Hello, everyone, and welcome to Metaplace.com!
It has been incredibly hard keeping quiet about this for a whole year. Everyone here on the team is really excited about what we're making. And we're really honored to get to launch this site as one of the TechCrunch 40.
Right at the outset, when we launched the original Areae, Inc. website, we told everyone that we were out to reinvent virtual worlds, and to make them work more like the Web does. We also told everyone that the cartoon on the website was our business plan. It's been amazing to watch the speculation out there about what exactly we meant, but now you know: we meant it completely literally. Metaplace works how the web does, just about top to bottom.
Our goals are sort of idealistic. We think there are all kinds of things on the Internet that would be improved if anyone could have a virtual place of their own. Right now, there aren't enough good games, for example, and they all seem to be about elves in tights or soldiers in battle armor. Metaplace allows more diversity. Right now, there are lots of people who want to use virtual worlds for research, or education, or business, but it's just too darn hard to get one going. Now you can create a world in just a few minutes and start tailoring it to your needs. Basically, we wanted to democratize the process of making online spaces of all sorts.
As part of that, we also committed to an open markup standard for our network protocol - anyone can write a client for any platform they want. We decided to use Web standards for everything we could, which is why you can have a game world that is also a website, or use Web data to populate your world. The scripting language (we call it MetaScript, of course) is based on Lua. You get the idea - no "not invented here," no closed proprietary approaches.
We knew it was all coming together when one of our team made a game in a day and a half. And then stuck that game on a private MySpace profile. You can inherit someone else's world (if they let you) and use it as a starting point. You can slurp whole directories of art and use them as building blocks. Cut and paste a movement system or a health bar from one world to another. Use an RSS feed for your NPCs. We made puzzle games, RPGs, action games... and set up doorways from one to the other. Basically, coming to work in the morning is a lot of fun.
This isn't all hypothetical, either. We fully intend to be customers of our own product. We've already started work on our first big game - a "worldy MMORPG" with what we hope will be a ton of fun game play. What's more, we figure that some of you who have been looking for a game like that might want to help us build it.
We have a lot of plans for the future, and we hope you'll check back every week to learn what we're cooking up. As you can see, we're taking alpha applications. We expect to ramp up the number of testers a lot over the coming months. So keep an eye on the site - it will be growing a lot.
Overall, I think what we are most looking forward to is surprises. We can't wait to see all the amazing things you will build with the Metaplace platform. It's time to see what the world really wants from virtual worlds.
We'll be updating this blog at least once a week. In the meantime, see you in the comments thread!
2876 Comments | Next Post
Posted on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 4:00 PM PDT
Reader Comments
Nihill said:
Fantastic, can't wait to create and explore!
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 4:45 PM PDT:
Drew Mayo said:
When is the technical release and when can I start logging in
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 4:50 PM PDT:
Nick McLaren said:
I absolutely need to toy with this! This is very very exciting news! Can't wait to get started!
Cheers,
Nick
Cheers,
Nick
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 4:52 PM PDT:
MX13 said:
Quite interesting... quite ambitious... I'm looking forward to following this project!
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 4:57 PM PDT:
Scott said:
Very interesting and promising project Raph, it reminds me a lot of several MUD's I worked on during college that were a collage of separate zones linked together for players to play in.
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 5:04 PM PDT:
Daniel said:
Wow... I can't wait to get a chance to play with this. If the barrier of entry is low enough, the potential applications for both play and "serious" gaming are astounding.
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 5:08 PM PDT:
JuJutsu said:
I stayed at work a little late so I could see the announcement. It was worth the wait ;)
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 5:09 PM PDT:
Boon said:
Congratulations Raph and John,
Hope this is as successful as it would seem it should be.
Hope this is as successful as it would seem it should be.
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 5:15 PM PDT:
DamianoV said:
Looks like all the guesses weren't as far off as I expected/feared. Looking forward to playing with this... rapid prototyping, here we come!
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 5:16 PM PDT:
Pete S said:
Sounds fantastic! I can't wait to get my hands dirty making some games!
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 5:31 PM PDT:
Metarand said:
Great stuff, guys - it seems my Yoick vision wasn't far off the mark.
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 5:35 PM PDT:
F. Randall farmer said:
Congratulations to the entire team!
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 5:40 PM PDT:
chris sherman said:
Looking forward to hearing more. Perhaps you can talk in further detail at the Virtual Worlds Conference next month in San Jose. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 5:58 PM PDT:
chris sherman said:
Looking forward to hearing more. Perhaps you can talk in further detail at the Virtual Worlds Conference next month in San Jose. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 6:05 PM PDT:
m3mnoch said:
welcome aboard, folks. you're in for a killer ride.
m3mnoch.
m3mnoch.
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 6:11 PM PDT:
RodeoClown said:
Is there an RSS feed for the developer blog (won't let me use a question mark in the comments)
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 6:12 PM PDT:
Heartless_ said:
Good luck Raph and friends. It will be a battle to sell people on the idea of having to pay for what the Internet already provides, but if anyone can do it would be Raph.
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 6:18 PM PDT:
m3mnoch said:
there will be an rss feed. no worries. just not quite yet.
oh, and thanks for the heads up for the "?".
m3mnoch.
oh, and thanks for the heads up for the "?".
m3mnoch.
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 6:21 PM PDT:
Aaron said:
An awesome idea. If y'all can pull it off, I might be spending more time with Metaplace than with Spore (which I thought couldn't be topped).
I bet we'll all be surprised at some of the great things that come from this. Best of luck!
I bet we'll all be surprised at some of the great things that come from this. Best of luck!
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 6:49 PM PDT:
MX13 said:
WOOT!!! JACKPOT!!! There's a new game coming too!!!
Cuppy's blog FTW!!!
http://www.cuppycake.org/?p=251#comment-4535
Cuppy's blog FTW!!!
http://www.cuppycake.org/?p=251#comment-4535
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 7:03 PM PDT:
Pixie Styx said:
Will be very intersting to see how this progresses and where it endss. good luck Areae looks like its going to be an intersting journey
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 7:18 PM PDT:
Inhibitor said:
Y'know, the whole term "next step in evolution" doesn't seem to apply here to me...
...it seems like quite a FEW steps forward. Then again, no one ever accused you of not being a jump ahead of trends, Raph. I'm looking forward to it!
...it seems like quite a FEW steps forward. Then again, no one ever accused you of not being a jump ahead of trends, Raph. I'm looking forward to it!
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 7:21 PM PDT:
Rob said:
I had to come back and post again. I am really excited about this product. Thinking of the limitless possibilities available to you is really something that will be amazing if pulled off. Like others I have already written a short post on my blog. DON"T LET ME DOWN AREAE!!!! Looking forward to more info!
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 7:52 PM PDT:
Patrick said:
Hey, I could use this to prototype and ferret out design issues while the brick implementation is done in parallel, then use that data to accelerate the QA process on my external product!
Thats funky. I'm assuming everything here is under CC and as such you wouldn't be able to readily monetize your work as otherwise.
Thats funky. I'm assuming everything here is under CC and as such you wouldn't be able to readily monetize your work as otherwise.
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 7:52 PM PDT:
Nate Randall said:
Great news! I can't wait to explore!
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 7:54 PM PDT:
Morgan Ramsay said:
Thanks for lifting the curtains! Now when people ask me what Metaplace is all about, I can finally tell them...
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 8:00 PM PDT:
darrenl said:
Congrats on the announcement to all at Areae. Long time coming and I can't wait until we all get our hands on this for a spin.
Cheers.
Cheers.
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 8:20 PM PDT:
Robert Rice said:
Congrats Raph!
Robert "Nicodemus" Rice
Robert "Nicodemus" Rice
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 8:45 PM PDT:
KevinC said:
Sounds like a pretty neat concept. I already have my first idea in mind for what game I'd like to (re)invent for massive online play. :)
I'll be interested to see how this progresses and look forward to hearing more info.
I'll be interested to see how this progresses and look forward to hearing more info.
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 8:52 PM PDT:
G said:
So, web standards?
Does this mean you'll be using an open standard like X3D for your 3D client? If not, why not?
Does this mean you'll be using an open standard like X3D for your 3D client? If not, why not?
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 9:50 PM PDT:
Judy Hornaday said:
Power to the player...very interesting.
Congratulations.
Congratulations.
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 10:31 PM PDT:
noob1 said:
i was looking at this site,, and gonna sign up and i had to lol at this, and i have to wtf to this:
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/5407/win3xtm0.jpg
lol!! win 3.x... ??? i am just curious.~~
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/5407/win3xtm0.jpg
lol!! win 3.x... ??? i am just curious.~~
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 10:55 PM PDT:
geraintcb said:
confused
thrilled
excited
Signed up for alpha, can't wait to see it, would love to help test it.
Let the waiting game begin.
thrilled
excited
Signed up for alpha, can't wait to see it, would love to help test it.
Let the waiting game begin.
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 12:04 AM PDT:
keane said:
Sounds really neat...though I'm wondering in what specific ways this is better than / will compete with Second Life. You have to admit there is some overlap. SL's got the private servers, physics, easy creation tools, web enabled scripts and objects, etc.
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 1:08 AM PDT:
Thee said:
confused, thrilled, excited... Yeah, I guess that's how I feel myself too, geraintcb. I am totally hyped about this project. My first idea was "is this like Second Life", but after reading more and more I noticed that it's different. I can't wait to learn more. I even started a community-driven site on http://www.metaplace.info, if anyone feels like discussing all this or get more involved, feel free to stop by. Forums are already open... *grin*
See you around guys! And keep on trucking!
See you around guys! And keep on trucking!
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 1:19 AM PDT:
Scooma said:
Raph's at it again, tweaking our imaginations and getting us thinking.
I'll be watching, wondering and waiting!
Btw, I hope your daughter is well.
I'll be watching, wondering and waiting!
Btw, I hope your daughter is well.
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 1:24 AM PDT:
perilous said:
Interesting & imaginative - can't wait to get my hands on it!
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 5:25 AM PDT:
Robbie Kiama said:
absolutely stunning, Congrats to the team.
unfortunately can't sign for the alpha, the page seems not able to load :) I bet you didn't expect the kind of traffic that is overloading your servers
unfortunately can't sign for the alpha, the page seems not able to load :) I bet you didn't expect the kind of traffic that is overloading your servers
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 6:46 AM PDT:
KB said:
Sounds very cool, I'll keep my eye open for you
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 6:47 AM PDT:
James said:
My mind is absolutely spinning at 10k RPM with the social applications and possibilities something like this can provide.
Truly a fantastic vision can be realized, and not just by the studio behind it but by those who use it too.
I've started up a community site to help jump start a developers community, very Work in Progress at the moment but I'm excited to dump plenty of hours into it :)
www.mymetaplace.com
Truly a fantastic vision can be realized, and not just by the studio behind it but by those who use it too.
I've started up a community site to help jump start a developers community, very Work in Progress at the moment but I'm excited to dump plenty of hours into it :)
www.mymetaplace.com
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 9:22 AM PDT:
Chipper said:
This sounds like just the thing I've been looking for! Can't wait to try out Metaplace and see what capabilities it has! It's time to create some worlds that go beyond just the WoW and EQ style genre. Second Life was a starting point in an attempt to build an expandable metaverse but I believe giving the power to the common man to build their own worlds and give them the ability to share and link to other's custom worlds is a novel idea. Hope to be able to contribute to this exciting venture.
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 9:30 AM PDT:
BadMisterFrosty said:
As anticipated and even more. Sounds like the ultimate game construction kit I have ever dreamed of when I first started to use game makers on Amiga. This websites looks strange though, pretty much child-oriented.
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 9:32 AM PDT:
Orleron said:
I'm betting there are a good number of Neverwinter Nights worlds looking to port over to this thing when possible. Leaving that aging and defective software behind is a dream for most of us!
Thanks for giving us the opportunity!
Would you consider tools for porting NWN materials to this format? If you don't, I'm sure there are people in the NWN community that could be convinced to do so.
--Orleron
www.avlis.org
Thanks for giving us the opportunity!
Would you consider tools for porting NWN materials to this format? If you don't, I'm sure there are people in the NWN community that could be convinced to do so.
--Orleron
www.avlis.org
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 9:33 AM PDT:
Luca said:
I'm with BadMisterFrosty on this: While there are (of course) fundamental differences, when I read about Metaplace I got a warm, fuzzy feeling remembering, back in the day, when I used to mess around with STOS or STAC on the Atari ST. Anyways, can't wait, and good luck with the project !
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 9:47 AM PDT:
Orleron said:
I'm betting there are a good number of Neverwinter Nights worlds looking to port over to this thing when possible. Leaving that aging and defective software behind is a dream for most of us!
Thanks for giving us the opportunity!
Would you consider tools for porting NWN materials to this format? If you don't, I'm sure there are people in the NWN community that could be convinced to do so.
--Orleron
www.avlis.org
Thanks for giving us the opportunity!
Would you consider tools for porting NWN materials to this format? If you don't, I'm sure there are people in the NWN community that could be convinced to do so.
--Orleron
www.avlis.org
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 9:51 AM PDT:
Argent Stonecutter said:
OK, how about some technical details? You're talking about "virtual worlds on your own website"... what the heck does that actually mean? What's the hardware and software requirements? Or do you have to sign up before you can find out what you're signing up for?
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 9:55 AM PDT:
Diego d'Andria said:
Great project, I really look forward to put my hands on it!
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 10:09 AM PDT:
Orleron said:
I'm betting there are a good number of Neverwinter Nights worlds looking to port over to this thing when possible. Leaving that aging and defective software behind is a dream for most of us!
Thanks for giving us the opportunity!
Would you consider tools for porting NWN materials to this format? If you don't, I'm sure there are people in the NWN community that could be convinced to do so.
--Orleron
www.avlis.org
Thanks for giving us the opportunity!
Would you consider tools for porting NWN materials to this format? If you don't, I'm sure there are people in the NWN community that could be convinced to do so.
--Orleron
www.avlis.org
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 10:13 AM PDT:
elias said:
My only burning question at this point is whether it will do instancing? Like, if we set the number of users low will it make a second copy of the game for extra people who try to log on? If we set the number to 1, can we use Metaplace to make single-player games?
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 10:21 AM PDT:
elias said:
My only burning question at this point is whether it will do instancing? Like, if we set the number of users low will it make a second copy of the game for extra people who try to log on? If we set the number to 1, can we use Metaplace to make single-player games?
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 10:24 AM PDT:
Orleron said:
I'm betting there are a good number of Neverwinter Nights worlds looking to port over to this thing when possible. Leaving that aging and defective software behind is a dream for most of us!
Thanks for giving us the opportunity!
Would you consider tools for porting NWN materials to this format? If you don't, I'm sure there are people in the NWN community that could be convinced to do so.
--Orleron
www.avlis.org
Thanks for giving us the opportunity!
Would you consider tools for porting NWN materials to this format? If you don't, I'm sure there are people in the NWN community that could be convinced to do so.
--Orleron
www.avlis.org
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 10:28 AM PDT:
elias said:
Looks like it double-posts if you refresh the page after commenting... also, could you please make the Metaplace logo at the top of the page link to the main page when it's clicked? There doesn't seem to be a way to click on anything to get back to the main page at the moment...
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 10:28 AM PDT:
m3mnoch said:
double posts aren't good. thanks for the 411.
heh. i said "411."
m3mnoch.
heh. i said "411."
m3mnoch.
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 10:40 AM PDT:
Papi said:
This reminds me of MUSHes, MUCKs, MOOs, MUDs, all the MU* goodness that I played with back in university. They were all text-based then, but this is taking it (as several have said) a few steps forward in evolution. I've signed up to be considered for the alpha, and believe that there is a LOT that could be built from this.
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 10:42 AM PDT:
David said:
How do you sign up for the alpha release? I click on the button "alpha sign up" and get a form to sign up for the metamail. Are they one in the same? Thanks.
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 10:46 AM PDT:
larryr said:
ok....
a networked Shockwave.com for 2008...
how does one monetize or protect ones games/content/data/assets etc?
If every piece of content is an open URL, sounds like the system cant make money for anyone but the portal/service owner?
cute site design.:)
cube3
a networked Shockwave.com for 2008...
how does one monetize or protect ones games/content/data/assets etc?
If every piece of content is an open URL, sounds like the system cant make money for anyone but the portal/service owner?
cute site design.:)
cube3
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 11:20 AM PDT:
Orleron said:
Oh, crud, sorry about the multi-posts, folks. I only recall hitting the Submit one time. :(
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 11:23 AM PDT:
Steve said:
Very interesting concept, especially if you open your file formats and use as many standards as possible. If you guys do a good job this could as well be the foundation for "web 3.0".
But I'm curious, what services will you offer that people have to pay for? The server/world hosting?
But I'm curious, what services will you offer that people have to pay for? The server/world hosting?
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 11:27 AM PDT:
Bruce Wolcott said:
I'm teaching a videogame and simulations theory class. I'd sure like to explore how Metaplace can be used for collaborative game development and teaching.
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 11:38 AM PDT:
Dave said:
This is beyond 'gaming' - it's what virtual world fans have been waiting for, a browser accessable platform.This is really exciting - can't wait to get my hands on it :)
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 12:11 PM PDT:
Ethan said:
Do you guys plan on having avatars that persist between the various interconnected worlds? And if so, how are you planning to go about it? Tranferring objects and characteristics between worlds doesn't seem to make much sense to me when the worlds are so diverse and operate by so many potentially divergent rules.
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 12:47 PM PDT:
Brooke said:
I hope we can get a preview of the Metascript library so we can get up to speed before we are asked to start testing.
I am really excited about this project. I really wanted MMO to be part of a possible game I was thinking about creating and this sounds like the perfect platform to take away that huge technical wall I had no idea how to get around.
If you pull this off it will be great for all the teams out there that are realistic about their ability to provide the MMO architecture to support a game and know it can't be done with a small team budget.
I am really excited about this project. I really wanted MMO to be part of a possible game I was thinking about creating and this sounds like the perfect platform to take away that huge technical wall I had no idea how to get around.
If you pull this off it will be great for all the teams out there that are realistic about their ability to provide the MMO architecture to support a game and know it can't be done with a small team budget.
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 12:55 PM PDT:
Thee said:
Steve: My understanding is that they'll offer free service to everyone and then once you hit the "quota" you'll have to pay them a fee. I'd guess that they'll offer some additional services to people / companies running virtual worlds. Good question there... Hope they'll shed some light on this subject some time soon. :-)
Cheers,
Thee
-- http://www.metaplace.info
Cheers,
Thee
-- http://www.metaplace.info
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 12:59 PM PDT:
Richard Seese said:
I agree with Brooke, I would love to get access to the Metascript library before hand to be fully up to speed before diving right in (though diving right in IS half the fun). I have made so many D&D;campaigns that I knew would make a fantastic world for others to play in, but with my own system (which I also made).
Here's to the great success of Metaplace! Maybe now, I can stop playing (WoW) so much, and start making! Productivity of my time will benefit many gamers!
Here's to the great success of Metaplace! Maybe now, I can stop playing (WoW) so much, and start making! Productivity of my time will benefit many gamers!
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 1:02 PM PDT:
Keystone said:
This is an awesome idea. I think creating virtual world beyond gaming is the next step for the web - I'm looking forward to it!
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 1:11 PM PDT:
QforQ said:
Good luck with this, it looks really interesting and I'm excited to see where it goes :)
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 2:18 PM PDT:
Hexedian said:
This is several levels of awesome. I can't wait to get my hands dirty building those worlds.
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 2:26 PM PDT:
Ethic said:
Congratulations Raph and team, looking forward to checking it out in more details. Finally I don't have to sit on the secret any more, it was torture.
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 2:37 PM PDT:
Brian T said:
Whew! This looks extremely promising. I so sorely want to plunge into this, haha! Congratulations, can't wait!
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 3:35 PM PDT:
Amanda Cosmos said:
Sounds like a wonderful playground you have planned here. I plan to keep an eye out!
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 3:44 PM PDT:
m3mnoch said:
we worked out the safari v2 issues with the alpha application form now. holler with any other issues. i'll stick a link at the bottom with contact info for reporting site bugs.
oh, and you safari folks, version 3 is your friend. 2 is an evil step-child.
m3mnoch.
oh, and you safari folks, version 3 is your friend. 2 is an evil step-child.
m3mnoch.
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 4:20 PM PDT:
Janna Anderson said:
Raph, I read about this on the BBC Online, and I'm thrilled for you and looking forward to following this as it unfolds. Leave it to you to innovate the coolest thing to come around in an extremely cool time to be around.
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 4:36 PM PDT:
almagill said:
Oh this looks like my idea of fun :)
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 4:37 PM PDT:
Drew Mayo said:
Could you please add an RSS feed for this blog? The irony of not having one is just too much for me :)
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 5:24 PM PDT:
alex said:
second life will still be better...especially that there you can earn money, and here, i didn't hear of that...so...you'll not succeed -))
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 6:22 PM PDT:
devnull said:
This sound good, really good... too good..
How is it is suposed to make money for the creaters of this engine?
I get that it is built round the idea that the worlds will be created largely by the 'Joe Bloggers' of this world and largely for free, but creating an engine of this complexity requires both time and money.
I guess I've been a programmer a bit to long to accept that a business would support something like ths with out some form of business plan to make back their money..
Also how is it provided?
If it is designed to operate much like the web does that mean I can run one of these worlds on my own server or am I limited to using metaplaces servers?
If I can use my own server how hard is it to setup?
What application server will I need or can I just use JBOSS/TOMCAT?
Dont get me wrong it sounds good, so good I'd spend some of my spare time playing around with it. Its just a question of potential.
If the creators of the engine itself are not compensated I doubt they'll support on going changes and if its not easy to setup and serve on your own server than it is unlikely to be as widely adopted as something like this seems to deserve to be.
How is it is suposed to make money for the creaters of this engine?
I get that it is built round the idea that the worlds will be created largely by the 'Joe Bloggers' of this world and largely for free, but creating an engine of this complexity requires both time and money.
I guess I've been a programmer a bit to long to accept that a business would support something like ths with out some form of business plan to make back their money..
Also how is it provided?
If it is designed to operate much like the web does that mean I can run one of these worlds on my own server or am I limited to using metaplaces servers?
If I can use my own server how hard is it to setup?
What application server will I need or can I just use JBOSS/TOMCAT?
Dont get me wrong it sounds good, so good I'd spend some of my spare time playing around with it. Its just a question of potential.
If the creators of the engine itself are not compensated I doubt they'll support on going changes and if its not easy to setup and serve on your own server than it is unlikely to be as widely adopted as something like this seems to deserve to be.
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 6:27 PM PDT:
Martin said:
this sounds to be the next big thing.
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 7:16 PM PDT:
Orleron said:
I'm seeing a lot of people that don't seem to "get it". Truth is, if I could charge for Avlis, I'd be making a clean and full living right now, but the EULA for NWN prevents me.
How are these guys going to make money? I haven't seen their BP, but there's lots of possible ways:
1) Charge a small fee for server hosting. If it came down to Dreamhost, or these guys, and these guys could guarantee me good server and forums hosting, they'd have my $10/month. Easily.
2) Build a game, charge a fee to play. No brainer. They say they are making a MMORPG out of their creation, so that's easy.
3) In-game ads. (If done right, not so big a deal.)
4) Membership-based support website. For $5/month you join and they give you advice and tech support on how to best achieve your purpose. A further community with further benefits could be built around that site. Google ads can also be put on that site.
5) Partnerships... For a cut of your profits, they'll promote your game, feature it, market it, etc. If you do well, they do well.
6) Licensing... For big budget MMORPG's on the order of UO, EQ, etc. there could be some other deals worked out to share profit.
This post took me about 3 minutes to write and I'm just your average lower-business-school MBA-gamer nerd/marketing-guy. I'm sure the folks on their board have better ideas than this.
Is there really a question of how they could make money?
How are these guys going to make money? I haven't seen their BP, but there's lots of possible ways:
1) Charge a small fee for server hosting. If it came down to Dreamhost, or these guys, and these guys could guarantee me good server and forums hosting, they'd have my $10/month. Easily.
2) Build a game, charge a fee to play. No brainer. They say they are making a MMORPG out of their creation, so that's easy.
3) In-game ads. (If done right, not so big a deal.)
4) Membership-based support website. For $5/month you join and they give you advice and tech support on how to best achieve your purpose. A further community with further benefits could be built around that site. Google ads can also be put on that site.
5) Partnerships... For a cut of your profits, they'll promote your game, feature it, market it, etc. If you do well, they do well.
6) Licensing... For big budget MMORPG's on the order of UO, EQ, etc. there could be some other deals worked out to share profit.
This post took me about 3 minutes to write and I'm just your average lower-business-school MBA-gamer nerd/marketing-guy. I'm sure the folks on their board have better ideas than this.
Is there really a question of how they could make money?
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 8:10 PM PDT:
Heath said:
YEAH, This sounds like the business, Can't wait
on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 11:51 PM PDT:
Brett said:
This sounds like an awesome Idea and would you be able to create a space based mmo with truely huge ships in it with this.
I have been want to do somthing like that for a while, and when I mean massive I mean over 2000km in length,In full 3d
If we can sign me up scotty :)
I have been want to do somthing like that for a while, and when I mean massive I mean over 2000km in length,In full 3d
If we can sign me up scotty :)
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 12:37 AM PDT:
Steven Hopwood said:
Keep up the marketing!
Hope its a success
Good Luck
Hope its a success
Good Luck
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 2:03 AM PDT:
khz said:
this sounds good, i remember VIOS that tried to do similar and I am still a member of worlds.com one of the oldest vertual worlds.
Im in Second life too but this sounds much more user friendly and more like a vertual myspace. cant wait to try some ideas for social networking in a 3d environment.
Im in Second life too but this sounds much more user friendly and more like a vertual myspace. cant wait to try some ideas for social networking in a 3d environment.
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 2:07 AM PDT:
Gary Crook said:
please Please PLEase PLEASE show me the alpha!
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 2:39 AM PDT:
Andrew Briscoe said:
Was signing up, but it seems pretty hypocritical for a platform that preaches 'openness' to have eight versions of windows as the OS choice but not any linux.
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 3:08 AM PDT:
Kip Yellowjacket said:
looks very interesting...am looking forward to trying it out! ;)
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 3:18 AM PDT:
Graeme said:
Found this through BBC News Tech News pages - good coverage.
Most of the comments here seeem to surround game making, but I'd be more interested in using it a community space. I help run a small (ish) gaming community of approx 100 members, playing games from Battlefield series to WoW and everything in between.
One of the main challeges as organisers and users is intra-community communication and "getting together" to play games. There are a number of ways we accomplish this just now, from XFire, Skype, IRC, TeamSpeak etc. and our very busy forums to in-game buddy systems.
As gamers, we are used to using differnt methods of communication, but are very comfortable with 3d/2d worlds and (despite limitations in many) the mode of communication they offer. Somtimes a message on a forum (no matter how many embeded objects are employeed), a chat on TeamSpeak/Skype or typing a PM in XFire is good enough...but not ideal and does not allow for smooth, efficent and at the same time, fun communication.
A central communications space that could (potentially) draw these differnt strands together, create new strands of communication (and new interests) and at the same time be simple to customise, amend and easy to use in a 3d (or 2d) world or so much more than just text on a page is an exciting prospect.
I hope metaplace can help us acheive this goal and many others. I salute your ambition and foresight.
Most of the comments here seeem to surround game making, but I'd be more interested in using it a community space. I help run a small (ish) gaming community of approx 100 members, playing games from Battlefield series to WoW and everything in between.
One of the main challeges as organisers and users is intra-community communication and "getting together" to play games. There are a number of ways we accomplish this just now, from XFire, Skype, IRC, TeamSpeak etc. and our very busy forums to in-game buddy systems.
As gamers, we are used to using differnt methods of communication, but are very comfortable with 3d/2d worlds and (despite limitations in many) the mode of communication they offer. Somtimes a message on a forum (no matter how many embeded objects are employeed), a chat on TeamSpeak/Skype or typing a PM in XFire is good enough...but not ideal and does not allow for smooth, efficent and at the same time, fun communication.
A central communications space that could (potentially) draw these differnt strands together, create new strands of communication (and new interests) and at the same time be simple to customise, amend and easy to use in a 3d (or 2d) world or so much more than just text on a page is an exciting prospect.
I hope metaplace can help us acheive this goal and many others. I salute your ambition and foresight.
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 3:24 AM PDT:
Keir Horton said:
This sounds like a great opportunity. I am already thinking of integrating some elements of this into our new site. It has great potential and I look forward to the join now button working ;)
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 3:34 AM PDT:
Maurits said:
This would be an incredible tool to create online cities, kind of like a laboratory for real world cities.
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 4:28 AM PDT:
boozemonkey said:
this sounds like the dog's wotsits -- can't wait to see what it looks like for real
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 4:31 AM PDT:
Peter Hale said:
This looks very interesting, how and when can I build my first world. I would be interested in any worlds that have a space theme and/or environment especially if they are e-learning tools. So would like to link to any that are out their. I'm more interested in e-learning tools than games.
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 4:57 AM PDT:
PenguinSeph said:
This sounds very interesting, but will Areae, Inc have any control over the content at all? Will there be anything done to prevent obscene content from being published?
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 5:50 AM PDT:
AnjelusX said:
This should prove to be interesting as everyone else seems to think more or less. But of course the devils in the details so more details are something I'll be looking out for, but who knows heh, in theory anyways i think this could be really awesome.
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 6:30 AM PDT:
Steve Neale said:
Thank god I can tear up my own development plans for such a system to integrate into my own projects.
Reading other comments it's nice to know others thinking the same - my respect to the developers & backers in taking on such a challenge.
Reading other comments it's nice to know others thinking the same - my respect to the developers & backers in taking on such a challenge.
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 6:32 AM PDT:
m3mnoch said:
"Was signing up, but it seems pretty hypocritical for a platform that preaches 'openness' to have eight versions of windows as the OS choice but not any linux."
ha! that's funny! i didn't even notice that. the windows 3.1 was in there sort of as a joke, but we totally missed linux.
which is funny because one of our web developers uses linux as his desktop. all of our servers are linux and i spend all day long at an ssh terminal. heh -- duh!
i'll go add it in. thanks.
m3mnoch.
ha! that's funny! i didn't even notice that. the windows 3.1 was in there sort of as a joke, but we totally missed linux.
which is funny because one of our web developers uses linux as his desktop. all of our servers are linux and i spend all day long at an ssh terminal. heh -- duh!
i'll go add it in. thanks.
m3mnoch.
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 7:16 AM PDT:
Topman said:
Looks superb can't wait to try it out. Don't mean to be cheeky but hurry up boys!!!!! Hee! Hee!
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 7:20 AM PDT:
Rthr-X said:
A side note for the honourable webmaster - your sign-up form (and probably any other address-entry forms) doesn't support US Military APO/FPO addresses ... which, of course, affects me. If you could see your way to adding those in, we'd be MOST appreciative.
Just add an 'AP', 'AE', and 'AA' to the state listing, and we'll be fine. But be sure you don't implement some kind of zip-code-to-state check, 'cause those always fail for us.
Thanks, and looking forward to what you've got!
Just add an 'AP', 'AE', and 'AA' to the state listing, and we'll be fine. But be sure you don't implement some kind of zip-code-to-state check, 'cause those always fail for us.
Thanks, and looking forward to what you've got!
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 7:25 AM PDT:
Topman said:
Whoops forgot to say it's my birthday on Saturday. You couldn't finish the project for my present could you? It would be very nice of you!!!
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 7:26 AM PDT:
Gerret said:
Audacious project, I can't wait to see more! Will there be plugins available for other browsers, or will the Metaplace browser be required? Absolutely thrilled about the possibility for the "ultimate mashup" device.
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 7:45 AM PDT:
m3mnoch said:
"Armed Forces Americas", "Armed Forces Europe", "Armed Forces Pacific" are now in the state boxes. along with an "other" just in case there's someone else who needs it.
thanks.
m3mnoch.
thanks.
m3mnoch.
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 7:56 AM PDT:
Luca said:
Out of curiosity, are you supposed to get a confirmation e-mail when you subscribe to MetaMail? I'm wondering because I signed up the day this site opened and haven't got any.
Also, I just tried to subscribe again, and the webpage repeated the same "welcoming" message (and not something like "your e-mail is already in our database" or stuff like that).
Also, I just tried to subscribe again, and the webpage repeated the same "welcoming" message (and not something like "your e-mail is already in our database" or stuff like that).
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 8:17 AM PDT:
m3mnoch said:
that is correct. you don't get a confirmation. when we open it up to alpha testers and/or the public, you will get a confirmation when you create an account.
however, between now and then, don't worry. when we send anything out to the mailing list -- i just checked -- you'll get it.
m3mnoch.
however, between now and then, don't worry. when we send anything out to the mailing list -- i just checked -- you'll get it.
m3mnoch.
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 8:29 AM PDT:
incandescens said:
This sounds absolutely incredible. I very much hope to get in on it.
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 9:01 AM PDT:
Whystler said:
*quiver* let me in! I can't wait to see what this is all about.
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 9:23 AM PDT:
Sandcastle said:
Looks like there is already a lot of interest garnering around here. :)
Would be interesting to see how this project will turn out!
Would be interesting to see how this project will turn out!
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 10:32 AM PDT:
Cuppycake said:
Gerret - There is no such thing as a Metaplace browser. =) The whole idea behind Metaplace is to allow anyone to play the games regardless what browser they're using. Or even if they aren't using a browser at all! ;)
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 10:50 AM PDT:
Jeff Kissinger said:
I see great potential for immersed learning applications! Cannot wait to try out. –Jeff Kissinger
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 11:13 AM PDT:
Phil Richards said:
Further to some of the comments above, this is clearly much broader than a gaming platform. However, I think success through mass appeal is most likely to come from its gaming capabilities, at least initially. Since the demise of 3DAnarchy/Adobe Atmosphere there hasn't really been anything that provides an affordable, high performance, easily navigable web based synthetic environment. A few recent technologies have come close, but they always seem to lack one of those features. If you can do all those, have decent content creation tools and maintain connectivity and interoperability through web standards I'm sure this will be a great success.
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 11:23 AM PDT:
Oliver Paraskos said:
Looks brilliant and it seems a good idea
Whens the release date?
Whens the release date?
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 11:31 AM PDT:
Jason Farris said:
Fantastic concept, Fantastic team! I cant wait
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 6:03 PM PDT:
Thee said:
Oliver: It's been said that they aim to make Metaplace available to the public in Spring 2008.
Cheers,
Thee
--- http://www.metaplace.info
Cheers,
Thee
--- http://www.metaplace.info
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 11:02 PM PDT:
Gio said:
I`m ready for this one and cant wait to start building 3D worlds.
on Friday, September 21st, 2007 at 12:12 AM PDT:
Svend Dellepude said:
Get a life, there nothing new in here !
on Friday, September 21st, 2007 at 12:23 AM PDT:
Henri said:
Great!!!, it was always been my'n dream to make my very own game and play that game whit others
on Friday, September 21st, 2007 at 12:38 AM PDT:
frontierscientist said:
Your project was mentioned today in the Danish version of Computerworld, www.computerworld.dk
You are now famous in Denmark!
You are now famous in Denmark!
on Friday, September 21st, 2007 at 12:40 AM PDT:
Fraanske said:
woOot! All my 5 R Belong to this! Creating virtual worlds in a fully web-compatible environment sounds fantastic. I hope people can combine and mix this new treat with anything they want, such as PHP / SQL programming, and I hope it will be more inviting to develop for then (do I dare say it...?) Second Life.
on Friday, September 21st, 2007 at 2:33 AM PDT:
Dtale said:
"snowcrash" anyone?!
I have high hopes for this one, will we finally get anything close to what Neal Stephenson was talking about in his book?
can't wait to get working on this!
good luck guys
I have high hopes for this one, will we finally get anything close to what Neal Stephenson was talking about in his book?
can't wait to get working on this!
good luck guys
on Friday, September 21st, 2007 at 3:21 AM PDT:
p0laruk said:
Can't wait, any chance for an earlier release? Spring 2008, seems a g'zillion months away "sigh".
on Friday, September 21st, 2007 at 8:55 AM PDT:
Simon said:
This is tremendously exciting and I hope the natural extention for the social networking tools prevalent today such as MySpace etc, but cross the genre with the more complex interactions of a MMO to create some sort of goal based social ecosystem where the bottom line is fun.
on Friday, September 21st, 2007 at 9:16 AM PDT:
Simon said:
I was going to ask about a schedule for questions and feedback prior to the alpha release, I'm sure a lot of Web visitors have their own questions?
on Friday, September 21st, 2007 at 9:18 AM PDT:
Reflex said:
The biggest question I have is "How well will it perform?"
My understanding is that MMOs have big client downloads because they're loaded with tons of media files. Since the media is already present on the client machine, the server need only send transient data in small frequent bursts which gives decent performance.
If the design here is to have Metaplace servers streaming all of that content to the thin client/browser on demand isn't it going to result in hideous lag? Even with my "high speed" cable modem it takes a second or two to load a simple web.
Best of luck to you guys. I'm looking forward to seeing your kung fu.
My understanding is that MMOs have big client downloads because they're loaded with tons of media files. Since the media is already present on the client machine, the server need only send transient data in small frequent bursts which gives decent performance.
If the design here is to have Metaplace servers streaming all of that content to the thin client/browser on demand isn't it going to result in hideous lag? Even with my "high speed" cable modem it takes a second or two to load a simple web.
Best of luck to you guys. I'm looking forward to seeing your kung fu.
on Friday, September 21st, 2007 at 9:25 AM PDT:
dragonguy said:
Great and Good Job! This is revolution!
on Friday, September 21st, 2007 at 10:19 AM PDT:
TF said:
Congrats to the whole metaplace.com team!! Now I just can't wait to get my hands dirty with it!! Good work m3mnoch!
-TF www.alienupgrade.com
-TF www.alienupgrade.com
on Friday, September 21st, 2007 at 12:54 PM PDT:
3d para arquitetura perpectiva maquete eletronica said:
amazing stuff i really like it thanks for sharing
on Friday, September 21st, 2007 at 1:26 PM PDT:
Starnick said:
Good luck with metaplace Raph, it looks *very* promising as a platform - can't wait to try it out!
on Friday, September 21st, 2007 at 4:43 PM PDT:
Fernando said:
Idiot!!! This is a first-person action game...
on Saturday, September 22nd, 2007 at 4:48 PM PDT:
Michael said:
Grats on all your success Raph. Wishing you the best.
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