A Virtual Cotton Club Rises, With an Open-Source Engine
Chronicle of Higher Education, Wired Campus, posted 8/15
Bryan Carter, an assistant professor of Africana studies, has been using the virtual world to teach students about the Harlem Renaissance since 2005. But as technology has advanced, Mr. Carter has been looking to evolve his virtual city as well. Now the virtual-life company Utherverse is building a new digital replica of Harlem during the 1920s, based on a street grid Mr. Carter has provided. The company is relying on the Unity engine, a cross-platform game engine that employs open graphics standards….
The project is among Utherverse’s first steps into the academic realm. The company has previously focused on the development of a virtual social world for adults, although it also offers services like UtherConvention, which hosts virtual conventions for businesses. Some classes have already been conducted in Utherverse’s virtual world, including foreign-language courses and classes on decorating and clothing design, said Anna Lee, Utherverse’s chief business-development officer.
