NASA is working on an MMO and they're doing it using Unreal 3 according to a recent interview in which they say Unreal 3 will allow players to submit content created using U3 modding tools.
The goal of using a widely available engine, Heneghan said, is to allow users to add on to the world.
"We want anybody that can go pick up a copy of Unreal Tournament III for probably $19 at the store now to be able to get content that could be submitted for inclusion in the game," Heneghan told Big Download.
Alex Peake spoke with the NASA MMO developers at GDC SF 2009 and asked them the most important yes or no question: Have you played Alpha Centauri? They have, and they get it, and they're even open to trekonomic social innovations along with the expected space technology stuff.
Why is NASA interested in launching a Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMO)?
Persistent immersive synthetic environments in the form of massive multiplayer online gaming and social virtual world, initially popularized as gaming and social settings, are now finding growing interest as education and training venues. There is increasing recognition that these synthetic environments can serve as powerful "hands‾on" tools for teaching a range of complex subjects. Virtual worlds with scientifically accurate simulations could permit learners to tinker with chemical reactions in living cells, practice operating and repairing expensive equipment, and experience microgravity – making it easier to grasp complex concepts and transfer this understanding quickly to practical problems. MMOs help players develop and exercise a skill set closely matching the thinking, planning, learning, and technical skills increasingly in demand by employers. These skills include strategic thinking, interpretative analysis, problem solving, plan formulation and execution, team‾building and collaboration, and adaptation to rapid change.
