Richard Bartle - Part 2 - Designing Virtual Worlds

Richard Bartle - Part 2 - Designing Virtual Worlds

Author: Karl Kuras August 17, 2025 Duration: 1:30:55

After spending almost 2 decades trying to make MUD a viable commercial project, Richard returns to academia after publishing his seminal book, Designing Virtual Worlds, and begins teaching and researching game worlds and player behavior.

We delve deep into the study of games, talk about why it's important and the future of virtual worlds, the morality of being a god, both as a designer and a gamer, and where the industry can go from here.

Recorded: February 2025

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Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Bartle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MUD1
https://www.mobygames.com/game/124837/multi-user-dungeon-mud1/
https://mud.co.uk/dvw/
http://howtobeagod.com/
http://pdf.textfiles.com/zines/ESCAPIST/theescapist_043.pdf

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
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July 1994 - Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Graeme Bayless - Part 2 - Dynamix, Sierra [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Few developers have had as long and prolific career as our guest, Graeme Bayless. From working on mainframes, to selling Kaypros, to playtesting Accolade's launch titles, to producing games for SSI, Sega Technical Instit…
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