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Posts with tag arizona-state-university

Filed under: Games, Internet, Google, Social Software, Beta

Is Google testing a Second Life style virtual world?

Google ASU
Students at Arizona State University are being offered a chance to test a new product that will be launched later this year by an unnamed major company. Although the beta is available only to ASU students, and participants have to sign a nondisclosure statement to sign up, one student snapped a couple of images of the signup page.

So here's what we know. The questionnaire asks about social sites like Facebook, Friendster, and MySpace. There are also hints the project involves 3D modeling and video games. And one question is whether users have a Gmail account and/or would be willing to sign up for one, which is leading to speculation that this is a Google project.

What kind of Google project is kind of up in the air, but since we love some good speculation, we're willing to go with the theory that Google plans to launch some type of Second Life competitor. While Second Life and other virtual worlds are merely virtual, Google already has access to boatloads of satellite imagery which is used in Google Maps and Google Earth. Imagine a social network where you could walk an avatar down the street to your friend's house to chat, or wander into a store in Japan to check out its inventory and buy virtual or real life goods.

Of course, this is all just speculation. It's possible the project has nothing to do with Google or virtual worlds at all.

Featured Time Waster

Forumwarz - a potentially offensive time waster

I pwn UAfter spending the better part of an hour on Forumwarz I still can't decide if it's just sick or if it's kind of fun. It's a bit like a car wreck on the highway. I know I shouldn't be looking but I can't quite turn away.

It's sick, it's twisted, it's the internet on it's worst level and darn it, it's kind of fun. At least for a little while.

Forumwarz is a parody role-playing game that takes place on the internet - or at least the Forumwarz version of it. Your goal is to complete missions that are given to you through a mock up of GoogleTalk called Sentrillion.

Your first "friend" is ShallowEsophagus who begins giving you missions to pwn various forums by being a troll. Depending on the character type you are assigned at start up, you have tools like drooling on the keyboard or bashing your head on the keyboard that you can use to destroy forum threads and eventually, pwn a forum.

Future missions involve buying illegal software from the Russians, pwning more difficult forums and other internet oddness.

Completing missions gives you cash, called Flezz in game, and items that you can pawn or use in other missions. The game is NOT for those easily offended. It's crass, coarse and there are frequent f-bombs in the fake chat sessions.

This is also a game for a more mature audience as it requires you to shop at the Drugs R Fun store to get various concoctions to improve your playing, engage in certain cyber activities to get more Flezz and just generally use a more adult perspective.

If you can get past that, here are the more enjoyable and time-wasting aspects.

View more Time Wasters

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