An Early Look at the NASA MMO

Big Download is running an article with details and screenshots from the MMO under development by NASA. The game makes use of Unreal Engine 3, and it's titled Astronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond. A demo is planned for later this year, and in 2010 they expect "the first episodic installment of the game" to come out. Jerry Heneghan, founder and CEO of Virtual Heroes, described it thus: "This game is going to be a fresh look at the future circa about 2035. ... The core of the gameplay is going to be people building up their characters and as you move forward, you will have more options unlock with new places to go, new equipment to use and new things to do. We are not so much focused on interstellar flight and all that entails... the gameplay is actually about being in a habitat on a planetary surface and doing things like mining Helium-3 for fuel, operating a hydroponics facility to grow plants and create oxygen and operating robots and vehicles."

Comments

A game?

[clarkkent09]

What's up with everybody using my money to make games these days. It's the latest fad in government agencies or what?

Re:A game?

[MichaelSmith]

I think it is an outreach thing, which for part of the Government amounts to advertising. Basically they are marketing themselves to future voters.

Maybe there is a lesson in this for other advertisers. Will there be a "Coca Cola" and "Tesla" MMOs in the future?

Re:A game?

[zxjio]

Your share of the game's development budget will be measured in cents, unless you're rich. What's wrong with inspiring a generation of kids for that little money? I'd imagine many intelligent people went into aerospace after Apollo and so made our lives better far in excess of what was spent.

Re:A game?

[clarkkent09]

So what's next, Dept of Agriculture getting in on the game with SimFarmer? It's wrong because there are very few ways for the government to spend taxpayers' money that is justifiable and sorry but this isn't one of them. It's wrong to the game companies too who now face a competitor with huge guaranteed budget obtained by force, and no expectation of profit, in fact who probably will be giving the game out for free.

Re:A game?

[Yvanhoe]

Mars Rovers were in fact a secret plane to create a massive FPS arena. The next batch will be able to fire rockets. The 40 mins lag is a bitch however.
Seriously, the rovers did no serious science (yes I saw the article about drops, they see a drop they are unsure of what it is. Genius) and were just PR toys. All real science was made from orbit where satellites did stuff like map the entire planet for underground stocks of water (and found plenty)

Re:A game?

[Anonymous Coward]

Why is it wrong? It promotes education in the sciences; it's a way to get kids interested in something else besides the Power Rangers or whatever it is kids watch these days, something that might make this world a better place for a change.

Education matters, you know, and getting kids to set their sights on things like these keeps getting harder. Specially in times like these, that are so harsh on people's dreams.

From TFA:

...the ultimate goal of his team is to inspire generations of future space explorers...and encourage game players to pursue careers on science, math and engineering careers.

As an aside, don't worry about the gaming companies. Free, government-sponsored competition doesn't seem to have stopped production of FPS games.

Off-topic: my captcha is "rectums"

Re:A game?

[Skuld-Chan]

The game is actually being developed by Virtual Heroes and from what I understand is being offered as a educational tool for 9th graders and they are encouraged to use development tools to build content for the game themselves.

If this isn't a good investment for our country - not sure what is - especially if its an educational game that is fun to play.

Dept of Agriculture should do the same thing - to help younger generations get interested in working on and developing technology in the field of agriculture. If it works - I'd be for it - America needs more good farmers and people working in that field.

Re:A game?

[TapeCutter]

As someone who watched Armstrong step on the moon live on TV way out in the back-blocks of Australia I disagree. Every kid on the planet already knows "how fantastic being an astronaut would be", the aim here is to take that interest and redirect it to teach science. It may well flop but it's not taxpayer money so NASA have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Re:A game?

[jandersen]

What's up with everybody using my money to make games these days.

If it was your money, it would be in your pocket and yours to spend, wouldn't it?

Tax is the contribution of the citizens towards the cost of running the state. The state in return provides certain services, roads, schools, military and a number of other things. Only a very minute part of your tax is spent on this sort of light entertainment - although I think this may be more in the category of edutainment, which is not a bad idea; too many people in America have no idea about astronomy and space technology, and a game like this might bring them a little bit closer to reality - and who knows, maybe even inspire some to learn more.

Re:A game?

[JoeMerchant]

Dunno, there are plenty of support staff in Houston who are fired up to the core for life, and I think that part of that fervor comes from exposure to "the astronaut experience" even if they don't get to go into space themselves.

Re:A game?

[GreggBz]

You know, I obsessively played a game called Starflight when I was 11 or 12. That game was a springboard for a lifelong interest in space and astronomy. It also inspired a few years of bedroom programing in an attempt to recreate it. It was pretty unique in that it was fairly hard-sci-fi with lots of accurate terms and ideas.

Don't underestimate what capturing the imagination of a child can do for their adult life. We need better science education in this country.

Re:A game?

[SGDarkKnight]

Actually, Maxis already created a game called SimFarm which more or less simulated all the activities of a farm, i remember playing it way back in the day, but i'm sure if some government agency made one, it would be far different... or would it? Anywho, here is the wiki link to the description, and if im not mistaken, you may even be able to downlaod a freeware version of the game as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SimFarm

Re:A game?

[balthan]

Only a very minute part of your tax is spent on this sort of light entertainment

By this agency, on this project. When you start adding up the hundreds of projects from dozens of agencies, it doesn't seem so minute. And when you factor in our short-term trillion dollar deficit and the long-term budgetary crisis that will happen in the next couple decades, maybe a space MMO isn't such a great use of taxpayer dollars right now.

Re:A game?

[M1rth]

Except neil armstrong would not step onto the moon and then start spamming the chat channels with "HOW I MINE FOR FISH? HOW I MINE FOR FISH?"

Re:A game?

[socrplayr813]

The pictures from the orbiter are great, but pictures alone can't give you a complete view of anything, especially not when exploring a foreign planet. The orbiter can't give you a chance to interact with the environment. Maybe the rovers didn't find everything we hoped they would, but there's no way to be sure until you go down there and check it out.

Honestly, I don't understand why people are so afraid to spend money on science projects. If there's one place/field where the status quo shouldn't be good enough, it's science. Of all groups, I would hope Slashdot gets that.

People have lost sight of what science really is. Take the Mythbusters for example... A lot of people say things like "it's not real science." Well that's just plain wrong. Science is about exploring, forming theories, and disproving them through experimentation. (Oblig xkcd)

And of course, when the experiment doesn't work the way you want it to, you make something explode. The rovers have built-in planet-buster nukes, right?

Re:A game?

[oldspewey]

It's pitch black. You are likely to be seasoned by a Grue ...

Re:A game?

[gad_zuki!]

"Tesla" MMOs in the future?

You are a long-haired early 1990s rocker standing in studio. What do you want to do?

> sing signs

You are now singing a protest song about trespassing and signage. Stupid people think its "deep."

Re:A game?

[flyingsquid]

Libertarianism is the new Communism. It's an ideology that sounds nice on paper, but doesn't really work in real life. The idea that unrestrained capitalism can, by itself, lead to a fair and functional society is a fairy tale. It's a religiously held belief with no basis in reality- Free Market Fundamentalism. As you point out, the current economic meltdown is an example of why this faith in free markets is misplaced. The experience in Iraq over the past few years is another example of why free markets don't cure all ills. It's hard to run a business if your customers are afraid to walk across the street without getting shot or blown up by a car bomb, let alone drive across town. It's hard to run a business if organized crime and militias are trying to extort money from you. It's hard to run a business if the power, water, and sewage aren't functional half the time. It's hard to run a business if there's not a functional judiciary to enforce contracts and resolve disputes.

The reality is that the free market needs certain things to be able to function. Infrastructure like roads, bridges, electricity. Security from internal and external threats. A judiciary that can enforce the rules that a market functions by. If libertarianism really worked, then Somalia- which lacks a strong central government- would be a thriving society, not a failed state. And frankly, I just think that Free Market Fundamentalism a repugnant ideology. It basically says, "the hell with all of you guys, I'm going to do whatever is best for me" and then attempts to rationalize this behavior and say that, in fact, immature, short-sighted selfishness is some kind of a virtue.

Man, this is what I wanted Orbiter to be

[sahonen]

Will it have realistic physics? And by realistic I don't mean video game realistic, but actual rocket science physics like Orbiter has.

And when I think of NASA...

[AliasMarlowe]

I think of zero-g frolics, optionally involving aliens. If they make their MMO right, we can look forward to some interesting add-in modules...

2035?

[blackirish]

If it's set circa 2035, why is there a space shuttle docked to the ISS in the screenshots? Shouldn't it be an Orion capsule?

Re:2035?

[GrpA]

2035, US budget cutbacks, shuttle still in use...

Sounds like they've brought in experts to make their new game seem plausible :)

GrpA

Re:Final Oblivion Mooncraft Fantasy!

[cyp43r]

"Houston - we have a problem." "Aight, I put on my robe and wizard hat."

Grinding

[A. B3ttik]

The first portion of the game will have you fighting Level 1 Obsolete Satellites, and it'll take about 70 of them to level the first few levels. You'll have missions to destroy tiny asteroids, maybe fix some GPS Satellites, or possibly collect a dozen 'Unique Space Debris' and bring them back to the Hubble Telescope.

But by the end of the game, there will be large 40-man Raids scouring the Martian valleys, fighting Dust Golems and Communist Colonists, the final boss of which will be the long-missing rogue Mutated Mars Rover.

WHat? No PVP?

[aapold]

How else are we supposed to keep the moon clear of moondust farmers?

Helium-3 for $$$

[bluphysted]

It won't take long for the Chinese Helium-3 farmers to ruin the economy.

Re:Final Oblivion Mooncraft Fantasy!

[pejyel]

Astronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond will be a 'first-person-exploration' game that will also include traditional role-playing game (RPG) elements for both single-player and team-based space exploration, but with a realistic twist.

By "traditional RPG elements" they must mean goblins and wizards and the most absurd J-Pop characters creatively possible...how they plan this with a realistic twist is beyond me.

Sounds to me like Final Fantasy in Space. Can't wait. Elder Scrolls Moon Landing perhaps?

Way to see our government dollars and manpower hard at work!!

No. Traditional RPG elements are inventories, permanent avatars, the ability to develop skills and fulfilling quests/objectives : applied to this game, I can think of building/buying new spaceships, satellites ; trying to get new fundings, taking photographs to make maps, exploring, etc...

Goblins, wizards, magic swords, hats and robes are classical heroic fantasy or D&D elements, not typically RPG.