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Second Earth - The Future of 3D Virtual Worlds
posted by Satri
on Tuesday June 19, @11:33AM
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from the are-we-heading-away-from-reality? dept.
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The Google Earth Blog links to a very long MIT Technology Review article summarizing the state of 3D immersive virtual worlds. From the article: "So while virtual worlds are good for basic instruction and data representation, professionals aren't yet rushing to use them to analyze large amounts of spatial information. For that, they stick to specialized design, animation, modeling, and mapping software from companies like Autodesk and ESRI. But there's another new genre of 3-D visualization tools that are accessible to both professionals and average Internet users: "virtual globe" programs such as Google Earth, Microsoft's Virtual Earth, and NASA's open-source World Wind. [...] Even as social virtual worlds incorporate a growing amount of real-world data, virtual globes and their 2-D counterparts, Web maps, are getting more personal and immersive. Digital maps are becoming a substrate for what Di-Ann Eisnor, CEO of the mapping site Platial in Portland, OR, calls "neogeography": an explosion of user-created content, such as travel photos and blog posts, pinned to specific locations (see "Killer Maps," October 2005)."
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Google Testing New Virtual World Tied to Google Map / Earth
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Slashdot runs a story about Google testing a new virtual world tied to Google Maps and Google Earth named "My World". Their summary: "Rumors of Google's plans to create a virtual world that rivals that of Second Life have popped up once again over the weekend. The company could now be collaborating with Arizona State University to test the 3D social network, which may be tied into Google's current applications of Google Earth and Google Maps."
Multiple Parallel Virtual Globes are a Good Thing?
[+]
Vector One offers an interesting entry on the benefits of having multiple parallel virtual globes. From the entry: "Are We Destined to Have Parallel Digital Earth’s?
The alternative to parallel digital worlds is one digital world - no thanks. I don’t want Google, Microsoft, WorldWind, TITAN or any other single world becoming the dominate, stand alone, source for digital spatial content. In fact, I think each of these do their best work and will reach their highest potential through competition and interaction. [...] The primary difference between digital worlds and all other mediums for communication will simply be that they are digital and characterized by what one can do with digital data." From my point of view, interoperability is the key component for the users. Update: 09/28 15:29 GMT by S : Spatial Sustain's Matt Ball also shares his thoughts on the subject: "There’s currently ample opportunity for niche players in this space, but the gap between the leaders and others is rapidly expanding to the point that it will be a chasm where vast amounts of investment will be required to catch up."
Second Earth - The Future of 3D Virtual Worlds
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