[MUD-Dev] NEWS: Why Virtual Worlds are Designed By Newbies -No, Really! (By

[Chris Duesing]

Ola Fosheim Grøstad <olag at ifi.uio.no> wrote:
> "Richard A. Bartle" <richard at mud.co.uk> writes:

>> I needed an umbrella title for my book, and used "Virtual World"
>> because that was the best on offer. Now you're saying that we
>> can't use "Virtual World".  OK, so what do YOU think we should
>> use when we want to refer to things like MUD1, LambdaMOO, UO, EQ,
>> SL etc.? Or are you saying that there shouldn't be an umbrella
>> term because they're so different that we shouldn't lump them all
>> together?

> I am saying that one shouldn't redefine the term "virtual world"
> at one's own whim, thus making it meaningless. A virtual world has
> to be... a world, not just a sports arena.

I don't think he is redefining the term. I don't see a dispute on
"virtual", so lets focus on "world". A quick hop over to
dictionary.com and a search for world produces a long list of
results, lets focus on a few:

  1. The earth. <-- I think this is where your dispute comes in, not
  all MMOs, MUDs, games etc are planets...

but we also see:

  8. A realm or domain: the animal world; the world of imagination.

  9. a) A sphere of human activity or interest: the world of sports.

    b) A class or group of people with common characteristics or
    pursuits: the scientific world.

  13. b) A state of existence: the next world.

So really I think there is a long standing precedence for the term
"world" being used in an ethereal manner. When combined with
"virtual" it very well describes a non-physical setting. I think it
makes a perfect umbrella term, and already has a history of use that
is not _generally_ contended.

> Besides, those systems you mention are virtual worlds (more or
> less), but there are definitevely systems that are less world and
> more game, i.e. pure multi-user games, multi-user environments,
> multi-user entertainment etc.

I would certainly agree with you that not all video games constitute
the tag "world", even in a vague sense, but I would argue that this
list is not concerned with those games.

Chris
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