[meteorite-list] NASA Takes Gamers on a Lunar Adventure With New Online Video Game

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 6 Jul 2010 12:32:34 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <201007061932.o66JWYe6007031_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

July 6, 2010

Ann Marie Trotta/Stephanie Schierholz
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1601/4997
ann.marie.trotta at nasa.gov, stephanie.schierholz at nasa.gov

Frank Blackwell/Lori Mezoff
Army Game Studio, Redstone Arsenal, Ala.
256-876-0463/301-879-9030
frank.blackwell at us.army.mil, lorimezoff at yahoo.com

Mitch Gross
Virtual Heroes, Research Triangle Park, N.C.
347-688-9703
mgross at virtualheroes.com
RELEASE: 10-148

NASA TAKES GAMERS ON A LUNAR ADVENTURE WITH NEW ONLINE VIDEO GAME

WASHINGTON -- NASA has given gamers a taste of lunar adventure with
release of Moonbase Alpha, an exciting new, free online video game.

The game has single and multiplayer options that allow participants to
step into the role of an exploration team member in a futuristic 3-D
lunar settlement. Players must work to restore critical systems and
oxygen flow after a meteor strike cripples a solar array and life
support equipment. Available resources include an interactive command
center, lunar rover, mobile robotic repair units and a fully-stocked
equipment shed.

The game is a proof of concept to show how NASA content can be
combined with a cutting-edge game engine to inspire, engage and
educate students about agency technologies, job opportunities and the
future of space exploration. Moonbase Alpha is rated "E" for
everyone.

It is the first game in NASA's Learning Technologies project. The
project supports the delivery of NASA content through interactive
technologies such as virtual worlds, games and software applications
to enhance science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM,
education.

Moonbase Alpha is a precursor to a planned NASA-based massively,
multiplayer online game project. The project is being designed to
have content and missions that require players to gain and
demonstrate STEM knowledge to succeed.

NASA released the game on Valve's Steam network. The agency will use
the Steamworks suite of services for server browsing, leaderboards,
statistics and more. Steam has more than 25 million accounts and has
released more than 1,100 games. It was built on Epic Games' Unreal
Engine 3.The Army Game Studio developed the game with support from
Virtual Heroes, a division of Applied Research Associates in Research
Triangle Park, N.C. This collaboration between NASA and the Army's
Aviation Missile Research Development and Engineering Center is an
example of government agencies working together to improve education
in the STEM fields.

For more information about Moonbase Alpha, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/moonbasealpha

For information about NASA's education programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/education

For information about NASA and agency projects, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov
        
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Received on Tue 06 Jul 2010 03:32:34 PM PDT