MMORPG
Definition
- Massively multiplayer online role-playing computer games (MMORPG)s are a form of virtual environments or virtual habitats.
- The global internal economy of these worlds is now bigger than the ones of small third world states.
Implementation
- Most MMORPGs are implemented with 3D games engines, a form of desktop virtual reality technology.
- Some games use augmented technology (mixed reality or mobile technology, i.e. are integrated in real world space
- Some still popular games use text-based virtual reality, e.g. MUDs augmented with illustrations.
Popular environments
Multi purpose habitats
Some people may argue that these systems are not just games (i.e. they are virtual habitats). That is true, but they do contain games or "gaming" features.
- Second Life
- Entropia, includes a covertible cash economy !
Games
(there are many others !)
MMOPRGs in education ?
There is some potential in using its technology. Examples:
- Implementation of "virtual universities" (digitalize existing practice of lecture halls, libraries, meeting rooms). There have been several attemps, but none really successful.
- Various gaming and simulation worlds, e.g. in business, economy, sociology and history
- Modeling and microworld environments for science phenomena (e.g. physics and biology)
- Habitats for non-informal collaboration (e.g. as an alternative to instant messaging)
Hung et al. (2009) [1] studied motivational factors in educational MMORPG. The conclude that “four factors motivated students to play the game provided, and allow extension to other educational MMORPGs: achievement (desire for competition with a standard of excellence), social (collaboration with others and building social networks), immersion, and the completeness of instructional mechanisms.” According to the authors, research also suggest that MMORPGs could develop various higher-order thinking skills, such as creativity, problem solving, communication skills, and meta-cognition: “Beedle and Wright (2007) indicate that playing MMORPGs can inspire creativity, motivation, problem solving skills, and communi-cation skills [6]. Dickey (2007) also argues that playing MMORPGs can foster learn-ing while requiring players to think, plan, and act critically and strategically [7]. He further indicated that different types of quests in MMORPGs could facilitate different knowledge domains (e.g. declarative knowledge, procedural knowledge, strategic knowledge, and metacognitive knowledge).”
Examples
Software
Free Multi-user game engines
We don't know if there exist any specific operational systems that one could use to create educational many-user games.
- Lists
- MMOG Middleware List of, Wikipedia.
- Multiverse
- Multiverse Network (Wikipedia)
- WorldForge
- WorldForge (Wikipedia)
- WorldForge (homepage).
Virtual environments
Since 3D interactive environments are scriptable to some extent, they also could be used to implement games. This page lists some technologies.
See also MUDs, an older, but functional text-based technology.
Links
- socialstudygames.com (Research, News and Resources, papers online about online gaming and education)
- Massively multiplayer online game (Wikipedia)
- Massively multiplayer online role-playing game (Wikipedia)
- Wikipedia: Virtual World
- Kirk Battle's blog on Games and LAW (including MMO judiciary)
References
Beedle, J.B., Wright, V.H.: Games and Simulation in Online Learning: Perspectives from Multiplayer Video Games, ch. 7. Idea Group Inc., NY (2007)
Dickey, M.D.: Game Design and Learning: A Conjectural Analysis of How Massvely Multiple Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) Foster Intrinsic Motivation. Educational Technology Research and Development, 253–273 (2007)
Riegle, R.P., Matejka, W.A. (2006) The Learning Guild: MMORPGs as Educational Environments. In: 22nd Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and Learning, the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
- ↑ Hung KH., Kinzer C., Chen CL.A. (2009) Motivational Factors in Educational MMORPGs: Some Implications for Education. In: Pan Z., Cheok A.D., Müller W., Chang M. (eds) Transactions on Edutainment III. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 5940. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg