Whyville

Infobox VG| title =
developer = Numedeon
publisher = Numedeon
designer = Numedeon
engine = Java
genre = Virtual Reality virtual world serious games
released = March, 1999
modes = Multiplayer
platforms = Java
input = Keyboard, Mouse

Whyville is an educational Internet site geared towards preteens and children. Its goal is to engage its users in learning about a broad range of topics, from science and business to art and geography.

The game is reported to be one of the most popular virtual worlds with a player base of 3 million. [cite news| title=More real people are leading virtual lives | author=James H. Burnett III | work=The Miami Herald | url=http://www.miamiherald.com/460/story/106953.html | date=2007-05-15 | accessdate=2007-05-28]

As a simulation based virtual world, Whyville's users engage in games and roleplay sponsored by a wide range of governmental, non-profit, and corporate entities. Launched in 1999, by Numedeon Inc, Whyville was one of the first virtual worlds for children, and is one of the few virtual worlds whose purpose is primarily educational.

Numedeon Inc was founded by Dr. James M. Bower his students and collaborators at the California Institute of Technology interested in ways in which the Internet and simulation-based serious gaming could change education.

Whyville Virtual Economy

Whyville was one of the first virtual worlds where game play was based on an internal virtual currency. [cite news| title=Cartoon lips, virtual fashion and physics | author=Richard Lee Colvin | work=The Los Angeles Times | url=http://www.whyville.net/press/latimes_020708.html| date=2002-07-08 | accessdate=2002-07-08] Users earn a 'clam' salary based on the educational activities they engage in on the site. With their clams they can buy face parts, projectiles, furniture, bricks, and other virtual goods and services that enhance their life 'in world'.

Once a user has accumulated a large enough clam savings, they can start their own Whyville virtual business. All businesses relate to the creation of a "face part", whether it is for an owned Scion (virtual automobiles in Whyville sponsored by the popular Scion company) or for a player's avatar on their virtual face. Players must draw their creations by hand. One of the most differential aspects of the Whyville drawing system, is that it contains limited capabilities that make sure that whatever image is drawn is made solely by one maker. There is absolutely no copying and pasting, and no line tools. There is, however, an assortment of colors that one can choose from. Akbar, a city worker who runs the Face Factory, decides whether or not your part is accepted. Nothing copyrighted is accepted, and whatever is made must be deemed appropriate. Since Akbar's was opened, thousands of players have been creating their own parts. Some, like "Elmo" (a copyrighted part accepted shortly after the Face Factory opened) are now very rare to find and worth a lot of "clams" (Whyville's virtual currency). There are many popular face part creators, but anyone who can draw well using limited tools is bound to have their face parts sell out quickly.

"Clams" are Whyville's form of virtual currency. The more clams a player has, the more opportunities arise in their online journey. First and foremost, this means the ability to create parts. A player is allowed to purchase a Whypass with real money, which grants them unlimited access to the Face Factory and more for a limited amount of time. The other resource available is the Voucher, which allows a player a one time pass to the Face Factory to make one part. This requires clams to purchase from other players, or, according to the administrators, can be found around Whyville in certain rooms. When one first starts out in Whyville, they are given 50 clams, which makes it difficult to obtain a large amount. This is the challenge of earning a salary and daily clams by playing online and sometimes through educational games relating to science and English.

Even though it is difficult to obtain a large amount of clams, there are many users who have played Whyville since the day it came out, in 1999. Players who have stuck with the game until the current year, 2008, and have maintained their account wisely, usually have the most clams in the game and usually have a high salary for their daily clams. Many richer Whyvillians use their clams to make face parts, buy Scions, or even just give them away through raffles and contests. Others may deposit their clams into the Bankinter, sponsored by the Bankinter of Spain which allows a Whyvillian to earn interest by depositing their clams in CD's (certificates of deposit) or into their online savings account with a user-locked password added by the user.

ponsorships in Whyville

Whyville has an extensive and growing list of sponsors, ranging from NASA to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the J. Paul Getty Trust on the one hand, to Disney, EMI, and Scholastic Publishing on the other.

One of Whyville's major sponsors is Toyota. As a part of this promotion, Whyville offers use of customizable Scion xB, Scion xD, and Scion tC cars as a part of avatar interaction and as an additional means of transportation through the site. Scion owners can give rides to other users by invitation. When Scions were first introduced to Whyville, they could only be purchased for clams, and still can be. The cost is from 13,008 to 33,542 clams. Scion then opened 'Scion Solutions' in Whyville, where citizens can apply for loans to buy a car. Loans are given based on a citizen's 'Why Co' score rating and a robotic loan councilor helps citizens understand how to raise their credit rating.

Whyville also has an extensive virtual nutrition project sponsored by the University of Texas System and The School Nutrition Association. [ [http://www.schoolnutrition.org/Index.aspx?id=1947 Learning Nutrition at Whyville’s Virtual Cafeteria] ] In this project, Whyville's citizens elect to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day, and a nutrition calculator then determines the state of their health.

Whyville also has games and activities focusing on environmental issues supported by organizations like the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The site has yet to launch a major project involving global climate change. [cite news| title=Virtual Environmentalism | author=Anastasia Goodstein | work=The Huffington Post | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anastasia-goodstein/virtual-environmentalism_b_54025.html| date=2007-06-27 | accessdate=2007-06-27]

Whyville in the Schools

Whyville has also become involved in a number of work force pipeline projects aiming to encourage children to consider technical and scientific careers. For example, the National Science Foundation has recently awarded funding to the ETR Associates to implement a project through middle school classrooms to engage young Hispanic women in computer game design and entrepreneurship. [cite news| title=Gaming class aim to spark girls interest in computer careers | author=Donna Jones | work=The Santa Cruz Sentinel | url=http://www.scsextra.com/story.php?sid=48453| date=2007-05-04 | accessdate=2007-05-04] The Texas Workforce Commission through the Office of the Governor has also funded Whyville to develop work force related games related to advanced manufacturing and biotechnology. [ [http://www.governor.state.tx.us/divisions/press/pressreleases/PressRelease.2006-08-02.5341 Perry Announces $3 Million to Develop Workforce of the Future] , 2006-08-02 press release by Texas Governor Rick Perry] In the 2007-2008 school year, Waco Independent School District piloted Whyville in more than fifty Career Connections classrooms for over 1,000 students, integrating Whyville into school day activities and creating lesson plans available in the Whyville discussion group at Ning.com.

Whytexas Challenge

In April, 2008, as part of its work with the Texas Workforce Commission, Whyville launched a new initiative for teachers call the Whytexas Challenge [ [http://www.why-texas.com/teachersnotes.php Why-Texas Whyville Texas Challenge ] ] . Over three weeks, 300 teachers in Texas signed their students up to compete for their classrooms. The winners, from the Waco Independent school district amassed more than 17,000 clams ref> [http://www.why-texas.com/] ] . Whyville has plans to launch the Why-Challenge internationally in the fall.

Whyville and Popular Culture

In addition to its more serious side, Whyville also provides fun and entertainment to its citizens. For example, the site has hosted several pop concerts with well known artists. The latest concert in the series, on September 20, 2007, involving the group The Cheetah Girls. Also, Whyville has hosted concerts for Stacie Orrico and TobyMac.Whyville also has done events involving the Jonas Brothers.

Educational Research in Whyville

As a learning site, Whyville is also attracting increasing attention from the educational research community interested in the effect of virtual worlds on children [ [http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/faculty/kafai/projects/whyville.htm Yasmin B. Kafai Research Projects, 2006-08-09 ] . The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation for example, is funding a new research project aimed at understanding how preteens explore and share information about reproductive health using Whyville [ [http://spotlight.macfound.org/main/entry/thomas_kafai_tweens_reproductive_health_virtual_worlds/#When:14:03:00Z Thomas & Kafai: Tweens and Reproductive Health in Virtual Worlds, 2008-08-09 ] .

Leaders in Whyville

Whyville has many leader oppurtunities. You can become a whyville senator by being elected by Whyville's citizens. You can also become a Whyville "Ymail Helper" or a Whyville newbie guide, these people take new citizens ("newbies") on a tour of Whyville. Whyville has leadership opportunities. This teaches children about politics and voting in real life. Every four months, the citizens elect three new senators.

City workers are adults, employed by Numedeon, who help run Whyville. They work both full-time and part-time jobs, depending on their position, from a base in Pasadena, CA.

References

External links

* [http://www.whyville.net/ Whyville]
* [http://internetmarketingvoodoo.com/2007/01/imv40-advertising-in-virtual.html Interview with Dr. James Bower, CVO of Numedeon and Founder of Whyville on marketing and education in whyville]
* [http://digitalnow-resources.blogspot.com/2008/04/video-jim-bower-founder-of-whyville-at.html Conference presentation by Dr. James Bower, CVO of Numedeon and Founder of Whyville on Whyville's growth and development]
* [http://youtube.com/watch?v=bI_Lzc9AFU4&feature=related Special tour of Whyville by Sharon Burns, CIO MacArthur Foundation]