Congratulations to Professor Richard Allan Bartle Ph.D for being first among Penguins.
Which is a weird title for a neat honour. The IGDA (International Game Developers Association) special award for “the courage and bravery of a developer who is the first to test the proverbial waters, in the face of uncertainty of success or failure. Receiving a "penguin" serves as an inspiration and lesson to the community.” Full details are in the press release below.
Anyone who knows Richard will also know that this award does not just recognise the fact that 20 years ago he and Roy Trubshaw developed MUD, the foundation of every MMO you see today but that he remains active and I can say from personal experience inspirational in both the academic and professional communities. Oh, he has a book out too: Designing Virtual Worlds.
Congratulations from me and all the TN authors.
IGDA to Honor Richard Bartle, Founding Father of MUDs; Sheri Graner Ray, a Women's Advocate; Founders of Interactive Media Artists Group, Blast Theory; With Choice Awards
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) will give special recognition to an academic, an industry professional and the founders of a media artists' group whose contributions have been invaluable to the evolution of interactive entertainment, during the 5th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards, Wednesday, March 9, 2005, at the Moscone West Convention Center in San Francisco. Recipients include Richard Allan Bartle, Ph.D, founding father of Multi-User Dungeons (MUD), who will receive the First Penguin award; Sheri Graner Ray, a revered advocate of women's interests in game development, the Community Contribution award; and Matt Adams, Ju Row Farr and Nick Tandavanitj, the founders and leaders of Blast Theory, an internationally renowned interactive media artists' group, for the Maverick award.
First Penguin Award
The IGDA's First Penguin award celebrates the courage and bravery of a developer who is the first to test the proverbial waters, in the face of uncertainty of success or failure. Receiving a "penguin" serves as an inspiration and lesson to the community. Richard Allan Bartle, Ph.D, who has been at the forefront of the online gaming industry from its very inception, embodies the spirit of this award. As co-creator of the first virtual world MUD's in 1978 he paved the path for many of today's massively multiplayer online role-playing (MMORPG) and persistent-world games.
"I'm touched the IGDA thought of me for this award," Richard Allan Bartle said. "The fact that MUD's have a direct connection to the imagination is what hooked thousands; computer games will always innovate, as long as people have imagination."
More than 20 years have passed since Bartle fired the first neutron and the chain reaction shows no sign of stopping. With more than 1,670 MU* games in existence, Richard continues be an important player in the industry.
Bartle is currently a visiting professor in the Department of Electronic Systems Engineering at Essex University, Essex, United Kingdom. He is also a highly acclaimed writer on all aspects of virtual world design and development. He authored "Designing Virtual Worlds," which rapidly became the standard work for anyone developing persistent world games. His current musings can be viewed at his popular research blog Terra Nova.
Woot, Richard! Very nice.
My favorite part: "...*his* popular research blog Terra Nova," which I believe translates directly into a +20 Prestige bonus for us.
Posted by: Julian Dibbell | Feb 25, 2005 at 10:45
Congrats for winning the prize!
I guess the people who created the prize were not aware that the first penguin is actively *pushed* by his friends quite often, though ;)
Posted by: Robert 'Groby' Blum | Feb 25, 2005 at 10:55
YAY! Congratulations!!!
Posted by: Ola Fosheim Grøstad | Feb 25, 2005 at 11:20
Sure, but what has he done for us lately?
I kid. Congratulations to Richard on a well-deserved honor.
Posted by: Damion Schubert | Feb 25, 2005 at 11:31
Julian Dibbell>"...*his* popular research blog Terra Nova,"
All your blog are belong to us.
Richard
Posted by: Richard Bartle | Feb 25, 2005 at 14:12
Congrats, Richard!
Posted by: Jessica Mulligan | Feb 25, 2005 at 14:27
Congratulations, Richard! A well-deserved and highly apropos award.
Posted by: Barry Kearns | Feb 25, 2005 at 14:39
Sweet. Congrats Richard! Text power baby!
--matt
Posted by: Matt Mihaly | Feb 25, 2005 at 14:50
>"About damn time!"
Randy says, "About damn time!" and smiles.
>/applaud
Randy applauds approvingly and nods as Richard joins him in the circle of 1st penguins.
Posted by: F. Randall Farmer | Feb 25, 2005 at 18:49
There's a typo in the post.
Richard is receiving the annual "First Penguin Award", but not the first annual "Penguin" Award.
The IGDA has been giving "First Penguins" out each year since 2001.
Randy
Posted by: F. Randall Farmer | Feb 25, 2005 at 20:57
So Richard is actually the fourth First Penguin?
I'd suggest including a CD from Fifth Third Bank as a bonus for being the fourth First Penguin... but that would be second-guessing them. =P
Posted by: Barry Kearns | Feb 25, 2005 at 21:23
Way to go, Richard!
Posted by: greglas | Feb 25, 2005 at 22:33
Wow, congrats Richard! See you at the ceremony. :)
Bruce
Posted by: Bruce Woodcock | Feb 26, 2005 at 00:21
>I'd suggest including a CD from Fifth Third Bank as a bonus for being the fourth First Penguin... but that would be second-guessing them. =P>
I second the motion. :D
Congrats Richard, you certainly deserve it.
>this award does not just recognise the fact that 20 years ago he and Roy Trubshaw developed MUD, the foundation of every MMO you see today>
Can we officially start calling you "grandpa" now?
Posted by: Jim | Feb 26, 2005 at 00:33
Congrats. Well deserved.
Posted by: magicback | Feb 26, 2005 at 01:57
Randy
> There's a typo in the post.
> Richard is receiving the annual "First Penguin Award", but not the first annual "Penguin" Award.
> The IGDA has been giving "First Penguins" out each year since 2001.
Yup, got it, sorry, confused "first 'Penguin'" with "'first penguin'" as it were.
Posted by: ren | Feb 26, 2005 at 06:08
Barry Kearns>So Richard is actually the fourth First Penguin?
This is the fifth occasion that the award has been made, so I'm the fifth First Penguin, except that in the first year 2 people won it and in the third year 5 people won it, so it could be argued that I'm the tenth First Penguin.
List of previous winners here.
Richard
Posted by: Richard Bartle | Feb 26, 2005 at 06:15
Three cheers for Bartle!
Posted by: Edward Castronova | Feb 26, 2005 at 13:40
So do you find the achivement more fulfilling from a social aspect or an achievement aspect Richard?
Congrats.
Posted by: Thabor | Feb 26, 2005 at 14:15
Thabor>So do you find the achivement more fulfilling from a social aspect or an achievement aspect Richard?
It's not an achievement aspect, as I wasn't ever planning to win the award. I've never won any awards ever before for my work, and it didn't occur to me that I ever might. If I'd had winning an award as my goal, then I guess it would have counted. As it was, though, I just wanted to create worlds and give people freedom.
As for the social aspect, well when people on Slashdot are saying I'm "some guy that just happened to be one of the first 500 or so to jump on a new bandwagon", I think that's probably doing me more harm than good!
Richard
Posted by: Richard Bartle | Feb 27, 2005 at 07:18
Bartlicious!!
Posted by: daniel harvey | Feb 28, 2005 at 01:30
Congratulations on your being first Penguins!!
Ungii Yoon
Posted by: Unggi Yoon | Feb 28, 2005 at 05:37
Richard is receiving the annual "First Penguin Award", but not the first annual "Penguin" Award.
Richard, maybe you should look in to catagorising First Penguin award winners? Are they explorers or achievers?
Very well done on the award!
Well done to Matt, Ju and Nick from Blast Theory for winning the Maverick Award too. I had lots of fun working with them while I was in CRG and they thoroughly deserve the award.
So, a double win for digital worlds! Woot!
Posted by: Jim Purbrick | Feb 28, 2005 at 05:59
>It's not an achievement aspect, as I wasn't ever planning to win the award. I've never won any awards ever before for my work, and it didn't occur to me that I ever might.
Thats an interesting view.. I don't think I would directly pair the motivation with the reward aspect, although I'm sure it would be more rewarding when they are paired.. Sort of like a dot product of the motivation with the result.
>As for the social aspect, well when people on Slashdot are saying I'm "some guy that just happened to be one of the first 500 or so to jump on a new bandwagon", I think that's probably doing me more harm than good!
People who "jump on a new bandwagon" rarely show a sustained interest, committment, and contribution.
Beyond that, I social fullfillment usually derives more from recognizition by peers. Although some people certainly appreciate more general recognition, or even the notariety of a negative reaction as well.
Posted by: Thabor | Feb 28, 2005 at 13:03
Congrats Richard.:)
Posted by: Chek Yang FOO | Feb 28, 2005 at 23:17
Thabor wrote:
>People who "jump on a new bandwagon" rarely show a sustained interest, committment, and contribution.>
And the first two people don't usually consitute a bandwagon.
Posted by: Jim | Mar 01, 2005 at 05:21
This is just a quick note to thank all who've posted their congratulations here. I very much appreciate it, although I'm a little guilty in that I've kinda got the award under false pretences. According to the derivation of the award, it's for people who were brave enough to jump first in the belief that the rest would follow. Roy Trubshaw and I may have been the first to jump, but didn't see ourselves as trailblazers or pioneers, and we certainly weren't brave. We jumped because we enjoyed jumping!
Thanks again!
Richard
Posted by: Richard Bartle | Mar 01, 2005 at 06:58