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Multiverse Network
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<h2 id="technology">Technology</h2> <p>Multiverse provided technology known as <a href="/facts/Game_engine/lojx7lTG">MMOG middleware</a> (Multiverse used the term <a href="/facts/Platform_(computing)/DmKwp5Bk">platform</a>). It included the client software Multiverse World Browser (for <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Windows/bwhAhuSL">Microsoft Windows</a> only), a server suite, development tools, sample assets, documentation, and a developer community. The goal was to provide consumers/users with a single client program that let them visit all of the virtual worlds built on the Multiverse Platform. From the consumer point of view, this enabled a de facto network of virtual worlds. </p><p>Like RealmForge, the Multiverse World Browser was written in C#, and based on the <a href="/facts/Axiom_Engine/ec2xhxmX">Axiom Engine</a>. The Multiverse server suite was written in <a href="/facts/Java_(Sun)/fpn6x8WL">Java</a> and used a <a href="/facts/Publish/subscribe/d2aH1etM">publish/subscribe</a> messaging system to provide reliability and scalability. The server also provided a plug-in API. The Windows-based tools used the <a href="/facts/COLLADA/SEslfjPj">COLLADA</a> data interchange format, to enable artists to import 3D assets from popular tools such as <a href="/facts/Maya_(software)/0WC3BKPd">Maya</a>, <a href="/facts/3ds_Max/5gr1vPx0">3D Studio Max</a>, and Google <a href="/facts/SketchUp/jNSyQW7z">SketchUp</a>. </p> <h2 id="business-model">Business model</h2> <p>Multiverse provided its technology platform cost-free for development and deployment. Income came through revenue-sharing; Multiverse took a share of any payments made by consumers/users to the world developer. If a developer provided a world for free (or free for a period of time), Multiverse did not charge anything. When a developer started charging consumers/users, Multiverse took a share (10 percent), and also handled the financial transaction processing. Development teams hosted their own servers and retained 100 percent of their world's IP. </p><p><a href="/facts/James_Cameron/1U0X67Ib">James Cameron</a> joined the company's board of advisors, and <a href="/facts/Red_Herring_magazine/LeS0YEMR">Red Herring magazine</a> selected it as one of the "Red Herring 100" privately held companies that play a leading role in innovating the technology business. </p><p>In December, 2006, Multiverse announced that it had optioned the rights to develop an MMOG based on <i><a href="/facts/Firefly_(TV_series)/qWXYWHHK">Firefly</a></i>, the science fiction television series. In 2008, <a href="/facts/Buffy_the_Vampire_Slayer_(TV_series)/x7Foh6CA">Buffy</a> and <a href="/facts/Titanic_(1997_film)/d0LuCwoQ">Titanic</a> games were announced. None of them ever came to fruition. </p> <h2 id="open-source">Open source</h2> <p>After closing shop, the Multiverse Network released its code as open source under the <a href="/facts/MIT_License/8llAQtlk">MIT License</a>. It is now[<i>as of?</i>] managed through the Multiverse Foundation. </p> <ul><li>Dean Takahashi (December 17, 2009). <a href="https://venturebeat.com/2009/12/17/multiverses-remix-makes-it-easy-to-create-avatar-spinoff-games">"Multiverse's Remix Makes it Easy to Create AVATAR Spinoff Games"</a>. <i>GamesBeat</i>. <a href="/facts/VentureBeat/0EeaPJwS">VentureBeat</a>. Retrieved 2012-01-31.</li> <li>Leigh Alexander (September 10, 2009). <a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=25189/">"Multiverse Bridges Talks 'New Frontier'"</a>. <a href="/facts/Gamasutra/lgBhTIsC">Gamasutra</a>. Retrieved 2012-01-31.</li> <li>Don Clark (April 3, 2008). <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB120719726445485981">"Virtual World Gets Another Life"</a>. <i><a href="/facts/Wall_Street_Journal/9Pkf2cYK">Wall Street Journal</a></i>. Retrieved 2012-01-31.</li> <li><a href="http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10880516/">"Break down these walls"</a>. <i><a href="/facts/The_Economist/KNjzFCVU">The Economist</a></i>. March 19, 2008. Retrieved 2012-01-31.</li> <li>Eric Naone (October 29, 2007). <a href="http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/19629/?a=f/">"Moving Freely between Virtual Worlds"</a>. <i><a href="/facts/Technology_Review/tk8zUzg2">Technology Review</a></i>. Retrieved 2012-01-31.</li> <li>Chris Nuttal (October 26, 2007). <a href="https://www.ft.com/cms/s/d373b824-83de-11dc-a0a6-0000779fd2ac,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2Fd373b824-83de-11dc-a0a6-0000779fd2ac.html%3Fnclick_check%3D1&_i_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fmultiverse.net%2Fabout%2Fnews.jsp%3Fcid%3D5%26scid%3D1&nclick_check=1/">"Real life intrudes on the virtual world"</a>. <i><a href="/facts/Financial_Times/0ndae2YU">Financial Times</a></i>. Retrieved 2012-01-31.</li> <li>Chris Nuttal (October 15, 2007). <a href="https://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b67ee532-7ab9-11dc-9bee-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1/">"Will the web go 3D?"</a>. <i><a href="/facts/Financial_Times/0ndae2YU">Financial Times</a></i>. Retrieved 2012-01-31.</li> <li>Daniel Terdiman (October 9, 2007). <a href="http://www.news.com/Google-tools-to-power-virtual-worlds/2100-1043_3-6212325.html?tag=nefd.top/">"Google tools to power virtual worlds"</a>. <a href="/facts/CNET_News.com/FefqENNr">CNET News.com</a>. Retrieved 2012-01-31.</li> <li>Wade Roush (July–August 2007). <a href="http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/18911/page1/">"Second Earth"</a>. <i>Technology Review</i>. Retrieved 2012-01-31.</li> <li>Scott Austin; Arthur Kimball-Stanley; Ty McMahan; Erica Owen (June 18, 2007). <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB118194712466137265">"What's New: Fueling Fantasies"</a>. <i>Wall Street Journal</i>. Retrieved 2012-01-31.</li> <li><a href="http://www.economist.com/search/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9249157&CFID=4554328&CFTOKEN=34218013">"Online gaming's Netscape moment"</a>. <i><a href="/facts/The_Economist/KNjzFCVU">The Economist</a></i>. June 7, 2007. Retrieved 2012-01-31.</li> <li><a href="http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=22463&hed=Multiverse+Snares+%244M§or=Industries&subsector=EntertainmentAndMedia">"Multiverse Snares $4M"</a>. <i><a href="/facts/Red_Herring_(magazine)/LeS0YEMR">Red Herring</a></i>. May 31, 2007. Retrieved 2012-01-31.[<i>dead link</i>]</li> <li>Robert D. Hof (April 16, 2007). <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070418143837/http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2007/tc20070416_780263.htm">"The Coming Virtual Web"</a>. <i><a href="/facts/BusinessWeek/EsGLjcge">BusinessWeek</a></i>. Archived from <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2007/tc20070416_780263.htm">the original</a> on April 18, 2007. Retrieved 2012-01-31.</li> <li>Mark Wallace (December 7, 2006). <a href="https://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,72263-0.html?tw=wn_index_1">"Firefly Reborn as Online Universe"</a>. <i><a href="/facts/Wired_(magazine)/RQb6gcyf">Wired</a></i>. Retrieved 2012-01-31.</li> <li>Patrick Cox (October 2006). <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100511142144/http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=102306A">"The Next Big Thing"</a>. <a href="/facts/Tech_Central_Station/WRQUcFLa">Tech Central Station</a>. Archived from <a href="http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=102306A">the original</a> on 2010-05-11. Retrieved 2012-01-31.</li> <li>Burt Helm (February 13, 2006). <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20060205022710/http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_07/b3971073.htm">"James Cameron's Game Theory"</a>. <i><a href="/facts/BusinessWeek/EsGLjcge">BusinessWeek</a></i>. Archived from <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_07/b3971073.htm">the original</a> on February 5, 2006. Retrieved 2012-01-31.</li> <li>Burt Helm (February 13, 2006). <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120214161253/http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_07/b3971076.htm">"Syncing Hollywood and Gamers"</a>. <i><a href="/facts/BusinessWeek/EsGLjcge">BusinessWeek</a></i>. Archived from <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_07/b3971076.htm">the original</a> on February 14, 2012. Retrieved 2012-01-31.</li> <li>Nich Maragos (December 6, 2005). <a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=7419">"Multiverse Launches Multiverse Platform for MMOG Development"</a>. <a href="/facts/Gamasutra/lgBhTIsC">Gamasutra</a>. Retrieved 2012-01-31.</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20060430171049/http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=14757&hed=Game+Developer+Service+Starts+§or=Industries&subsector=EntertainmentAndMedia">"Multiverse seeks to help independent game developers"</a>. <i><a href="/facts/Red_Herring_(magazine)/LeS0YEMR">Red Herring</a></i>. December 6, 2005. Archived from <a href="http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=14757&hed=Game+Developer+Service+Starts+§or=Industries&subsector=EntertainmentAndMedia">the original</a> on April 30, 2006. Retrieved 2012-01-31.</li> <li>Kent, Steven (September 23, 2003). <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120204050425/http://archive.gamespy.com/amdmmog/week1/">"Alternate Reality: The history of massively multiplayer online games"</a>. <a href="/facts/GameSpy/3seUUYSw">GameSpy</a>. Archived from <a href="http://archive.gamespy.com/amdmmog/week1/">the original</a> on February 4, 2012. Retrieved 2012-01-31.</li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="http://multiverse.net">Official website</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"Multiverse Unleashes New Era of Online Gaming". Retrieved 21 December 2009. <a href="http://multiverse.net/press/pr20090205.jsp?cid=6&scid=9" target="_blank">http://multiverse.net/press/pr20090205.jsp?cid=6&scid=9</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"Multiverse's Remix Makes it Easy to Create Avatar Spinoff Games". 17 December 2009. Retrieved 21 December 2009. <a href="https://venturebeat.com/2009/12/17/multiverses-remix-makes-it-easy-to-create-avatar-spinoff-games/" target="_blank">https://venturebeat.com/2009/12/17/multiverses-remix-makes-it-easy-to-create-avatar-spinoff-games/</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"Cash-strapped Firefly MMO developer Multiverse closes (January 4, 2012)". Retrieved 9 December 2012. <a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/39463/Cashstrapped_Firefly_MMO_developer_Multiverse_closes.php" target="_blank">http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/39463/Cashstrapped_Firefly_MMO_developer_Multiverse_closes.php</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>