For press kit or bio materials for speaking engagements or otherwise, please visit the Press Kit page.

For a less detailed but similar set of information, please visit my LinkedIn profile.

Raphael R. Koster

• Contact
• http://www.raphkoster.com
• DOB: Sept. 7th, 1971

Summary

A professional game designer and frequent writer on issues of interactive design, Raph Koster was the lead designer on the seminal online world ULTIMA ONLINE, which first brought online worlds to the mass market. Until March 2006 he was Chief Creative Officer for Sony Online Entertainment, makers of EVERQUEST, where he previously led the design of STAR WARS GALAXIES.

After departing SOE, Koster founded Metaplace, a virtual world startup funded by Crescendo Ventures, Charles River Ventures, and Marc Andreessen. Metaplace created groundbreaking patented technology that allow the creation of cloud-based games and virtual worlds, making games “work the way the web does.” Metaplace operated a portal site, METAPLACE.COM, where users could create their own worlds. Metaplace then moved into social games, creating ISLAND LIFE and MY VINEYARD before being acquired by Playdom.

He worked as Vice President of Creative Design at Playdom/Disney, where he served as creative director for DEEP REALMS and unannounced titles, as well as continuing to work on technology. He departed Disney/Playdom in April of 2013.

His essays and writings on online world design include widely reprinted and influential pieces such as “Declaring the Rights of Players”, “The Laws of Online World Design”, and “A Story About a Tree”. He is in demand as a speaker and lecturer on issues of online game design, particularly in the area of community building. He is a regular speaker at the Game Developers Conference, and is the maintainer of the canonical history of virtual worlds at his website, http://www.raphkoster.com. His book A THEORY OF FUN FOR GAME DESIGN was published in 2004 by Paraglyph Press (now from O’Reilly) and is used in several university courses as study material. In 2012 he was named an Online Game Legend at the GDC Online Awards.

Degrees

1995:

• MFA, Creative Writing, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa AL.
  • Thesis: Housebuilding (poetry collection)

1992:

• B.A., Magna cum laude, English and Spanish (departmental honors in both), Washington College, Chestertown, MD
  • Thesis: An Extended Family (short stories) — honors
  • Thesis: The Path (translation from Spanish of El Camino by Miguel Delibes) — honors

Career

2013-present

• Independent designer and consultant.
• Board of Advisors, Toytalk
• Board of Advisors, Gamxing
• Advisory Council, NTN Buzztime
• Board of Advisors, stealth game company #1
• Board of Advisors, stealth game company #2

2010-2013

• Playdom/Disney
  • Vice President of Creative Design. Internal design consultant, occasionally led titles.? Member of Disney Interactive’s internal creative council.
  • Creative Director, DEEP REALMS
  • Creative Director, unannounced/not shipped titles

2006-2010

• Metaplace Inc, also known as Areae Inc
  • President and Chairman. Founded the company, fundraised successfully from Silicon Valley, ideated core technology. Eventually sold to Playdom.
  • METAPLACE.COM
  • ISLAND LIFE
  • MY VINEYARD
  • LEGENDARY TREASURE

2003-2006

• Sony Online Entertainment
  • Chief Creative Officer. Worked with teams at key milestones. Troubleshooter for troubled projects. Managed R&D department for speculative technologies; developed new patentable tech. Substantial company PR work. Developed pitches and interfaced with potential licensors in Hollywood and other media.
  • Additional Writing, UNTOLD LEGENDS

2000-2003:

• Sony Online Entertainment
  • Creative Director, STAR WARS GALAXIES. Managed design team that peaked at over 100. Dealt intensively with community relations, media, and the license holder.

1995-2000:

• Origin Systems
  
  • Designer/Creative Lead (1995-1997). Responsible for designing game systems, narrative, worldbuilding, some technical art, leading team creatively.
  • ULTIMA ONLINE
  • Lead Designer (1997-2000). Responsible for managing design team while working closely with art and programming. Significant involvement in community relations.
  • ULTIMA ONLINE: THE SECOND AGE
• PRIVATEER ONLINE (not shipped).

Distinctions

2013:

• Patent awarded on R&D technology whilst at Sony Online: “Modeling complex environments using an interconnected system of simulation layers “

2012:

• Online Game Legend Award, Game Developers Conference Online 2012
• All-TIME 100 Video Games, ULTIMA ONLINE, Time Magazine

2011:

• DEEP REALMS, #5 Best Facebook Game of 2011, Gamezebo.com
• Patent awarded on core Metaplace technology: “System and method for enabling characters to be manifested within a plurality of different virtual spaces”

2009:

• Top 20 Most Influential People in the MMO industry, Beckett MMO Gamer Magazine

2008:

• Top 20 Most Influential People in the MMO industry, Beckett MMO Gamer Magazine

2007:

• METAPLACE.COM, Audience Award at TechCrunch 40.

2006:

• THE HOT 100, Next Generation
  
• A THEORY OF FUN FOR GAME DESIGN, Game Developer Magazine Front Line Awards nominee

2005:

• UNTOLD LEGENDS is the #3 lifetime bestseller on the new Playstation Portable platform
• Featured in Smartbomb: The Quest for Art, Entertainment, and Big Bucks in the Videogame Revolution by Heather Chaplin & Aaron Ruby, Algonquin Books
• Technology from my R&D group was featured on the Playstation 3 demo reel

2004:

• STAR WARS GALAXIES,SpikeTV Game Awards
  • Nominee, Game of the Year
  • Nominee, Best Online Game
  • Nominee, Best Fantasy Game

• STAR WARS GALAXIES, Online Game of the Year
  • Game Industry News
  • 1up.com (Electronic Gaming Monthly, Computer Gaming World, etc) Reader’s Choice
  • 1up.com, Editor’s Choice
  • IGN Editor’s Choice
  • IGN Reader’s Choice

• STAR WARS GALAXIES, Game of the Year
  • Cinescape

2003:

• STAR WARS GALAXIES, Game Critics Awards (Electronic Entertainment Expo)
  • Nominee, Best Online Multiplayer Game

2002:

• STAR WARS GALAXIES, Game Critics Awards (Electronic Entertainment Expo)
  • Best online Multiplayer Game

2001:

• STAR WARS GALAXIES, Game Critics Awards (Electronic Entertainment Expo)
  • Runner-up, Best of Show
  • PC Game of Show
  • Best Online Multiplayer

1998:

• Online Game of the Year, ULTIMA ONLINE: THE SECOND AGE, The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences

1997:

• Online Game of the Year, ULTIMA ONLINE
  • The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences,
  • C|NET Gamecenter
  • Online Gaming Review (Editor’s Choice)
  • Online Gaming Review (Player’s Choice)
  • AllAbout Games (Gamer’s Choice Award)
  • GAME.EXE Magazine (Russia) Finalist/nominee
  • Computer Games Strategy Plus

• Game of the Year nominee, ULTIMA ONLINE
  • Computer Gaming World (reader’s choice)

• Game of the Year runner-up, ULTIMA ONLINE
  • GAME.EXE Magazine (Russia)

• Roleplaying Game of the Year, runner-up/nominee/honorable mention
  • Academy of Gaming Arts and Design
  • PC Gamer (Gamer’s Choice Award)
  • Online Gaming Review (Editor’s Choice)
  • Computer Gaming World (Reader’s Choice)

• Computer Game Developers’ Association (Spotlight Award)

• C|NET Award for Internet Excellence, ULTIMA ONLINE

• CESA (Computer Entertainment Software Academy, Japan)
  • Special Recognition Award for Outstanding Accomplishment in a New Arena, ULTIMA ONLINE

1993-1995:

• Numerous awards for work on LegendMUD.

1992:

• George Washington Medal (awarded to the senior displaying greatest promise of understanding and realizing in life and work the ideals of a liberal education), Washington College
• Modern Languages Dept. Prize, Washington College
• English Dept. Prize & honors, Washington College

1990:

• Sophie Kerr Scholar, Washington College, Chestertown, MD

Publications

2013:

• A THEORY OF FUN FOR GAME DESIGN, SECOND EDITION. Published by O’Reilly.

2006:

• “Declaring the Rights of Players” in THE STATE OF PLAY: LAW, GAMES, AND VIRTUAL WORLDS, Balkin & Noveck, Eds.
• “Grand Theft Education” Forum, Harper’s Magazine, Sept 2006 issue
• A THEORY OF FUN FOR GAME DESIGN, Japanese edition. Published by O’Reilly Japan
• A THEORY OF FUN FOR GAME DESIGN, Chinese edition. Published by Coolman
• A THEORY OF FUN FOR GAME DESIGN, Korean edition. Published by Digital Media Research
• “Declaring the Rights of Players” in THE GAME DESIGN READER: A RULES OF PLAY ANTHOLOGY. Salen & Zimmerman, eds.

2004:

• A THEORY OF FUN FOR GAME DESIGN, Paraglyph Press

2003:

• Foreword and Appendix E (“Online World Timeline”) in DEVELOPING ONLINE GAMES: AN INSIDER’S GUIDE, Jessica Mulligan and Bridgette Patrovsky. New Riders
• Also provided significant contributions to the online games portion of ANDREW ROLLINGS AND ERNEST ADAMS ON GAME DESIGN, New Riders

1994:

• Assistant poetry editor, Black Warrior Review, also wrote reviews

1991-92:

• Various publications of poetry and fiction in college magazines
• Editorship of various college magazines

Presentations

2014:

• “A New Formalism,” microtalk, Critical Proximity
• “Retention Tips for Free to Play Building Games”, GDC 2014 Free to Play and Business Summit
• “Wikimania is a Game,” featured speaker, Wikimania 2014 London
• “A Conversation on Indie Economics,” co-speaker with Greg Costikyan, Indiecade 2014.
• “Practical Creativity,” lecture, GDCNext 2014.
• “Indie Grassroots Marketing,” panel moderator, GDCNext 2014.

2013:

• “El mundo de sistemas,” keynote at EVA’13, Buenos Aires, Argentina
• “Playing with ‘Game'”, lecture, GDCNext13, Los Angeles.
• Panelist, “View From the Top — The State of the Games Industry”, Digital Media Wire LA Games Conference 2013

2012:

• “Good Design, Bad Design, Great Design” Game Developers Conference Social and Online Games Summit
• “How Games Think,” Keynote, GDC China
• “Ultima Online Classic Games Postmortem,” GDCOnline ’12
• “A Theory of Fun 10 Years Later”, GDCOnline ’12

2011:

• “It’s All Games Now: The Convergence of Games and Social Media” Lecture, GDC Online
• “Breaking Into the Game Biz — Ask the Pros” Panelist, GDC Online
• “10 Game Design Lessons for Games-as-Service” Lecture, Casual Connect Seattle
• “Social mechanics for Social Games” Lecture, Game Developers Conference, Social and Online Games Summit
• “Mergers and Acquisitions Landscape for Small and Mid-Size Developers” Panelist, Inside Social Apps

2010:

• “Social Mechanics: The Engines Behind Everything Multiplayer” Track Keynote, GDC Online
• “AAA to Social Games: Making the Leap” Lecture, GDC Online

2009:

• “Games Are Math: 10 Core Mechanics that Drive Compelling Gameplay”Lecture, GDC Online
• “Casual Virtual Worlds and MMOs”Panelist, Casual Connect Seattle
• “A New Kind of World”Keynote, State of Play VI
• “Developer Roundtable”Panelist, State of Play VI
• “Virtual Economies”Panelist, GSD&M Idea City virtual event on Second Life & Metaplace
• “Emerging Trends in Game Development”Panelist, GSD&M Idea City virtual event on Second Life & Metaplace
• “Worlds in Motion Kickoff”Lecture, Game Developers Conference, Worlds in Motion Summit
• “Visualizing the future of games in ten years”Panelist, GamesBeat ’09

2008:

• “Virtual Worlds Are (Not) Folk Music”Keynote, Living Game Worlds IV
• “Moving From MMO To Web: What’s the Story?”Panelist, GDC Austin
• “Property Rights In Online Games – Who Owns What?”Panelist, GDC Austin
• “Moving From MMO To Web: What’s The Story?”Panelist, GDC Austin
• “Business Guys Debate the Future”Panelist, Virtual Worlds Expo
• “Putting the World in World Wide Web”Joint Keynote, SIGGRAPH Sandbox and Web3d Symposium
• “All the World’s A Game”Panelist, Supernova 2008
• “David Perry’s Luminaries Lunch”Panelist, Luminaries Lunch
• “High Windows”Keynote, Game Developers Conference, Worlds in Motion Summit
• “A Metaplace Antemortem”Keynote, Game Developers Conference“
• Conversation: Raph Koster, Cory Ondrejka, Howard Rheingold”Keynote, Metaverse U Conference, Stanford

2007:

• “Fan Labor”Panelist, Futures of Entertainment Conference, MIT
• “What We Are Missing”Lecture, GDCPrime, 2007
• “Estructura Profunda”Magistral Conference, CICOMP 2007, Congreso International en Ciencies Computacionales, Ensenada, Mexico
• “Where Game Meets Web”Lecture, Game Developers Conference
• “Immersive Design”Lecture, Web 2.0 Expo
• “The Core of Fun”Keynote, ETech
• “Designing for Everywhere”Lecture, GDC Austin
• “The New Gaming Landscape”Keynote, CEDEC 2007

2006:

• “Influences”Keynote, Project Horseshoe
• “The Age of the Dinosaurs”Lecture, Austin Game Conference
• “The Future of Virtual Worlds”Panelist, Austin Game Conference
• “Games for Change”Closing keynote, Games for Change Conference 2006
• “Social Dimensions of Digital Games”Panelist, Game Developers Conference 2006
• “The Era of Connected Gaming – An Inside Look at an Industry on the Verge of a Revolution”Panelist, The Churchill Club
• “Design Process and Games”Panelist, Living Game Worlds 2006 @ Georgia Tech
• “The Medium That Ate the World”PARC Forum, Palo Alto Research Center
• “On Creativity”Wharton School guest lecture, Marketing Dept.

2005:

• “A Theory of Fun”Keynote, Serious Games Summit at the Game Developers Conference 2005
• “A Grammar of Gameplay”Lecture, Game Developers Conference 2005aka Game Design Atoms: Can Game Designs Be Diagrammed?
• “Persistent vs. Instantiated Spaces: The Great Online Game Debate”Panelist, Game Developers Conference 2005
• “Why Games Matter” Keynote, Training Fall 2005
• “The Destiny of Online Games” Keynote, Korea Game Conference 2005
• “Moore’s Wall: Technology Advances and Online Game Design” Lecture, IBM Online Games Conference
• “Ludium I” Invited participant, Center for the Study of Synthetic Worlds, Indiana University
• “Who Owns My Lightsaber? IP and Ownership in MMOs”Panelist, Austin Game Conference 2005
• “Multiple platforms, One Game Experience”Panelist, Microsoft Meltdown
• “Connected Play”Panelist, Supernova 2005
• “Gaming and the Web”Panelist, Web 2.0
• “The Future of MMOs”Panelist, IGN Live, Anaheim

2004:

• “Developing a Massively Multiplayer Game”Co-presenter, all-day tutorial, Game Developers Conference 2004
• “Game Design Challenge: The Love Story”Panelist, Game Developers Conference 2004
• “Towards Relevant Research: Collaboration 101″Panelist, Game Developers Conference 2004
• “SciFi MMPs: Lessons from Star Wars Galaxies and Earth and Beyond”Panelist, Game Developers Conference 2004
• “It’s What’s Inside That Counts”Panel moderator, Women’s Game Conference
• “Design Risks We Should Be Taking”Panel moderator, Austin Game Conference
• “The Past and Future of Online Worlds”Lecture, ChinaJoy
• “Openness, Trust, and Sovereignty”Invited Participant, Swiss Re/Kennedy School of Government
• “Online Worlds: The Forms of Things Unknown”Lecture, IGDA San Diego chapter meeting
• “Massive Multiplayer Online Gaming: Worlds of Opportunity?”Panelist, iHollywood Forum, CES

2003:

• Keynote, State of Play conferenceNew York Law School
• “Lessons of Going Online”Panelist, DICE
• “A Theory of Fun”Keynote, Austin Game Conference
• “Design Secrets of Online: USA and Asia”Panelist, Electronic Entertainment Expo
• “Running Massively Multiplayer Games”Co-presenter, Game Developer’s Conference 2003
• “How to Manage a Large-Scale Online Gaming Community”Co-presenter, Game Developer’s Conference 2003
• “Small Worlds: Competitive and Cooperative Structures in Online Games”Game Developer’s Conference 2003

2002:

• “Storytelling in the Online Medium”Co-presenter, Game Developer’s Conference 2002
• “Building a Third Generation Massively Multiplayer Game”Panelist, Game Developer’s Conference 2002
• “Managing Large Online Communities”Co-presenter, Game Developer’s Conference 2002

2001:

• “Social Control: The Nature of Deviance in Virtual Worlds”Session chair, MERA ’01, March 25th(Mediated Environment Research Association)
• “Two Models for Narrative Worlds”Panelist, Entertainment in the Interactive Age, January 29-30,Annenberg Center for Communication, USC
• “Design Patterns for Online Worlds”Co-presenter, Game Developers Conference
• “Production for Online Worlds”Co-presenter, Game Developers Conference
• “Community Design for Large-Scale Gaming Worlds” (tutorial)Co-presenter, Game Developers Conference

2000:

• “The Rules of Massively Multiplayer Games”Co-presenter, Game Developers Conference, March 20-24
• “Design Patterns for Online Worlds”Co-presenter, Game Developers Conference, March 20-24
• “Community Building in Online Worlds” (tutorial)Co-presenter, Game Developers Conference, March 20-24
• “Using 3D Graphics in Online Communities: Opportunities and Challenges”Panelist, MediaMOO Conference, March

1999:

• “Current and Future Developments in Online Games”Opening address (never delivered, had to cancel at the last moment)Online Games ’99 (London, November)
• “Building A Better World: Managing Online Gaming Communities Effectively”Panelist, VR Worldcon, September ’99
• Special guest, VR Worldcon ’99- part of AussieCon3, 57th WorldCon)
• “Virtual Worlds: A Live Interactive Presentation”Lecture, Austin Museum of Art, April 22nd
• “The Laws of Massively Multiplayer Online Worlds”Co-presenter, Game Developers Conference, March 20-24
• “Managing Deviant Behavior in Online Communities”Panelist, MediaMOO Conference, March

1998:

• “The Rules of Massively Multiplayer Games”Co-presenter, Austin RoadTrip Game Developers Conference, November

Major Interviews, Articles, and Press

2014:

• Interview on virtual reality, The Digital Show, SiriusXM Business Radio (April 14th)

2013:

• “Raph Koster on the Past, Present, and Future”, MMORPG.com
• “What’s Next? Koster talks ‘the revolution'”, Gamasutra

2011:

• “Raph Koster – GDC Online”GameBreakerTV
• “OGDA Interview with Raph Koster,” video interview with the Omaha Game Developers Association
• “Raph Koster Talks Loss, Opportunity in the Social Media Age”, Gamasutra
• “Raph Koster interview,” RPG Fanatic

2010:

• “Targeted Focus, Broad Audience?”Gamasutra
• “In-Depth: Koster On The Evolution Of Social Game Genres”Gamasutra

2009:

• “Raph Koster Interview – GDC Austin”GameBreakr
• Episode #27: Raph Koster on the podcastThe Adrenaline Vault

2008:

• An Uncertain Future For The Core Gamer?Opinion piece, Gamasutra

2007:

• Defining Games: Raph Koster’s Game GrammarGamasutra

2006:

• “Investing time and money in virtual worlds: Caveat Emptor”VentureBeat“
• Makers of Gaming Systems Reach Out to Wider Audience”NPR: Talk of the Nation (aired Nov 22nd, 2006)
• Editorial: “What’s New?”Massive Magazine
• “Raph Koster on taking the industry into the mainstream”GameSpot
• “Interview with Raph Koster”MMPlay.de
• “Koster on Fire”Escapist Magazine
• “The CGW Interview: Raph Koster”, Computer Gaming World, April 2006Interviewed by Ryan Scott

2005:

• “On Point: Video Game Revolution”Interview/panelist, NPRAired: Wednesday, December 07, 2005 11-12PM ET
• Smartbomb: The Quest for Art, Entertainment, and Big Bucks in the Videogame RevolutionHeather Chaplin and Aaron RubyAlgonquin Books
• Masaya Matsuura: HyperPS2 interview”Masaya Matsuura, designer of Parappa the Rapper, did this brief interview with me for Hyper PS2 magazine in Japan. (November, 2005)
• O’Reilly Village InterviewMasaya Matsuura did a second interview of me for The Japanese O’Reilly Village website. (November, 2005)
• “Designing the AAA Game”Interview by Dan Arey for Game Developers Conference 2005
• “A Conversation with Raph Koster”Game Studies, interview by Celia Pearce
• “The Raph Koster Interview”PC Gamer UK

2002:

• “Pause & Effect: The Art of Interactive Narrative”, book on design issuesInterviewed by Mark Stephen Meadows
• “Real People, Virtual Worlds”, television documentary on online worldsInterviewed by Tracy Spaight
• “Avatars Offline”, film documentary on online worldsInterviewed by Daniel Liatowisch

2001:

• “Gaming the Matrix” (interview)Shift.com, June 13th
• “Rapping with Raph” (interview)Computer Games Magazine/Computer Games Online, July 18th

2000:

• “Interview”Joystick101.org, November 26th
• “Interview”VaultNetwork, September
• “Video games, and online worlds, as art”GIGNews, June

1999:

• “Community Building” (interview)VaultNetwork, April
• “Online World Timeline”Article, March 4th – the definitive resource for the history of online worlds

1998:

• “Interview”, August

Professional Memberships and Advisory Panels

• Charter Member, Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences
• Member, International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences
• Member, International Game Developers Association
• Member, ASCAP
• Member, Omicron Delta Kappa
• Advisor, MIME program, Indiana University
• Futurists Board Member, Lifeboat Foundation
• Game Developers Choice Awards advisory committee, 2007-present
• Game Developers Online Choice Awards advisory committee, 2009-present
• Game Developers Conference Worlds in Motion Summit advisor, 2009
• Game Developers Conference Social & Online Games advisor, 2010-2011
• Game Developers Conference Online advisory board member, 2009-2012
• GDC Next advisory board member, 2013-2014
• AIAS Awards panelist, Game Direction, multiple years
• AIAS Awards panelist, Game Design, multiple years
• AIAS Awards panelist, Online Multiplayer, multiple years
• AIAS Awards panelist, Massively Multiplayer, multiple years
• AIAS Indie Game Challenge panelist, 2010

Hobbies

• Songwriting and playing guitar. One CD released, AFTER THE FLOOD, 1999.
• Writing (mostly speculative) fiction and poetry. Past member of Turkey City, the seminal Austin cyberpunk writing workshop.
• Avid reading of SF and fantasy.