NarrativeĂ01 Storytelling/Reception-The Player’s Experience of a Story/A Brief History of Literary Theory and Video Games/Transmedia Games/Final Remarks The Cultural Position of Video Games/The Players Rules/Geography and Representation/ Number of Players/Games Without Boundaries HistoryĆ1 A Brief Pre-History of Video Games/Does History Matter?/A History of Video Games/The 1970s/ The 1980s/The 1990s/The 2000s/The 2010s and Beyond/Perspectives General Models for Understanding Games/ The Issue of Genre The Size of the Game Industry/The Structure of the Big Game Industry/The Development Process/ Roles in Game Development Who Studies Video Games?/How Do You Study Video Games?/Types of Analysis/Schools of Thought Introductionā About the Reader/Structure of the Book/ The Larger Questions
First edition published by Routledge 2008 Third edition published by Routledge 2015 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record for this book has been requested ISBN: 978-9-4 (hbk) ISBN: 978-5-2 (pbk) ISBN: 978-9-1 (ebk) Typeset in Warnock Pro by Apex CoVantage, LLC Editor: Erica Wetter Editorial Assistant: Emma Sherriff Production Editor: Christopher Taylor Cover Design: Gareth ToyeĬontents List of Figures List of Tables Acknowledgments Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Simon Egenfeldt-Nielsen, Jonas Heide Smith, and Susana Pajares Toscaįourth edition published 2020 by Routledge 52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017 and by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2020 Taylor & Francis The right of Simon Egenfeldt-Nielsen, Jonas Heide Smith, and Susana Pajares Tosca to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Understanding Video Games The Essential Introduction Fourth Edition Susana Pajares Tosca is an associate professor at Roskilde University and is a founding editor of the journal Game Studies. He has previously taught computermediated communication at the University of Copenhagen, the Copenhagen Business School, the IT University of Copenhagen, and Roskilde University. Jonas Heide Smith is head of digital communication at SMK. Simon Egenfeldt-Nielsen is CEO of the award-winning company Serious Games Interactive and has worked as an assistant professor at the Center for Computer Games Research at the IT University of Copenhagen. Extensively illustrated and featuring discussion questions, a glossary of key terms, and a detailed video game history timeline, this new edition is an indispensable resource for students, scholars, and teachers interested in examining the ways video games continue to reshape entertainment and society. Drawing from historical and contemporary examples, the student-friendly text also explores the aesthetics of games, evaluates the cultural position of video games, and considers the potential effects of both violent and “serious” games. In this new edition of the pioneering text, students learn to assess the major theories used to analyze games, such as ludology and narratology, and gain familiarity with the commercial and organizational aspects of the game industry. Understanding Video Games From Pong to virtual reality, Understanding Video Games, 4th Edition, takes video game studies into the next decade of the twenty-first century, highlighting changes in the area, including mobile, social, and casual gaming.
Reception-The Player’s Experience of a StoryĪ Brief History of Literary Theory and Video GamesĨ Serious Games and Gamification-When Entertainment Is Not Enough