Drawing on over 30 years of industry experience, Kelly Vero explores the rich interplay between narrative, design, and technology, making the case for why story, far from being a cosmetic layer, is foundational to player engagement, emotional investment, and lasting value in games and virtual worlds.
Kelly Vero is a game developer, futurist and technology pioneer with 30 years of experience in the interactive entertainment industry. She has worked with leading studios and brands worldwide, and is a frequent keynote speaker on the metaverse, narrative design and AI. Her previous book Breaking Through Bytes was published in 2025.
1. Introduction to Technology, 2. Early Tech Stacks, 3. Game Engines and AI, 4. Avatars, Digital Twins and Plug-Ins Part I, 5. Avatars, Digital Twins and Plug-Ins Part II, 6. Introduction to Narrative and Design, 7. Design and Game Thinking, 8. Good Stories, 9. A Life in the Metaverse, 10. Introduction to User Experience, 11. Interoperability, 12. User Acquisition, 13. Communities and Influencers, Afterword
This book offers an unflinching look at the creative and structural challenges of storytelling in interactive media. Drawing on over 30 years of industry experience, Kelly Vero explores the rich interplay between narrative, design and technology, making the case for why story, far from being a cosmetic layer, is foundational to player engagement, emotional investment and lasting value in games and virtual worlds.
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![How Video Games Made the Metaverse: From Pixels to Portals [Paperback]](/itemImage/2/9/7/6/2_7123577.jpg "How Video Games Made the Metaverse: From Pixels to Portals [Paperback]")