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Students Use Internet2 To Create Game

Posted by Zonk on from the finally-something-worthwhile dept.

blueZhift writes "The Northwestern NewsCenter reports that a team of Northwestern University music students used Internet2 with Access Grid video software to collaborate with students from eight universities in four nations and five states in the creation of a video game designed to teach youngsters about myth and mythical narrative. The game, Descent to the Underworld, recreates a myth common to many cultures. In it, an individual must retrieve a loved one who has been captured and removed to the underworld. The payoff for the player is a narrative film whose construction is based on the actions of the player. Supporters of the project include Apple Computer, EB Games, MAGPI, Argonne National Labs and the Internet2 Consortium. It is being promoted through UNESCO's Digital Media Arts sector."

17 comments

  1. Wouldn't that be... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "The game, Descent to the Underworld, recreates a myth common to many cultures. In it, an individual must retrieve a loved one who has been captured and removed to the underworld."

    ...moved down to the underworld?

  2. What's new? by syrion · · Score: 2, Insightful

    So they collaborated online. Yes, I understand that it was done through Internet2, but what is the practical or philosophical significance of this development? People have been collaborating online for two decades.

    1. Re:What's new? by Gothic_Walrus · · Score: 3, Insightful
      This would be a case where reading the article - and then thinking about it - would help.

      Imagine how difficult it would be to share work in progress over a standard connection. Internet2 would make sharing models, renderings, audio, and any other part of the process far easier because of the speed of transfer.

      In fact, depending on the complexity of the project, there's a chance that this level of collaboration might have been impossible using any other, non face-to-face method we have now.

      --
      Goo goo g'joob.
    2. Re:What's new? by Icupnimpn2 · · Score: 0

      Hmm... Just having played the "game" I'd say the complexity isn't greater than any of the collaborative flash animations I've seen on Newgrounds over the years. And a lot of those made much more sense.

    3. Re:What's new? by deanj · · Score: 1

      People regularly use the Access Grid to do this over the existing Internet.

      And, btw, "Access Grid" is a bit of misnomer. It's just VIC and VAT when you get down to it.... seriously, that's what they use. The rest is just repackaging.

    4. Re:What's new? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I actually built some of these while I worked there, and there's a bit more to them than VIC and VAT; unless those do hardware echo cancellation and maintain web servers of video chat rooms too...

  3. RTFA Links by lw54 · · Score: 3, Informative

    Register to Play
    http://www.gamefilm.tv/Register.php

    Begin Play
    http://www.gamefilm.tv/LogIn.php

  4. Game tip for prospective players by Mikito · · Score: 3, Funny

    Hint: don't look back.

    --
    Anakin Simpson: If you're not with me, then you're my enemy--ooh, donuts!
    1. Re:Game tip for prospective players by InsideTheAsylum · · Score: 1

      Quite off topic, but I got a -1 redundant first post once o_o. http://games.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=150487&t hreshold=-1&commentsort=0&tid=235&mode=thread&pid= 0 =D

    2. Re:Game tip for prospective players by Pluvius · · Score: 1

      It's actually valid to give Redundant mods to a first post that repeats something that's in the article and/or blurb without adding anything. Your post didn't do that, though, so it's just another case of some mods not knowing what they're doing.

      Rob

    3. Re:Game tip for prospective players by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Also off topic, but Underrated and Overrated don't appear as mod descriptions.

    4. Re:Game tip for prospective players by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Offtopic warning.

      If a comment isn't moderated any other way, could a comment show up as Underrated or Overrated?

    5. Re:Game tip for prospective players by KDR_11k · · Score: 1

      How about we disallow those mods on unmoderated posts? Modding up should always have a reason and overrated is usually used for agenda enforcement.

      --
      Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
  5. Chris Crawford. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    http://www.erasmatazz.com/Library.html

    "This section is devoted to a description of my literary output, consisting of six books:

    The Art of Computer Game Design (1982)
    Balance of Power (1985)
    You Should Learn to Program (1988)
    The Art of Interactivity Design (2001)
    Chris Crawford on Game Design (2003)
    Chris Crawford on Interactive Storytelling (2004)"

    plus

    "The Art of Computer Game Design (1982) {link to Washington State University at Vancouver}
    The Art of Computer Game Design (1982) {link to downloadable pdf by Mario Croteau}
    You Should Learn to Program (1985)
    The Journal of Computer Game Design Volume 1 (1987 - 1988)
    The Journal of Computer Game Design Volume 2 (1988 - 1989)
    The Journal of Computer Game Design Volume 3 (1989 - 1990)
    The Journal of Computer Game Design Volume 4 (1990 - 1991)
    The Journal of Computer Game Design Volume 5 (1991 - 1992)
    The Journal of Computer Game Design Volume 6 (1992 - 1993)
    Interactive Entertainment Design Volume 7 (1993 - 1994)
    Interactive Entertainment Design Volume 8 (1994 - 1995)
    Interactive Entertainment Design Volume 9 (1995 - 1996)"

  6. Great Idea, Poorly Executed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    WOW,

    So I played through it 2 times before I got it right. The movie at the end is rather interesting, but the "challenges" are kind of weak. There seems to be little reason to some of them, and a couple depend on blind luck.

    Worth a quick play.

    A hint, think heaven sent white/blue popsicle. Water you waiting for? Give it a try.

  7. Great Idea, Poorly Executed by HipOldGuy · · Score: 0

    WOW,

    So I played through it 2 times before I got it right. The movie at the end is rather interesting, but the "challenges" are kind of weak. There seems to be little reason to some of them, and a couple depend on blind luck.

    Worth a quick play.

    A hint, think heaven sent white/blue popsicle. Water you waiting for? Give it a try