Icarus Studios News

World of Warcraft 

When writing about developments in the virtual worlds/MMO industry, there are two subjects that are almost impossible to avoid: World of Warcraft (WoW) and Second Life. They dominate the news about simulated environments, and, thus, it’s very easy to use them as points of reference when discussing other virtual worlds. Since we’re going to be mentioning them, it’s worth an entry to explain why we consider them relevant. This week, we talk about WoW.

PowerU First Learning Management System to Play 3DI Learning Objects

CARY, NC - PowerU, a serious games joint venture by Icarus Studios, a platform provider for massively multiplayer online games, virtual worlds, and e-learning products, and American Research Institute (ARI), a long-established leader in role-based, results-oriented education and training services, was announced today. The new venture is the first company to offer an integrated learning infrastructure that incorporates 3DI (three dimensional immersive) learning environments for leading organizations to dramatically improve the effectiveness of their workforce development.

Signs of Life

(Continued from Part 1)

Okay, so, I’ve generated different ecosystems for my planet: I’ve got forests and tundra and a desert in there somewhere, and it all looks swell. But how about making some signs of life? I go back into the World Editor, and it’s a simple matter of pointing and clicking my mouse to create modifiable road segments. Say I make a dirt path, and I raise it up over a hill and then lower it into a valley and stretch it out across the desert but make it narrow when navigating around trees in the forests, and so on and so forth. Then, should the whim strike me, I can select an option from the Eco-Type menu to change that dirt path into an asphalt road. Voila! We suddenly have evidence of an advanced civilization.

Terra Firma 

At Icarus, a game designer can create an entire virtual world in a matter of hours.¹ How did I attain this amazing ability to shape entire planets, you ask? Icarus Tool Suites. Pretty much anyone with a pulse knows that the look and feel of a virtual world or an MMO game is a fundamental part of its appeal. No one wants to date the ugly, balding, club-footed stepsister of an online game. If we’re going to pay to subscribe to a shared universe, we all want something eye-catching, with multiple levels of content that appeal to a variety of tastes and play styles. With that in mind, Icarus Studios developed a series of tools to create unique virtual experiences with engaging social elements, entertaining game activities, and customized environments.

I recently heard someone insinuate that websites were “where it's at” but social networking was dead-in-the-water, an over-hyped idea. Maybe he was trying to make a joke but it sort of blew my mind. To me, a successful website is a form of social networking. Social networking is not some new fad—it's how we get along in life.

CARY, NC - Icarus Studios, which provides a turnkey solution for creating virtual worlds, MMOGs and serious games, today announced that it has signed a partnership agreement to license the Icarus Platform to The Venue Network, Inc., a provider of on-demand virtual venues where presenters can share content and customize unique experiences for online attendees. The Icarus Studios Platform provides a solution for leading entertainment companies, intellectual property owners, and e-learning customers.

CARY, NC - Icarus Studios, which provides a turnkey solution for creating virtual worlds, MMOGs, and serious games, today announced that it has added several key platform features to deliver more social and entertaining games and worlds.

There are few topics about virtual worlds that provoke a stronger reaction than real-money transfer (RMT). Since the earliest days of both text and graphical worlds, time, not money, has been the crucial currency of success. In the egalitarian society of simulated environments, all characters are created equal and all have the same ultimate possibilities if their players just devote enough time.

This view is, of course, not the whole story.

Part 3, Puzzles and the Rest

(Continued from Part 2)

If, however, you’re not a social butterfly, you don’t have a God complex, and smashing things to bits doesn’t sound appealing to you, puzzle games might be right up your alley. Puzzles require either problem-solving intelligence or extremely developed hand-eye coordination, depending on whether you have to navigate through a complicated maze or rapidly organize geometric shapes, like in the highly mesmerizing game Tetris (that I deny playing in my youth until my fingers were callused and my eyes crossed, thank you very much). These games are typically (but not always) popular among older players who enjoyed crosswords, brainteasers, dominos, and chess in their youth, before the electronic game industry exploded. (My grandmother, for instance, is mad for Window’s Solitaire and Sodoku. If this mild addiction does eventually lead to Granny gambling online, I take comfort in the fact that no one on the Internet will see her poor poker face.)

Part 2, Strategy, Simulation, and RPG

(Continued from Part 1) 

Strategy games evolved from board games and involve skillful thinking and careful planning in order to be victorious. There are many different kinds of strategy games, but I’m going to focus on the most popular ones, because, in the end, we all want to be socially accepted and do whatever the cool kids do. First, determine if you enjoy turn-based strategy and tactics (Are you patient?) or real-time strategy and tactics (Can you think on your feet?). Second, learn your four Xs: eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate. If you’re looking for practice on that, Civilization is a good start. And finally, decide if you like constructing or conquering.

Finding the Right Game for You

Part 1, Platformers and Action

I’m going out on a limb here and assuming most of you have jobs, lives, personal relationships, and responsibilities that take up your time—or at least addictions which fill up the empty, empty void where a normal life should go. But when you’re ready to kick back and play a game, you want to pick one that not only is interesting (and perhaps cathartic) but also suits your personality and preferences. Luckily, the gaming industry is teaming with diverse choices, and I’m here to help save time for anyone new to gaming by breaking them down. (Please note that, no, I do not in any way have a subtle agenda to steer you toward the awesome and exciting features of an online virtual world, such as the ones I and my team develop. I will attempt to be objective and not, in fact, continue to point you in the direction of intellectually stimulating and socially oriented virtual games. Just so we’re clear: no bias here.)