The Videogames Handbook (Media Practice?)

Featuring contributions from leading figures in the videogames industry including the international games scholar Henry Jenkins, Simon and Andrew Oliver, directors of Blitz Games; and writer and broadcaster Aleks Krotoski; this book surveys both the theory and practice of this fast-growing, yet relatively new disciplinary area.

Mapping the commercial process of videogame production from pre-production to games journalism, David Surman demystifies the language of technical production processes by offering the reader a review of key production roles, along with the skills required to fulfil them. Focusing on the distribution and reception of videogames as a cultural form, as well as offering broader perspectives on issues such as the place of games in education and domestic technology, Surman examines the critical perspectives that have emerged in the academic community.

 

Table of Contents

Introduction  Section 1: Videogame Development  1. Games Design  2. The role of the videogame developer  3. Concept Development  4. Designing Play  5. Experiences  6. Iterative Design and White Box?Testing  7. Simon and Andrew Oliver Designing Videogames, a 20-Year Retrospective?nbsp; 8. Programming  9. Game Engines  10. Artificial Intelligence  11. Artists  12. Character Design  13. Level Design  14. Computer Modelling and Animation  15. Publishing Producing and Marketing  16. The role of the publisher  17. The commissioning process  18. Supervising the production  19. Quality assurance and play testing  20. Games marketing and strategies  21. Ernest Adams Developing Videogames, a 10-year Prediction?nbsp; 22. Players/Creators  23. The modification of existing videogames ?modding  23. Machinima and the cinematic potential of videogames  24. Fan criticism and games development  25. Customisation and play  Section 2: Videogame Cultures  1. Videogames Journalism  2. The Editor  3. The Art Editor  4. The Games Editor  5.  Staff Writers  6. Games Journalism and New Media  7. Blogging and Online Journalism  8. Margaret Robertson The Videogame Journalist?nbsp; 9. Videogame Culture  10. Players as consumers  11. The place of gameplay in everyday life  12. Videogames and education  13. Technology and cultural form  14. Videogame censorship  15. (New) media effects  16. Player cultures and fan authors  17. Aleks Krotoski Gender and Games?nbsp; Section 3: Videogame Studies  1. Game Studies Fundamentals  2. What is a game? What is a videogame?  3. The limits of representation  4. Understanding play  5.  Videogame aesthetics  6. Simulation and the virtual  7. Interactive media  8. James Newman Interactivity??nbsp; 9. Technology and determinism  10. Avatars and videogame identification  11. Gameworlds  12. New media convergence  13. Tanya Krzywinska Videogames, and Other Media?nbsp; Conclusion  Glossary of terms  Bibliography  Ludography (referenced videogames)