Table of contents:
1. Why would anybody study videogames? (And just what is a videogame anyway?) 2. A brief history of videogames: from the computer lab to the mass market 3. The videogames industry: manufacturing fun 4. Videogame players: who plays, for how long and whats its doing to them? 5. The structure of videogames: levels, breaks and the importance of non-interaction 6. Videogame characters: will the real Super Mario please stand up 7. Adventures in videogames spaces: exploration, navigation and mastery 8. Videogames and stories/videogames as stories: ludology vs narratology 9. Social gaming: competition and collaboration on and off screen 10. Future gaming: Online? Mobile? Retro? Where next for videogames
Newman's lucid and engaging introduction guides the reader through the world of videogaming. It traces the history of the videogame, from its origins in the computer lab, to its contemporary status as a global entertainment industry, where characters such as Lara Croft and Sonic the Hedgehog are familiar even to those who've never been near a games console.
Topics covered include:
What is a videogame?
Why study videogames?
a brief history of videogames, from Pac-Man to Pokmon
the videogame industry
Who plays videogames?
Are videogames bad for you?
the narrative structure of videogames
the future of videogames.
This lucid and engaging introduction guides the reader through the world of videogaming, providing a history of the videogame, from its origins in the computer lab to its contemporary status as a global entertainment industry.
1. Why would anybody study videogames? (And just what is a videogame anyway?) 2. A brief history of videogames: from the computer lab to the mass market 3. The videogames industry: manufacturing fun 4. Videogame players: who plays, for how long and whats its doing to them? 5. The structure of videogames: levels, breaks and the importance of non-interaction 6. Videogame characters: will the real Super Mario please stand up 7. Adventures in videogames spaces: exploration, navigation and mastery 8. Videogames and stories/videogames as stories: ludology vs narratology 9. Social gaming: competition and collaboration on and off screen 10. Future gaming: Online? Mobile? Retro? Where next for videogames
Newman's lucid and engaging introduction guides the reader through the world of videogaming. It traces the history of the videogame, from its origins in the computer lab, to its contemporary status as a global entertainment industry, where characters such as Lara Croft and Sonic the Hedgehog are familiar even to those who've never been near a games console.
Topics covered include:
What is a videogame?
Why study videogames?
a brief history of videogames, from Pac-Man to Pokmon
the videogame industry
Who plays videogames?
Are videogames bad for you?
the narrative structure of videogames
the future of videogames.
This lucid and engaging introduction guides the reader through the world of videogaming, providing a history of the videogame, from its origins in the computer lab to its contemporary status as a global entertainment industry.