Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
No longer a marginal media form, the study of digital game industries and 'gameification' more popular than ever. Hjorth and Richardson bring you Understanding Games and Gaming Culture; the must-read guide to global games studies. Giving you the tools to conceptually navigate contemporary game studies, this book examines game development, audience and profit in the context of contemporary global debates and media, encapsulating:
- A broad scope that covers industry, economy and culture.
- An Interdisciplinary approach; with perspectives from anthropology, design, and human-machine communication, on top of media, communication and cultural studies.
- An International perspective: Authors use global case studies throughout, with a unique focus on examples from Asia, as so many of the most interesting developments in gaming industries and cultures is taking place outside of the West.
Synopsis
Digital games are one of the most significant media interfaces of contemporary life. Games today interweave with the social, economic, material, and political complexities of living in a digital age. But who makes games, who plays them, and what, how and where do we play?
This book explores the ways in which games and game cultures can be understood. It investigates the sites, genres, platforms, interfaces and contexts for games and gameplay, offering a critical overview of the breadth of contemporary game studies.
It is an essential companion for students looking to understand games and games cultures in our increasingly playful and 'gamified' digital society.