Next-Generation Virtual Worlds: Architecture, Status, and Directions

It seems likely that the Web as we know it will undergo several paradigm shifts in the coming years: its content will expand from 2D documents to also accommodate 3D virtual worlds; with new technologies like RFID and smartphones, be able to link to a place or thing (in the real or virtual world) and associate more metadata annotations with things in the real and virtual worlds to create increasingly smart semantic worlds. But to realize these promises, the virtual world and ubiquitous computing communities will need architectures that are standard enough to become pervasive and flexible enough to expand beyond the applications we have today. This article describes some of the motivations and requirements for common core architectures for virtual worlds and introduces a track of articles that aim to change the way humans interact with the Web and their world.