[MUD-Dev2] [Design]Characters moving between worlds [wasPersonalvirtual worlds]

[Dave Scheffer]

----- Original Message -----
"Michael Sellers" wrote:
>
> Also, anyone considering this area should note that Trip Hawkins (EA, 3DO,
> now Digital Chocolate) holds a pretty strong patent on the process of
> transferring data between worlds such that it takes on different forms in
> each world (e.g. your knight with a cool sword on a warhorse in a fantasy
> world becomes a pilot with a ray gun in a space ship in a SF world).  This
> patent doesn't resolve the security issues, but it does remove a
> 'normalization' path for those who would munge incoming data to fit their
> own world.
>
> Mike Sellers
> Online Alchemy

Does Hawkins' patent define a specific implementation or is it another of 
these "business patents" that encompass general concepts? (usually to the 
detriment of public interest :P )

I understand the issues.  I also think this is the inevitable next step of 
massive online games.  Obviously the initial baby steps will be with 
commercial proprietary clients from vendors with the resources (e.g. 
Blizzard, Sony) to make life difficult for Battle.Net-like cheaters.

Dave Scheffer