Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!dali.cs.montana.edu!milton!hlab
From: hibbett@prcs3.decnet.philips.be
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: Wargames and Virtual Worlds (Was Re: Questions about BattleTech)
Message-ID: <1991Apr29.200044.15225@milton.u.washington.edu>
Date: 28 Apr 91 15:39:17 GMT
Sender: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu (Human Int. Technology Lab)
Organization: University of Washington
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Approved: cyberoid@milton.u.washington.edu




Bob writes:- 

>But my main concern is a professional one, that if these are the >only<
>major developments of 1991, it is going to affect our collective ability
>to attract funding and to regain credibility as a nontrivial field, after
>the fiascos of recent years.  Am I overly anxious?

Well it seems to me that this is just marketing. You address the largest
*single* marketable group, and satisfy their needs (or create new needs 
they hadn't thought of before!). Then, when the technology is cheap enough
and the potentials well known, expand into the other smaller (and probably
more useful) areas. Otherwise no one, bar the military, would be able to
afford to "dabble" in this wonderful application of computing.

Personally, I am happy that virtual reality can provide stimulating
experiences such as war games. The more realistic adrenalin producing
these simulations get, the less likely we are to do the same things
in reality (IMHO). I despise blood sports, but would be happy to go Virtual
Deer Hunting. The thrill of the chase, where the prey is as crafty as I like,
and I can choose any landscape/climate combination. Far more 
satisfing that spending a day driving up to the hills only to find all the
Deer wiped out by previous generations of blood thirsty idiots.

The only negative tendancies I can think of is the development of a society
used to expressing anger and aggression towards machines... I wonder what
Asimov would think? 

Anyway I'm going Virtual Fishing now...

Mike.

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Mike Hibbett                      |   Philips RCS Ltd, England.
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Philips DECnet:  PRCS3::HIBBETT   | EUnet:  hibbett@prcs3.decnet.philips.be
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