That's exactly what it is--an observatory! The only difference is that rather than looking outward toward the stars, we are looking inward at Spaceship Earth from a place (in space) outward from the earth.

It's as if we turned the Hubble Space Telescope towards the earth--and instead of observing a planet rotating at 1,000 miles per hour, we are able to see the entirety of earth at a single moment (ala the Dymaxion Earth Display Map as shown below).

Where one can go and view and study conditions aboard the planet.The huge computing and display capabilities of the observatory will enable us to see where all the people and resources are, where the crops are today, where they were last year. Project conditions for next year. Where are the wind and hydropower resources--view migration patterns--watch planetary deforestation unfold before your eyes. Posit "what ifs". What an extraordinary resource it will be!

A global, planetary, earthian observatory of earth itself.

Quite apart from its integral value to global gaming--it stands alone as a needed, unique and vital resource for the planet.