The long-gone empires of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome were every bit as exciting as anything in Tolkien or EverQuest. Now Michael Griffin, a 23-year-old Oxford University graduate student and gaming enthusiast, plans to make those worlds accessible to virtual explorers. Begun two years ago, Griffin’s Ancient Spaces is an online 3-D environment that re-creates past civilizations through wiki-like mass development. Archaeologists, modelers, and historians contribute to the site using an open source graphics engine – compatible with common 3-D and CAD drawing apps – to add or modify in-world objects and landscapes. A group of academics will serve as moderators and determine what goes live.
Once enough of the world is built, Griffin plans to turn Ancient Spaces into a massively multiplayer online game in which players can earn points by contributing historically accurate structures and objects or by completing missions. Tasks might include adventuring down the Nile, fighting in the Peloponnesian War, or serving as a member of a Greek polis. “Imagine trying to win a debate with Socrates,” Griffin says, “or taking part in a performance of Oedipus Rex.” Beats slogging through history in hidebound textbooks.
– Jeff MacIntyre
