Video game economist Ed Castronova (whose back-of-the-envelope math on the GDP of Everquest's Norrath made a huge stir) has received a $240,000 MacArthur grant to fund the creation of a virtual world built on the works of Shakespeare:
"It's a historical Shakespeare play, so that means it's really easy for us to take all the sort of fantasy stuff like knights in shining armor and peasants and woodworkers…and we can just really fit right into 'Richard III' right away."
But "Arden" has a more serious goal than just letting gamers cavort around in an Elizabethan playground.
Castronova likens "Arden" to a "petri dish" where he and other researchers can conduct ongoing social-science experiments. He said the idea is similar to a biologist running multiple versions of an experiment, each with slight variations in conditions, to see how those conditions affect the outcome.
"Now we have this technology for making little pocket societies and we can do different governments, different economies, different social norms in the different environments," he said, "and see how it affects the things we care about, like equality and justice and growth and efficiency."…
He said one of the more unique elements of "Arden" is that the game will be seeded with Shakespearean texts, many of which will be the most valuable treasure players can find.
"If you collect the 'To be or not be' speech and then take it to a lore master or to a skilled bard, he can then apply the magic to your broad sword or you (could) utilize the magic in a battle situation to give you this massive (advantage)," Castronova explained. "So there (will be) this intensive competition to get the best speeches of Shakespeare in your play book.
"You've got to know your Shakespeare, but…if you do, collect these texts and you can just playfully kick butt the way wizards do."
(via Wonderland)
