IBM uses Garage Games Torque Platform to build The Forbidden City: Beyond Space and Time Virtual World instead of Second Life OpenSim: A Slap in the face to Linden Lab?
IBM has long been involved in Second Life. But was that really to help Linden Labs or for their own selfish reasons? Today IBM Launched The Forbidden City. It is a recreation of the famous Ming and Qing Forbidden City in China in partnership with the Palace Museum. Second Life and Linden Labs was mentioned nowhere. Maybe that is because the game runs on Garage Games Torque platform.
Virtual Forbidden City Gameplay
Strange that IBM would not run OpenSim.
After running some IBM commercials about virtual worlds, IBM was recently helping Second Life with stability and technical hurdles and now appears to have capitalized on the Corporate Version of Second Life running on IBMs own superior servers. But it is infact Garage Games Torque platform. This is almost like a slap in the face to Linden Lab.
The Forbidden City Virtual World Intro Video:
Video of the Garage Games Torque Platform The Forbidden City Runs On:
Currently that Forbidden City has 133 visitors online with 4421 visitors registered. The virtual Forbidden City allows you to explore and experience Chinese cutlure and history. I suspect The Forbidden City: Beyond Space and Time is the first of many such online virtual worlds that will be developed by IBM.
The viewer download is free and allows you to customize your avatar, use advanced mapping, explore, and interact.
Does it allow users to create content? No? Then it is just a game and is useless like all the rest. These urinal contests bore me.
Users are allowed to create content or it is not a member of the metaverse. It is only a game and has no purpose except to use server space and bandwidth to no discernible goal other than to say “Oh that looks cool. Too bad we can’t kill each other with guns and swords in it.”