Dotsoul
Encyclopedia
Dotsoul was an immersive 3D Virtual Reality
MMORPG
based on the Active Worlds
application which ran from Dec 2005-2008 and was created by Joseph Bergeron and Laura Herrmann. A graphic and relationship intensive cyberpark, designed to facilitate the release of people's subconscious
, the stated goal of the park is to create a dreamscape or playground of the mind where people creatively interact, role-play and build virtual works which bear the stamp of their personal identities.
Built as an MMORPG
and graphically similar to games like World of Warcraft
, Half-Life
, and the The Sims
Dotsoul creators advocate a "code":
Residents create media, including three-dimensional graphics.
This attempt at creating a socially conscious “parallel universe” bears some relation to games such as A Force More Powerful
and the project at PARC
. However, unlike these games, Dotsoul is predicated on an open-architecture which is dependent on its user base for its content.
Celebrities, such as comics author Warren Ellis
, the comedians Brian Luff
and Georgina Sowerby
, Comedy Troop 365 and entertainer Richard Vobes
have posted at the site.
platform, creating things in Dotsoul involves clicking and pasting object tags which are accessible on the objects themselves scattered throughout the park. The act of making 3dimensional spaces would appear similar to the Myspace editing programs that have become so popular in recent months with the rise of that internet behemoth. While the Myspace editor interface allows users the ability to program in HTML without in-depth knowledge of HTML, by cutting and pasting code, in Dotsoul users cut and paste .rwx or renderware
code in order to generate 3dimensional trees, rocket ships, flowers and moving objects.
While the content in the park is user generated, there is an in-residence Master Builder, called the Michelangelo
of the Metaverse
by Dotsoul members. The relationship between Master builders and apprentices is an aspect of the park's dynamics. Under the tutelage of the current Master builder, Soul Tech, the first incarnation of Dotsoul is an amalgam of moods reminiscent of Dalí
, the Outer Limits
and the original film The Matrix
.
64MB RAM
Microsoft Windows 98, NT, Me, 2000, XP or Vista
DirectX
8.1 or later
Windows Media Player 6.4 or later
D3D video card with at least 8MB and the latest drivers
Virtual reality
Virtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...
MMORPG
MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
based on the Active Worlds
Active Worlds
Active Worlds is a 3D virtual reality platform. The Active Worlds client runs on Windows. Users assign themselves a name, log into the Active Worlds universe, and explore 3D virtual worlds and environments that other users have built. Users can chat with one another or build structures and areas...
application which ran from Dec 2005-2008 and was created by Joseph Bergeron and Laura Herrmann. A graphic and relationship intensive cyberpark, designed to facilitate the release of people's subconscious
Subconscious
The term subconscious is used in many different contexts and has no single or precise definition. This greatly limits its significance as a definition-bearing concept, and in consequence the word tends to be avoided in academic and scientific settings....
, the stated goal of the park is to create a dreamscape or playground of the mind where people creatively interact, role-play and build virtual works which bear the stamp of their personal identities.
Philosophy
According to its creators, Dotsoul is meant to trigger the ability in participants to make something out of their own images. It gives people the option to live outside the corporate structure and creates room for independent self-discovery. The society is, as stated on the official website “the parallel universe inside your head.”Built as an MMORPG
MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
and graphically similar to games like World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
, Half-Life
Half-Life (series)
The Half-Life series of video games share a science fiction alternate history. Nearly all of the games are first-person shooters on the GoldSource or Source engines, and most are linear, narrative, single-player titles....
, and the The Sims
The Sims
The Sims is a strategic life-simulation computer game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. Its development was led by game designer Will Wright, also known for developing SimCity...
Dotsoul creators advocate a "code":
- Respect everyone
- This is a PG rated world because like the "real world" it involves children (and a huge range of cultural experiences). Stay mindful
- No VR universe or world bashing here. Support everyone, including the competition
Residents create media, including three-dimensional graphics.
This attempt at creating a socially conscious “parallel universe” bears some relation to games such as A Force More Powerful
A Force More Powerful
A Force More Powerful is a 1999 feature-length documentary film and a 2000 PBS series written and directed by Steve York about non-violent resistance movements around the world. Executive producers were Dalton Delan and Jack DuVall...
and the project at PARC
PARC
PARC or Parc may refer to:* PARC , the Palo Alto Research Center * PARC Management, a theme park and entertainment venue operator...
. However, unlike these games, Dotsoul is predicated on an open-architecture which is dependent on its user base for its content.
Avatars
Dotsoul's avatars range from scuba divers, tourists, hikers to Hobbits, Superman, aliens, Clint Eastwood, Ferengi to birds, grasshoppers, apes, to historical figures, such as Navajo, Caesar, Venus, Osiris, Hotep, knights, princesses, and to science fictional, contemporary, and customized citizens.Media and celebrity coverage
- Haleakala Times
- Las Vegas WeeklyLas Vegas WeeklyLas Vegas Weekly is a free alternative weekly newspaper based in Henderson, Nevada, covering Las Vegas arts, entertainment, culture and news. Las Vegas Weekly is published by Greenspun Media Group. The paper was founded in 1992 by James Reza as a free monthly publication called Scope covering...
- Florida Times Union
Celebrities, such as comics author Warren Ellis
Warren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis is an English author of comics, novels, and television, who is well-known for sociocultural commentary, both through his online presence and through his writing, which covers transhumanist themes...
, the comedians Brian Luff
Brian Luff
Brian Luff is an artist, writer, TV producer/director and performer from London. His weekly stage show Brian Luff's Sketch Club helped launch the careers of such comedians as Laura Solon and BBC double-act Colin & Fergus....
and Georgina Sowerby
Georgina Sowerby
Georgina K. Sowerby is an artist, performer, radio presenter, company director and a producer with Fit2Fill Limited in London, England. She is currently working on a conceptual art project called "Cat Not Here." She was producer of the long-running fringe show...
, Comedy Troop 365 and entertainer Richard Vobes
Richard Vobes
Richard Vobes is an entertainer, actor, independent film maker, writer and award winning podcaster. He has produced close to 3000 audio podcasts since January 2005. He has worked in both the corporate and broadcast sector...
have posted at the site.
Content
- Events, such as art gallery openings, internet connections with pod casters and Myspace members, and live shows
- In May 2006, a post appeared on the official website celebrating the sale of work by Kasmira and Jason Weinberg, two Maine based artists with a large gallery inside Dotsoul.
- Internet café exposure
- DJ music
- Community service and outreach with nonprofit organizations, such as Bridges across Borders.org
- Animated video productions, games, seminars, and promotion for independent artists and entrepreneurs
Creating content
Built on the Active WorldsActive Worlds
Active Worlds is a 3D virtual reality platform. The Active Worlds client runs on Windows. Users assign themselves a name, log into the Active Worlds universe, and explore 3D virtual worlds and environments that other users have built. Users can chat with one another or build structures and areas...
platform, creating things in Dotsoul involves clicking and pasting object tags which are accessible on the objects themselves scattered throughout the park. The act of making 3dimensional spaces would appear similar to the Myspace editing programs that have become so popular in recent months with the rise of that internet behemoth. While the Myspace editor interface allows users the ability to program in HTML without in-depth knowledge of HTML, by cutting and pasting code, in Dotsoul users cut and paste .rwx or renderware
RenderWare
RenderWare is a computer and video game middleware from British games developer Criterion Software.-Overview:RenderWare is a 3D API and graphics rendering engine used in video games, Active Worlds, and some VRML browsers...
code in order to generate 3dimensional trees, rocket ships, flowers and moving objects.
While the content in the park is user generated, there is an in-residence Master Builder, called the Michelangelo
Michelangelo
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni , commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art...
of the Metaverse
Metaverse
The Metaverse is our collective online shared space, created by the convergence of virtually enhanced physical reality and physically persistent virtual space, including the sum of all virtual worlds, augmented reality, and the internet...
by Dotsoul members. The relationship between Master builders and apprentices is an aspect of the park's dynamics. Under the tutelage of the current Master builder, Soul Tech, the first incarnation of Dotsoul is an amalgam of moods reminiscent of Dalí
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Domènec Felip Jacint Dalí i Domènech, Marquis de Púbol , commonly known as Salvador Dalí , was a prominent Spanish Catalan surrealist painter born in Figueres,Spain....
, the Outer Limits
The Outer Limits (1963 TV series)
The Outer Limits is an American television series that aired on ABC from 1963 to 1965. The series is similar in style to the earlier The Twilight Zone, but with a greater emphasis on science fiction, rather than fantasy stories...
and the original film The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
.
System requirements
Pentium II CPU 300mhz or equivalent64MB RAM
Microsoft Windows 98, NT, Me, 2000, XP or Vista
DirectX
DirectX
Microsoft DirectX is a collection of application programming interfaces for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms. Originally, the names of these APIs all began with Direct, such as Direct3D, DirectDraw, DirectMusic, DirectPlay,...
8.1 or later
Windows Media Player 6.4 or later
D3D video card with at least 8MB and the latest drivers