Reality is Relative

Once again Sam Harrelson talks me into a late night look at Next-Gen Marketing with a few practical examples over at Revenews. Long one- so good time to change the oil on the car (time shift) and listen…some might find it very relevant- no matter what reality you exist in, or think you do.

Sam says: “The podcast runs about 90 minutes and we discuss Wayne’s conception of Next Gen marketing and possible futures of online and affiliate marketing.”

Wayne says: “As usual, this podcast runs about 90 minutes and we discuss science fiction books, Next-Gen, games, my experience with ARGs, multi-verses, engagement from twitter to Second Life, Sam finds value in an OPML file, engagement metrics, incubation of fan bases, engaging smart people, Twitter, personalities, a bunch of books like: The Book of Zines, The Adventures of the The Stainless Steel Rat, Media Virus, etc. Not that many would care, but for the observant we also plod into Assyriology, cuneiform, ancient civilizations and why that crap is important to us. As usual I interrupt too often (why does he always catch me tired?), but we move along and didn’t even touch Mobile Marketing or iPhone stuff or blending it with RSS. At any rate this is sort of what “industry insiders” talk about…sort of.”

Stainless Steel Rats MP3 File

Another good cast, and Pinnacle Best Blog Award Winner- Sam Harrelson, speaks (what are you cloned or what?) at AffiliateFortuneCookies.com giving more clarity as Next-Gen, Virtual, Affiliate, and A Whole Bunch of Stuff Most Can’t Even See are heading for a whacked out, giant ajax-style real-world mashup collision thing. Maybe.

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“Reality is fundamentally broken, and we have a responsibility as game designers to fix it. We have a responsibility as the smartest people in the world, the people who understand how to make systems that make people feel engaged, successful, happy, and completely alive, and we have the knowledge and the power to invent systems that make reality work better.”

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Reality is Broken: GDC08 Rant by Jane McGonigal.

1. Satisfying work to do
2. The experience of being good at something
3. Time spent with people we like
4. The chance to be a part of something bigger

My favorite takeaway was- Why care about games? Because life is crap. Life is crap, and the ONLY thing that makes it worth living is art – and play.

and

“Games are the ultimate happiness engine”

and

and this lively slide : “Reality is broken. • Can we fix it? YES. • Should we fix it? HELL YES. • Will we fix it? I HAVE NO F’ING IDEA”.

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Andrew Wee makes an interesting observation about Facebook and how painful it can be to face mountains of invitations for applications, which he likens to Google Adsense blindness.

Being hit by irrelevant application invites, and with Facebook system where multiple people can keep sending you invites to the same app over and over again, and the best part is that you have to deny/ignore each application request one at a time, means you could be spending 15 - 30 minutes each day just getting rid of application requests…

So is this effective social marketing?

Should you still go out and develop a facebook app?

Effective? For the short-term- yes. Long term- no. Should you develop an application? Yes, but Facebook should be more astute and take a lesson from Dunbar…

Andrew notes that I like a certain game and asks for feedback:

Social marketers, I’m keen to hear what you’ve to say, maybe Jim Kukral, Sam Harrelson, Wayne Porter (whom I know is addicted to a particular insidious Facebook game…), Stephanie “Internet Geek Girl” Agresta, Robyn “Sleepyblogger” Tippins, Shawn Collins, or if you the reader might like to weigh in, drop a comment below…

Ironically the same game Andrew mentions I am addicted too is a game he had already mastered. Who knew we shared an interest in a certain insidious Facebook game?

Dunbar’s Number

I get many invites to groups, games and friend requests, and I don’t think I am near Andrew’s friend count of over 300. That is a significant being double that of Dunbar’s number. Dunbar’s number, approximately 150, represents a theorized cognitive limit to the number of individuals that one person can maintain stable social relationships, the kind of relationships that go with knowing who each person is and how each person relates socially to every other person.

Coevolution of neocortical size, group size and language in humans. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 16 (4): 681-735 .Dunbar used the correlation observed for non-human primates to predict a social group size for humans. He predicted a human “mean group size” of 148 (casually represented as 150), a result he considered exploratory due to the large error measure (a 95% confidence interval of 100 to 230). Note it is exploratory because of the margin for error and this should serve as a caveat. Christoper Allen does some deep analysis and notes that 150 is probably on the high end if one is looking for group cohesion.

“hovers somewhere between 25-80, but is best around 45-50. Anything more than this and the group has to spend too much time “grooming” to keep group cohesion”

The rise of MMORPGs, digital worlds, Second Life and social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace has lead to more scrutiny on group size. Again Christopher Allen’s: Dunbar, Altruistic Punishment, and Meta-Moderation and Dunbar Triage: Too Many Connections (Allen offers up some good cultural and technological strategies).

At any rate I simply ignore or delete the requests- unless I find them interesting. There is a handy link at the top of my Facebook sidebar called “Ignore All”. A cheap form of keeping my “Dunbar pressure” in check.

What I do find interesting is “who” sends me “what” as it is very telling and provides insight into an individual’s persona and one’s overall network.

Language and Groups

For the record I think “addicted” is a bit dramatic…ok perhaps not…but I need to get my gold/lumber! I have an incentive. I have found that when I put a personal message in a request I tend to get a higher return on participation. Perhaps, as Dunbar put forth, language is a “cheap” form of social grooming. Tacking on a note is about as cheap as one can get.

For example, with invites to Dark Art of the Ancients I sent out a request and explained how I found the cooperative aspects of the game interesting and more players signed up than when I just selected twenty…I would love to see some metrics, perhaps public, (likened to CJ’s EPC) on request conversion by category, incentive and cap (number of invites).

That might be a better metric than overall installations or percentage of people with number installed…and perhaps Facebook would be wise to place a cap on invitations dynamically. Application developers could do this as well, and some do, but it still falls back to Facebook who must maintain stewardship of the platform long-term.

I do think we are in for a new age of metrics and social networking sites should pay attention to the stress network size can have on individuals as this could lead to “application blindness”. Sure, we have control of our network size, but people really don’t want to reject others, we would rather ignore the message.

Bigger is Not Always Better

It makes me think back to the early days of affiliate marketing were success was placed on the number of affiliates one gained and little attention paid to quality or relationship efficacy. That has changed- at least from an affiliate force size standpoint. I feel there is still too much emphasis placed on “big hitters” and marketers lose by not working with micro-sized players who really can influence people. Then again, the marketer gets all the stress of too many relationships.

Glory and Money

This is illustrated by a form of recruiting new players in a web based battle game my son and I play..they give a linking option that humorously underscores the reckless attitudes that some marketers continue to embrace, yet I cannot help but chuckle when I read it…

To recruit gladiators, who will then fight for you in the arena, you have to place your trap link somewhere in the internet and wait until someone clicks on it:

http://s5.gladiatus.com/game/c.php?uid=92111

Tip: you can place this link into your homepage, use it in your forum signature or send it to your friends. Someone will be mugged by you as soon as the link is clicked. You will receive money and glory through this!

“You will receive money and glory through this!” does sounds much like affiliate pitches from a few years ago. “Mugged”…at least they are honest and didn’t try to throw in honor.

We Aren’t Meant to Scale

The real value from social networking platforms are the relationships forged and conversations to be had and Facebook applications or RPGs are great for this, but one should keep Dunbar’s number in mind. This is especially prudent in high immersion environments, like Second Life, where nothing seems to scale.

Social network quality is limited by design and Allen’s adjustments make more sense.

Andrew I will see you at the Summit so I guess we can continue the conversation at some point. If you are bored try Gladiatus- I will get money and glory through this and you can take a break from Facebook before you lose all of your vision.

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The quick recap of one of my usual winding posts that go on and on….but really worth thinking about. The short version Chev summed up in an insult , yes it is true but the mnemonic is far more succinct. (For those late to the game- we are one and the same, only the avatar version does not always behave as predicted and generally denies I exist.)

- Chev, our rogue knight, wonders out loud in twitter after viewing a Caledonian island covenant.

- Helpful Pfanderson steps up to guide the knight with some information.

- I follow-up via e-mail and ask three questions of Mr. Drinkwater, esteemed and humble resident of Caledon. Carried to him via the helpful Lady Anderson.

- Later this pm, after many e-mails, Tweets, Skypes, etc from folks, and judging by unique visitors on my steampunk’o'meter I find it thrilling to say Caledonians enjoy reading long windy posts. That does not excuse my poor writing, only that I believe that Caledonians will read anything with a vigor that is not quite human.

I received a letter from Mr. JJ Drinkwater. I have not replied back to Mr. Drinkwater, although I shall, and it is not for being at a loss for words, but because after reading it…I felt intruding would be like- well- interrupting a very nice play.

Upon Mr. Porter’s Questions on Caledon, its history, and boons.

These were brokered to Mr. Drinkwater through the quill of Ms. Anderson and I report below. Enjoy and savor fair reader, to use a word from Mr. Drinkwater, the “zest” in this reply. I have made small edits to links for purpose of aesthetics and other slight changes, otherwise this is the text as sent from the good fellow. I shall attempt commentary later, for now my hope is that more Caledonians send me letters so that I may digest them first, then share them. It is rather selfish, but I am a rogue and it is a stingy pleasure.

My Dear Sir.

You raise some extraordinarily interesting questions, indeed….some of which I cannot even presented to answer, but can query in their turn. Before I begin, however, I should like to say that, devoted as the Caledon Library is to our fair nation, we cannot pretend to stand in for Caledon’s sundry Founders, Historians, and Pundits, many of whom, I am entirely convinced, will make themselves heard on ths matter, either at this estimable table, or from their own Podia.

1) Does the Caledonian citizen’s interests in literature influence how well curated the history of the build seems to be?

That is a dangerous question to ask a Librarian, sir, as we are apt to place literature at the centre of all things, and to see all things by its light. However, since you have asked…

Caledon was created to be a 19th-century environment—but Caledon is very far from being a historical re-creation. I like to say that when one comes to Caledon, rather than entering the 19th century, one enters the 19th century imagination. The world of Caledon has as much in it of Ivanhoe and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea as it does of *The Mayor of Casterbridge*, *Hard Times*, or even *The Pickwick Papers*. This means that Caledon draws on a very large body of literature and history, instead of (like many other RP regions) a single created world, or body of mythology. Moreover, although it is nowhere stated, the implicit story is (arguably) that Caledon is British, or is Britain, as seen through some appropriate looking-glass.This means that the flourishing of the English-language novel in the 19th century gives Caledon—and its library—a rich source of material to draw on.

During a most edifying conversation, on Orange, this week, the following was said (with much edited out inbetween)

[12:40] Sin Trenton: When “pure” Victorians meet “pure” Steampunkers. In other groups in the past, there is alienation.. In Caledon forums, people promptly decided they wanted to learn more about the other side
(snip)
[12:40] Ordinal Malaprop: Yes, actually, I did want to mention stylistic divisions - not in terms of drama necessarily
(snip)
[12:42] JJ Drinkwater has it categorized into the imaginary 19th century of….. Dickens/Hardy/Thackeray, Verne/Wells, and Scott/Rackham

I suppose I should have said the Imaginary 19th *centuries*, for each of those groups of authors deals in a particular genre of imagination. In Caledon, indeed, the Masters of Technology are not on Mars, they are flying overhead in something brass-riveted and steam-powered, and Fairies are not at the bottom of the garden, they are next door throwing a rout and waltzing for dear life. But what *is* a literature, if it is not how a group of persons…a community, a nation, or what have you…conceives of itself and its surrounds, and pases that conception between themselves, and so on to the larger world, and perhaps to the world that is removed from what they limn, in time as well as space?

I must confess my brain (known for its inelasticity, it is true) will not stretch to encompass the idea of Caledon as a build, unless you are using “build” as a shorthand for “the constructed evidence of a community”? In which case, there is indeed a great consonance between the sundry literacies of Caledon-the-c0mmunity (and how Caledonians read such literatures as inspire them) and manner in which they have depicted, and commemorated, what has struck them about Caledon-the-place

2) Are there any specialized tools or processes that a community can use to “keep its identity”. Regain its identity?

Here I am beyond my depth, as I am but poorly acquainted with the thinking of Archivists, who ( if I am not mistaken, which I may well be) ask us to conceive that what a culture creates, and preserves, is the stuff it will use to understand its own nature, or identity, or, if you like, its geist or spirit or soul.

However, from my own little experience, I can say that what Caledon seems to use are tools that are scarcely specializied, but to use them in a manner which is informed by the will and desire to be a community, indeed, perhapse even to be a People.

The Caledon Forums, and the Caledon Aethero-blogo-sphere, to which Sir Edward has graciously pointed us, uses blogs and wikis and discussion threads and suchlike, it seems to me, to instantiate the vast fluctuating wonder that is the identity of Caledon. They do this by sustaining, and making available, over time, a conversation posessing a thousand topics, but through which runs a submerged thread of “Is this Caledon?” “How is this Caledon” “How is this important to Caledon?” “How is this useful to Caledon?” &c. We speak of many matters, but they are all, somehow, matters of Caledon, and it is through this long and multfaceted conversation that the identity of Caledon comes forward to meet the eye.

I consulted long-time Caledon Steward Serra Anansi on this point, and she put in neatly into the following nutshell: “Every joy, trial, cause or flame war links us all for better or worse…”
I would add that it is not only Caledon’s numerous accomplished builders, but also its cultural institutions….its galleries and theatre and musical venues, perhaps even its library…that feed the delight we all take in this. Every time Radio Riel gives us another day of music from Miss Austen’s era or dances us gaily through a Burns Night Supper (http://radioriel.blogspot.com/2008/01/robbie-burns-and-music-of-scotland.html), every time we see our own images reflected in an exhibit of portraits we enrich our sense of community, and its pleasures.

3) How has having a “history” helped the overall community at Caledon?

This, I believe, is a question for the Historians of Caledon, among which honoured company I dare not place myself.

However, I will speculate that it is as something in the nature of a shared narrative, a set of stories we may tell and retell one another, and by our actions extend indefinitely, that Caledon’s “history” has helped us bond into a community.

We are, of course, making it up as we go along, when we perform the daily duties and pleasures that make up the life of Caledon….only, we are not making it up out of whole cloth. Rather, we are elaborating, each of us in our own way, the stories we already know. We have, as it were, a body of images and devices and motifs, and therefore both our stock of Caledon Characters and our skeleton bits of business ready to hand, and, like the players in the Commedia dell’arte, with their Lazzi and Scenarios, we are ready to charge onto the stage and improvise for all we are worth, and to the enjoyment of all concerned.

That we needn’t guess, or rely on our own fallible memories, for what has made up Caledon, but may rather contemplate the evidence of Caledon’s Caledonian-ness in a variety of places, I would think, only serves to facilitate the zest with which we go about the thing.

I am, sir, your most humble etc etc

JJ Drinkwater

It is I who must thank you Mr. Drinkwater and other Caledonians that I am sure debated the issue in some chamber far away. It is rare to get a response that is not only entertaining and humble and yet so courteous I am want to give up being a wandering knight, a long story really how that occured, and sit still in my classroom chair and read proper. Then again, who would Caledonians make merry over? I can serve, if anything, as a bad example of knighthood and will continue to poorly question any Caledonian who would waste time with this Chevalier.

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On to the Association of Virtual Worlds.comredux

The Association of Virtual Worlds believes that virtual worlds represent a major information and technological revolution in how we work, play and live per the site. I think any long-time user agrees, despite setbacks, these pocket universes are major market disrupters. “The Association mission is to serve those companies and individuals who are dedicated to the advancement of this multi-billion dollar global industry and reach out to those who have not yet found virtual worlds.”

I might add I’d like to see more of the “multi” going out to the content creators, where the rubber meets the road. Like it or not scripting will in many ways become commoditized for common applications, and builds will be prefabricated or modular. However, the story tellers, the community facilitators, the people who know WHAT tools and HOW to use them effectively and creatively…are getting left out in the cold and their work, coupled with builders and scripters makes a world. Otherwise we have static code and primitive objects. We need bards, and we must value their work and time. Because the work is virtual does not make it less valuable.

This revolution started with people decades ago and it needs to get back to people. That is the essence of the “virtual world” or “web 2.0″, or any name you want to place on this compressed, immersive and fast paced media consumption and interaction. Think about it- no matter how immersive I am willing to be the majority of time users spend- chatting and talking. The visual element provides “presence”

The Goals of The Association of Virtual Worlds are:

1. To create a forum for the discussion of issues affecting the industry
2. To assist in the development of industry procedures and standards
3. To promote the virtual worlds industry, its interest and developments
4. To educate on the benefits of virtual worlds to enhance work and play
5. To offer business and social networking opportunities
6. To connect the public and consumers with members of the virtual worlds industry
7. To participate in the determination of the collective interests of the industry
8. To further the common interests of the industry
9. To provide leadership for the betterment of the industry
10. To recognize accomplishment within the virtual worlds industry

I had a long discussion about the history of various virtual worlds with Timeless Prototype. He joined and I hope will be committed as any group needs DNA from elder thought shapers. We had some discussion about direction and what compelled me to get involved on a deeper level was the agnostic focus and the need, as Time called it, for a “bridge component”- in short a second wave person of varied skillsets who had NOT been indoctrinated into the old system. I can see wisdom in this. I am second wave, and I do see things differently and I certainly have different ideas.

I am passionate about the future of these spaces, their preserveration and what they can do for humanity. I also realize they are very immature in their development. That is ok- this means we are ahead of the curve and a good thing too- they are not as easy as they look. Get started now.

To address the goals, or my personal thoughts on them.

1. There are many forums. Each has its distinct flavor and place. However, I rarely find people who want to interact using their surname. I would like to see that in a professional forum- accountability.

2. To assist in the development of industry procedures and standards. This is sorely needed. In every aspect from media standards to privacy disclosures and well- to about everything. This is a big deal, and I don’t think it is an easy task. People must be sure they don’t give up their rights and rants and raves are not going to protect them.

3. To promote the virtual worlds industry, its interest and developments. Evangelism. Pure and simple, an emerging industry needs wins and good examples to point out. In business this means measureable ROI or a sound promise of ROI down the road. ROI doesn’t always mean immediate dollars. These worlds are here to stay, I believe that and it requires unlearning some things and learning new ones- the time to get started in earnest is now. Nor does this all fall on Second Life’s shoulders. There are many promising candidates that are up and coming.

4. To educate on the benefits of virtual worlds to enhance work and play. In my opinion this is where lines have really gotten crossed. We have went horribly wrong when our work is no longer enjoyable, when people must work extreme hours in miserable environments to survive or for commendation. We have went astray as humans if we have kicked play out of our work.

Play is that creative spark that causes breakthroughs in our work. I recall doing research on unicode and domain name redirection and wondering if unicode could be injected into twitter. To be honest I was looking for an offensive sign to express disgust in a compressed fashion. I ended up with a pack of playing cards and concept of betting via twitter which Ev, the CEO, seemed to like. I did too. Look at the hand I drew. This was work, but it evolved into play that, if I can get Bleys motivated to finish it up, could provide a means to completely subvert the micro-blogging channel for a completely different purpose- relaxation and entertainment. Healthy work can be play, and play is healthy work.

5. To offer business and social networking opportunities. Oddly enough I find myself often socializing with my closest friends via skype paired with the Second Life client. The same bonding took place for affiliatesummit.com or RSA where I have worked virtually in e-commerce, and security for ten years. Networking opportunities, especially face to face, are important steps in a relationship. Virtual worlds do seem to accelerate these relationships, but they are often cemented face to face. This is how I knew Dave was in earnest from the day he told me liked the concept of “flying” to when I met him in Chicago. Virtual world users know it is a powerful tool, but not a complete replacement.

6. To connect the public and consumers with members of the virtual worlds industry. This is a good thing, because the media likes to beat the drum of the fringe and the negative. The fringe was always there. It was in USENET, it was and still is in IRC and it will be in virtual worlds. That does not devalue the medium.

7. To participate in the determination of the collective interests of the industry. Right now that is a priority, alot is needed and hopefully this won’t get mired down in muck. However, again let’s use Linden Labs (I stress Labs and not Second Life- they are a lab.)- they simply cannot solve all the problems. A concerted effort, and probably compromise will be needed, on behalf of users. The status quo has not pushed it ahead quickly enough. It is our world and our imagination- people must dispense of the idea that Lindens are gods, and that they are people like us and systematically work towards change. It will take time, in the last two industry births I witnessed and took part this meant years. I see the same pattern. People are people. Mistakes are made. We move on, we only fail if we do not learn from them.

8. To further the common interests of the industry. At this point I think recognizing and proving it is really viable, and it needs some turns and twists to get back to that direction. Campers to gather traffic is a poor tactical push. Land you “buy” is a rather shaky concept. Viability means people staying. People staying means there is community. Communities are viable. Big brands who want lift need only sponsor wholesome things and learn by interacting through the builds. That is step one. This is not a fast fused turn around. Go buy CPC and hope a botnet doesn’t tear you apart.

9. To provide leadership for the betterment of the industry. Here one has to be careful that leadership does not become agenda laden. Personally I like the idea of leaders with stewardship. It should should have a diverse mix of age and discipline expertise.

10. To recognize accomplishment within the virtual worlds industry. This is needed too. For example, Second Life is really a “closed community” and if you are not in the circle- it is dizzying. Everyone is eager to point out faults, but let’s look at the strides. Everyday I look back at the evolution of the PC and think “wow- I can’t believe I can do this now”. It annoys me that I am trying to run viability tests in a medium that breaks down frequently, but I know that risk going in. Those who accomplish something realize this and either move on to safer ground or stay at high risk.

I’ll leave you with what Dave posted:

Yes, Wayne, I do love to fly. No question about it. Since our first meeting, though, I’ve dug a bit deeper.

Seems that virtual worlds do a very good job at simulating real life experiences. So, flying inside of a virtual world feels like flying. Meeting up with some avatars in a virtual world feels like a real life, in-person interaction. Recently, I was spending time with an avatar while we watched a third putting up a structure in front of us. Despite the fact that my friend was in Edmonton, I was in Colorado, and the builder was physically at her desk in China, it felt only slightly different than standing with a friend peeking into a construction site. Amazing.

I understand that this feeling of being together is called “presence” or “co-presence” and to my knowledge, other more traditional communications media don’t capture this effect nearly as well as virtual worlds do. As someone who’s worked in long distance situations for years, I believe strongly that the workplace could benefit significantly from this effect – which, by the way, is inexpensively achieved and “green.”

How long before we forego air travel and corporate real estate to work together in virtual worlds? Well, it’s happening to a minor extent today, but it’s bound to increase dramatically and soon. Consider Forrester Research’s recent report “Getting Real Work Done in Virtual Worlds,” which recommends experimentation with virtual worlds now, because they may be as important for work as the web is, in five years time. In any event, the Association is here, in part to get this message out to the public. Exciting stuff. Thanks.

I do find it exciting. I am ready to participate and see where ALL these virtual worlds might lead. Conflict I imagine, but that is the normal course of things. Change always brings conflicts, it is how they are resolved they test our mettle as people- or avatars.

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I’m looking for bugs. Insects, spiders, creepy crawlys, little flying things. I figured instead of shopping, though, that I’d open up a little competition for friends and then figured why shouldn’t everyone have a chance to earn some Lindens. The insects will be used on a sim that isn’t yet open. Creators will keep full rights to their work, all I ask is the right to use them on my sim, and promise not to resell.

Pick up a copy of the rules here:

Dusan- why not pay each bug or creature creator a US Dollar bounty, let them retain full rights, a credit on the work, and make the bugs actively purchasable on the SIM (or in a shop on sim)? This is one blend of commerce I am doing at the “Primula Rasa” experiment…let people purchase parts they like, to help sustain the sim, gauge interest, and also gather information on engagement and sustainability.

Several ways to vend really…

a) Multi-Prim Vendors

b) Single Prim Vendors

c) Standalone Product

d) Standalone with Sign

Standalone works great, especially if you have auto-return turned off. We have vendors for all the situations, even SLX integration, (and you can easily change from web or add sub affiliates), but we need to write scripting for stand alone products. I don’t know if it that “bugs your plans” but rather than contests where only one benefits- many get a stipend and the real contest is on performance- well their bug does in the micro-transaction races. Data is very useful…and this is definitely “interest” data.

BTW- just what size is an insect? I know we have a whole range of horrible things, insects, and what not… Very curious.

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Developer Autodesk states with the next revolution of 3ds Max, it will be splitting the release into two products, 3ds Max 2009 Entertainment, for game and movie producers, and 3ds Max Design 2009, for architects, designers and visualization specialists.

The gaming/entertainment version will feature aa new Reveal rendering toolset to streamline iterative workflows, a ProMaterials material library for simulating real-world surfaces, and new UV editing tools. It will also include Recognize, a new scene-loading technology which it says will significantly improve the inter-application workflow with Revit Architecture 2009.

The “design branded version” will include all features of the entertainment branded version, with the exception of an included SDK (software development toolkit), used primarily in game and video markets to to integrate software into a production pipeline and develop in-house tools to be used in conjunction with the 3ds Max. The design version will also include “Exposure technology,” to simulate and analyze sun, sky, and artificial lighting.

Bottom line- Autodesk recognizes that entertainment and game makers have very different, and obviously strategic needs as to those who are say- making a building. When you start putting out dual flavors that usually means a market is set to bloom and become lucrative. One has to wonder what impact Second Life is or will have on the high end industry?

Where is Maya? I’ll have to dig around.

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Audio tool developer Vivox has announced that Metaversum, Simutronics and Stratics have all selected Vivox’s voice integration services for their respective technology, and the company has also added enhanced features.

German based Metaversum has integrated Vivox voice services into its Twinity virtual world, enabling users to speak to one another in 3D spatial audio in groups or on private channels. They bill Twinity as:

Twinity mashes up the real with the virtual world. In Twinity you can create your virtual self, meet real people and make new friends. Create your own apartment or build your dream home anywhere in the world. Drop in on your friends and go out and have fun!

Metaversum also has yumondo in private beta testing.

Yumondo is an online platform where you can discover your city’s best-kept secrets, organize your free time, and exchange ideas with other urban trendsetters all over the world. We call it urban stylesharing.

Catchy- urban stylesharing.

Simutronics will now offer the Vivox Precision Studio SDK (Software Development Kit0 as an embedded technology option within its HeroEngine MMO development platform now Vivox’s voice solutions are open to developers in in MMO development. A small player promising deep immersion and live game masters they offer DragonRealms, Gemstone IV, Hero’s Journey, Modus Operandi, Allianceof heroes and Cyberstrike 2. I like the live game mastering element, who wouldn’t want to be a paid DM…hell I did it for free for over twenty-five years, but they dangle the carror that writers may get paid as the game goes live and progresses.

Stratics, an MMO portal, will provide Vivox services to its reported 500,000 subscribers, including voice, buddy lists, and presence indicators.

MMO, MMO,…get ready to hear it a lot over the next year.

Vivox is no boot strapper either nabbing almost 8 million in Series B funding.

From the November release…Benchmark Capital Leads Round, Joins Vivox Board of Directors

Vivox, the leading provider of integrated voice services for online games and virtual worlds, today announced that it has secured $7.8 million in a second round of equity financing. Benchmark Capital led the round. Strong support was also received from the Company’s existing investors, Canaan Partners and GrandBanks Capital.

“The proliferation of virtual worlds and online games has created a tremendous opportunity for the Vivox communications platform,” said Mitch Lasky, general partner of Benchmark Capital and newly appointed Vivox board member. “Voice is a transformative feature in games, creating an entirely new level of engagement and social connection among players. Vivox is uniquely positioned to deliver scalable, carrier-grade voice services through its industry-leading technologies and expertise.”

“We are incredibly excited to have Benchmark Capital and Mitch Lasky involved with Vivox,” said Rob Seaver, founder and CEO of Vivox. “Benchmark’s clear visions and track record in the sector, and Mitch’s successful background in senior roles with Disney, Activision, JAMDAT and Electronic Arts are tremendous assets to Vivox.”

“Vivox’s technology and operational expertise have established them as a unique service in the market,” said Ryan Moore, general partner and member of the Vivox Board from GrandBanks Capital. “We see first-hand the positive impact Vivox has on online games and virtual worlds with operational excellence and innovative functionality and have no doubt they will continue to play a major role in shaping online communities.”

Proceeds from the round will fund product development, sales support and marketing as the Company extends its technology and market lead. Vivox offers the only integrated platform and managed service available today to enable online games and virtual worlds to connect their communities with cutting edge features and functionality on a massive scale.

“We continue to invest in digital media companies that are changing the way people work and live,” said Warren Lee, Vivox board member and principal at Canaan Partners. “We’re thrilled to invest again in Vivox and believe the company is poised for tremendous growth in the rapidly expanding gaming and virtual world market.”

Vivox customers and partners include online game and virtual world leaders 1GPN, Inc., Alpha Innovation, BigWorld Technology, CCP Games, The Electric Sheep Company, FWD International, IBM, Icarus Studios, Illusion Factory, K2 Network, LanguageLab.com, Linden Lab, Monumental Games, Pixel Mine and Wizards of the Coast.

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To spare you a lengthy background story check out TheGridLive.com for photos, and some additional clues. (Yes Stone…you are on the right track.) The story line below is the first arc, or perhaps a prologue. More to come as we prepare the official Primula Rasa blog.

To quote TheGridLive.com on the Primula Rasa Second Life build…

What happens when a well known, experienced and multi-talented Second Life avatar squares off against a well known real-world security and e-commerce guru whose connections go all the way to film? Something is brewing in SpellCaster next to Primula Rasa, first mentioned here. “Tensions mount as Federated Funds are cutoff. Techno Wizards, Spell Casters, and Magicians collide, cast and spread their fiery magic, armed with the arcane tools, runes, relics and stones thought long forgotten.” Are you ready to choose sides?

If only I was as formidable as Timeless Prototype…This is not quite a virtual war, think of this simulation more as two schools of thought locked in contest. Currently the sims (islands) are not complete, but moving steadily, however feel free to tour around the beta status (or if you have any input, grand ideas and are skilled at execution- let us know- via notecard- IMs in world are obviously to many to manage.). More answers are to come…for now here is the introduction.

Message to Recipients

You have been selected, if you so choose, to participate, as much as you wish, in an epic experiment and you will be asked to make a selection…choosing either the side of science (Prototypers- lead by Timeless Prototype or the Chevalians- lead by Corwin Chevalier)- these are actual avatars who also serve as character archetypes. The experience is ongoing and will span four sims or more during an unknown length of time.
The project is is still under beta build status now. At this point you need take no action, but if you choose just let either individual General or their aids of your interest. This is a primarily non-violent simulation, in real-time, using symbols, song, art and immersion to model different ways educators and businesses can utilize 3D worlds. Goals are to study system dynamics, micro-transactions and other aspects of 3D media immersion.

Back Story Credits: Corwin Chevalier, Vladimir Petrichor

The Prototypers and the Chevaliens have traveled to this world (Delphic) to study the evolution of knowledge as it occurs in “less advanced” people capable of developing “functional” intelligence, in an effort to further their own understanding of how the “great civilizations” of the universe came to be.

In essence, they seek to discover clues as to “how” and “why” they have advanced to such a high stage in evolution, while so many others remain nothing more than what some would consider primitives…or animals at best. A ruling was put forth by the Council of the Galactic Consortium of Lemnus in order to end the rivalry that, based on Seldone Entropical Theory, could cause serious unrest and economic upheaval.

This task, upon completion, would determine which of the two schools of thought would be next in line to lead all advanced life of the known metaverse and access to the rare and precious Genetadox vaccine. The Consortium power structure, by law, must change hands once a millennium. These laws were enacted through the passing of the Genetic Longevity Caste Act due to the much longer life spans granted after genome mapping was completed and stem cell mining was legalized leading to the creation of Genetadox. Also, perhaps, in the process, solve one of the greatest mysteries of all time.

(Pragulus Rex, the prolific philosopher, interjects that as human, we must often wonder and debate as to how we have developed our self proclaimed intellectual superiority over that of other life forms. It might be reasonable to believe that species more advanced than our own, e.g. intellectually, would be even further removed from this knowledge as it pertains to their own species.)

As the two competing power houses via for control of the next 100 years, the Chevaliens and Prototypers are well known for their sometimes greatly opposing viewpoints as to what the true determining aspects of knowledge may be. Not to mention the winning party would gain access to the rare Genetadox vaccine granting that group an abnormally long life span.

Well known for their unsurpassed technological advancements, the Prototypers, archetypal scientists, eagerly hypothesize that it is the advancement of logic and scientific deduction that comprise the true semblance of knowledge. Long have they held to the theory of the Great Algorithm of the Universe, and believe that this research will bring them leaps and bounds closer to writing the final proofs needed to explain it all.

The Chevaliens are believers and crusaders…in every essence of the word. Their faith and mystical approach to the universe has led them to uncover secrets that cannot be imagined or understood by outsiders. It is supposedly drawn from the lore of Earth’s ancient Sumer and a deity named Tiamiat. Tiamiat is a dragon and one of their primary power symbols. In their eyes the mind is more than a collection of neurons and cranial fluid capable of incredible calculation, but perhaps the vessel for things less tangible and supernatural. They believe that while science is worthy a chivalric “moral code” and spreading of this code is more important above all else. Not even one’s death should stop its replication and some say that the code can be modified to ensure it can survive.

For both, a singularity exists. Every answer often uncovers twice as many questions…whether the means to such answers are those of science or mysticism.

And so, the two parties sought out a primitive place of proper potential- Project Primula Rasa in the far flung Delphic System. Working hand in hand with one another, yet competing all the same…as they via to be the one party who could discover the answers to the origins of knowledge would gain control over the consortium and therefore the funding and political power of the entire metaverse as a whole and longevity.
Small, pink and vaguely simian were their candidates- or so believed. Simple tool users- still living in caves, or huts, spear fishing, and having just discovered the basic secrets of fire…a perfect specimen with which to begin their study over the evolution of knowledge. Yet life on Primula Rasa wasn’t quite that simple…

Pragulus Rex

Additional notations of Pragulus Rex postulate the theory that as thinking beings evolve from their base and primitive state, they first past through a period of “knowledge through faith”. During this stage of intellectual evolution a species will invariably determine the things that are “known” through intense belief in facets of reality that cannot be directly proven.

To some this may seem a simple example of primitive ignorance, however, during this stage a species will also be much more capable of attuning to the less explainable and tangible aspects of existence.

As the species progresses, it is likely, though not absolute, that they will develop a greater logical understanding of the world around them. Such logical understanding often leads to a drastic waning of belief in things that cannot be proven in a logical manner. Logic coincides with a sense of skepticism that in turn generates doubt toward aspects of reality not displayed physically as “fact”. Such skepticism, while useful in many ways and often the driving force behind many scientific discoveries, will usually lead to a deterioration of “faith” both among individuals and the populace at large.

Some would argue that such deteriorating senses of belief in things that cannot be proven can eventually lead to stagnation and corruption of that which may or may not exist as a “soul”.

It is at this point in the evolution of knowledge within a given species of thinking beings, that a crossroad is reached. While rarely an “active” decision, the path will then be set for it to continue its evolution through a means of logic in things that can be proven, or belief in that which cannot.

Few, if any, beings show a capacity to balance the two…as is evidence by the aeon’s of competition between the superlative masters of the respective thought processes. Were a group of beings truly capable of mastering and balancing both forms of knowledge, it is quite possible that their intellect and achievements would dwarf that of all other known species.

The Third Group

“…a possible mastery of balance between the superlative disciplines of knowledge could lead to a complete understanding of the universe as a whole.”
Pragalus Rex circa 227189

The above quote perhaps illustrates the defining concept of those oft shunned members of the Primula Rasa project, though it may have had nothing to do with their development.

Though we will refer to these individuals hereafter as a “group”, this is a reference only in the slightest sense of the word. Not possessed of an organized structure in themselves, they hold a distinct commonality in the fact they are detached from their origins among the ranks of the Prototypers and Chevaliens. This is not the result of any criminal punishment in any classic sense, but simply a separation from their organizations due to a lack of conviction toward the systems in which they were initially raised.

(*To human understanding, this may seem similar to the concept of losing one’s religion as would an Amish follower who has made the choice to follow the ways of the “english”. Though, this may not make sense in areas that have no Amish population.*)

The Prototypers and Chevaliens, being the generally accepted masters of their respective paths in the pursuit of all knowledge, began the Primula Rasa project with the intention of discovering clues that would lead them to a more complete understanding of the universe. This undertaking occurred in a somewhat competitive manner, as each group hoped to demonstrate that their own path to understanding was superior to that of the other. However, being greatly advanced beings in every sense of the idea, this competition was quite genial and research proceeded in a fashion that would be seriously understated with a label of “gentlemanly”. The two groups worked hand in hand during the Primula Rasa project, sharing discoveries and comparing theories in a fashion much like Bohr and Einstein….

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Solipsis P2P 3D

Solipsis is a free and open source system for a massively multi-participant shared virtual world. It was designed by Joaquin Keller and Gwendal Simon at France Telecom Research and Development Labs. Its goal is to provide the infrastructure for a “Metaverse-like” public virtual territory. Once again taking scalability into account it relies on a (P2P) peer-to-peer architecture sothat the virtual space has the potential to be populated by an “unlimited” number of participants.

Solipsis is Funded By:

ANR - French National Agency for Research
The French National Agency for Research (ANR) is a public administrative institution. It was created on January 1st 2007 as a funding agency for research projects. It aims at increasing the number of research projects coming from the whole scientific community. The projects are assessed by peers and go through a selection process based on their competitiveness; the selected ones are then funded. ANR addresses both public research institutions and companies with two main goals: generating new knowledge and promoting interactions between public and corporate labs by developping partnerships.

I&R - Media and Networks
A “cluster of clusters”, “Media and Networks” brings together actors from higher education and academic research institutions, SMI/SMEs and large companies mainly from Bretagne and Pays de la Loire regions, who are leaders in the media and networks fields. Encompassing the three markets of audiovisual, telecommunications, and information technologies, the Media and Networks cluster helps its members develop tomorrow’s world-competitive innovative technologies.

Open Source Make-up

The Solipsis project includes the use of a number of open source projects that it supports, or that makes up its DNA. Currently the list of supporting tech include:

OGRE (Object-Oriented Graphics Rendering Engine) -OGRE is a scene-oriented, flexible 3D engine written in C++.

Navi - Navi is a new library for Ogre3D developers. In this implementation think of making a GUI with HTML. Pretty simple.

Lua - Lua is a powerful, fast, light-weight, embeddable scripting language. It combines simple procedural syntax with powerful data description constructs based on associative arrays and extensible semantics.

Breplibrary - An implementation of a topological data structure similar to the WINGED EDGE data structure, representing the boundary of a polyhedral solid.

ODE (Open Dynamics Engine) - ODE is an open source, high performance library for simulating rigid body dynamics e.g. vehicles. It is a mature and platform independent that utilizes a C/C++ API.

TPG Tokamak Physics Engine - The TPG SDK is a high performance real-time physics library designed especially for gaming interaction.

XmlRpc++ - A C++ implementation of the XML-RPC protocol based on py-xmlrpc. The XmlRpc protocol was designed to make remote procedure calls simple: it encodes data in a simple XML format and uses ubiquitious HTTP for communication.

TinyXml - Very simple, and light weight C++ XML parser designed for easy integration. It reads XML and creates C++ objects representing the XML document. The objects can be manipulated, changed, and saved again as XML.

Note: So I don’t get too acronym happy–

XML (Extensible Markup Language) is a standard for creating markup languages which describe the structure of data.

HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) isthe protocol used to transfer web pages written in HTML. The protocol is used to follow links from one web page to another.

SDK (Software Development Kit) A set of programming instructions, points of access and guidelines for plugin developers.

HTML (HyperText Markup Language) A markup language designed for the creation of web pages with hypertext and other information to be displayed in a web page. Not an actual programming language.

GUI (Graphical User Interface) The use of pictures rather than just words to represent the input and output of a program. Hails from the days of mice, windows, and icons invented at Xerox PARC (not by Apple or Microsoft- they looted it.) in the 1970’s. DOS, if you are old enough to recall it, used a CLI (command line interface)

From Wikipedia on Solipsis

Strolling through a magnificent virtual world can now be casually experienced in massively multi-player games. It somehow corroborates the concept of a massively shared public virtual world depicted by Neal Stephenson in his science fiction novel Snow Crash. In these worlds, users’ interactions are not only allowed but empowered, so, in some ways, they outperform the current Web and appear as a possible evolution of our networking experience. However, some issues still need to be addressed.

In a virtual world, every object — avatar of a player or a virtual object — should be aware of all objects within its virtual surroundings. Yet, objects are dynamic: their virtual position can change. Therefore the system should ensure that an entity is aware of all events occurring nearby. The simplest way to implement such a system is to centralize the management of the virtual world. If a “god” knows, at any time, the positions of all entities, it can easily alert entities about important events happening nearby.

However, this architecture relies on costly server(s), mostly owned by some private companies. These virtual worlds are not public at all! They just are some private worlds having some rules that are unilaterally decided by a company. The behaviours of inhabitants are strictly monitored and some non-expected tendencies could result in banishments.

Moreover, a centralized virtual world adopts a common graphical appearance that is initially designed by owners. Even the most customizable systems where users can build their home will impose limits on the creativity of users. There is no clear consensus on the graphical shape of a virtual world and there will probably never be.

Furthermore, these systems fail in creating a complete ecosystem for the virtual world. The presence of an unsustainable owner prevents the raise of business opportunities.

Some recent initiatives attempt to implement a peer-to-peer virtual world. Algorithms based on collaboration between participants ensure the consistency of the virtual world that is a public place because nobody owns it, except its inhabitants.

The Open Source Metaverse Project builds a world seen as the union of several separate worlds, each one being managed by one user which could be potentially anybody. This edonkey-like architecture supports some 3d graphical routines. Solipsis is a one-layer peer-to-peer system in which there is definitely no manager, nor a precise implementation yet. Briefly speaking, Solipsis seems to have a greater potential because of its pretty open design, but it is far less enjoyable by now. Both approaches suffer from a bootstrapping issue. A world becomes attractive when it is crowded although they currently are quite empty.

No Escaping Snowcrash

Seems one cannot escape the Snowcrash metaphor these days. At any rate while researching Solipsis I came across some interesting documents- one in particular that readers might find worthy of study- The P2P Manifesto and I quote again because it ties directly into some recent and somewhat abstract exhibits to highlight our notions of economy, genetics, memetics, scarcity, abundance and perhaps even authenticity.

From the P2P Manifesto this opening piece.

Our current political economy is based on a fundamental mistake. It is based on the assumption that natural resources are unlimited, and that it is an endless sink. This false assumption creates artificial scarcity for potentially abundant cultural resources. This combination of quasi-abundance and quasi-scarcity destroys the biosphere and hampers the expansion of social innovation and a free culture.

In a P2P-based society, this situation is reversed: the limits of natural resources are recognized, and the abundance of immaterial resources becomes the core operating principle. The vision of P2P theory is the following:

1 ) the core intellectual, cultural and spiritual value will be produced through non-reciprocal peer production;

2) it is surrounded by a reformed, peer-inspired, sphere of material exchange;

3) it is globally managed by a peer-inspired and reformed state and governance system.

Because of these characteristics, peer to peer can be said to be the core logic of the successor civilization, and is a answer and solution to the structural crisis of contemporary capitalism.

Plenty more interesting points in the P2P Manifesto…

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I am not saying educators do not! The system does not get it and when I see this

The Immersive Education Initiative is an international collaboration of universities, colleges, research institutes, consortia and companies that are working together to define and develop open standards, best practices, platforms, and communities of support for virtual reality and game-based learning and training systems.

Immersive Education combines 3D and virtual reality (VR) technology with digital media to bring distance learning and self-directed learning to a new level. Unlike traditional distance learning, Immersive Education is designed to immerse and engage students in the same way that today’s best video games grab and keep the attention of players. Immersive Education combines interactive virtual reality and sophisticated digital media (voice chat, game-based learning modules, audio/video, and so forth) with collaborative online course environments and classrooms. Immersive Education gives students a sense of “being there” even when attending class in person isn’t possible, practical, or desirable, which in turn provides faculty and remote students with the ability to connect and communicate in a way that greatly enhances the learning experience.

Immersive Education and the Media Grid public compute utility on which it is built were recently recognized with a national award by Computerworld as “…innovative, promising technologies which hold the potential to significantly affect society in the near future.”

A) No kidding. Second Lifers have known this for a long time.

B) I do not need pixels to get immersion…(they are fun though)

SOME LOWER TECH EXAMPLES:

LISTENING TO STORIES AROUND A CAMP FIRE

Which is why I try not to ever get to immersed in some mechanical “college marketing books”.

Why? FORWARD THINKING FICTION or ADVENTURE IS GREAT FOR IMMERSION and EDUCATION….and where I get my blue prints.

Phillip Jose Farmer
The World of Tiers: Volume One (World of Tiers)

In the World of Tiers we meet earthlings Robert Wolff and Paul Janus Finnigan (alias Kickaha) who through strange circumstances are “gated” into a parallel pocket universe. These pocket universes are maintained by mostly insane “Lords” who are paranoid and spend most of their time trying to kill each other to stave off ennui. The World of Tiers is just that, a multi-tiered world that spans a virtual garden of Eden and changes each level until we come to a deadly palace at the top. I won’t spoil it, but the first three are really good, old-fashioned rip roaring reads.

Farmer’s books went on to inspire the late Roger Zelazny who wrote The Chronicles of Amber. He was so inspired by The World of Tiers Zelanzy actually dedicated one of the books in the series to the main characters Jadawin and Kickaha. I have found Amber to be an incredibly accurate metaphor for Second Life. (Matter of fact you might find the quixotic Chevaliers names and behavior to be quite similar to those of Amberites at times.). In the Amber stories, Amber and the Courts of Chaos are the only two “true” worlds. Everything else, even Earth, are called or simply the byproducts of “shadows”. The royal family of Amber that negotiates the Pattern, and the equivalent Chaos nobility who have walked the Logrus, can freely travel through the shadows and alter them at will. The obvious metaphor for Second Life being that of some arbitrary static reality and the existence of an infinite number of “negotiated realities”. Furthermore we have the metaphor of a scripter or builder who can literally “create” whatever they choose- it is nothing but Shadow and really quite malleable- even the physics.

The books are narrated by Corwin who suffers from amnesia, escapes, tracks down his sister Florimel, and discovers that he is a prince of Amber. He is taken by his brother Random to walk the Pattern. The Pattern is the construct which gives the multiverse its order. Walking the Pattern restores Corwin’s memory and his powers to travel through shadow…I won’t spoil the rest and since it is late I will let the Wikipedia hammer at the metaverse concepts within.

Amber and Second Life Parallels

The series is based on the concept of parallel worlds, domination over them being fought between the kingdoms at the extreme ends of Shadow—Amber, the one true world of Order, and the Courts of Chaos. Amberites of royal blood—those descended from Oberon (and ultimately his parents, Dworkin, formerly of the Courts of Chaos, and the Unicorn of Order herself) —are able to “walk in Shadow”, mentally willing changes to occur around them. These changes are, in effect, representative of the Shadow-walker passing through different realities. There are apparently infinite realities, either found by the Shadow-walker locating such worlds or by creating them (we the readers are never sure; neither are the characters).

Within this multiverse, Zelazny deals with some interesting philosophical concepts about the nature of existence, compares and contrasts the ideas of Order and Chaos, and plays with the laws of physics—they can differ from Shadow to Shadow; for instance, gunpowder does not ignite in Amber, which is why the characters all carry swords. Other Shadows have green skies and blue suns, cities of glass and Kentucki Fried Lizzard Partes, and worlds out of our own fiction can come to life.

In short, as I have maintained, reality is what we mutually negotiate- like modems we will find a common protocol. A game is what we choose to make out of it and if left idle humans will create their own rules and games to satisfy their needs.

Pixels, Mud, Time and Collaboration…oh yeah and Permission to break the pattern. Oh yes and teaching us how to think…

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For Anthony, my son. Hopefully he won’t see it for awhile and I know he is more into immersive 3D-Worlds (e.g. Club Penguin scooped by Disney) than blogs. Perhaps when he sees the shortcuts you can find by paying attention to others…or perhaps he will discover them on his own as all hard core gamers (and their community) always find a way to accomplish.

Variouns Guitar Hero III Cheats for the Wii as I found them- search ease use and attention getting winner was alpha status Mahalo. Guitar Hero III is the third installment in the popular Guitar Hero series developed by Neversoft…

Known Cheats (Key Series)

1. Large Gems: G, R, G, Y, G, B, G, O, G, B, G, Y, G, R, G, GR, RY, GR, YB, GR, BO, GR, YB, GR, RY, GR, GY

2. Hyperspeed: O, B, O, Y, O, B, O, Y

3. Performance Mode: RY, RB, RO, RB, RY, GB, RY RB

4. Precision Mode: GR, GR, GR, RY, RY, RB, RB, YB, YO, YO, GR, GR, GR, RY, RY, RB, RB, YB, YO, YO

5. Unlock All Code: YO, RB, RO, GB, RY, YO, RY, RB, GY, GY, YB, YB, YO, YO, YB, Y, R, RY, R, Y, O

6. Air Guitar: BY, GY, GY, RB, RB, RY, RY, BY, GY, GY, RB, RB, RY, RY, GY, GY, RY, RY

7. Bret Michae:ls Singer: GR, GR, GR, GB, GB, GB, RB, R, R, R, RB, R, R, R, RB, R, R, R

8. Easy Expert GR, GY, YB, RB, BO, YO, RY, RB

9. No Fail: GR, B, GR, GY, B, GY, RY, O, RY, GY, Y, GY, GR

10. Unlock Every Item GRBO, GRYB, GRYO, GBYO, GRYB, RYBO, GRYB, GYBO, GRYB, GRYO, GRYO, GRYB, GRYO

Guitar Hero 3 Wii aka Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Cheats

More Notes: There are many guitars not in the store but are available for purchase after completing tasks. How to unlock the guitar is in bold

Bat Guita- Five Star every song in Career Mode on Easy
Beach Life Bass- Beat Co-Op on Hard
El Jefe Guitar- 5-star all songs in Expert mode.
Jolly Roger Guitar- Five Star every song in Career Mode on Medium
Moon Shot Guitar- Beat Career Mode on Easy

Nemesis 13 Guitar- Beat Co-Op Career Mode on any difficulty
Neversoft Skateboard Guitar- 5 star every song on Expert Co-Op Career
Pendulaxe- Beat Co-Op- Career on Expert
Radioactive Beat- Co-op- Career mode on Hard
Risk Assessment Guitar- Complete Expert mode.
Rojimbo Guitar- Beat Career Mode on Hard
Saint George Guitar- Beat Career Mode on Medium
Tiki Guitar- every song in career on hard mode

Through the Fire and the Flames you can beat Career Mode on Any Difficulty

To unlock TTFAF, you must beat Career mode on any difficulty.
While the credits role, you will play TTFAF in no-fail From then on, TTFAF can be found in the bonus songs section.

Malware Free Game Cheats Resource Sites

NO malware or foistware, notorious on some even large “cheat sites” found.

Yes- dad checks.

GameFAQs: Guitar Hero III Cheats & Secrets
GamePro.com: Guitar Hero III Cheats
NeoSeeker: Guitar Hero III Cheats

Thanks again to Maholo billed as human search and how do I know?

Evan D made a Guitar Hero 3 Song List.

Mark B found all the best Guitar Hero III Cheats.
Adam created a page on How to Play Guitar Hero 3..

I am pleased they found nothing on me, for a change, and exactly what I wanted. Hat Tip Jason Calacanis for propogating a malware free “god mode” while even under Alpha status. I got the alpha, alpha, alpha…can’t wait to see beta, beta, omega…if you are Google everything is perpetually beta and if you are Microsoft it is called “shipped”, or a feature, or has a code name that changes three to four times coupled with twice as many skunkwork operation codenames signed in triplicate with lots of NDAs.

As a side bonus, friend and kung-fu, smack down, security ace, Chris Boyd doesn’t have to beat the crap out of any asshat with the much used “beat down stick” or my personal preference “the baton of reason”…for a nice change…