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Acropolis Now

March 23, 2006

The rebirth of ancient civilizations online.

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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 advenĀ­turing 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

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