<s>
Blue	B-Application
Mars	I-Application
,	O
a	O
3D	O
massively	B-Application
multiplayer	I-Application
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
platform	O
developed	O
by	O
Hawaii-based	O
Avatar	O
Reality	O
,	O
allows	O
3rd	O
parties	O
to	O
create	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
,	O
MMOG	B-Application
games	O
,	O
simulations	O
,	O
shops	O
,	O
businesses	O
,	O
entertainment	O
venues	O
,	O
clothing	O
,	O
custom	O
avatars	O
,	O
furniture	O
,	O
virtual	O
homes	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
items	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
consists	O
of	O
four	O
main	O
parts	O
:	O
the	O
client	O
software	O
,	O
the	O
Sandbox	O
Editor	O
SDK	B-Application
suite	O
,	O
the	O
website	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
host	O
servers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
often	O
compared	O
to	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
,	O
since	O
both	O
are	O
virtual	O
social	O
worlds	O
allowing	O
user-created	O
content	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Jim	O
Sink	O
,	O
CEO	O
of	O
Avatar	O
Reality	O
,	O
"	O
Blue	B-Application
Mars	I-Application
was	O
inspired	O
by	O
a	O
vision	O
of	O
the	O
future	O
when	O
the	O
power	O
to	O
terraform	O
whole	O
worlds	O
is	O
within	O
our	O
grasp	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
name	O
Blue	B-Application
Mars	I-Application
represents	O
possibility	O
and	O
hope.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
the	O
client	O
software	O
and	O
Editor	O
suite	O
utilize	O
the	O
CryEngine	B-Application
2	I-Application
rendering	O
engine	O
originally	O
developed	O
by	O
Crytek	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
video	O
game	O
Crysis	B-Application
also	O
runs	O
on	O
CryEngine	B-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
graphics	O
engine	O
is	O
being	O
modified	O
by	O
Avatar	O
Reality	O
,	O
and	O
features	O
not	O
part	O
of	O
a	O
combat	O
game	O
but	O
needed	O
for	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
are	O
being	O
added	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
takes	O
place	O
in	O
2177	O
on	O
a	O
terraformed	O
Mars	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Avatars	O
can	O
freely	O
move	O
around	O
in	O
locations	O
known	O
as	O
"	O
cities	O
"	O
(	O
similar	O
to	O
"	O
islands	O
"	O
in	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
)	O
,	O
and	O
interact	O
with	O
scripted	O
objects	O
and	O
other	O
avatars	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Internal	O
"	O
Blue	B-Application
Mars	I-Application
Dollars	O
"	O
are	O
used	O
for	O
shopping	O
and	O
rentals	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
can	O
be	O
bought	O
with	O
real	O
money	O
,	O
earned	O
within	O
Blue	B-Application
Mars	I-Application
,	O
and	O
cashed	O
out	O
by	O
developers	O
via	O
PayPal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
March	O
5	O
,	O
2012	O
–	O
Ball	O
State	O
University	O
is	O
granted	O
research	O
and	O
development	O
rights	O
to	O
"	O
operate	O
Blue	B-Application
Mars	I-Application
for	O
noncommercial	O
purposes	O
,	O
expand	O
upon	O
the	O
source	O
code	O
,	O
increase	O
its	O
research	O
and	O
academic	O
initiatives	O
,	O
and	O
enhance	O
the	O
community	O
of	O
Blue	O
Mars.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
November	O
2010	O
,	O
there	B-Application
are	O
approximately	O
3500	O
registered	O
users	O
on	O
their	O
beta	O
forums	O
,	O
and	O
approximately	O
330	O
developers	O
who	O
are	O
creating	O
cities	O
,	O
games	O
3D	O
environments	O
,	O
and	O
individual	O
items	O
for	O
Blue	B-Application
Mars	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Developer	O
registration	O
is	O
free	O
as	O
is	O
the	O
developer	B-Application
kit	I-Application
,	O
although	O
some	O
external	O
3D	O
graphics	O
software	O
may	O
require	O
purchase	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nalates	O
 '	O
Things	O
&	O
Stuff	O
Blog	O
noted	O
that	O
registering	O
as	O
a	O
Blue	B-Application
Mars	I-Application
content	O
developer	O
is	O
relatively	O
easy	O
,	O
but	O
creating	O
the	O
content	O
is	O
not	O
so	O
easy	O
,	O
particularly	O
compared	O
to	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
designer	O
Raph	B-Application
Koster	I-Application
complimented	O
the	O
graphics	O
and	O
user	O
interface	O
of	O
Blue	B-Application
Mars	I-Application
and	O
compared	O
the	O
business	O
model	O
to	O
that	O
of	O
the	O
There	B-Application
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
.	O
</s>
