Metanomics has a full-text transcript (Word .doc) of a long talk with David Wortley of Coventry’s Serious Games Institute. I think it’s part of the preliminaries to the major Emory Conference on Virtual Worlds and New Realities conference in the U.S.? There’s particular focus on the market for serious games, and news of West Midlands showcases in Second Life…

“…we recently have bought two other islands for a project called Second Life Science City, and this is very much about developing an island where we can use that as a way of engaging some of the digital media companies in the West Midlands in exploring and using the potential of Second Life for developing their business, whether it is a promotional tool or whether it’s looking at new applications that we can run within Second Life. So we actually have three islands now. “

Also, just announced, dates for the annual Serious Virtual Worlds 08 Conference (TechnoCentre, Coventry, 11th-12th Sept 08) showcasing…

“leading-edge game developments and applications in areas such as medical, business and education”

There’s also a Culture, Heritage & Tourism Technology Workshop at the Serious Games Institute in Coventry, 4th March 08…

“Leading experts in a range of digital media and communications technologies will be showcasing the use of advanced and innovative technologies to enrich the culture, heritage and tourism experience and make it globally accessible to the widest audience.”