New Virtual U - Press and News

Virtual U 2.1 Released As Free Download

New Version of Simulation Game Used By More Than 35 Schools is Now Available

To obtain review copies:

Beth Bryant or Ben Sawyer
Phone: +1 207 773 3700

NEW YORK, June 20 -- The Virtual U project has now released version 2.1 of its cutting-edge simulator where you manage a modern American university. The new version is now available as a free download. Graduate programs for future leaders in higher education management at more than 35 universities already use the software. More than 30,000 faculty members and other representatives of more than 1000 universities around the world have downloaded previous versions of the software, which was recognized as one of the year's 10 best independently produced games at the 2001 Independent Games Festival.

"The new release of Virtual U shows our commitment to continued improvement in the product," said Ben Sawyer, who manages the project. "With this new version, we've updated the key algorithms concerning course taking and research. The result is a version that plays better and offers snappier response than previous versions."

In conjunction with the launch of Virtual U 2.1, the project also unveiled a new Web site. The site features updated information and source code for version 2.1. Also included are all-new discussion forums and information about using Virtual U in training and staff retreats.

"Virtual U creates a whole new way to undertake critical analysis of an institution -- thus staff retreats and training are a major use of Virtual U," said William Massy, the designer of the simulation modeling engine. "Over the past two years, we or our partners have held more than a dozen training sessions for Virtual U around the country and recently in Mexico and Colombia as well. The ability of Virtual U to present a novel way of exploring staff issues, planning dynamics, and more makes it a useful tool for group interaction."

About Virtual U 2.1
Virtual U 2.1 is part of a new breed of game-based learning tools that enable people to learn about complex systems through hands-on interactive software. The latest version of Virtual U improves the course-taking system. Students now more accurately pursue courses they need, and the result is an improved system for tracking graduations, dropouts, and failures within the student body. The research algorithm has also been improved. It now responds better to conditions set by the player that can result in either an improvement or a worsening of research revenue. Smaller bug fixes have also been achieved.

Virtual U's sophisticated design is driven by a state-of-the-art simulation engine built by renowned game developer Trevor Chan of Enlight Software, creator of Capitalism, an award-winning series of simulation games about corporate America.

"All good software deserves improvement, and it has been great to get a chance to improve Virtual U yet again," Chan said. "Enlight is becoming a leader in both commercial and public policy-based simulations, and with the release of Virtual U 2.1, we are continuing this commitment."

What is Virtual U?
Virtual U is designed to foster better understanding of management practices in American colleges and universities. It affords students, teachers, and parents the unique opportunity to step into the decision-making shoes of a university president. Players are responsible for establishing and monitoring all the major components of an institution, including everything from faculty salaries to campus parking. As players move around the Virtual U campus, they gather information needed to make decisions such as decreasing faculty teaching time or increasing athletic scholarships. However, as in a real college or university, the complexity and potential effects of each decision must be carefully considered. And the Virtual U Board of Trustees is monitoring every move.

Virtual U models the attitudes and behaviors of the academic community in five major areas of higher education management:

Spending and income decisions such as operating budget, new hires, incoming donations, and management of the endowment;
Faculty, course, and student scheduling issues;
Admissions standards, university prestige, and student enrollment;
Student housing, classrooms, and all other facilities; and
Performance indicators.

Virtual U players select an institution type and strive for continuous improvement by setting, monitoring, and modifying a variety of institutional parameters and policies. Players are challenged to manage and improve their institution of higher education through techniques such as resource allocation, minority enrollment policies, and policies for promoting faculty. Players watch the results of their decisions unfold in real time. A letter of review from Virtual U's board is sent every "year," informing players of their progress.

The Creation of Virtual U
The development of Virtual U was made possible through a partnership that includes the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, the Jackson Hole Higher Education Group, the Forum for the Future of Higher Education, the University of Pennsylvania's Institute for Research on Higher Education, and Enlight Software.

Virtual U is available as a free download on the Internet at www.virtual-u.org. The boxed version, which includes printed game materials and a CD-ROM with all electronic materials, is available for $40 plus shipping at www.virtual-u.org or by calling 1-888-286-3540.

Press and Reviewers Kits
Media members can request a full copy of Virtual U 2.1 and a press kit for review or feature articles by contacting Beth Bryant (bbryant@dmill.com) of Digitalmill at (207) 773 3700.