Gaming in recent years has become a hobby for all; from the young to the old, the successful professional, to the jobless slacker, everyone is jumping on the gaming bandwagon. Companies have even been known to slap the old Halo sticker on a bottle of Dew or two. There were even a couple of games that Burger King sold at their restaurants (greasy spoons?) that featured the infamous King character.

 This is where NASA steps into the picture with their plans of making a massively multiplayer online game. Promising to be more of an educational experience, NASA will take you to the furthest reaches of space. This virtual space odyssey is aimed at students who are interested in learning more about the inter-workings of NASA’s engineering and science programs. At a fraction of the cost of an internship, the MMO might be the cheapest way to go if you were ever interested in becoming an astronaut. Since the MMO is geared to educate students we shouldn’t be surprised if this is used to find the world’s next generation of space explorers.

The virtual world would be aimed at students and would "simulate real Nasa engineering and science missions".

The agency has published a "request for information" (RFI) from organisations interested in developing the platform.

  NASA also claims that video games are becoming increasingly more important when used as an educational tool, and can be used for teaching a multitude of trades. From an educational standpoint you could use this technology to conduct safe experiments, perfect operating techniques, or learn how to fix heavy machinery.

 The promise of space colonies and intergalactic travel has intrigued most of us since our childhoods. The promise of an MMO that is backed by NASA might just change the way we look at the sky above us. The only question that is left is, “ will there be any aliens?”

Quote taken from BBC News article