From a certain point of view, mobile and augmented-reality games could turn the world into a massively multiplayer online game — look at the global phenomenon that is Pokemon Go, for example.
But if that’s true, what does it mean for players to go from being the avatar in their own game to the NPC in someone else’s? How do you do community management for games that can encompass the whole Earth?
Veteran MMORPG dev Raph Koster addressed these and other questions at GDC 2017, where he gave a great talk on what lessons AR and VR game designers can learn from MMO games.
It was a fascinating session that delved into both the social and ethical implications of turning the real world into a virtual world, and how the lessons of massively multiplayer virtual worlds are more relevant than ever.
If you missed it in person, don’t miss your chance to now watch Raph’s talk for free over on the official GDC YouTube channel!
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