Virtual Worlds Forum

There are reports all over the Web today about NASA publishing an RFI (request for information) for companies who can help it build an ambitious MMO that would "simulate real NASA engineering and science missions". The idea is to use it as a recruiting ground for potential engineers and other staff, as part of what the space agency calls its "educational cyberstructure":

"The MMO will foster career exploration opportunities in a much deeper way than reading alone would permit and at a fraction of the time and cost of an internship program."

The BBC points out that NASA already has an island within Second Life, but it clearly feels the time's right to take its involvement in virtual worlds on a step. As you'd expect, NASA wants its MMO to have a powerful and realistic physics engine underpinning it. Interested companies have until 15th February to reply to the RFI. From a gamer's viewpoint, it'll be interesting to see how any resulting NASA MMO treads the line between realism and entertainment. Making something ultra-realistic and targeted purely at people who might like to work for NASA in high-tech roles will be something of a niche, yet producing something with appeal to a wider base of consumers would require stretching the boundaries of realism somewhat. Either way, I'm guessing there won't be any aliens to shoot... (via BBC News)