Here are 3 articles for today:

Gaia Online tees up its massively multiplayer online game

The missing ‘links’: Looking towards an augmented reality

Three steps to encourage corporate investment in virtual worlds

Exploring Space Virtually: NASA and the Blue Mars Project

June 23, 2008
In January 2008 NASA hosted a forward-looking conference (http://amesevents.arc.nasa.gov/virtual-worlds/) in order to explore future uses of the virtual world space.  Part of the vision is to engage the public as real-time participants in NASA’s historic moments of exploration in the spirit of “We all get to go”.

Just as Neil Armstrong’s first moon landing was the defining moment for television, it is envisioned that coming NASA historic events will be the defining moment for virtual world technologies.

NASA incorporates virtual world developers and educators as core components of these efforts.  Virtual Space Entertainment, Inc. (VSE) will present their project “Blue Mars 2150?, a massively multiplayer virtual world (http://www.virtualspaceentertainment.com/). Launching in late 2008, Blue Mars 2150 will be the first high definition, real time virtual world.

As part of its proposal to NASA, VSE is envisioning a Mars Spaceport complex and a NASA Pavillion.  At the heart of the NASA Pavillion will be two elaborate virtual experiences. The first would be a virtual simulation of the first manned mission to Mars and the
establishment of a settlement on the surface of Mars. The second set of missions would take the user through NASA’s Return to the Moon program where users will plan and participate in Moon landings.

VSE is proposing to design a final product that will allow millions of people from around the world to experience our return to space as if they were part of the mission crews themselves.

Within the virtual venue users would also be able to visit a series of museum exhibits detailing the history of US spaceflight, and climb into all of the manned spacecraft from Gemini up through interplanetary Mars craft prototypes.  Visitors would virtually relive the pioneering days of NASA’s manned space program by interactively experiencing a select number of these historic missions.

Join us for an investigation into the uses of virtual worlds for education and remote exploration. Get an advance look at how the future of space exploration will be experienced – through virtual worlds.

Speaker Bio:
Richard Childers is the CEO of Virtual Space Entertainment and creative lead for Blue Mars 2150 project.

For over twenty-five years, Richard has led digital production teams, producing animation, interactive CD ROMs, software, games, web sites, and books. Richard developed three-dimensional visualizations for mass transit systems in

Honolulu, Los Angeles, and Vancouver as well as design studies for the National Science Foundation’s new Ahmudsen South Pole Station. In 1991 he organized the acclaimed computer graphic symposium and exhibition, Infinite

Illusions at the Smithsonian Institution.

From 1993 to 1998, he was President and CEO of Computer Visualizations, Inc., a multimedia publishing/production company he founded and grew to sales of over $2 million. He has recruited, trained, and motivated teams of up to

40 designers, producing over 25 finished commercial projects. His books have been published by Random House and Stewart, Tabori, & Chang. Over the years, he has won 11 major design awards including the Communication Arts

Gold Medal and the I-Magic Platinum award. Prior to founding Virtual Space Entertainment, Inc., Richard served as the Assistant to the President, Special Projects at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.
Location

Pillsbury Winthrop Office Silicon Valley
2475 Hanover Street
Palo Alto, CA 94304-1114
Directions

Agenda

6:30 PM Registration and Networking
7:00 PM -8:40 PM Presentations

Price
$15 at the door for non-SDForum members
No charge for SDForum members
No registration required

There’s a great post and conversation at:

http://terranova.blogs.com/terra_nova/2008/06/possibility-of.html#more

by Bruce Damer asking whether we are approaching a “New Virtual World Winter”.   I’d encourage you to read the questions and join the conversation, as we’ll use these as the basis for some upcoming meetings including the annual “Future of Virtual Worlds” panel on Oct. 27.

Got word of an IBM “Meet the Experts” session being held in Second Life(tm) June 2, 3, and 4. It is part of their Rational Software Development Conference going on in Orlando, FL and sounds really interesting.

It looks like they are using teleconferencing for voice, as phone-in numbers are provided. Here’s the announcement as I received it. I’ll definitely drop in, so look for Orange Montagne if you’re there.
Join us on Codestation in Second Life for the IBM Rational Software Development Conference Meet the Expert Sessions this week June 2, 3 and 4th.

The SL URL for CODESTATION is http://slurl.com/secondlife/IBM%20CODESTATION/130/95/40

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, there will be a Meet the Expert sessions at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm Eastern (New York) with each of the Heroes. As a reward for attending each of the sessions, a superpower will be handed out to attendees at each of the sessions.

Schedule for 10 am ET :
Monday 10am ET – Fee-Chur: The Developer; who can turn anything into code. “It’s not a bug, it’s a “feature!”
Tuesday 10am ET The Gatekeeper: The Release Manager; who can shift shapes to deal with everything internal and external; from bugs to leaks to patches to infinity and beyond!
Wednesdat 10am ET The Time-Inator: The Project Manager; who can bend the time-space continuum… sometimes
http://slurl.com/secondlife/IBM%20CODESTATION/130/95/40

Call in information for 10am ET Expert Sessions
10am ET Mon, Tues & Wed – June 2, 3 & 4
Title: Rational Software Devplr Meet the Expert
Conference telephone numbers:
Participants, Toll free:
Participants, Toll:
Confirmation Code: 6768646
Title: Rational Software Devplr Meet the Expert

Schedule for 2pm ET
Monday 2pm ET R-Tek: The Architect with the power to grok future applications just by drawing a picture on a napkin.
Tuesday 2pm ET Hawkeye: The Analyst; whose super A-ray Vision lets her see opportunities hidden in complex problems
Wednesdat 2pm ET Gotcha: The Tester; with the power to clone herself to meet impossible deadlines…
http://www-306.ibm.com/software/rational/events/rsdc2008/rheroes.html
Call in information for 2pm ET Expert Sessions
2pm ET Mon, Tues & Wed – June 2, 3 & 4
Title: Rational Software Devplr Meet the Expert Conference telephone numbers:
Participants, Toll free:
Participants, Toll:

In addition, the Conference Keynotes will be posted on Codestation the day after they are delivered at the Conference.

http://www.ibm.com/rational