Tokimeki Memorial Goes Both On&Off Line
Tokimeki Memorial, a hit "love simulation" game, goes to both on and off line.
Online Mahjong Is For Competition, Rather Than For Communication
In virtual worlds of online games, people often compete against other players by using various items, such as virtual swords, magic skills, automobiles, or spacecrafts. In some games they might use virtual cards or slot machines.
But in some games, people use mahjong tiles for competition.
Virtual World GDP: revisited
There emerged another debates on the size of the virtual economy in Terra Nova. Julian Dibbell, one of the writers, estimated the worldwide MMO GDP at $7.29 billion, by using a ratio of RMT (real money trades) amounts to the real-world GDP (not real GDP). The figure fell between GDPs of Benin ($7.49 billion) and Malta ($7.04 billion).
アンケート：FFXIプレイヤー求む！
緊急告知！FFXIプレイヤーアンケート回答者募集のお知らせ
英国ミドルセックス大学で人類学を研究している修士学生のアラン・ミードスさんが、世界中のFFXIプレイヤーに対するアンケート調査を行っており、回答してくださる方を募集しています。オンラインゲームにおけるキャラクターやプレイスタイルなどが、国によってどう異なっているかなどを研究しているようです。日本人の回答まだ少ないそうなので、FFXIプレイヤーの皆さんのご協力をお願いいたします。
サイトはこちら。日本語です。アンケートは26問の主要質問と6問のサポート質問から構成されており、約10分間かかるとのこと。研究の意図などに関する詳しい説明は、ミードスさんのサイト「www.videogamestudies.com」にあります（こっちは英語）。
Online Games That Bring You Back To '80s
Do you want to go back to the good old days of 1980s? At "Natsu-Gei," which stands for "nostalgic games," you can play various games that we had accustomed to in the 80s. Target players are now in 20s and 30s. People in these generations have grown with TV games.
The site is operated by NTT Communications, the NTT group company for long distance calls. 9 out of 10 games are for 1-person play, but one game started beta service for 2-person play. Players pay 30-80 yen per play.
An interesting feature is that the site prepares online community feature, which allows players to interact online. It includes mail, bulletin board, and chat functions. You can exchange secret skills with the fellow players.
Univ. of Tokyo Establishes Grad Program for Content Studies
University of Tokyo, one of the leading university in Japan, opens this October a graduate program for studies of content, including games, movies, anime, and so forth. As a kick off event, they held a seminar session on September 29, titled "International Cooperation among Gamer Developers." Two distinguished lecturers presented speeches. First, Mr. Jason Della Rocca, a program director at IGDA, talked about "Industry/Academic Relations" on game studies. He explained what is expected for both industry and academic sides in enhancing game studies. And second, Dr. Gonzalo Frasca, a reserch scientist at the Center for Computer Game Research at the IT University in Copenhagen, talked about "Some Recent Trends in Cultural Computer Game Research," He presented recent trends of game studies, including i) ludology, ii) studies of virtual worlds of MMORPGs, and iii) serious games.
Money Can Buy: A Virtual Girlfriend
Artificial Life Inc., a Hong-Kong based software company, announced that it has developed a 3G mobile game called Virtual Girlfriend," according to BBC.
Online Gathering in Ragnarok On Air
On Sept. 1, an online gathering was held in the Ragnarok Online, a leading MMORPG in Japan. Approximately 600 players, gathered at the town of "Alberta," enjoyed a PvP match and "rock, scissors and paper" game, and so on.
An Agricultural MMORPG（農業をテーマとしたオンラインゲーム）
"Cosmo-Gurashi" (Cosmo-Life) is a MMORPG that featured agriculture. A player becomes a farmer who, buys a plot of land, grow various vegetables and fruits, harvests and ships to the Agricultural Cooperatives. As usual for an online game, the player can raise a pet, create new items, and so on.
「コスモぐらし オンライン的農業生活」は、農業をテーマにしたMMORPGである。プレイヤーは農家となり、土地を買い、さまざまな作物を育て、収穫して農協へ出荷する。この種のゲームではお決まりの、ペットを飼ったりアイテムを作ったり、といった機能もある。
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