Second Life of Shadow Consumers

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Who Active: Aarhus Business College: Aarhus, Denmark Oklahoma City University: Oklahoma City, OK Arcada University of Technology: Helsingfors, Finland The Open University: Milton Keynes, UK The Art Institute of California-San Diego San Diego, CA Oregon State University: Corvallis, OR The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA Otis College of Art and Design Los Angeles, CA Audiocourses Music Production School: London, United Kingdom Pellissippi State Technical Community College: Knoxville, TN Australian Film TV and Radio School: Sydney, Australia Pennsylvania State University: (Various towns), PA Ball State University: Muncie, IN Pepperdine Universtiy: Malibu, CA The Bay School of San Francisco: San Francisco, CA Platt (Media Arts) College San Diego: San Diego, CA Beach College: Santa Barbara, CA San Diego State University: San Diego, Calif. Bentley College - Department of Natural and Applied Sciences: Waltham, MA San Francisco State University: San Francisco, CA Bradley University, Peoria, IL Savannah College of Art & Design: Savannah, GA; Atlanta, GA; Lacoste, France Bromley College of Further and Higher Education Seton Hall University: South Orange, NJ California State University - Pomona: Pomona, CA Sheffield Hallam University: Sheffield, UK/ Central Missouri State University: Warrensburg, Missouri Sogang University: Seoul, Korea Central Piedmont Community College - Futures Institute: Charlotte, NC Stanford University: Palo Alto, CA Colorado Mountain College: Glendwood Springs, CO SUNY Empire State College: Saratoga Springs, NY Columbia University: New York, NY Temple University: Philadelphia, PA Dyersburg State Community College: Dyersburg, TN Texas State University: San Marcos, Texas Elon University: Elon, NC The Bay School of San Francisco: San Francisco, CA Finger Lakes Community College: Canandaigua, NY Thomas Jefferson University: Philadelphia, PA Fullerton College: Fullerton, CA Trinity University: San Antonio, Texas Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture University of Houston: Houston, TX Center for Distance Education, UAF Fairbanks, Alaska Harvard University: Cambridge, Mass. University of Bedfordshire Luton & Bedford, UK Idaho State University: Pocatello, Idaho. University of California Berkeley Illinois State University: Normal, IL University of Cincinnati: Cincinnati, OH Indiana University: Bloomington, IN University of Colorado at Denver Medical Center: Denver, CO Insead University of Connecticut: Hartford, CT Institut Ingemedia: Toulon, France University of Derby: Derby, UK Johnson & Wales University: Providence, RI & 5 Western States University of Edinburgh: Edinburgh, Scotland, UK Kalamazoo Valley Community College: Kalamazoo, MI University of Florida: Gainesville, FL Leeds College of Art and Design: West Yorkshire, United Kingdom University of Massachusetts: North Dartmouth, MA Leeds Metropolitan University: West Yorkshire, United Kingdom University of Minnesota, School of Physics and Astronomy: Minneapolis, MN Lehigh Carbon Community College: Schnecksville, PA University of Missouri - Kansas City: Kansas City, Missouri Loyalist College: Belleville, ON, Canada University of Nevada, Reno: Reno, NV Mayville State University: Mayville, ND University of Paisley: Paisley, Scotland, UK Minneapolis College of Art and Design: Minneapolis, MN University of Southern California: Los Angeles, CA Minnesota State Colleges and Universities University of Southern Denmark (Syddansk Universitet) Montana State University: Bozeman, Montana University of Surrey: Guildford, UK Nanyang Polytechnic: Singapore University of Sydney: Sydney, Australia Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology: Nelson, New Zealand http://www.utk.edu New York University - McGhee Division: New York, NY University of Texas at Dallas: Richardson, Texas Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne, UK University of Texas Medical Branch: Galveston, Texas Northern Illinois University: DeKalb, IL University of Wales, Newport: Newport, Wales, UK Ohio State University: Columbus, OH

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KEY SLIDESSlide 5: “Games are widely used as educational tools, not just for pilots, soldiers and surgeons, but also in schools and businesses…. Games require players to construct hypotheses, solve problems, develop strategies, learn the rules of the in-game world through trial and error. Gamers must also be able to juggle several different tasks, evaluate risks and make quick decisions…. Playing games is, thus, an ideal form of preparation for the workplace of the 21st century, as some forward-thinking firms are already starting to realise.” – The Economist, August 4, 2005

Slide 6: “By and large, computer and video games have been ignored by educators. When educators have discussed games, they have focused on the social consequences of game play, ignoring important educational potentials of gaming.” - Kurt Squire, MIT

Slide 7: Some research on the use of video games in education A UK study concluded that simulation and adventure games - such as Sim City and RollerCoaster Tycoon, where players create societies or build theme parks, developed children’s strategic thinking and planning skills. (BBC News, March 2002) Researchers found that doctors who spent at least three hours a week playing video games made about 37 percent fewer mistakes in laparoscopic surgery and performed the task 27 percent faster than their counterparts who did not play video games. (MSNBC News, April 2004) A detailed literature review on video games and learning can be found here:

Slide 9: A Feminist Perspective… Girls and women can benefit from becoming comfortable with video games, as they are introductory to the sphere of technology Technology is constructed as ‘for men’  We are living in a time where technological proficiency and having the confidence to try new technologies are important skills Online multiplayer games afford online social/virtual  communities which can give girls and women social support and connectedness Girls and women can explore experiences in online multiplayer games that may not be available or are less available to them in ‘the real world’ – this can be empowering and effect their everyday life ideas about themselves Games are an ideal environment for collaborative learning  and team work (feminist pedagogy)

Slide 15: Trauma Center Video Game
• Video game made by Nintendo
• Players care for patients and can carry out various operations and treatments
•Teen target market
• Game designed for entertainment, not teaching

Slide 17: SimSuite – Medical Simulation Environment “The SimSuite Education System incorporates state-of-  the-art interactive simulation technology that provides “hands on” reality without risks to patients”. Computer program linked to a simulated operation room  and patient Currently in use in the US 

Slide 18: The VirtuSphere
• The VirtuSphere system consists of a large hollow sphere that sits on top of a base that allows the sphere to rotate 360 degrees.
• Wearing a wireless, head-mounted display, users can step inside the sphere to fully interact in immersive virtual environments.

VirtuSphere is marketed to target customers including: - Military, law enforcement, homeland security agencies and “first responders” (for simulated training exercises) - The electronic gaming industry (as the ultimate setting for immersive gaming) - Health clubs and athlete training - Education and museums - Architects, real estate professionals and others who can use virtual walk throughs as a powerful way to present plans

Slide 21: The Second Life Grad Student Colony (First Life) Graduate students meet regularly to discuss  their research They collaborate, share ideas and resources and have  guest speakers

Slide 26: Thankyou… Contact info: Joanna S. Robinson MA Candidate in Popular Culture Brock University Joanna.Robinson@BrockU.ca www.JoannaSRobinson.com

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November 30, 2006 - San Mateo, Calif. - Forterra Systems, a leader in providing online distributed virtual world technology for defense, intelligence, homeland security, medical, corporate training and entertainment industries, is pleased to announce the launch of its On-Line Interactive Virtual Environment - OLIVE 1.0. The product will be showcased at the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) next week in Orlando, Fla.

OLIVE 1.0 is a software platform that enables developers to build and support persistent virtual worlds where users can collaborate over networks for the purposes of communications, training, rehearsal, analysis, experimentation, socialization, and entertainment. The software consists of a set of tightly integrated modules and tools that generates, distributes and operates highly realistic virtual environments. Users can interact with one another and their surroundings - just as they would in the real world - or in imaginary worlds. The only limitations are the imaginations of the developers and end users!

OLIVE’s baseline functionality supports large virtual worlds where geographically dispersed individuals assume control of a 3-D character known as an avatar, and through a simple keyboard, mouse or game controller interface, the users navigate through the environment, accessing and using objects, driving vehicles and interacting with other participants to engage in training and mission rehearsal exercises. The users can communicate through voice-over-internet protocol (VOIP) technology, text chat, and body language. The avatars breathe, move naturally, and perform a limitless range of hand and body gestures that are both automatically and voluntarily triggered.

“We are very excited about the release of OLIVE 1.0,” said Forterra’s President, Robert Gehorsam. “This product brings the most compelling on-line capability not only to the military simulation and training community, but also to operational communities. It expands our markets to education, intelligence and virtually any community that requires distributed and networked operational and training collaboration tools.”

Forterra will showcase applications built with OLIVE on the I/ITSEC exhibit floor (Booth 759), with “live” exercises (including participants dispersed all over the U.S.) operating throughout the conference. Forterra will showcase two applications built with OLIVE, the Asymmetric Warfare Training Technology (AWVTT) from RDECOM and a medical team training application for emergency first responders for mass-casualty incidents in support of Stanford Medical Hospital and the US Army Telemedicine & Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC).

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H&R Block embraces the shadow consumer with avatar to avatar tax interaction. Notable the use of a “tango” dance script, a common activity in SL, tied to the product line, a product bundle that costs $100 Lindens that can be redeemed for a A special code that provides access to the new Tango product, Real World retail value of $70. US, virtual scooters to tour H&R Block Island (entertainment & interaction), Tango avatar apparel (fashion), a program that will enable Second Life residents to earn Linden Dollars by helping to market H&R Block’s Tango product bundle on their own virtual property (affiliation, business).

From the press release:

Visitors to H&R Block Island will experience a new virtual tax world as they arrive at a landing point dotted with welcome signs, maps and other navigational tools, including:

– A virtual H&R Block tax experience where real life tax professionals will be available in avatar form to answer tax-related questions free of charge. H&R Block’s virtual tax advisor avatars are named Hope Bechir and Rex Philbin. Hope and Rex will hold office hours in Second Life from 6-7 p.m. PDT on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting March 13 through April 17, 2007.

– A main auditorium where visitors can watch a video describing the development of H&R Block’s revolutionary innovative new tax preparation product, Tango ( www.hrblock.com/tango), as well as attend other in-world activities.

– An exclusive H&R Block Tango product bundle that costs 100 Linden Dollars and includes:

– A special code that provides access to the new Tango product, which retails in the real world for $70.

– A variety of virtual scooters to tour H&R Block Island, virtual dancing shoes that allow users to do a tango-style dance when worn, and other Tango avatar apparel.

– A program that will enable Second Life residents to earn Linden Dollars by helping to market H&R Block’s Tango product bundle on their own virtual property.

H&R Block will plan events and new activities in Second Life on a regular basis throughout tax season and during the off-season as well. The company will continue to expand and refine its Second Life presence through active engagement with the community.

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