Thanks to its initial levels of success and further generous support by The Sloan Foundation, Virtual U 2.0 is under way. With so much learned by the initial experience of Virtual U, the ability to develop a second version of the product and the continuing evolution of the project would prove exponentially beneficial to its overall goals. Learning from the mistakes and strengths of the initial product, some of the adjustments to the upcoming second version include:

• Gaming features will be amplified. Players will have more challenges and more ways to lose the game
  
  
• More training functionality is in the product. Players can output values to a spreadsheet for analysis and assignments, plus the ability to tailor the scoring system and other key weightings in the game as an instructor (or player) sees fit in order the achieve desired goals
  
  
• Printing was greatly improved in a 1.3-released patch that will be included in the 2.0 version
  
  
• The model pays better attention to distance learning and public university issues, two key constituency issues that weren't as well detailed in the initial project
  
  
• The ability to turn off randomness in the model - a key component of its game capability was added to assist those who wanted to more closely examine the effects of the model without random factors present
  
  
• Better testing of the game has been organized from the ranks of experienced 1.0 users.

Virtual U 2.0 is scheduled for release in January 2002. Subsequent to this release is a grant that will enable VU 2.0 to be available in its complete form free for download from the Internet. This will widen VU's impact and let its more than 15,000 downloaders experience all of VU without requiring a purchase. With an improved model, an improved game premise, and a burgeoning user base, Virtual U 2.0 should continue to have impact on the education and practice of university management for years to come.

Virtual U is not the first combination of public policy simulation and gaming. It may not even be the penultimate version. However, it is one of the more successful, best-documented, and more high-profile projects of its type. As it shows, there are a lot of ups and downs in creating a hybrid product from a hybrid partnership, but the results can be quite innovative and worth the effort.