Designing Virtual Worlds

Volume I

Richard A. Bartle

$105

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

CRC Press
08 August 2025

Digital animation; Games development & programming; Virtual reality

Designing Virtual Worlds, authored by a true pioneer, stands as the most comprehensive examination of virtual‑world design ever written. This seminal work is a tour de force, remarkable for its intellectual breadth, encompassing the literary, economic, sociological, psychological, physical, technological, and ethical foundations of virtual worlds. It provides readers with a profound, well‑grounded understanding of essential design principles.

This first volume of the second edition presents a rich, well‑developed exploration of the foundational concepts underpinning virtual worlds. Tracing the evolution of such games from their inception, it draws upon examples ranging from the earliest MUDs to todayʼs expansive MMORPGs. It elucidates fundamental design precepts often forgotten in the development of new games.

No other book on online games or virtual worlds matches the level of detail, historical context, and conceptual depth found in Designing Virtual Worlds.

By: Richard A. Bartle
Imprint: CRC Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 254mm, Width: 178mm,
ISBN: 9781032258324
ISBN 10: 1032258322
Pages: 556
Publication Date: 08 August 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Chapter 1 – Definitions, Chapter 2 – History: The Text Era, Chapter 3 – History: The Graphics Era, Chapter 4 – Characteristics, Chapter 5 – Content and Meaning, Chapter 6 – Development, Chapter 7 – Architecture, Chapter 8 – Interface, Chapter 9 – Backdrops, Chapter 10 – Demographics, Chapter 11 – Basic Player Types, Chapter 12 – Advanced Player Types, Chapter 13 – Pivot: The Hero’s Journey, Chapter 14 – Very Advanced Player Types, Chapter 15 – Immersion, Chapter 16 – Encouraging Immersion, Chapter 17 – Applying Player Types, Chapter 18 – Other Typologies, Chapter 19 – Community, Chapter 20 – Design and Community, Chapter 21 – Anthropology and Sociology, Chapter 22 – Psychology’s Take on Virtual Worlds, Chapter 23 – Virtual Worlds’ Take on Psychology, Chapter 24 – Rights, Chapter 25 – Interlude

Richard A. Bartle, Ph.D., co-wrote the first virtual world, MUD (""Multi-User Dungeon""), in 1978, thus being at the forefront of the online gaming industry from its very inception. A university professor working in both Artificial Intelligence and Game Design, he is an influential writer on all aspects of virtual worlds. As an independent consultant, his thoughts have influenced almost every major online gaming company over the past 40 years. Richard lives with his wife, Gail, in a village just outside Colchester, England. He works in virtual worlds.

Reviews for Designing Virtual Worlds: Volume I

“It is impossible to understand the origins of today’s fully immersive online existence without reflecting on the achievements of Richard Bartle. He conceived internet-based co-location, then willed it into existence – as an undergraduate in a small British university. Like Bede at Yarrow, from a perch distant from the intellectual centers of his time, he wrote a book read by many, one that helped define the very idea of media-in-common. It is the book you are holding in your digital hands.” -- Edward Castronova, Professor of Media, Indiana University