“The Sims” designer Will Wright demonstrates the user-created “metaverse” from his latest game, “Spore,” with additional commentary by musician Brian Eno. (6:48 min)
You can see the complete 98 minute video at fora.tv. It’s kind of a conversation/presentation between the two men as talk about their work. In this excerp, it’s all about the Spore Metaverse.
The Long Now Foundation was established in 01996* to develop the Clock and Library projects, as well as to become the seed of a very long term cultural institution. The Long Now Foundation hopes to provide counterpoint to today’s “faster/cheaper” mind set and promote “slower/better” thinking. The Long Now Foundation – Fostering creative responsibility in the framework of the next 10,000 years.
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on Nov 2nd, 2008 at 3:37 pm
I knew that must be some of Eno’s ambient music in the background… I’m liking his sarcastic humour! I listened to a full length interview with Will Wright on ‘Q’ on CBC radio a few months ago about the concept of this game. Again, great concept for the game to be “organic” and user created. However, I find difficulty seeing how this is supposed to change general trends in human behaviour(as was discussed on the cbc program) … if anything such games tend to disengage people from the real world and invest their energies in a “virtual” reality.
on Nov 2nd, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Well, I guess it is semantics, but I do think that flickr and blogs, community sites, well the Web in general is a virtual experience. Yet it seems people do create and connect for real.
on Nov 2nd, 2008 at 5:52 pm
you are right, but what are the tangible benefits for how things play out in the real world?
It’s unfortunate but the world rotates around an axis of power… this is how the US can sell itself as a beacon of freedom without facing any real challenge to the traditional order. People can say and do whatever they want on increasingly diverse range of technologies and forums… people are satisfied that they have exercised political freedom, but without impacting reality.
This is where the social psychologists employed by the US government really make China look pathetic… they create the illusion of freedom, aided by Hollywood and video game companies etc who are nominally their enemies. Keep the people’s stomachs full and their minds distracted and there will never be a revolution.
Trust me though, I eagerly await the diminishment of centralized power… but what I see now is simply fun and games. And the nearly half of American voters supposedly allegiant to McCain / Palin prove this point.