From January – September 2007, Dancing Ink Productions explored, analyzed and chronicled IBM’s entrance into over forty 3-D Immersive virtual worlds such as Second Life, Activeworlds and numerous others interviewing dozens of IBMers around the world about the company’s efforts to explore virtual worlds through its Virtual Universe Community (VUC). The VUC, lead by IBM’s Sandra Kearney with influence and inspiration from IBM’s Metaverse Evangelist Ian Hughes and lead virtual architect, known by her Second Life name, Jessica Qin tell the tale of a Fortune 500 company in transition exploring how work and business are conducted on a global scale when the rules of communication and impact of the Internet are forcing us to explore what and how large organizations can conduct work in a global marketplace.
The investigations resulted in the below report, “From the Fire Pit to the Forbidden City: An Outsider’s Inside Look at the Evolution of IBM’s Virtual Universe Community” and was covered by The New York Times in the September 2007 article, “Exploring the Vast Business Potential of the Metaverse,” by Cynthia Wetzler.
- From the Firepit to the Forbidden City, By Rita J. King
According to Raph Koster, the former lead designer for renowned online games such as Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies and now founder and president of Areae producing an upcoming platform for online games called Metaplace:
It’s a mix of forward-thinking (they have people who do nothing but machinima?) and catch-up (I particularly liked the moment where a few IBM staffers decided on a definition of “virtual universe” in 2006 — fortunately, it matches the one all the rest of us use!).
It’s not very long, and it’s an interesting read.
- Rita J. King’s avatar Eureka Dejavu interviews IBM’ers ePredator Potato (Ian Hughes) and Algernon Spackler (Andrew “Roo” Reynolds) in the virtual world of Second Life
Following is an excerpt from the report. You can download the entire report here.
The first time I ever heard of virtual worlds was from an IBMer named Dr. Clifford Pickover, over lunch one Friday afternoon. When he mentions something of interest, from shamanistic trances to potentially deadly fugu sushi, I take note. But this was really off-the-wall. He spoke of imaginary worlds complete with their own economies, in which people around the world create avatars, communities and three-dimensional models of their ideas so others can inhabit and enhance them. Mystified, I listened as he explained that virtual worlds are not games, but rather immersive environments in which people enhance their connections to each other and to their personal, social and professional missions.
“It’s all very intriguing,” he added, as people around the table raised their eyebrows at the conversation. “When you go into Second Life®, get in touch with Jessica Qin [aka Craig Becker], an old friend of mine.”
I wrote down the name, not realizing that I was about to befriend one of the rock stars of the virtual world. This was the catalyst for a transformation in my perspective on commerce, community and global culture.
It started simply and suddenly, as many relationships in virtual worlds do, after I’d created my avatar, Eureka Dejavu. Jessica, who was covered in tribal tattoos and had robotic feet, teleported to my excessively expensive beach hut, paid for with the currency of the local economy.
Tweet
