- Via Raph Koster, a user in Second Life has created an artificial ecology, complete with unplanned evolution of new plant species, etc. Even bees that carry pollen from plant to plant, fueling the cycle. Lovely! I agree with Raph — this sort of thing is the future of MMOs. I can’t think of any other (comparably satisfying) way to keep the environment from feeling static and unnatural over time.
- Qualcomm will update BREW to support Microsoft’s “Live Anywhere” initiative. Nice vote of confidence.
- A quick history of Sony’s attempts to establish lucrative proprietary formats. And now, having spent $8.4B buying movie studios, and having put the PS3 itself on the line, Sony is betting the farm on blu-ray. Could prove the greatest gamble in consumer electronics history (especially if it leads to true dominance of the living room). Or the greatest blunder. I’m not optimistic, but I’m not gutsy enough to call it over just yet. 😉
- Set-top box games-on-demand firm TVHead has raised $11.5M in new financing. Pros: gets casual gamers in the living room, where they’re most relaxed and ready to enjoy entertainment. Doesn’t require a console, or anything “scary” to grandma. Cons: as more and more homes have consoles featuring broadband-enabled casual arcades, will set-top still matter? I suppose it’s an academic question… there’s a potential market for the next few years, at least.
