Virtual environments offer an exciting platform for social science research. The persistent nature of online virtual worlds such as Second Life however has increased the potential for both companies and institutions looking to establish a virtual presence and researchers looking to measure the evolving forms of human behaviour displayed when interacting within them. Since the use of the Internet has become widespread, commercial enterprises are particularly interested in exploring the opportunities that virtual environments may hold for them as the stereotype of what constitutes a ‘typical’ computer user gradually becomes broken down within contemporary society. Second Life and virtual worlds alike deviate from what might be categorized as a game, serving more as extensions of reality than escapes from it. Virtual worlds have been said to be dichotomous in that they may act as play spaces as well as extensions of the real world. Much existing research on computer-mediated communication and online behaviour has focused upon the differences between computer-mediated and face-to-face communication, and has provided in-depth reports on online communities. A growing body of research, however, focuses a more integrative view of computer mediated communication, looking at how online time fits with and complements other aspects of an individual’s everyday life. This work uses the virtual environment of Second Life to integrate the virtual and the real for real-world financial benefits and analyses the ways in which they intersect. The research presented here provides evidence for the thesis that the persistent online virtual world of Second Life can act as a valid and effective user interface metaphor for the financial services sector. The theory of social presence when applied to human-computer interaction provided the basis of this work. A practical metric is developed by which a bank could effectively create an optimum virtual environment to provide a new and innovative service for its customers by measuring levels of perceived social presence in interaction, collaboration and learning scenarios. Financial institutions and companies alike can use these results and turn them into practical tools to create a virtual environment for customers or staff to interact within that can project them to the forefront of technological innovation and add to a reputation as an ever developing and forward thinking company.

L’objet de cette recherche est d’étudier les antécédents de l’intention du consommateur de MMO/MMORPG en nous appuyant sur la définition de Bell (2008), qui propose un consensus quant à la définition des mondes virtuels. Par cette définition, tous les mondes virtuels possèdent trois concepts qui leur sont inhérents : la présence d’interactions sociales, la persistance et l’avatar. Nous avons adapté le modèle de l’acceptation technologique en représentant ces trois concepts par l’identité sociale pour laquelle nous distinguons la communauté du MMO et la communauté de la guilde, la perception du flow et l’avatar. Notre travail suit une démarche hypothético-déductive, qui s’est formalisée par l’élaboration d’une analyse qualitative et d’une analyse quantitative, en utilisant les équations structurelles.Les résultats ont montré que les facteurs motivationnels (Yee 2007) d’accomplissement et d’immersion influencent significativement et positivement la personnalisation des déterminants de l’avatar (le physique, l’habillement et les attitudes), a contrario du facteur de sociabilité qui l’influence négativement. Les trois concepts inhérents aux mondes virtuels ont une influence positive sur l’attitude qui, elle-même, influence positivement l’intention. Notre adaptation du modèle de l’acceptation technologique, en intégrant conjointement les trois concepts des MMO/MMORPG que sont l’identité sociale, la perception du flow et la personnalisation des critères de l’avatar, explique à 27,4 % l’intention du consommateur de mondes virtuels. / The object of this research is to study the antecedents of the consumer’s intention of MMO/MMORPG by supporting the definition of Bell (2008), which is offering a consensus on the definition of the virtual worlds. By this definition, all the virtual worlds have three concepts which are inherent to them: the presence of social interactions, persistence and avatar. We adapted the model of technological acceptance by representing these three concepts by social identity at which we distinguished the MMO community and the Guild community, perception of the flow and avatar. Our work follows a hypothetico-deductive method, which was formalized by the development of a qualitative and a quantitative analysis, using structural equations method. The results showed that the motivational factors (Yee 2007) of achievement and immersion influence significantly and positively the personalization of the determinants of the avatar (physique, clothing and attitudes), a contrario of the factor of sociability which influences it negatively. The three concepts which are inherent to virtual worlds have a positive influence on the attitude which, itself, influences positively the intention. Our adaptation of the model of technological acceptance, by jointly integrating the three concepts of the MMO/MMORPG which are social identity, perception of the flow and personalization of the criteria of the avatar, explains to 27,4% the consumer’s intention of virtual worlds.

This study explored how avid users of Second Life (SL) experience and make meaning of informal learning activities in virtual art museums and similar cultural spaces through their avatars. While recent literature has laid the groundwork for studying student engagement and formal learning, the lacuna of research bound by the historical traditions of qualitative research design has done little to ease the skepticism surrounding the value of virtual worlds for learning. Within the context of museological discourse, virtual museum learning experiences have the potential to shift viewing practices as well as how meaning is generated, interpreted, and disseminated. Technical, conceptual, and methodological barriers to studying virtual worlds remain. Another goal of this study was to demonstrate the potential of hermeneutic phenomenology, particularly my conceptualization of virtual hermeneutics, to study virtual worlds. Hermeneutic phenomenology has the potential to make practical understanding of the informal learning process in SL explicit by providing an interpretation of this process. The challenge lies in applying the philosophy behind the methodology to the changing reality of virtual worlds. It is only by studying these experiences in context and situated within virtual spaces that we can expand our understanding of the avatar-mediated informal learning process. Findings from this study show that in-world informal learning experiences can, in fact, be studied on their own terms. Furthermore, rich textural data can not only be extracted from exclusively in-world interaction, but collaborative relationships can also develop with no actual world contact. These experiences and interactions can lead to experiential learning, but also transformational learning where the avatar-identity can affect users' actual world viewing practices and meaning making. It is not so much the technology per se that can affect change, but rather identity exploration, diegesis, and relationship building afforded by the technology. Albeit some learning outcomes were observed, affective outcomes and cognitive strategies, including metacognitive skills, were more frequently described by participants. Due to the complexity of assessing such outcomes and the present obsession with quantitatively measurable outcomes in formal education, it is unlikely that SL can or will be used outside the scope of informal learning in the near future unless formal education undergoes social reform.

O presente estudo visou investigar as estratégias interativas, de manipulação de impressões e de gerenciamento de identidades vigentes no ambiente de sociabilidade de Second Life, um mundo virtual determinado. Nele, indivíduos munem-se de inúmeras ferramentas para administrar a exposição de informações pessoais, o que proporcionaria elevado controle sobre a impressão causada nos demais. A pesquisa compôs-se de uma observação participante em um primeiro momento e posteriores entrevistas com adeptos, selecionados a partir de uma metodologia do tipo bola-de-neve. A análise das regras e táticas de sociabilidade do ambiente em questão deu-se à luz de interpretações sociológicas de Erving Goffman, Georg Simmel e, em menor medida, Pierre Bourdieu. Por meio delas, conceitos como o de manipulação de impressões, cuidado com a face, sociabilidade e coquetismo foram aplicados e adaptados para a compreensão do fenômeno. Após a etapa exploratória, buscou-se situar os valores e mecanismos sociais percebidos em Second Life com relação à sociedade contemporânea fora das telas do computador, conforme apreendida por proeminentes autores atuais como Ulrich Beck, Mike Featherstone e Kenneth Gergen. A partir deles, aplicou-se a visão da liberdade precária, a noção de sociedade de consumo e suas implicações para o gerenciamento de identidades, além da suposta situação de saturação do self notada por Gergen (1991) como dominante em sociedades ocidentais do fim do século passado. Como objetivo norteador do estudo, buscou-se questionar a validade da ideia, propagada por desenvolvedores e adeptos desse mundo virtual, que o percebe como uma alternativa significativa às formas de existência típicas das sociedades ocidentais contemporâneas. Tal abordagem, nem sempre exposta clara e diretamente pelos próprios desenvolvedores desse programa de computador, está implícita em seu próprio título segunda vida. Em suma, após uma exploração das regras de sociabilidade típicas do ambiente em questão, contesta-se até que ponto é possível confirmar a existência da produção de identidades e realização plena de liberdade quando da imersão dos indivíduos em mundos virtuais / This study aimed to investigate the interactive strategies, manipulation of impressions and identity management prevailing in the sociability environment of Second Life, a determined virtual world. In it, individuals are provided with several tools to manage the exposure of personal information, which would allow high control over the impressions made by one user on others. The research consisted of participant observation at first and later interviews with users, selected from a methodology such as \"snow-ball.\" The analysis of rules and tactics of social environment in question took place in the light of sociological interpretations of Erving Goffman, Georg Simmel, and Pierre Bourdieu to a smaller extent. Through them, concepts such as \"management of impressions\", \"facework,\" \"sociability\" and \"flirting\" were applied and adapted to the understanding of the phenomenon. After the exploratory stage, we sought to place the perceived values and social mechanisms in Second Life in relation to the contemporary society out of computer screens, as perceived by prominent present authors like Ulrich Beck, Kenneth Gergen and Mike Featherstone. Important ideas were applied, like the vision of \"precarious freedom,\" the notion of \"consumer society\" and its implications for identity management, and the supposed state of \"saturation of the self\" noted by Gergen (1991) as dominant in Western societies in the end of the last century. As a guiding objective of the study, we sought to question the validity of the idea, propagated by developers and adepts of this virtual world, that perceives it as a meaningful alternative to the typical ways of living of contemporary Western societies. Such approach, not always clear and exposed directly by the developers of this computer program, is implicit in its very title - \"second life\". In short, after an exploration of the typical rules of sociability of the environment in question, it is disputed how far it is possible to confirm the production of identities and full realization of freedom when individuals are immersed in virtual worlds.

O aprimoramento de atributos como a capacidade de processamento e interfaces gráficas das tecnologias disponíveis no mercado vem criando um cenário propício para a profusão de ambientes imersivos como os mundos virtuais. Estes ambientes, com características semelhantes aos jogos eletrônicos, simulam espaços complexos e podem ser explorados como réplicas virtuais do mundo real, ensejando o oferecimento de novas situações de ensino e aprendizagem que oportunizam a contextualização do conhecimento e o desenvolvimento de tarefas autênticas. Entretanto, poucos docentes têm domínio sobre esta tecnologia, ainda considerada de alta complexidade. Com vistas a promover uma aproximação do docente da Educação Básica aos ambientes imersivos, foi elaborado um conjunto de estratégias para compor um programa de formação voltado para o desenvolvimento da prática docente nos mundos virtuais, envolvendo a produção de artefatos educacionais para tais ambientes. A pesquisa que serviu como base para o desenvolvimento destas estratégias foi conduzida através de um estudo de casos múltiplos desdobrado em duas diferentes fases. A primeira fase realizou os primeiros passos rumo à autoria nos mundos virtuais, sendo nela desenvolvida uma experiência de produção de mídias para comporem laboratórios de aprendizagem dentro do mundo virtual. O objetivo desta fase foi observar o processo de autoria de objetos para os mundos virtuais, extraindo assim elementos para a reflexão sobre estratégias que seriam efetivas em uma capacitação docente focada no uso educacional de tais ferramentas. O estudo de caso culmina com a fase 2 da pesquisa, na qual foi conduzido um programa de formação, desenvolvido a partir dos elementos extraídos nas fases anteriores, oferecido a professores de diferentes áreas do conhecimento. A eficácia das estratégias emergentes nesta pesquisa foi verificada a partir de diferentes técnicas, como a observação participante, aplicação de entrevistas e questionários, análise de registros e análise documental. Para a análise dos laboratórios produzidos ao longo desta formação foi desenvolvida uma taxonomia denominada Taxonomia de Engajamento para os Mundos Virtuais, a partir da qual se buscou identificar diferentes níveis de engajamento que podem ser promovidos por atividades conduzidas no contexto dos mundos virtuais. A análise dos materiais produzidos, bem como o acompanhamento de todas as fases deste processo, apontam para uma real possibilidade de se promover o conhecimento dos mundos virtuais por professores da Educação Básica. Entretanto, dificuldades vivenciadas ao longo de ambas as fases mostram que a autoria docente nestes ambientes ainda é uma tarefa complexa, e que demanda deste profissional bastante interesse e dedicação para a sua efetivação. / Improvement on attributes such as processing power and graphical interfaces on off the shelf technologies has been creating a profusive scenario to immersive environments and virtual worlds. These environments, with features similar to electronic games, simulate complex spaces and can be exploited as virtual replicas of the real world, allowing for new teaching and learning situations that nurture the contextualization of knowledge and the development of authentic tasks. However, few teachers have mastery over this technology, still considered of high complexity. In order to promote an approximation of Basic Education teacher with immersive environments, a set of strategies to compose a training program focused on the development of teaching practice in virtual worlds, involving the production of educational artifacts to such environments was designed. The research that was the basis for the development of these strategies was conducted through a multiple case study unfolded in two stages. The first stage accomplished the first steps towards authorship in virtual worlds and a media production experience was developed to compose learning laboratories within the virtual world. The objective of this stage was to observe the authoring process of objects for virtual worlds, thereby extracting elements for reflection on strategies that would be effective in a teacher training program focused on the educational use of such tools. The case study culminates in stage 2 of the research, on which was conducted a training program, developed from elements extracted in earlier stages and offered to teachers from different areas of knowledge. The effectiveness of strategies emerging in this research was verified with different techniques, such as participant observation, application of interviews and questionnaires, analysis of record logs and document analysis. To perform the analysis of laboratories produced along this training, a taxonomy was developed, called Engagement Taxonomy for Virtual Worlds, from which it was sought to identify different levels of engagement that can be promoted through activities conducted in the context of virtual worlds. The analysis of the materials, as well as the monitoring of stages of this process, all point to a real possibility of promoting knowledge of virtual worlds for Basic Education teachers. However, difficulties experienced throughout the stages show that the teaching authorship in these environments is still a complex task, and one that demands professionals a great deal of interest and dedication to its effectiveness.

A concepção de novas alternativas educacionais pautadas no uso de recursos tecnológicos, tem acarretado o aumento do número de pesquisas em diferentes domínios de ensino. Tem se destacado nas últimas décadas a abordagem dos Mundos Virtuais, cuja base está calcada na interatividade, visualização de objetos 3D, sensação de imersão e liberdade ao aluno para explorar os recursos didáticos disponibilizados. Desta forma, se considera necessário que o planejamento e condução das atividades propostas pelos professores nos Mundos Virtuais, estejam baseadas em uma abordagem educacional consistente e difundida no meio acadêmico. O Mastery Learning surge neste contexto como uma alternativa instigadora a ser explorada, cujos preceitos estão baseados na realização de atividades de reforço e na avaliação constante do aluno, que buscam resultar na aprendizagem com maestria dos conteúdos abordados. O potencial a ser explorado nestas duas áreas resultou na construção deste trabalho de Tese, que teve como objetivo a proposição de um método de ensino pautado na aprendizagem com o uso dos Mundos Virtuais e preceitos do Mastery Learning. O método proposto engloba a aplicação de atividades presenciais e complementares, com diversas avaliações durante as unidades trabalhadas, cujo reforço foi baseado no uso dos Mundos Virtuais de forma constante durante este período Um Estudo Piloto foi realizado na área de Computação, cujo tópico abordado foi o ensino de Algoritmos e Lógica de Programação, sendo os resultados obtidos considerados positivos, e, utilizados como base para a realização dos testes finais. Desta forma, o processo de experimentação final foi conduzido com três grupos de alunos do sexto ano em uma disciplina de Ciências, no ano letivo de 2016, e, com dois grupos de alunos do sexto ano na mesma disciplina, no início de 2017, sendo todo este processo separado em três fases distintas. Um Mundo Virtual foi construído no OpenSim contendo diversos tipos de materiais didáticos, como vídeos, slides, textos e questões, além do desenvolvimento de simulações interativas e estáticas, sendo acessado pelos alunos na modalidade a distância. Foram aplicadas diversas avaliações em cada uma das fases para averiguar o desempenho de aprendizagem dos estudantes, assim como foram monitoradas as interações dos alunos que utilizaram o Mundo Virtual e aplicados questionários de opinião sobre este processo conduzido. Para a análise dos resultados, foram empregadas técnicas estatísticas não paramétricas (Kruskal-Wallis e Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney), além do uso de Box Plot Os resultados obtidos demonstraram um melhor desempenho nas duas primeiras fases ocorridas em 2016 do grupo que utilizou o Mundo Virtual, com relação ao grupo que optou por não utilizar nenhum ambiente, enquanto em comparação com o ambiente Moodle, os resultados do grupo do Mundo Virtual foram considerados similarmente bons ou até melhores. A terceira fase apresentou resultados novamente considerados similares ou melhores do grupo do Mundo Virtual, com relação ao grupo do Moodle. Foi constatado na análise geral que os participantes que utilizaram o Mundo Virtual tiveram um crescente desempenho, com medianas altas e adequada distribuição das notas, havendo predominância de uma menor amplitude e variabilidade destas. O sistema de monitoramento também operou de forma satisfatória, assim como, os questionários de opinião apresentaram percepções positivas sobre o método aplicado e o uso dos recursos neste ambiente. Desta forma, foi possível concluir que os resultados obtidos com o método foram instigadores e positivos, o que acarretou na validação desta pesquisa e apresentou uma clara contribuição para o meio acadêmico. / The conception of new educational alternatives based on the use of technological resources has led to the exploration of research in different domains of education, among which, the approach of Virtual Worlds has been used concisely in recent decades. Its base is focused on interactivity, visualization of 3D objects, sensation of immersion and freedom to the student to explore the didactic resources made available. In this way, it is considered necessary that the planning and conduction of the activities proposed by the teachers in the Virtual Worlds, are based on a consistent educational approach and diffused in the academic environment. Mastery Learning appears in this context as an instigating alternative to be explored, whose precepts are based on the accomplishment of activities of reinforcement and the constant evaluation of the student, that seek to result in master the contents approached. The potential to be explored in these two areas resulted in the construction of this Thesis, which had the objective of proposing a teaching method based on learning with the use of Virtual Worlds and precepts of Mastery Learning. The proposed method includes the application of face-to-face and complementary activities, with several evaluations during the units worked, whose reinforcement was based on the use of Virtual Worlds in a constant way during this period A Pilot Study was carried out in the Computing area, whose topic was the teaching of Algorithms and Logic of Programming, and the results were considered positive and used as basis for the final tests. In this way, the final experimentation process was conducted with three groups of sixth-year students in a science course in 2016, and with two groups of sixth-year students in the same discipline at the beginning of 2017, with this process separated in three phases. A Virtual World was built in OpenSim containing several types of didactic materials, such as videos, slides, texts and questions, as well as the development of interactive and static simulations, being accessed by students in their homes. Several evaluations were applied in each of the phases to ascertain the student's learning performance, as well as the interactions of the students who used the Virtual World were monitored and opinion questionnaires were applied on this process. For the analysis of the results, non-parametric statistical techniques (Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney) were used, besides the use of Box Plot. Results obtained demonstrated a better performance in the first two phases occurred in 2016 of the group that used the Virtual World, in relation to the group that chose not to use any environment, whereas in comparison to the Moodle environment, the Virtual World group results were considered similarly good or even better The third phase presented results again considered similar or better in the Virtual World group in relation to the Moodle group. It was verified in the general analysis, that the participants who used the Virtual World had a growing performance, with medians high and adequate distribution of the notes, being predominant of a smaller amplitude and variability of these. The monitoring system also operated in a satisfactory way, making it possible to map the learning trajectories and evaluate the students in the Virtual World, as well as the evaluation questionnaires presented positive perceptions about the proposed method and the use of the resources of this environment. Thus, it was possible to conclude that the results obtained with the proposed method were instigating and positive, which resulted in the validation of this research and presented a clear contribution to the academic environment.

O presente estudo visou investigar as estratégias interativas, de manipulação de impressões e de gerenciamento de identidades vigentes no ambiente de sociabilidade de Second Life, um mundo virtual determinado. Nele, indivíduos munem-se de inúmeras ferramentas para administrar a exposição de informações pessoais, o que proporcionaria elevado controle sobre a impressão causada nos demais. A pesquisa compôs-se de uma observação participante em um primeiro momento e posteriores entrevistas com adeptos, selecionados a partir de uma metodologia do tipo bola-de-neve. A análise das regras e táticas de sociabilidade do ambiente em questão deu-se à luz de interpretações sociológicas de Erving Goffman, Georg Simmel e, em menor medida, Pierre Bourdieu. Por meio delas, conceitos como o de manipulação de impressões, cuidado com a face, sociabilidade e coquetismo foram aplicados e adaptados para a compreensão do fenômeno. Após a etapa exploratória, buscou-se situar os valores e mecanismos sociais percebidos em Second Life com relação à sociedade contemporânea fora das telas do computador, conforme apreendida por proeminentes autores atuais como Ulrich Beck, Mike Featherstone e Kenneth Gergen. A partir deles, aplicou-se a visão da liberdade precária, a noção de sociedade de consumo e suas implicações para o gerenciamento de identidades, além da suposta situação de saturação do self notada por Gergen (1991) como dominante em sociedades ocidentais do fim do século passado. Como objetivo norteador do estudo, buscou-se questionar a validade da ideia, propagada por desenvolvedores e adeptos desse mundo virtual, que o percebe como uma alternativa significativa às formas de existência típicas das sociedades ocidentais contemporâneas. Tal abordagem, nem sempre exposta clara e diretamente pelos próprios desenvolvedores desse programa de computador, está implícita em seu próprio título segunda vida. Em suma, após uma exploração das regras de sociabilidade típicas do ambiente em questão, contesta-se até que ponto é possível confirmar a existência da produção de identidades e realização plena de liberdade quando da imersão dos indivíduos em mundos virtuais / This study aimed to investigate the interactive strategies, manipulation of impressions and identity management prevailing in the sociability environment of Second Life, a determined virtual world. In it, individuals are provided with several tools to manage the exposure of personal information, which would allow high control over the impressions made by one user on others. The research consisted of participant observation at first and later interviews with users, selected from a methodology such as \"snow-ball.\" The analysis of rules and tactics of social environment in question took place in the light of sociological interpretations of Erving Goffman, Georg Simmel, and Pierre Bourdieu to a smaller extent. Through them, concepts such as \"management of impressions\", \"facework,\" \"sociability\" and \"flirting\" were applied and adapted to the understanding of the phenomenon. After the exploratory stage, we sought to place the perceived values and social mechanisms in Second Life in relation to the contemporary society out of computer screens, as perceived by prominent present authors like Ulrich Beck, Kenneth Gergen and Mike Featherstone. Important ideas were applied, like the vision of \"precarious freedom,\" the notion of \"consumer society\" and its implications for identity management, and the supposed state of \"saturation of the self\" noted by Gergen (1991) as dominant in Western societies in the end of the last century. As a guiding objective of the study, we sought to question the validity of the idea, propagated by developers and adepts of this virtual world, that perceives it as a meaningful alternative to the typical ways of living of contemporary Western societies. Such approach, not always clear and exposed directly by the developers of this computer program, is implicit in its very title - \"second life\". In short, after an exploration of the typical rules of sociability of the environment in question, it is disputed how far it is possible to confirm the production of identities and full realization of freedom when individuals are immersed in virtual worlds.

This Exegesis and accompanying artworks are the culmination of research conducted into the existence of surveillance in virtual worlds. A panoptical model has been used, and its premise tested through the extension into these communal spaces. Issues such as data security, personal and corporate privacy have been investigated, as has the use of art as a propositional mode. This Exegesis contains existing and new theoretical arguments and observations that have aided the development of research outcomes; a discussion of action research as a methodology; and questionnaire outcomes assisting in understanding player perceptions and concerns. A series of artworks were completed during the research to aid in understanding the nature of virtual surveillance; as a method to examine outcomes; and as an experiential interface for viewers of the research. The artworks investigate a series of surveillance perspectives including parental gaze, machine surveillance and self-surveillance. The outcomes include considerations into the influence surveillance has on player behaviour, security issues pertaining to the extension of corporations into virtual worlds, the acceptance of surveillance by virtual communities, and the merits of applying artworks as proposition.

Over the last several years, there has been tremendous growth in online gaming (i. e. playing games over the internet). The Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) is one type of online game. An MMORPG is played within a virtual world. Users have an in-game representation, called an avatar, that they control. Typically there are over a thousand avatars in the virtual world at one time. Users use client software to connect to an MMORPG server over the internet. If just one server is used then the number of avatars that can be supported in the virtual world at one time is severely limited. In order to overcome this, a multi-server approach is needed. Unlike traditional load balancing and partitioning schemes, which generally use task partitioning, data partitioning is required in this case. This thesis investigates schemes for partitioning and load balancing MMORPG applications on a network of processors. In particular, three different schemes were developed andexamined. These are: Static Av, Static MS and Dynamic MS. Static Avassigns avatars to each server, one at a time, as they enter thesimulation. Static MS assigns equal sized portions of the map of thevirtual world to each server. An avatar is assigned to the server thatowns the part of the map that the avatar is "standing"on. Dynamic MS divides the map into many more segments than there are servers. The map segments are dynamicallydistributed among the servers based on the results of aload balancing algorithm. The thesis details the algorithms and the performance associated with each of the schemes. In summary, Static Av does not perform well, whereas Static MS and Dynamic MS can be used to parallelize MMORPGapplications. To the best of our knowledge, this is thefirst published work that looks at the issue ofparallelizing and load balancing such applications.

Over the last several years, there has been tremendous growth in online gaming (i. e. playing games over the internet). The Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) is one type of online game. An MMORPG is played within a virtual world. Users have an in-game representation, called an avatar, that they control. Typically there are over a thousand avatars in the virtual world at one time. Users use client software to connect to an MMORPG server over the internet. If just one server is used then the number of avatars that can be supported in the virtual world at one time is severely limited. In order to overcome this, a multi-server approach is needed. Unlike traditional load balancing and partitioning schemes, which generally use task partitioning, data partitioning is required in this case. This thesis investigates schemes for partitioning and load balancing MMORPG applications on a network of processors. In particular, three different schemes were developed andexamined. These are: Static Av, Static MS and Dynamic MS. Static Avassigns avatars to each server, one at a time, as they enter thesimulation. Static MS assigns equal sized portions of the map of thevirtual world to each server. An avatar is assigned to the server thatowns the part of the map that the avatar is "standing"on. Dynamic MS divides the map into many more segments than there are servers. The map segments are dynamicallydistributed among the servers based on the results of aload balancing algorithm. The thesis details the algorithms and the performance associated with each of the schemes. In summary, Static Av does not perform well, whereas Static MS and Dynamic MS can be used to parallelize MMORPGapplications. To the best of our knowledge, this is thefirst published work that looks at the issue ofparallelizing and load balancing such applications.