[X3D-Public] Virtuality Uber Alles

[Russ Kinter]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: x3d-public-bounces at web3d.org [mailto:x3d-public-bounces at web3d.org]
> On Behalf Of GLG
> Sent: Friday, December 10, 2010 7:38 PM
> To: 'X3D Graphics public mailing list'
> Subject: Re: [X3D-Public] Virtuality Uber Alles
> 
> >When compared with the features of Second-Life/Open-Sim or
> >Wonderland any would-be VRML/X3D MU server system faces
> >staggering odds.
> 
> Hello Russ,
> 
> That maybe so. It certainly 'looks' that way from a
> short-term perspective. As you know, MU servers are not easy
> to build. But don't forget, much investment capital found
> its way to VW's. I call that the 'Virtual Worlds Bubble'.
> Let's wait until that runs out and dry. See who is still
> standing.
> 
> Do you remember when proprietary systems such as AOL,
> Compuserve, countless BBS's and online business information
> databases more or less ruled the world? Most if not all of
> them eventually fell flat and had to give way to open
> standards, with very few exceptions. I'd say that most
> popular virtual worlds today actually ARE the "would-be's" -
> simply taking advantage of fast deployment and speed to
> market - and I fully expect them to eventually fade away,
> being replaced by open standards based worlds (such as with
> X3D). I'm definitely not loosing any sleep over this. Unless
> complete novice (which is the case for many users in today's
> virtual worlds), and especially as the market matures,
> people and businesses will want to 'own' their worlds just
> like they do their Web sites today, not relegating that kind
> of power over to any particular company. Companies have
> tried repeatedly to promote various systems and/or
> languages, but in the end, open standards win. A few, such
> as Sun Microsystems, realized the dilemma and were able to
> turn loose their IP (i.e. Java), but I doubt today's
> proprietary virtual worlds are in that position, even though
> some are trying to do just that. Again, no lost sleep. It
> isn't really their game, historically and ultimately THEY
> are the copycats, and it is hard for copycats to succeed in
> the long run. To each its own; X3D will never die.
> 
> Cheers,
> Lauren
> 
Then this format is really sunk MU wise since both Open-Sim and Wonderland
ARE open-source. It's sunk Mafia-style with concrete boots too because with
Open-Sim and Wonderland everything is open-source, while in the case of
X3D/VRML MU systems Contact, Octaga Player, and Instant Player are
proprietary. The one attempt at trying to open the MU market for X3D has
been ham-strung by allowing the protocol for the NetworkSensor Node to be
proprietary.  

tc
Russ