NASA game gives keys to virtual moonbase

by Jeremy Hsu





NASA may not be sending astronauts back to the moon anytime this
decade, but the space agency hopes to give virtual explorers a sense of
what life on the moon would be like in a new computer game launching
this month



The game, "Moonbase Alpha," will allow players to work together in a
futuristic lunar base. It will be available for PC download from Valve's
Steam network on July 6. Players must tackle the challenge of restoring
oxygen flow and critical systems after a meteor strike cripples a solar
array and life support system.
This comes as a precursor to NASA's massively multiplayer online
game, called "Astronaut: Moon, Mars & Beyond," where players would
take on astronaut roles, such as a roboticist, and explore
virtual versions of the moon and other extraterrestrial
locations. (
Video: Moonbase Alpha trailer)
A game of their own

Games that recreate real space environments inside a user's
computer can entertain casual gamers and perhaps spread the word about
space exploration activities. At least that's the hope among NASA's
"Moonbase Alpha" designers, and the U.S. space agency isn't alone in
trying to tap into that potential.
Consider: If paying $200,000 for a real-life suborbital spaceflight
on a Virgin Galactic space liner sounds like a hefty price, that ticket
price still falls short of the $330,000 one gamer spent to buy a virtual
space station in the online game "Entropia Universe."
The company behind "Entropia Universe" has since created a demo for
the European Space Agency (ESA) to show how online gaming could promote
space exploration.
The developers at MindArk used their "Entropia Universe" game engine
to create a virtual base set on
Jupiter's moon Europa. Their scripted demo shows players
cooperating on in-game missions, such as repairing a broken-down rover


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"(ESA) was expecting a mock-up, but not a prototype," said Christian
Bjorkman, chief marketing officer for MindArk. "But for us to create the
mock-up, we might as well create the environment and run around in it."

But Joachim Fuchs, a technical officer and system modeler at ESA, had
also seen examples of engineers holding collaborative work sessions in
online games. He wondered if an online game could not only promote space
exploration among gamers, but also allow engineers to play out
scenarios for future space missions.
"The next generation of engineers we're going to get in this agency
is going to have grown up in a world dominated by (gaming) technologies
and social networks," Fuchs told SPACE.com.




To educate or entertain

Massively multiplayer online games have attracted millions
of players worldwide who are willing to pay about $15 per month to run
around a virtual world with thousands of other people. Researchers have
even looked into using popular games such as "
World of Warcraft" to encourage group learning among
students.
That doesn't mean NASA and ESA can simply cram knowledge down the
throats of gamers. Successful online games provide players with
entertainment first and foremost a fact that both the U.S. and European
space agencies have recognized.
NASA has recruited the help of game developers such as Virtual
Heroes, which created the free online game "America's Army" for the U.S.
Department of Defense. The U.S. Army has dubbed the game its single
most effective recruitment tool for reaching out to young people.
"America's Army" works because most of it feels like any other
action-oriented,
shoot-'em-up game. Yet it also immerses players in virtual
Army training, such as learning how to use different weapons on the
firing ranges, or diagnosing and treating virtual wounded soldiers.
Games that advertise their intent to educate players and promote
learning have fared less well, according to the MindArk developers. They
also emphasized the need to create a self-sustaining, profitable game
that players would want to keep playing.
"The absolute majority of these educational games have been a failure
in terms of attracting the interest and keeping it among the kids,"
Bjorkman explained. "This means that the fundamental criteria should
always be to have an entertainment base in which learning factors are
built upon and added to."



Exploring the virtual frontier

ESA considered many software and game developers to examine
the idea of an online game, but ultimately chose MindArk based on its
success with "Entropia Universe." The commercial game allows players to
pay real money for better in-game guns or equipment, but players can
also earn virtual game currency and then cash out for real money.
MindArk already offers commercial partners the choice of adding on
new planets to "Entropia Universe," making it easy to put together the
Europa base demo.
"In the ESA study our game developers could put together the
prototype environment in a short time and publish the finished 'game'
for ESA to access and evaluate; it is actually still online," Bjorkman
said.







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The study suggested several game development scenarios for an
ESA-themed game, depending on the space agency's goals. An online game
with fewer players could represent a more suitable choice for
exploratory learning. Another game could reach out to more casual
players through social media, but at the expense of education.
ESA has yet to decide on a full-fledged game, and has not signed any
developers on. But both ESA and MindArk representatives were
enthusiastic about the possibility of pushing forward.
"Increasing the awareness and knowledge about space are issues far
too important NOT to be played out in a game," the ESA study concludes.

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