Designing Virtual Worlds

Volume I
1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-1-032-25832-4
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Buch, Englisch, 576 Seiten, Format (B × H): 178 mm x 254 mm

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 today's 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.

Zielgruppe

Undergraduate Advanced and Undergraduate Core

Autoren/Hrsg.

Bartle, Richard A.

Fachgebiete

• Mathematik | Informatik EDV | Informatik Programmierung | Softwareentwicklung Spiele-Programmierung, Rendering, Animation

Inhaltsverzeichnis

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

Über Autor(innen)

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.