As persistent and multi-user virtual environments are gaining popularity for entertainment and training applications, transmedial access is rising in importance. What is transmedial access, and why is it relevant?

A pioneer in transmedial technology, Froghop coined the term “transmedial” to mean device-appropriate cross-platform access , or the ability to leverage mobile devices as access points into persistent virtual worlds. In virtual environments, peer actions and event changes have cumulative effects that are consequential to individuals, whether or not they are available...similar to real life. But unlike real life where we have plenty of tools to help us juggle multiple responsibilities, access into virtual worlds is through a single access point; active participation requires a significant stationary commitment. Even the most dedicated users have difficulty keeping up with the dynamic information. To remain active and included, users need ways to better communicate, cooperate and coordinate in an effective manner. If you create a persistent environment, it only makes sense to offer persistent access.

Proper use of transmedial access can facilitate collective intelligence**, allowing participants the ability to effectively manage the demands of persistence. Whether your virtual world simulation is offered as entertainment or for training of an asymmetric nature, you need to provide users with ways to be accessible…strengthening their ability to access, act, and react with your world.

It is important to realize that transmedial access is not about attempting to replicate the same experience on disparate devices; one platform cannot replace the other, nor does one platform alone offer the optimal experience. Rather, it is about complementary platform experiences that bring device-appropriate content to users, allowing them to remain connected as they move from location to location, device to device.

Transform the way your virtual world operates and distributes information.

** Collective Intelligence: A form of universally distributed intelligence, constantly enhanced, coordinated in real time, and resulting in the effective mobilization of skills. -- Pierre Levy