I guess I should come right out and admit it. I play online games. Alot. They are fun, challenging, and wonderfully social. As an information architect, however, they also intrigue me as amazing and fun tools for learning and displaying information.
NASA is currently accepting proposals for the development of a Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) learning game. An MMO is a video game where hundreds or thousands of people simultaneously “play” by interacting for cooperation and/or competition in a rich, immersive virtual environment. Using this technology NASA can create a scientifically accurate world for “hands-on” experience in fields from microgravity to chemical engineering. Developing skills along they way such as strategic thinking, problem solving, plan formulation and execution, team-building and cooperation, and adaptation to rapid change.
The key demographic that NASA hopes to reach with this effort is high school students as well as middle school and college students. I hope that the results will not just encourage learning for those students looking to pursue a career in the sciences but will also be fun enough to spark interest in space exploration for everyone.
I think I can take a night off from Azeroth to “play” NASA.
NASA Learning Technologies Request for Information: Development of a NASA-based massively multiplayer online learning game
May 1st, 2008 at 4:04 pm
I play lots of games myself actually, and one thing that came to mind when I read this is that regardless of the target consumer or the type of game, video games are constantly associated with kids and immaturity. I think that if NASA is looking to make an MMO game they should make sure that it would appeal to a wider audience. I think it would be a great idea if they had environments within the MMO that allowed more basic type of experiences for younger players and more complicated stuff for college age/adults.
May 1st, 2008 at 10:33 pm
I agree Darius. I should have mentioned that the Army and Air Traffic Control have used MMO games as training for years. They could make something rich enough to be used by young people as well as scientists and engineers.
May 2nd, 2008 at 2:22 am
I remember reading about this a few months ago. I really hope they get some cool games out of it. Perhaps something like a modernized Outpost.
May 10th, 2008 at 11:16 am
”’I play lots of games myself actually, and one thing that came to mind when I read this is that regardless of the target consumer or the type of game, video games are constantly associated with kids and immaturity.”’
What about Second Life? Eve Online?
May 11th, 2008 at 12:07 am
Hi, I’m a French spaceblogger interested in NASA (and ESA)! This MMO learning game seems a great idea to me : I love video games for 20 years but I’ve never tried any MMO. I’ve always feared MMOs can swallow my time like a black hole ! At least with a NASA MMO, even if I fall in it, I will learn things !
By the way, would it be technically possible to collect the in-game good solutions of the players for using it like a Grid computing system, cumulating distributed brain time, in order to solve big problems divided in small units for the players ?
Hope my english was clear
Keep on your good work !