becoming more and more intertwined with (and perhaps indistinguishable [...]

]]> By: In the near future...: Pass It Onhttp://www.raphkoster.com/2007/10/02/categories-of-virtual-world/comment-page-1/#comment-130228 In the near future...: Pass It On Fri, 30 Nov 2007 01:05:03 +0000 http://www.raphkoster.com/2007/10/02/categories-of-virtual-world/#comment-130228 <!--%kramer-ref-pre%-->[...] environmentAh, the great divide of virtual/real property (arguably, a virtual reality in itself)Raph's strategy for distinguishing between the twoIs this what they mean by convergence? [Hope not]Games are good [...]<!--%kramer-ref-post%-->

[...] environmentAh, the great divide of virtual/real property (arguably, a virtual reality in itself)Raph’s strategy for distinguishing between the twoIs this what they mean by convergence? [Hope not]Games are good [...]

]]> By: StumbleUpon » Your page is now on StumbleUpon!http://www.raphkoster.com/2007/10/02/categories-of-virtual-world/comment-page-1/#comment-128750 StumbleUpon » Your page is now on StumbleUpon! Mon, 15 Oct 2007 19:48:47 +0000 http://www.raphkoster.com/2007/10/02/categories-of-virtual-world/#comment-128750 <!--%kramer-ref-pre%-->[...] Your page is on StumbleUpon [...]<!--%kramer-ref-post%-->

[...] Your page is on StumbleUpon [...]

]]> By: metaverse on virtual world: Web Search Results from Answers.comhttp://www.raphkoster.com/2007/10/02/categories-of-virtual-world/comment-page-1/#comment-128732 metaverse on virtual world: Web Search Results from Answers.com Mon, 15 Oct 2007 06:57:10 +0000 http://www.raphkoster.com/2007/10/02/categories-of-virtual-world/#comment-128732 <!--%kramer-ref-pre%-->[...] Raph’s Website » Categories of virtual world [...]<!--%kramer-ref-post%-->

[...] Raph’s Website » Categories of virtual world [...]

]]> By: Synworlds - SynWorlds Blog » Blog Archive » I Never Metasocial Media I Did Not Likehttp://www.raphkoster.com/2007/10/02/categories-of-virtual-world/comment-page-1/#comment-128712 Synworlds - SynWorlds Blog » Blog Archive » I Never Metasocial Media I Did Not Like Sun, 14 Oct 2007 15:49:07 +0000 http://www.raphkoster.com/2007/10/02/categories-of-virtual-world/#comment-128712 <!--%kramer-ref-pre%-->[...] attendees to consider VWs as social media, I re-read Raph Koster’s recent well-thought out rant on the same issue. As Koster adroitly notes “…virtual worlds are their own thing, and [...]<!--%kramer-ref-post%-->

[...] attendees to consider VWs as social media, I re-read Raph Koster’s recent well-thought out rant on the same issue. As Koster adroitly notes “…virtual worlds are their own thing, and [...]

]]> By: Gene Endrodyhttp://www.raphkoster.com/2007/10/02/categories-of-virtual-world/comment-page-1/#comment-128543 Gene Endrody Wed, 10 Oct 2007 00:39:36 +0000 http://www.raphkoster.com/2007/10/02/categories-of-virtual-world/#comment-128543 I find these debates over what to call the "metaverse" or "virtual web" or whatever a little silly right now. With new technologies coming out and trying to take hold, companies want to frame the terms and definitions in a way that's favorable to their particular approach. The reality is that there's a platform war beginning and the first shots have just been fired. The winner will write the history and define the terms - isn't that the way it goes? Virtual worlds in a web browser are already here and have been for quite a while. Currently it's standard technologies like Flash (Club Penguin, Barbie), Shockwave (MaidMarian, Habbo) and Java (Runescape) that make virtual worlds in a browser possible. The web is simply one of many platforms with it's own set of challenges when it comes to distribution and monetization (i.e. console, PC, mobile, web). Web based virtual worlds are real things that make real money and are played by many actual players today. For this reason I find the term "virtual web" very confusing unless it includes the current crop VWs already on the web. The term "Metaverse" I have no real issue with. It's lofty, forward looking and everybody has a slightly different version of what it means in practice. The "Metaverse" is a little airy fairy and has yet to accomplish anything significant you can point at but I also recognize that some of these Metaverse ideas are setting off a platform war that will ultimately be good for the industry. My money is on the platform with the best strategy around monetization, both for the platform developer and the creator. I find these debates over what to call the “metaverse” or “virtual web” or whatever a little silly right now. With new technologies coming out and trying to take hold, companies want to frame the terms and definitions in a way that’s favorable to their particular approach. The reality is that there’s a platform war beginning and the first shots have just been fired. The winner will write the history and define the terms – isn’t that the way it goes?

Virtual worlds in a web browser are already here and have been for quite a while. Currently it’s standard technologies like Flash (Club Penguin, Barbie), Shockwave (MaidMarian, Habbo) and Java (Runescape) that make virtual worlds in a browser possible. The web is simply one of many platforms with it’s own set of challenges when it comes to distribution and monetization (i.e. console, PC, mobile, web). Web based virtual worlds are real things that make real money and are played by many actual players today. For this reason I find the term “virtual web” very confusing unless it includes the current crop VWs already on the web.

The term “Metaverse” I have no real issue with. It’s lofty, forward looking and everybody has a slightly different version of what it means in practice. The “Metaverse” is a little airy fairy and has yet to accomplish anything significant you can point at but I also recognize that some of these Metaverse ideas are setting off a platform war that will ultimately be good for the industry. My money is on the platform with the best strategy around monetization, both for the platform developer and the creator.

]]> By: Bruce Joyhttp://www.raphkoster.com/2007/10/02/categories-of-virtual-world/comment-page-1/#comment-128460 Bruce Joy Sat, 06 Oct 2007 19:22:31 +0000 http://www.raphkoster.com/2007/10/02/categories-of-virtual-world/#comment-128460 I'm not keen on "Metaverse" either. I currently lean towards "virtual web". Over at <a href="http://www.vastpark.com" rel="nofollow">VastPark</a>, we've finally succumbed to having a blog and the first one is entitled "<a href="http://www.vastpark.com/?view=article&id=21%3Athe-new-rules-of-the-virtual-web&Itemid=51&option=com_content" rel="nofollow">The 9 new rules of the virtual web</a>". I'm hoping it draws out a few friends and foes! I give some reasons why this current idea of the Metaverse is off-skew. I think that Metaplace and VastPark are good examples of post-SL platforms which aren't trying to create monolithic virtual worlds but are extending the functionality of the web itself. The current difference between the two is that Metaplace has sought to solve the issues of 2D (or 2.5D) MMO first and VastPark is focussed on 3D worlds, widgets and presentation spaces first. I'll be keen to get friendly or fierce feedback on our 9 new rules!!! I’m not keen on “Metaverse” either. I currently lean towards “virtual web”.

Over at VastPark, we’ve finally succumbed to having a blog and the first one is entitled “The 9 new rules of the virtual web“. I’m hoping it draws out a few friends and foes!

I give some reasons why this current idea of the Metaverse is off-skew. I think that Metaplace and VastPark are good examples of post-SL platforms which aren’t trying to create monolithic virtual worlds but are extending the functionality of the web itself. The current difference between the two is that Metaplace has sought to solve the issues of 2D (or 2.5D) MMO first and VastPark is focussed on 3D worlds, widgets and presentation spaces first. I’ll be keen to get friendly or fierce feedback on our 9 new rules!!!

]]> By: Prokofy Nevahttp://www.raphkoster.com/2007/10/02/categories-of-virtual-world/comment-page-1/#comment-128438 Prokofy Neva Sat, 06 Oct 2007 01:33:48 +0000 http://www.raphkoster.com/2007/10/02/categories-of-virtual-world/#comment-128438 My hunch is that the word "Metaverse" simply won't catch on or survive, and it will be called something else. After all, developers kept trying to get people to accept this term World Wide Web and even put www into what people have to type constantly, but they could never get them to break the habit of calling it "the Internet" or just "online". My hunch is that the word “Metaverse” simply won’t catch on or survive, and it will be called something else. After all, developers kept trying to get people to accept this term World Wide Web and even put www into what people have to type constantly, but they could never get them to break the habit of calling it “the Internet” or just “online”.

]]> By: Prokofy Nevahttp://www.raphkoster.com/2007/10/02/categories-of-virtual-world/comment-page-1/#comment-128437 Prokofy Neva Sat, 06 Oct 2007 01:32:16 +0000 http://www.raphkoster.com/2007/10/02/categories-of-virtual-world/#comment-128437 http://secondthoughts.typepad.com/second_thoughts/2007/10/the-avatarman.html http://secondthoughts.typepad.com/second_thoughts/2007/10/the-avatarman.html

]]> By: Metaversed Market Index: What it is, what it isn’t : Metaverse Networkhttp://www.raphkoster.com/2007/10/02/categories-of-virtual-world/comment-page-1/#comment-128436 Metaversed Market Index: What it is, what it isn’t : Metaverse Network Fri, 05 Oct 2007 23:40:21 +0000 http://www.raphkoster.com/2007/10/02/categories-of-virtual-world/#comment-128436 [...] to do. We are not trying to impose our own definitions of what is and is not a virtual world. Raph Koster’s post , along with its comments, make clear why doing so would be a mistake. Our plan is to view the [...]

[...] to do. We are not trying to impose our own definitions of what is and is not a virtual world. Raph Koster’s post , along with its comments, make clear why doing so would be a mistake. Our plan is to view the [...]

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