Disordered Cogitations

My friend Mark pointed me to a political game about redistricting from USC.

By exploring how the system works, as well as how open it is to abuse, The Redistricting Game allows players to experience the realities of one of the most important (yet least understood) aspects of our political system. The game provides a basic introduction to the redistricting system, allows players to explore the ways in which abuses can undermine the system, and provides info about reform initiatives - including a playable version of the Tanner Reform bill to demonstrate the ways that the system might be made more consistent with tenets of good governance. Beyond playing the game, the web site for The Redistricting Game provides a wealth of information about redistricting in every state as well as providing hands-on opportunities for civic engagement and political action.

Labels: game, political, redistrictng

Here is a new way to embed micro-applications right into a blog. (Thx 3pointD)

Labels: game, micro application

Just as adults have combined their virtual GPS worlds with their real world cars to have a mixed reality experience, now Mattel is creating a mixed reality experience for the users of dolls. Real world Barbies interact with a new virtual world, called BarbieGirls.com.

Mixed reality is not only our future, it is now our present. (Thx to 3pointD for the tip!)

Labels: avatars, dolls, game, virtual world

FBI checks gambling in Second Life virtual world. Isn't playing physical poker with physical poker chips virtual gambling? So why would it make a difference of the poker chips were virtual not physical? It is because physical poker chips are not "something of value" whereas Linden Dollars are "something of value."

So Second Life is not a game.

Labels: FBI, gambling, game, virtual world

I mentioned yesterday Sun's new open source virtual world server called DarkStar. They have used it to build themselves a virtual work environment called MPK20. It stands for Menlo Park 2.0. It

is a virtual 3D environment in which employees can accomplish their real work, share documents, and meet with colleagues using natural voice communication.

Labels: game, MMORPG, SUN, virtual world

Nate Combs over at TerraNova blog pointed me to Sun's new venture called DarkStar.

Project Darkstar is the game industry’s first open source, enterprise grade, highly scalable, online game server. From Massively Multiplayer Online Games to Casual Games, Project Darkstar can accommodate the varying needs of the online game developer through a single solution. Providing easy to use, simple API interfaces, Project Darkstar will have you up and running in a fraction of the time that it used to take in standing up online game solutions.

Labels: game, MMORPG, SUN, virtual world

Candace Lombardi of Gamespot reports that at the Game Developer's Conference:

Emotiv Systems introduces new helmet that could allow gamers to leave behind joysticks and buttons in favor of thoughts and emotions.

Of course, this would be so much more useful in conjunction with analytic discover and business process tools, not to mention 3D virtualized worlds and dataspaces.

Reminds me of demonstration George Bower (Axis Technologies) gave using a G-speak glove to navigate a database.

See also Charlie Bess's comments on the application of accelerometers to virtual world input devices

Labels: brain, distruptive technology, game, neural