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: 50

Video Game Newsroom Time Machine
Podcast Episodes
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April 1994 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Joneva Barry - Chuck E. Cheese, Kadabrascope [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:37:47
Nolan Bushnell, the PT Barnum of games, left indellible marks on the industry, some greater than others, and among the big hits like Atari and Chuck E. Cheese, were also many misses and could-have-beens. Our guest, Jonev…
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…