Richard Bartle - Part 1 - MUD (Multi User Dungeon)

Richard Bartle - Part 1 - MUD (Multi User Dungeon)

Author: Karl Kuras August 3, 2025 Duration: 2:12:51

While there are many founders of the video game industry writ large, the dawn of multiplayer gaming is a much more select group of luminaries and our guest today, Richard Bartle is most definitely one of them.  He cocreated MUD1, the first Multi User Dungeon game as a college student and has gone on to help shape the academic view of gaming ever since.

Recorded: January 2025

Video version:  

https://www.patreon.com/posts/135579198


Get us on your mobile device:
Android: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly92aWRlb2dhbWVuZXdzcm9vbXRpbWVtYWNoaW5lLmxpYnN5bi5jb20vcnNz
iOS: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/video-game-newsroom-time-machine

And if you like what we are doing here at the podcast, don't forget to like us on your podcasting app of choice, YouTube, and/or support us on patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/VGNRTM


Send comments on 
Mastodon @videogamenewsroomtimemachine@oldbytes.space
Or
twitter @videogamenewsr2
Or
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/vgnrtm
Or
https://bsky.app/profile/vgnrtm.bsky.social
Or
videogamenewsroomtimemachine@gmail.com

 

Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Bartle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MUD1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracosm
https://www.mobygames.com/game/124837/multi-user-dungeon-mud1/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eve_Online
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultima_Online
https://mud.co.uk/richard/mpublish.htm
https://mud.co.uk/richard/pcwaug84.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_of_Kesmai
https://mud.co.uk/richard/pcpsep87.htm
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessmulligan/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/historical-bits-mobile-gaming-part-2-wap-games-anu-halme/
Books by Richard:
How to Be a God 
  http://www.howtobeagod.com/                                                     https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0955649498
  https://www.amazon.com/dp/0955649498/
  https://mud.co.uk/richard/How%20to%20Be%20a%20God.pdf
Dheghōm                                                                            http://www.Dheghōm.com/ (http://www.xn--dheghm-fgb.com/)
   https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1915964008/
   https://www.amazon.com/dp/1915964008/
   https://mud.co.uk/richard/Dhegh%C5%8Dm.pdf
Erwā     
   https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1915964040
   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1915964040

Bhéwonom                                                                       
   https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1915964067
   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1915964067

Copyright 2025 Karl Kuras


Ever wonder what gamers were actually talking about decades ago, before online forums and endless hot takes? Each month, Video Game Newsroom Time Machine hosted by Karl Kuras does exactly that, dusting off the headlines and magazine pages from the past. This isn't just a nostalgia trip; it's a grounded look at the industry's turning points as they happened. You'll hear about the surprising announcements, the forgotten controversies, and the hardware launches that had everyone buzzing-from arcade trends in Japan to home computer wars in Europe and North America. The podcast specifically revisits news from exactly 30, 40, and 50 years prior, creating a unique layered perspective on how video game culture evolved. It’s like sitting in a newsroom from a different era, piecing together the stories that shaped the games we remember today. Tune in for a monthly dose of context, where the past conversations about pixels and processors feel surprisingly fresh and directly connected to the present.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Video Game Newsroom Time Machine
Podcast Episodes
April 1984 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:11:29
Acorn and Commodore soar, as Coleco and Atari falter Software takes center stage in PC clone world UK game prices hit rock bottom These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM! This episode we will look back…
March 1994 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:23:43
Sega previews Saturn at CES, Commodore warns of bankruptcy & Doom brings corporate networks to their knees These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM! This episode we will look back at the biggest stories…
March 1984 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:05:35
Pizza Time goes bust, Amiga announces a computer & Nintendo launches the VS These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM! This episode we will look back at the biggest stories in and around the video game in…
February 1994 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:52:46
The world goes ga-ga over game violence; Sega reports horrible losses & Doom redefines PC gaming! These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM This episode we will look back at the biggest stories in and aro…
Michael Hengst - Part 1: Power Play [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:38
The history of 80s and 90s game magazines is filled with big names like Computer Gaming World, Weekly Famitsu, Computer and Video Games, Micromania, and, a name that makes German speaking gamers of a particular vintage e…
February 1984 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:07:21
Famicom rules Japan, Bushnell leaves Chuck E Cheese & Vectrex put to rest These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM! This episode we will look back at the biggest stories in and around the video game indu…
January 1994 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:10:59
Commodore hits the skids, Sega bets big on entertainment centers & The emulation revolution is born! These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM This episode we will look back at the biggest stories in and…
January 1984 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:30:55
Jack Tramiel leaves Commodore, Apple advertises the Mac & Amstrad enters the home computer market These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM This episode we will look back at the biggest stories in and aro…