Web Space as Game Space
Sunday, March 9th, 2008I just stumbled upon pmog.com, and I have to say the idea blows me away. PMOG stands for Passively Multiplayer Online Game, and is an attempt to create a game you play by surfing the web and doing all your normal everyday web activities. A game that you play passively is an interesting concept, but what’s really got me excited is the idea of using web space as a representation of a game world.
The odd thing about the web is that we all refer to it like it’s a physical location. We say things like “Go to google.com.” We don’t read or scan the web, we “surf” it. And now, when PMOG leaves Beta, we’ll be able to play it, too.
I can imagine going to Gamasutra only to be ambushed by a regiment of orcs, or trading wares with a fellow player I met while shopping for comics on Amazon.com. The organization of sites could also provide opportunities for gameplay. Large sites with multiple directories could act as dungeons, where each page is a different room. There’s also the social aspects. The PMOG site hints at user-created missions, which would drag players across all kinds of sites to complete an objective. Kind of like stumbleUpon with a purpose.
I see so much potential with this. I hope PMOG carries through. Hopefully, if I’m accepted for the beta, I’ll know soon enough.
-SKT