Whyville
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|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Numedeon |
| Publisher(s) | Numedeon |
| Designer(s) | Numedeon |
| Engine | Java |
| Platform(s) | Java |
| Release date | March, 1999 |
| Genre(s) | Virtual Reality virtual world serious games |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
| Input methods | Keyboard, Mouse |
Whyville is an educational Internet site geared towards preteens and children. Its goal is to engage its users in learning about a broad range of topics, from science and business to art and geography.
The game is reported to be one of the most popular virtual worlds with a player base of 3 million.[1]
As a simulation based virtual world, Whyville's users engage in games and roleplay sponsored by a wide range of governmental, non-profit, and corporate entities. Launched in 1999, by Numedeon Inc, Whyville was one of the first virtual worlds for children, and is one of the few virtual worlds whose purpose is primarily educational.
Numedeon Inc was founded by Dr. James M. Bower his students and collaborators at the California Institute of Technology interested in ways in which the Internet and simulation-based serious gaming could change education.
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[edit] Whyville virtual economy
Whyville was one of the first virtual worlds where game play was based on an internal virtual currency.[2] Users earn a 'clam' salary based on the educational activities they engage in on the site. With their clams they can buy face parts, projectiles, furniture, bricks, and other virtual goods and services that enhance their life 'in world'.
Once a user has accumulated a large enough clam savings, they can start their own Whyville virtual business. All businesses relate to the creation of a "face part", whether it is for an owned Scion (virtual automobiles in whyville sponsored by the popular Scion company) or for a player's avatar on their virtual face. Players must draw their creations by hand. One of the most differential aspects of the whyville drawing system, is that is contains limited capabilities that makes sure that whatever image is drawn is made solely by one maker. There is absolutely no copying and pasting, and no line tools. There are, however, an assortment of colors that one can choose from. Akbar, a city worker who runs the Face Factory, decides whether or not your part is accepted. Nothing copyrighted is accepted, and whatever is made must be appropriate, which is completely fair. Since Akbar's was opened, thousands of players have been creating their own parts. Some, like "Elmo" (a copyrighted part accepted at an early time of the Face Factories opening) are now very rare to find and worth a lot of "clams" (whyville's virtual currency). There are many popular face part creators, but anyone who can draw well using limited tools is bound to have their face parts sold out quick. Many of the popular face part creators are iloveuido, Malinn, girlyleo, and granny321.
As stated before, "clams" are whyville's form of virtual currency. The more Clams a player has, the more opportunities arise in their online journey. The first and foremost, is the ability to create parts. A player is allowed to purchase a whypass with real money, which grants them unlimited access to the face factory and more for a limited amount of time. The other resource available is the Voucher, which allows a player a one time pass to the face factory to make one part. This requires clams to purchase from other players, or can be found around whyville in certian rooms the administrators say. When one first starts out in whyville, they are not given any clams which makes it difficult to obtain a mass amount. This is the challenge of raising a salary and earning daily clams by playing online and sometimes educational games preluding to science and English.
Even though it is difficult to obtain a mass amount of clams, there are many users who have played Whyville since the day it came out, which was 1999. Players who have stuck with the game until the current year 2008, and have maintained their account wisely, usually have the most clams in the game and usually have a high salary for their daily clams. Many richer whyvillians use their clams to make face parts, buy Scions, or even just giveaway through raffles and contests. Others may deposit their clams into the Bankinter, sponsored by the Bankinter of Spain which allows a whyvillian to earn interest by depositing their clams in CD's (certificates of deposit) or into their online savings account with a user locked password added by the user.
[edit] Sponsorships in Whyville
Whyville has an extensive and growing list of sponsors, ranging from NASA to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the J. Paul Getty Trust on the one hand, to Disney, EMI, and Scholastic Publishing on the other.
One of Whyville's major sponsors is Toyota. As a part of this promotion, Whyville offers use of customizable Scion xB, Scion xD, and Scion tC cars as a part of avatar interaction and as an additional means of transportation through the site. Scion owners can give rides to other users by invitation. When Scions were first introduced to Whyville, they could only be purchased for clams, and still can be. The cost is from 13,008 to 33,542 clams. Scion then opened 'Scion Solutions' in Whyville, where citizens can apply for loans to buy a car. Loans are given based on a citizen's 'Why Co' score rating and a robotic loan councilor helps citizens understand how to raise their credit rating.
Whyville also has an extensive virtual nutrition project sponsored by the University of Texas System and The School Nutrition Association.[3] In this project, Whyville's citizens elect to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day, and a nutrition calculator then determines the state of their health.
Whyville also has games and activities focusing on environmental issues supported by organizations like the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The site has yet to launch a major project involving global climate change.[4]
[edit] Whyville in the schools
While launched in 1999 as an informal education site, the site is increasingly being used in real schools, and has become the subject of independent educational research. Dr. Yasmin Kafai, at UCLA, for example, has published numerous peer-reviewed articles on the different educational aspects of Whyville.[5]
Whyville has also become involved in a number of work force pipeline projects aiming to encourage children to consider technical and scientific careers. For example, the National Science Foundation has recently awarded funding to the ETR Associates to implement a project through middle school classrooms to engage young Hispanic women in computer game design and entrepreneurship.[6] The Texas Workforce Commission through the Office of the Governor has also funded Whyville to develop work force related games related to advanced manufacturing and biotechnology.[7]
On March 20th, 2008, afterschool educators Global Kids brought in a live video stream of Kofi Annan and facilitated a discussion about international human rights. This was the first event to ever be held across a number of virtual worlds (including as well There.com, Second Life and Teen Second Life).
[edit] Whyville and popular culture
In addition to its more serious side, Whyville also provides fun and entertainment to its citizens. For example, the site has hosted several pop concerts with well known artists. The latest concert in the series, on September 20, 2007, involving the group The Cheetah Girls. Also, Whyville has hosted concerts for Stacie Orrico and TobyMac. Whyville also has done events involving the Jonas Brothers.
[edit] Leaders in Whyville
Currently, there are three senators who help around Whyville. There is peachadee, willis4, and ps2man1. The people who work for whyville are called city workers and help out with all of the fun new activities that we have.
[edit] References
- ^ James H. Burnett III. "More real people are leading virtual lives", The Miami Herald, 2007-05-15. Retrieved on 2007-05-28.
- ^ Richard Lee Colvin. "Cartoon lips, virtual fashion and physics", The Los Angeles Times, 2002-07-08. Retrieved on 2002-07-08.
- ^ Learning Nutrition at Whyville’s Virtual Cafeteria
- ^ Anastasia Goodstein. "Virtual Environmentalism", The Huffington Post, 2007-06-27. Retrieved on 2007-06-27.
- ^ Yasmin Kafai – Projects
- ^ Donna Jones. "Gaming class aim to spark girls interest in computer careers", The Santa Cruz Sentinel, 2007-05-04. Retrieved on 2007-05-04.
- ^ Perry Announces $3 Million to Develop Workforce of the Future, 2006-08-02 press release by Texas Governor Rick Perry
