The State of the State of Play is strong. The book of that name has just been published, simultaneously in an absurdly expensive hardbound edition and a more reasonable paperback version. It’s a collection of essays from the first State of Play conference, and they’re very good indeed. Some of the material has been published elsewhere, but a lot of neat stuff in it is new—and the convenient all-in-one package can’t be beat. I wrote an entirely new essay for the volume, one that remains perhaps my favorite piece on virtual worlds.
The State of the State of Play is troubled. The conference of that name needs more sponsors. If you have some money to spend and would like to support a very worthwhile conference on virtual worlds, please sign up. The past States of Play have been amazing events that both advanced academic understandings of virtual worlds and brought together virtual world innovators for some highly fruitful exchanges. If your company cares about these matters and would like to build its reputation for engagement with the future of virtual worlds, stepping up to help put on the fourth State of Play is a great way to be part of the global vanguard.