University Study: Preserving the History of Virtual Worlds
University Study: Preserving the History of Virtual Worlds
August 16, 2008
How can we preserve the history of events which occur in virtual worlds? And why would we want to?
The BBC reports that researchers at the University of Texas, Austin are studying ways in which MMO history could be recorded. Said Prof. Megan Winget (left):
It's a huge challenge for archivists to deal with digital information. One of the most interesting problems for digital preservation is interactivity and how difficult that is to preserve. Video games offer all of the same problems as digital art. They are interactive, very complex and a lot of people get involved in making them happen...
We want to raise the consciousness in the industry about how important these records are. I do not think they save anything or it's saved in such a way that they would not be able to recognise the significance of what they are holding.
Key events mentioned as perhaps worthy of documenting include an outbreak of virtual plague in World of Warcraft, the assassination of Lord British in Ultima Online and the death of Morpheus in The Matrix Online. Said Winget:
A lot of people have mentioned [Lord British's death] to me as a pivotal moment in their lives. I would like to talk to people who experienced that, saw it happen or where they were when they heard about it. Maybe we can talk to the people who did it and whether they knew Lord British was [Ultima series creator] Richard Garriott.
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Posted 12/01/08 at 10:50pm
d.vel.oper: @sql: Messaged. Though I do so enjoy geeking up the shoutbox.
d.vel.oper: @sql: Messaged. Though I do so enjoy geeking up the shoutbox.
Posted 12/01/08 at 10:49pm
PHX Corp: No, not at all
PHX Corp: No, not at all
Posted 12/01/08 at 10:49pm
sqlrob: @PHX: Is that one of the signs of the apocalypse?
sqlrob: @PHX: Is that one of the signs of the apocalypse?
Posted 12/01/08 at 10:44pm
PHX Corp: Bill o'reilly finally advocated commonsense concerning violent Video Games (He said that parents need to watch out what their children play)
PHX Corp: Bill o'reilly finally advocated commonsense concerning violent Video Games (He said that parents need to watch out what their children play)
Posted 12/01/08 at 10:43pm
sqlrob: @d.vel.oper: Do you have any networking experience? Private message me, this nick on LiveJournal so we can talk in more detail
sqlrob: @d.vel.oper: Do you have any networking experience? Private message me, this nick on LiveJournal so we can talk in more detail
Posted 12/01/08 at 10:42pm
d.vel.oper: Might have to wait until the New Year, finances, etc.
d.vel.oper: Might have to wait until the New Year, finances, etc.
Posted 12/01/08 at 10:42pm
d.vel.oper: I'm in Central Florida, but since the job sounds fun, I wouldn't be against relocation.
d.vel.oper: I'm in Central Florida, but since the job sounds fun, I wouldn't be against relocation.
Posted 12/01/08 at 10:39pm
sqlrob: @@d.vel.oper: Where are you? We're in Austin
sqlrob: @@d.vel.oper: Where are you? We're in Austin
Posted 12/01/08 at 10:37pm
d.vel.oper: @sqlrob: Always looking, always hooking :P I didn't finish college, and haven't worked on any big projects. But I love hooking.
d.vel.oper: @sqlrob: Always looking, always hooking :P I didn't finish college, and haven't worked on any big projects. But I love hooking.
Posted 12/01/08 at 10:35pm
sqlrob: @d.vel.oper: You looking for a job? Where I work thef first thought for fixing something is hooking.
sqlrob: @d.vel.oper: You looking for a job? Where I work thef first thought for fixing something is hooking.
Posted 12/01/08 at 10:35pm
d.vel.oper: So you can write JS scripts that use the Steam API, kinda like plugins and such.
d.vel.oper: So you can write JS scripts that use the Steam API, kinda like plugins and such.
Posted 12/01/08 at 10:34pm
sqlrob: @d.vel.oper: I don't trust squat at ring 0. If it can't install as non-privileged user, I don't want it (games)
sqlrob: @d.vel.oper: I don't trust squat at ring 0. If it can't install as non-privileged user, I don't want it (games)
Posted 12/01/08 at 10:34pm
d.vel.oper: ...basically, a Steam extender.
d.vel.oper: ...basically, a Steam extender.
Posted 12/01/08 at 10:34pm
d.vel.oper: I'm working on mucking about with Steam right now. Writing a multi-hook with a JavaScript (Google V8) scripting engine...
d.vel.oper: I'm working on mucking about with Steam right now. Writing a multi-hook with a JavaScript (Google V8) scripting engine...
Posted 12/01/08 at 10:33pm
d.vel.oper: Usually via my own C++ code, and ASM stubs.
d.vel.oper: Usually via my own C++ code, and ASM stubs.
Posted 12/01/08 at 10:32pm
d.vel.oper: So I do alot of RE, and run-time code modification.
d.vel.oper: So I do alot of RE, and run-time code modification.
Posted 12/01/08 at 10:32pm
d.vel.oper: @sqlrob: I mainly subvert game cheat protections, which are basically rootkits themselves.
d.vel.oper: @sqlrob: I mainly subvert game cheat protections, which are basically rootkits themselves.
Posted 12/01/08 at 10:14pm
sqlrob: I've written POC malware that AV wouldn't have a chance against, never mind the deals copy protection have made with them.
sqlrob: I've written POC malware that AV wouldn't have a chance against, never mind the deals copy protection have made with them.
Posted 12/01/08 at 10:09pm
sqlrob: @d.vel.oper: Most of what I did was user space, a little kernel.. Lots of RE, both of Windows and malware
sqlrob: @d.vel.oper: Most of what I did was user space, a little kernel.. Lots of RE, both of Windows and malware
Posted 12/01/08 at 09:51pm
Michael Chandra: @sqlrob: Except for that many of the old and new games I like will be spread around so much that 6 consoles is more expensive.
Michael Chandra: @sqlrob: Except for that many of the old and new games I like will be spread around so much that 6 consoles is more expensive.
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Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Comments
"A pivotal moment in their lives?"
wow! I didn't realise just how crazy some people can be!
not really, I just find the idea of something in a virtual world affecting someone's real life that much is probably a problem
Your soul is a tasty refreshing treat to ones such as I
I'm never going to get engaged with MMO's. I've tried them, and I just do not like them. They do not appeal to me at all. So, I do irk at the notionm that people real lives are affected by these events on such a high level.
why nopt ask how many peoples lives were affected by books (ask most authors they will tll you they lie for a living) lol
Jesus look at the amount of freckles.
Think it's her Myspace pic? Notice how it's all close, like she took it herself.
Hey, that's nothing. I've seen people with freckles on their armpits.
How does that even happen?
Well, I like her face.
i did a little reading on the lord british assassination and had even met someone who was there at the time. apparently richard was mad when it happened, but OSI later tried to play it off as something they had planned (though it wasnt). from that point forward, all of the ultima games included some way of killing or incapacitating lord british. its not so much that people let their lives be run by MMOGs (at least most), its more of a cultural thing, imo.
I dunno... it'd probably matter as much as sales of console games upon actual history, i mean... i don't even know. I don't play MMO's, don't ask me.
EEWWWW LOOK AT THIS BITCH!!!! PIZZA FACE
lets not do that
Seconded. I mean, christ, man, this isn't 4chan.
Don't you mean "this isn't ebaumsworl"? Come on Rules 1&2 for Chris sake!
I thought they only applied in raids. *shrugs* And it's only /b/ you can't talk about anyway.
Let's be mature now.
Grow up.
It all depends on what kind of histroy of virtual worlds you are interested in. In terms of general history you could look at sales and all the standard things people talk about. But in terms of art I'd have a hard time saying sales were that important. If you are interested in the art and culture of virtual worlds these instances are generally the main focus. Though I guess that sales would accurately describe how many people played the game so I suppose it would be important there as well. Point being is that all kinds of things happen in virtual worlds and many of these things you can't predict. Which is kind of the point I think. From an artistic perspective I think its awesome that users can actually effect the history of the work of art in question. In fact the history is somewhat reliant upon it. It doesn't matter if the game is very popular either. I remember when I played/contributed to GRAAL an admin that will remain nameless gave everyone a test weapon that shot portals, which ended up lagging the entire system really bad. I also remember in Cybertown when that same individual crashed the servers when his 3-D model of a nuke illuminated everyone's environment green with an intensity level of 99999. ;)
Interesting things happen in virtual worlds. The two above are examples of a few things that won't be remembered and are generally not important to anyone besides those involved.
I used to be really into MMOs but right now I'm not at all. But I'd be a fool to say people don't have experiences in a MMO would that you absoultely CAN NOT have in any other kind of game. Things happen when hundreds or thousands of people play the same game at once with eachother.
In some ways the same thing happens in text-based online communities. Example? Game Politics. Here we have an article about history of virtual worlds and we have douchebags posting negative comments on the images of the girl above. I've been reading Game Politics for a while now and I know that like every other blog/community you get posts of opinions you probably wouldn't think existed. Though its on a much smaller level I see fundamental similarities. Somtimes it is frustrating but every so often it gets so out of hand that you simply have to remember it. Anyone remember the first set of Resident Evil 5 posts? Those conversations in the comment section got pretty interesting to say the least.
I know what you mean, in another website I used to frequent one of the more notable members was apparently put in a mental asylum and posted from there. I wasn't that close to him and I still aren't but I won't forget it.
I might note that the experience in Cybertown and GRAAL happened a good 6-7 years ago but I still remember them clearly.
The Corrupted Blood Plague in WoW is actually worth preserving. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) actually asked Blizzard for all the records of it so that they could analyze it as a real world epidemic. They said it was very similar to how they expected Bird Flu to behave.
WoW is so huge (10 million plus) that it's basically developed into a real world social order. It's like having another country floating out there now. When things like Corrupted Blood happen you can actually see how real world epidemics might occur.
Are we talking the Plague of Undeath or something different here?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corrupted_blood
I just started playing WoW so I wasn't around when it started (Maghar, Orc Warlock on the Doomhammer Server, Carthelm, Human Warrior on the Eitregg [sp?] server) but it definitely is interesting
The corrupted blood plague was a gameplay mechanic gone wrong, not a storyline mechanic like the plague of undeath. It's one of Hakkar the Soulflayer's attacks. The oringal form of it laster 3 seconds, did near-fatal damage to a ZG/MC-equipped level 60 and outright killed anyone else (anybody below level 40 would die in one tick). With each tick, anybody within several yards would be infected, spreading the disease to the raid. People brought it into major cities using mage portals, and with the number of people usually present in Orgrimar or Ironforge, it could take hours for the plague to burn out.
There was an earlier event, as well. The were a good number of warlocks who committed "terrorist" bombings on banks and auction houses by getting the Living Bomb debuff from Baron Geddon on their pets and dimissing them, then resummoning them in town where the explosion would kill dozens of people. There was a thread on the forums that the attacks would continue until Warlocks got a viable escape move from melee attackers, but in reality it continued until Living Bomb could no longer target pets.
sometimes odd things happen in mmogs and they are difinetly worth noticing. i mean they arent as large scale acuall events, but it's difinetly interesting. also , this might be useful for a phd.
Its no difrent than normal games really, only its a bit harder to play a defunked MMO, but the data for story and quest should be there?
after all, all the script and such is there and thats its fictional history, if you want to capture player personal history....umm...... thats up to the indavaul to tape themselfs.......
I is fuzzy brained mew =^^=
http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/
(in need of a bad overhaul)
I don't see the stories in MMO's, all I see is endless grinding.
They do indeed have storylines, you just have to actualyl read the texts going along with quests as well as, at least in the case of Warcraft, actually pay attention to the environment as well as the opening movie to get the story.
I read the text, but it's just filler for "kill X amount of enemies, get X amount of whatever, and return to me".
And I listen to the diologue in first person shooter.s It's just filler for go form point A to point B or blow up X target
Exactly.
Well then by that logic every last game ever made is little more than an endless grind.
If you REALLY want to be pessimistic, all game sotrylines are just there so that people won't complain about a lack of story.
Wasn't the assasination of Lord British done through an exploit though?
From what I remember reading about it, most of the problem was an invulnerability flag not being set properly on the Lord British character. Thief character steals a fire scroll of some sort and uses it on LB. LB just stands there saying "Nice try" etc. etc., then *thud* LB dies.
Heh, I see what she means in that case, I'd have given anything to be a fly on the wall for that one ;)
I remember reading a PCGamer issue regarding LB's assassination. If I remember correctly, the thief's name was "Rainz" or something.
NEEEERDS.
How about they archive the history of Second Life, I'm sure it could break a man.
Actually, a timeline of events on Second Life would probably be a great read, as long as it isn't 'sanitised' by the Lindens.
To anyone calling the death of Lord British a pivotal moment, I simply have the following for you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFtnZcE9xE8
not so much pivotal, more like cultural... imo.
I never played UO, but I did play some of the later MMOs like Everquest. Personally, when I heard about Lord British's 'death', I laughed my ass off. While I don't remember where I was or what I was doing, I do remember that it just struck me as tremendously funny.
I seem to recall the funniest part was his reaction to it, from what I remember, he was livid.
It is interesting to note that, for all the cries of 'it's not relevant' and 'MMO's don't have "histories"', that just about everyone here knows about, for example, the assasination of LB, even those who never played UO. Obviously, at some level, it has embedded itself into our memories.
I'll admit, they are certainly not as pivotal as real events, but I think moments such as these are just as relevant as, for example, the first time someone beat Pac-Man on the Atari 2600, not Earth-shattering to any degree, but still a landmark on the road of Video Games.
I remember when I read about the assassination of Lord British. It struck me as amusing but at the same time..
I could easily see how it would have a strong effect on the UO players. Lord British wasn't just a random GM or whatever. He was like.. THE main npc for the entire ultima series. He was also an immortal badass. -shrugs-
His reaction definitely helped strengthen the passion that his players were feeling, I would think. Sadly, I was too young to be playing when these events transpired.
I did see awhile back, LB's on new game Tabula Rasa; He made an announcement on teh website. It was a challenge posted for the person who killed him.
It said something along the lines of: "You caught me by surprise last time, but now I'm ready for you."
- http://socialistgamerreview.com ~ Because the Proletariat Plays Games Too.
I heard that he got Ganked in the TR Beta as well, but it was such a massive bundle of people that attacked him that no-one was quite sure who landed the killing blow. It was all taken a lot more light-heartedly however.
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