Designing Virtual Worlds is a book about the practice of virtual world development by Richard Bartle. It has been noted as an authoritative source regarding the history of world-based online games.[1] College courses have been taught using it.[2][3][4][5]
Designing Virtual Worlds argues that the fundamentals of player relationships to the virtual world and each other are independent of technical issues and are characterized by a blending of online and offline identity.[7] According to the book, it is the designer's role to know what will provide players with a positive game experience,[8] the purpose of virtual worlds is the player's exploration of self,[9] as well as for its expansion of the earlier 4-type Bartle gamer style taxonomy into an 8-type model.[10] The book also focuses on the practicalities of its subject.[11]
It has been called "the bible of MMORPG design"[12] and spoken of as "excellent",[13] "seminal",[14] "widely read",[15] "the standard text on the subject",[16] "the most comprehensive guide to gaming virtual worlds"[17] and "a foundation text for researchers and developers of virtual worlds"[18] that is "strongly recommended for anyone actually thinking about building one of these places"[19] and "describes the minimum level of competency you should have when discussing design issues for virtual worlds".[20]
It wasn't all sunshine and roses, though. One reviewer, Dave Rickey of Skotos.net, a website founded in 1999 and dedicated to "multiplayer interactive fiction on the Internet"[21]
, called it a "must-read" work, but that he found "much that was questionable, incomplete, or just erroneous".[22]
References
^Williams, J. Patrick; Smith, Jonas Heide (2007-03-28). The Players' Realm: Studies on the Culture of Video Games and Gaming. McFarland & Company. p. 31. ISBN978-0-7864-2832-8.
^Kipp, Neill A. (2003-12-05). "CSC 5807 — Special Topics"(PDF). University of Colorado Denver. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2004-07-31. Retrieved 2010-05-06.