Guernsey gets 'good game' boost from .gg domain

Gamers using the . gg domain extension is 'good for Guernsey', according to the man who created it. Dr Nigel Roberts, who lives in Alderney, created the . gg and . je domain extensions in 1996 with a friend. Dr Roberts said many gamers around the world look up where the extension came from and were 'fascinated to learn about Guernsey'. The extension is used by some of the most popular websites in the world as well as forums where gamers share tricks, tips, and add ons. He said gamers 'don't register names that locals would want' such as buses. gg, instead registering game titles and gaming-related terms. Dr Roberts said the fact that many multi-player gamers now use . gg domain extension was an 'entire complete coincidence'. He said he chose the . gg domain because 'all the other good two letter codes were already taken' and it was only years later that gamers started using it.

As well as creating the Guernsey and Jersey extensions, Dr Roberts was one of the creators of the first multi-player video game in the world in 1978. Dr Roberts, a computing student at the time, had just completed 'the game that really changed things', a fantasy story-book style game called Colossal Cave where people could type in instructions like 'walk west' or 'throw axe at orc'. After completing Colossal Cave he asked a friend, Roy Trubshaw: 'What if you could have more than one person in the game at the same time and they could interact with each other? ' He said Mr Trubshaw looked at him 'very strangely' before saying he thought such a game was possible.

The pair started coding their game, which they called Multi-User Dungeon or MUD, with some fellow University of Essex computing students. The game went on to be an international success, with the rights being sold to internet pioneer Compuserve, and is recognised as an important part of computer game history. Dr Roberts said many gamers around the world look up where the extension came from and were 'fascinated to learn about Guernsey'. The extension is used by some of the most popular websites in the world as well as forums where gamers share tricks, tips, and add ons. He said gamers 'don't register names that locals would want' such as buses. gg, instead registering game titles and gaming-related terms. Dr Roberts said the fact that many multi-player gamers now use . gg domain extension was an 'entire complete coincidence'. He said he chose the . gg domain because 'all the other good two letter codes were already taken' and it was only years later that gamers started using it.