Computer games: strategy guides Books

Book SynopsisBell's careful analysis of the theories behind gamification, cognitive science, and instructional design will help them to do just that.Trade ReviewInstructors would do well to consider the key tenets of successful games if they are to engage and graduate the coming generations of learners. Bell’s careful analysis of the theories behind gamification, cognitive science, and instructional design will help them to do just that.—University of British Columbia Library BloggersThe intention of the book is to enable practitioners to gamify, explaining in concise but authoritative detail the nature of gamification concepts, and how they function in practice with established principles of pedagogy. However, this does not mean that Game On! is solely applicable to the 'inclass' practitioner. With quantitative elements as well, a focus on students' experiences, and bullet point summaries, gamification is viewed with the kind of practical big-picture thinking crucial to university and academic leadership when considering the risks and rewards of innovation and large-scale implementation.—Errol Rivera, Ology: Review in Applied SciencesTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsPrologue. Ashton to Apple1. A Societal Imperative2. How Did We Get Here?3. The Fairy Tale MOOC4. The Hero’s Journey5. Ethical Decision Making6. Dungeons and Discourse7. Threat of Crime and Terrorism8. Assessing Gamification9. Catching FireCaptain’s EpilogueBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisColin Milburn examines the relationships between video games, hackers, and science fiction, showing how games provide models of social and political engagement, critique, and resistance while offering a vital space for players and hacktivists to challenge centralized power and experiment with alternative futures.Trade Review"This is a detailed and precise account, with a clear narrative that identifies the course of the elements used and their evolving style and context. But among the many intertwined stories, the clever quotes and the endless virtual environments, what keeps emerging is a strong value of responsibility, taking sensible decisions, showing a proper understanding of what Milburn calls as 'technogenic life.'" -- Aurelio Cianciotta * Neural *"This is an accessible work that might give ardent gamers newfound appreciation of the social sciences, and it does an excellent job of neither raising up nor tearing down the historical processes it documents. . . . Recommended. All readers." -- P. L. Kantor * Choice *"Respawn offers a detailed analysis of the entanglements of broader game cultures, political activism and the sociotechnical dilemmas of our present. Drawing on a plethora of game examples and their histories, online discussion threads and occasionally humorous imagery, the book is an engaging account for everyone working at the intersections of digital media theory, game studies, political theory and science and technology studies." -- Yana Boeva * LSE Review of Books *"This author is a worthy bard, and the stories he tells are hella helpful for making sense of the somewhat ephemeral moments of resistance that emerge within, alongside, and out of gaming culture. Using schlxr skillz like research and archives, he weaves together tales of gamer resistance with careful attention to detail, but not without a few lulz, some lite L337speak, and some deep philosophical reflection on what it means to pwn." -- H-Cat * Slingshot *"Respawn is a valuable and ambitious intervention in the field of video game studies that locates important issues in the context of this technogenic philosophy. . . . Even as the words 'gaming' and 'gamer' continue to evolve and grow more ephemeral, Milburn’s look at technogenic philosophy through gaming and hacktivist history will remain persistently relevant." -- Andy Fischer Wright * Velvet Light Trap *"Respawn will be accessible and interesting to a wide range of readers. Milburn has distilled his ideas and arguments, framed them with easy-to-engage theories, and connected them with a compelling narrative that effortlessly carries readers along. . . . The book deserves to be on library shelves, and in this era of increasing austerity, its open-access edition should be linked in libraries’ online catalogs, many of which look like technogenic life via baked-in communication, collaboration, and social networking tools." -- Jason W. Ellis * Extrapolation *“Balancing detail and systemic overview, Milburn’s book is one of the most perceptive, incisive, and clear analyses of the dynamic imbrications of sf imaginaries, video games, and contemporary digital culture in a while.” -- Pawel Frelik * Science Fiction Studies *Table of ContentsIntroduction. All Your Base 1 1. May the Lulz Be with You 25 2. Obstinate Systems 51 3. Still Inside 78 4. Long Live Play 102 5. We Are Heroes 134 6. Green Machine 172 7. Pwn 199 Conclusion. Save Point 217 Acknowledgments 227 Notes 231 Bibliography 271 Index 293

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Book SynopsisIn Respawn Colin Milburn examines the connections between video games, hacking, and science fiction that galvanize technological activism and technological communities. Discussing a wide range of games, from Portal and Final Fantasy VII to Super Mario Sunshine and Shadow of the Colossus, Milburn illustrates how they impact the lives of gamers and non-gamers alike. They also serve as resources for critique, resistance, and insurgency, offering a space for players and hacktivist groups such as Anonymous to challenge obstinate systems and experiment with alternative futures. Providing an essential walkthrough guide to our digital culture and its high-tech controversies, Milburn shows how games and playable media spawn new modes of engagement in a computerized world.Trade Review"This is a detailed and precise account, with a clear narrative that identifies the course of the elements used and their evolving style and context. But among the many intertwined stories, the clever quotes and the endless virtual environments, what keeps emerging is a strong value of responsibility, taking sensible decisions, showing a proper understanding of what Milburn calls as 'technogenic life.'" -- Aurelio Cianciotta * Neural *"This is an accessible work that might give ardent gamers newfound appreciation of the social sciences, and it does an excellent job of neither raising up nor tearing down the historical processes it documents. . . . Recommended. All readers." -- P. L. Kantor * Choice *"Respawn offers a detailed analysis of the entanglements of broader game cultures, political activism and the sociotechnical dilemmas of our present. Drawing on a plethora of game examples and their histories, online discussion threads and occasionally humorous imagery, the book is an engaging account for everyone working at the intersections of digital media theory, game studies, political theory and science and technology studies." -- Yana Boeva * LSE Review of Books *"This author is a worthy bard, and the stories he tells are hella helpful for making sense of the somewhat ephemeral moments of resistance that emerge within, alongside, and out of gaming culture. Using schlxr skillz like research and archives, he weaves together tales of gamer resistance with careful attention to detail, but not without a few lulz, some lite L337speak, and some deep philosophical reflection on what it means to pwn." -- H-Cat * Slingshot *"Respawn is a valuable and ambitious intervention in the field of video game studies that locates important issues in the context of this technogenic philosophy. . . . Even as the words 'gaming' and 'gamer' continue to evolve and grow more ephemeral, Milburn’s look at technogenic philosophy through gaming and hacktivist history will remain persistently relevant." -- Andy Fischer Wright * Velvet Light Trap *"Respawn will be accessible and interesting to a wide range of readers. Milburn has distilled his ideas and arguments, framed them with easy-to-engage theories, and connected them with a compelling narrative that effortlessly carries readers along. . . . The book deserves to be on library shelves, and in this era of increasing austerity, its open-access edition should be linked in libraries’ online catalogs, many of which look like technogenic life via baked-in communication, collaboration, and social networking tools." -- Jason W. Ellis * Extrapolation *“Balancing detail and systemic overview, Milburn’s book is one of the most perceptive, incisive, and clear analyses of the dynamic imbrications of sf imaginaries, video games, and contemporary digital culture in a while.” -- Pawel Frelik * Science Fiction Studies *Table of ContentsIntroduction. All Your Base 1 1. May the Lulz Be with You 25 2. Obstinate Systems 51 3. Still Inside 78 4. Long Live Play 102 5. We Are Heroes 134 6. Green Machine 172 7. Pwn 199 Conclusion. Save Point 217 Acknowledgments 227 Notes 231 Bibliography 271 Index 293

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Book SynopsisForty original contributions on games and gaming culture What does Pokémon Go tell us about globalization? What does Tetris teach us about rules? Is feminism boosted or bashed by Kim Kardashian: Hollywood? How does BioShock Infinite help us navigate world-building?From arcades to Atari, and phone apps to virtual reality headsets, video games have been at the epicenter of our ever-evolving technological reality. Unlike other media technologies, video games demand engagement like no other, which begs the questionwhat is the role that video games play in our lives, from our homes, to our phones, and on global culture writ large? How to Play Video Games brings together forty original essays from today's leading scholars on video game culture, writing about the games they know best and what they mean in broader social and cultural contexts. Read about avatars in Grand Theft Auto V, or music in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Trade ReviewThis text is an approachable and relevant edited collection of essays that examine a broad array of video games through a critical academic lens. Despite its title, this book is not a guide on how to play video games, as is explained by the editors in the introduction, but can be a provocation to reflect on deeper aspects of culture and media while playing them… this text is an excellent introduction to game studies. It is also a valuable resource for any course that includes content related to gaming, such as media studies, digital studies, STS (science, technology, society), sociology of games/media, and literary analysis of games as text. -- ChoiceAcross a broad range of diverse and accessible perspectives on gaming culture from many of the leading authorities in the field, Payne and Huntemann offer a valuable companion to those interested in the past and present of the games we play. -- Jon-Paul Dyson, The Strong National Museum of PlayAn indispensable collection of original key terms and case studiesall the best scholarship in the field is here. Canonical voices in the field as well as a newer generation of scholars bring welcome approaches to ethics, labor, race, gender, sexuality, capitalism, and affect to the table. Anyone can read this carefully curated book; everyone should. -- Lisa Nakamura, University of MichiganIn practice, students were able to apply the key concepts in each chapter’s analysis to other games they encountered in my course, and the style and structure of the chapters served as useful models for their own critical writing assignments. * American Journal of Play *

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Book SynopsisArgues for the queer potential of video gamesWhile popular discussions about queerness in video games often focus on big-name, mainstream games that feature LGBTQ characters, like Mass Effect or Dragon Age, Bonnie Ruberg pushes the concept of queerness in games beyond a matter of representation, exploring how video games can be played, interpreted, and designed queerly, whether or not they include overtly LGBTQ content. Video Games Have Always Been Queer argues that the medium of video games itself canand shouldbe read queerly.In the first book dedicated to bridging game studies and queer theory, Ruberg resists the common, reductive narrative that games are only now becoming more diverse. Revealing what reading D. A. Miller can bring to the popular 2007 video game Portal, or what Eve Sedgwick offers Pong, Ruberg models the ways game worlds offer players the opportunity to explore queer experience, affect, and desire. As players attempt to ''pass'' in OctodaTrade ReviewRuberg powerfully calls for the reclaiming of the entirety of the games medium, identifying how LGBTQ players have always belonged in games (209) … I strongly recommend this book for researchers and students of queer studies and game studies and for scholars focused on media and culture. * Feminist Media Studies *This book helps us to identify the dominant preconceived notions surrounding games, which allows us to resist the heteronormative logic’s preferred ways to interpret and play games....I believe this book is a cornerstone of queer game studies, which will inspire scholars to think beyond the preconceived notions around queerness in, of, and around video games... The book is useful for everyone but especially ideal for students and scholars of queer studies and game studies, who defend and celebrate the different identities, activities, pleasures, and meanings that are available in video games. * Critical Studies in Media Communication *Ruberg offers a polemical intervention into game studies, discovering queer frisson through close readings of how games are played, from the touching shoulders of two men playing a Pong cabinet in the 1970s to the modern trend of speed running or glitching games that transforms the temporality and meaning of play * Real Life Magazine *Bonnie Ruberg is one of the most innovative and original thinkers in the field of game studies. Ruberg's latest work gives us a nuanced and insightful approach to thinking about games through a queer lens. Its essential reading for anyone interested in the cutting edge of theorization about digital games. -- Mia Consalvo, author of Cheating: Gaining Advantage in VideogamesOffers an innovative and critical contribution to not just the study of games, but media more broadly. Video Games Have Always Been Queer asks us to take not simply representation, but play itself, seriously and provides powerful ways for thinking about queerness and games. Its an exciting contribution to the field and a must-read for all media scholars. -- T. L. Taylor, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyViewing video games through a queer lens powerfully illuminates the ways in which traditional and mainstream video games are queer down to their very code. * European Journal of Cultural Studies *

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Book SynopsisProvides an ethnographic study of the link between interactive entertainment and military power, drawing on Robertson Allen's fieldwork observing video game developers, military strategists, US Army marketing agencies, and an array of defense contracting companies that worked to produce the official US Army video game, America's Army.Trade Review"Play scholars should not overlook Allen's book as just another study of FPS games. His is a unique study, both microscopic in its examination of the work of the game developers and macroscopic in its putting the development of America's Army into the larger perspective of the rise of the militarization of American culture and the creation of a military-entertainment complex—the late-capitalist version of the military-industrial complex President Eisenhower warned us about in his 1961 farewell address. Allen's book is smart about many of the issues the reader will find in the body of scholarship on digital gaming and culture."—Jay Mechling, American Journal of Play“Robertson Allen convincingly demonstrates that America's Army has blurred the old, neat margins between local and global, real and virtual, in a new ‘globital’ era of war in which we are all soldiers.”—Daniel Binns, Michigan War Studies Review "America's Digital Army is at once a description of the decade-long foray of the US Army into the production and deployment of video games as recruiting tools and, more tellingly, an analysis of how the production of militarized labor is increasingly diffused throughout US society."—Steven Gardiner, American Ethnologist“A rigorous and fascinating glimpse of what is more than just one online game. America’s Digital Army opens up crucial issues about the conflation of war and work, play and drill, pleasure and simulation, as well as the labor involved in the production of the militarized, fear-ridden cultural politics of the contemporary United States.”—Jussi Parikka, professor of technological culture and aesthetics at the University of Southampton, Winchester School of Art“A compelling account and a critical assessment of a gaming reality and the militarization of society; a groundbreaking ethnography deciphering the illusory separation between the real and the fictional, and the fun and the dead-serious.”—Sverker Finnström, coeditor of Virtual War and Magical Death: Technologies and Imaginaries for Terror and KillingTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments 1. America’s Digital Army 2. The Art of Persuasion and the Science of Manpower 3. The Artifice of the Virtual and the Real 4. The Full-Spectrum Soft Sell of the Army Experience 5. Complicating the Military Entertainment Complex 6. The Labor of Virtual Soldiers Notes Glossary References Index

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Book SynopsisHow gaming intersects with systems like history, bodies, and code Why do we so compulsively play video games? Might it have something to do with how gaming affects our emotions? In Playing with Feelings, scholar Aubrey Anable applies affect theory to game studies, arguing that video games let us “rehearse” feelings, states, and emotions that give new tones and textures to our everyday lives and interactions with digital devices. Rather than thinking about video games as an escape from reality, Anable demonstrates how video games—their narratives, aesthetics, and histories—have been intimately tied to our emotional landscape since the emergence of digital computers.Looking at a wide variety of video games—including mobile games, indie games, art games, and games that have been traditionally neglected by academia—Anable expands our understanding of the ways in which these games and game studies can participate in feminist and queer interventions in digital media culture. She gives a new account of the touchscreen and intimacy with our mobile devices, asking what it means to touch and be touched by a game. She also examines how games played casually throughout the day create meaningful interludes that give us new ways of relating to work in our lives. And Anable reflects on how games allow us to feel differently about what it means to fail.Playing with Feelings offers provocative arguments for why video games should be seen as the most significant art form of the twenty-first century and gives the humanities passionate, incisive, and daring arguments for why games matter.Trade Review"Playing with Feelings traces a compelling intellectual history and uses affect theory to rethink some core game studies debates. Aubrey Anable’s insights on casual, indie, and art games are particularly important at this historical moment in game studies. This is the book many humanistic game scholars have been waiting for."—Adrienne Shaw, author of Gaming at the Edge"Playing with Feelings is one of few works to deeply engage with the theory of affect as developed in media philosophy, sociology, and information studies relative to video games. Written with an eye to the canonical concerns circulating in the lucrative and vibrant field of game studies, the book balances engagement with familiar themes and issues in the game studies and game theory world."—Lisa Cartwright, University of California, San Diego"Playing With Feelings breaks down some fairly weighty themes and theories to create an engaging exploration of how a person’s feelings are influenced by gaming." —The GuardianTable of ContentsContentsIntroduction: Video Games as Structures of Feeling1. Feeling History2. Touching Games3. Rhythms of Work and Play4. Games to Fail WithConclusion: Affective ArchivesAcknowledgmentsNotesIndex

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Book SynopsisA potent new book examines the overlap between our ecological crisis and video games Video games may be fun and immersive diversions from daily life, but can they go beyond the realm of entertainment to do something serious—like help us save the planet? As one of the signature issues of the twenty-first century, ecological deterioration is seemingly everywhere, but it is rarely considered via the realm of interactive digital play. In Playing Nature, Alenda Y. Chang offers groundbreaking methods for exploring this vital overlap.Arguing that games need to be understood as part of a cultural response to the growing ecological crisis, Playing Nature seeds conversations around key environmental science concepts and terms. Chang suggests several ways to rethink existing game taxonomies and theories of agency while revealing surprising fundamental similarities between game play and scientific work.Gracefully reconciling new media theory with environmental criticism, Playing Nature examines an exciting range of games and related art forms, including historical and contemporary analog and digital games, alternate- and augmented-reality games, museum exhibitions, film, and science fiction. Chang puts her surprising ideas into conversation with leading media studies and environmental humanities scholars like Alexander Galloway, Donna Haraway, and Ursula Heise, ultimately exploring manifold ecological futures—not all of them dystopian.Trade Review"Alenda Y. Chang’s gorgeously penned Playing Nature charts an ecocritical approach to video games and design thinking, exploring much more than simply how the ecological has been imaged in games. Essential for designers, players, and critics, Playing Nature eloquently unveils the stakes of ecologically informed agency within video game worlds to reshape thought about both games themselves and the natural systems in which we are all enmeshed."—Soraya Murray, author of On Video Games: The Visual Politics of Race, Gender and Space"Playing Nature is an ambitious project that makes a compelling case for ecocritical game studies. The book reverberates far beyond its main subject, speaking to the environmental humanities, comparative media studies, and the biophysical sciences. Alenda Y. Chang shows how a wide range of analog and digital games immerse players in ecological knowledge while also integrating gaming with other contemporary cultural forms, from speculative novels and documentary films to scientific experiments."—Allison Carruth, UCLA"Scholarly yet accessible, imaginative yet stuffed with ideas from across the humanities and the sciences, Playing Nature is a fascinating analysis of the transformative potential of gaming, showing how the medium could be used to address serious issues around climate change and environmental justice."—Foreword Reviews"But by daring to ask how video games might make the world lively and sound, Chang sparks a necessary conversation."—Science Magazine"Providing a deep understanding of what the games set out to do, this book reveals that these projects may well point the way to the future."—CHOICE"It is a timely and ground-breaking work that firmly places video games well within the scope of environmental studies."—ISLE"A useful analysis for non-nature video games."—Gamers With Glasses

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Book Synopsis“Both burgeoning game designers and devoted gamers should consider [Game Design: Theory & Practice] an essential read.” — Computer Gaming World “Ultimately, in both theory and practice, Rouse’s Game Design bible gets the job done. Let us pray.” - Next Generation magazine In the second edition to the acclaimed Game Design: Theory & Practice, designer Richard Rouse III balances a discussion of the essential concepts behind game design with an explanation of how you can implement them in your current project. Detailed analysis of successful games is interwoven with concrete examples from Rouse’s own experience. This second edition thoroughly updates the popular original with new chapters and fully revised text.

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Book SynopsisDesigned for programmers who want to capitalize on the growing mobile game market, Wireless Game Development in Java with MIDP 2.0 illustrates the programming and development of games for wireless phones using J2ME and MIDP 2.0. The foundations of J2ME and MIDP, as well as discussions of the Game API and support for tiles, sprites, animation, and MIDI music, are presented, along with a complete example of a working game. Explore the features of the MIDP Game API that ease the game development process. Discover how to display bitmap graphics, draw text, and create geometric primitives. Uncover the basics of wireless networking with both HTTP and TCP/IP. Learn about various tools to help you optimize your code. Find out what channels are available for distributing your game.

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Book SynopsisCollecting the gritty and hair-raising artwork behind the critically-acclaimed DARK SOULS III in a prestigious hardcover tome. DARK SOULS III: DESIGN WORKS features armor and weapon designs, character concepts, enemies, bosses, environments, DLC artwork, and more!

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Book SynopsisHow we talk about games as real or not-real, and how that shapes what games are made and who is invited to play them.In videogame criticism, the worst insult might be “That's not a real game!” For example, “That's not a real game, it's on Facebook!” and “That's not a real game, it's a walking simulator!” But how do people judge what is a real game and what is not—what features establish a game's gameness? In this engaging book, Mia Consalvo and Christopher Paul examine the debates about the realness or not-realness of videogames and find that these discussions shape what games get made and who is invited to play them.Consalvo and Paul look at three main areas often viewed as determining a game's legitimacy: the game's pedigree (its developer), the content of the game itself, and the game's payment structure. They find, among other things, that even developers with a track record are viewed with suspicion if

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"100 Greatest Console Video Games 1977-1987 is truly an excellent book that anyone interested in video games should own. Whether you want to read about the details of the games or just admire the tons of images within its pages, this book is for you. Will you agree with every game selected? Unlikely, but thats part of the fun. If you dont find a game you think should have made it within the main book, be sure to check out the appendix at the end with 100 honorable mentions. That game may have made it there. Rating - 10/10." Retrovideogamer.co.uk

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"David Craddock's deep dive into the origins behind some of the most important Apple II games will keep you riveted as you learn the wondrous stories of how these games came to be and how the industry started." -- John Romero, co-founder of id Software, co-designer of Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, and Quake"Thanks to this excellent and thoroughly researched book, we can relive the genesis of several seminal [Apple II] games and fully appreciate the legacy this revolutionary machine had. As aptly said by Craddock in the Introduction, whatever we can think of today, 'The Apple II already did it.'" -- Dr. Roberto Dillon, Author of The Golden Age of Video Games"By going straight to the source, Craddock has shed new light on such iconic titles as Zork, The Oregon Trail, and Wizardry. Break Out is a must-own for anyone interested in the history of computers and computer games." -- Brett Weiss, author of The 100 Greatest Console Video Games: 1977-1987Break Out covers a deeply important era in game creation, marketing, and distribution that is often overlooked by even the most avid historians. Everyone who loves video games should devour this one cover-to-cover. -- Patrick Scott Patterson, video game advocate

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA serious look at a growing business. - Communications Booknotes Quarterly ""McAllister has a clear vision of the medium, a vision that spans the technological, generational gap. In this book, he analyzes and investigates the historical forces that brought video games from concept to market, and he does this with economic, technical, and sociological perspectives in mind.... Stands as one of the finest studies of its kind."" - Choice

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Book Synopsis_Boss Fights_ celebrates a fading art in modern games. Author Daryl Baxter has written about 51 bosses that have made the greatest impact, ever since the first boss debuted in 1974. Full of interviews and insights from the developers who helped made the bosses as memorable as they are, includes those who have worked on Mario 64, DOOM, Bioshock, Star Wars, Half Life and many more. Some explained how they came to be, what was scrapped, and, ultimately, if they were happy with them, looking back. The book goes into detail about the first ever boss from the start, called the Golden Dragon in dnd, which first debuted in 1974. Heralded as the first ever boss in a video game, Daryl spoke to its creators about how it came to be, and how they feel about creating a standard in games. The book sheds light on what was scrapped in other bosses, and how some bosses were so illegal, they had to be updated in rapid fashion to avoid a potential lawsuit. Full of photos that showcase how the boss

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Book SynopsisGet a taste of the full breadth of video games with 325 no-violent titles profiled.

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Book SynopsisWhat might Heidegger say about Halo, the popular video game franchise, if he were alive today? What would Augustine think about Assassin’s Creed? What could Maimonides teach us about Nintendo’s eponymous hero, Mario? While some critics might dismiss such inquiries outright, protesting that these great thinkers would never concern themselves with a medium so crude and mindless as video games, it is impor­tant to recognize that games like these are becoming the defining medium of our time. We spend more time and money on video games than on books, television, or film, and any serious thinker of our age should be concerned with these games, what they are saying about us, and what we are learning from them. Yet video games remain relatively unexplored by both scholars and pundits alike. Few have advanced beyond out­moded and futile attempts to tie gameplay to violent behavior. With this rumor now thoroughly and repeatedly disproven, it is time to delve deeper. Just as the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan recently acquired fourteen games as part of its permanent collection, so too must we seek to add a serious consideration of virtual worlds to the pantheon of philosophical inquiry. In God in the Machine, author Liel Leibovitz leads a fas­cinating tour of the emerging virtual landscape and its many dazzling vistas from which we are offered new vantage points on age-old theological and philosophical questions. Free will vs. determinism, the importance of ritual, transcendence through mastery, notions of the self, justice and sin, life, death, and resurrection all come into play in the video games that some critics so quickly write off as mind-numbing wastes of time. When one looks closely at how these games are designed, their inherent logic, and their cognitive effects on players, it becomes clear that playing these games creates a state of awareness vastly different from when we watch television or read a book. Indeed, the gameplay is a far more dynamic process that draws on various faculties of mind and body to evoke sensa­tions that might more commonly be associated with religious experience. Getting swept away in an engaging game can be a profoundly spiritual activity. It is not to think, but rather to be, a logic that sustained our ancestors for millennia as they looked heavenward for answers. As more and more of us look “screenward,” it is crucial to investigate these games for their vast potential as fine instruments of moral training. Anyone seeking a concise and well-reasoned introduction to the subject would do well to start with God in the Machine. By illuminating both where video game storytelling is now and where it currently butts up against certain inherent limitations, Liebovitz intriguingly implies how the field and, in turn, our experiences might continue to evolve and advance in the coming years. Trade Review “Many dismiss video games as a worthless pursuit, and some even go so far as to consider them a harmful and addictive activity that sets individuals towards violence. Liel Leibovitz defies those assumptions while explaining gaming’s allure and place in the world . . . this work is a thoughtful, well-written, and concise scholarly analysis of a popular pastime. As such, it is a recommended resource for college and university libraries.” —Sarah E. Keil, Trevecca Nazarene University, The Christian Librarian “Leibovitz’s book is brief but wildly ambitious, studded with references unexpected in writing on this subject.” —New York Review of Books “God in the Machine shows depth as well as breadth. It would be a fitting addition to a book discussion group or theological reading circle. Whether you come to the same conclusions as the author did or not, God in the Machine will change the way you see gaming from here on out. I recommend the book.” —Michael Philliber "Liel Leibovitz has thought more deeply than anyone I know about the meaning of video games; he has managed to persuade me, without overloading my circuits, that they belong not to the seventh circle of hell—where I’d consigned them— but to the great American tradition that turns a dark theology of sin into redemptive popular entertainment." —Jonathan Rosen, author of The Talmud and the Internet: A Journey Between Worlds

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Book SynopsisMinecraft is one of the fastest-growing phenomena in video game history, played by tweens everywhere on their video game consoles, tablets, and even smartphones. Popular with both girls and boys, this "virtual play set" of building blocks lets players create essentially anything they can imagine. With Master Builder, the unofficial comprehensive guide for this virtual world, beginners, experts, and general enthusiasts of Minecraft will learn how to get more out of their valuable playtime—how to build better structures and cooler worlds and how to cooperate more efficiently in multiplayer mode. This full-color book shares strategy from Minecraft's top players, examines the creation of many of today's most impressive worlds, and provides a glimpse at what's to come in this ever-expanding universe. It also includes a bonus section on other building games, including Lego Universe. This book is not authorized, sponsored, endorsed or licensed by Mojang AB. The trademark Minecraft is owned by Mojang AB; and other company names and/or trademarks mentioned in this book are the property of their respective companies and are used for identification purposes only.

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Book SynopsisOne of the most popular video games of all time, Minecraft has become a global craze thanks to nearly 40 million registered users worldwide across all platforms. In Minecrafter 2.0 Advanced , those who mastered the basics laid out in the first Minecrafter strategy guide now find tips on more complex areas of game play, including Redstone circuitry and other inventions, and advice for beating "The End." This must-have guide for even the most advanced of experts includes the game's latest innovations and features 100 color images. This book is not authorized, sponsored, endorsed or licensed by Mojang AB. The trademark Minecraft is owned by Mojang AB; and other company names and/or trademarks mentioned in this book are the property of their respective companies and are used for identification purposes only.

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Book SynopsisIn 2005, the video game World of Warcraft struck the cultural landscape with tidal force. One hundred million people have played WoW in the twelve years since.But those people did more than play. They worked, they fought, they triumphed, they held entire game servers hostage, they even married each other in real life. They developed new identities, swapping their workaday selves for warriors, mages, assassins, and healers. They built communities and rose to lead them. WoW was the world’s first mass virtualization: before Facebook or Twitter, millions of people established online identities and had to reckon with the consequences in their real lives.Blood Plagues and Endless Raids explores this wild, incredibly complex culture partly through the author’s engaging personal story, from absolute neophyte to leader of North America’s top Spanish-speaking guild, but also through the stories of other players and the game’s developers. It is the definitive account of one of the world’s biggest pop culture phenomena.World of Warcraft is more than ones and zeroes, more than lines of code, and so its history must be more than pushing buttons or slaying dragons. It’s the tale of a huge and passionate community of people: the connections they made, the experiences they shared, and the love they held for one another.Trade Review"From the Mulgore plain to Draenor, Tony Palumbi and his avatar, a tauren shaman named Ghando, journey for years through the heroscape of World of Warcraft . Into these depths we plunge, too: Horde and Alliance, raiding and grinding, PvP battles and chat channels, guilds and ganking, leveling up, clearing dungeons, and making friends and enemies along the way. Writing a potent blend of cultural criticism and memoir, Palumbiour Virgil-like guide through a Dantesque digital underworlddescribes these travails with verve, wit, and wisdom. WoW the game may not be 'real,' but what happens there is. Blood Plagues and Endless Raids shows us why we should care." -- Ethan Gilsdorf, author of Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks"[a] fascinating peek inside one of the Internet's most popular online communities." -- Booklist

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Book SynopsisThe best-selling author of the Baby Loves Science series levels up with this playful STEM picture book introducing kids?and grown-ups?to the coding world.Grown-ups do NOT have all the answers! In this tongue-in-cheek guide, an in-the-know narrator instructs perceptive kid readers in the fine art of explaining coding to a grown-up. Both children and their adults learn the basics of coding, including hardware, software, algorithms, and debugging. Cleverly disguised ?pro tips? suggest best practices for teaching any topic.Fun and fact-filled, the How to Explain Science series will empower kid experts to explore complex scientific concepts with any grown-up who will listen.

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Book SynopsisMinecraft is one of the most popular video games of all time, with more than 35 million participants having made the game a global craze. In The Ultimate Minecraft Creator, players at all levels can fully explore the most popular aspect of the game: building. Including detailed, colorful guides to builds of various sizes—with tips for aesthetic concerns and giant builds—this book is a must-have guide for even the most advanced of experts. It has more original, expert-created content than any other source available online or in print in North America: more hints, tips, and cheats to get the most out of players’ Minecraft gaming time and dollars.This book is not authorized, sponsored, endorsed or licensed by Mojang AB. The trademark Minecraft is owned by Mojang AB; and other company names and/or trademarks mentioned in this book are the property of their respective companies and are used for identification purposes only.

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Book SynopsisMinecraft®™ is so much more than a video game, taking your own creativity and turning it into impressive art and unbelievable builds- not to mention adding in minigames and powerful Redstone creations! In 101 Awesome Builds you will be introduced to the most incredible structures from the world's greatest creators. There's something for every building style inlcuidng Science Fiction, Fantasy and Ancient, Modern, Pop Culture, Redstone, and more! Prepare to be awed and inspired, whether you're a brand new 'Crafter or a master builder in your own right. Remember- what you can do in Minecraft®™ and other building games is only limited by your imagination. So let these builds kickstart your ideas, or just marvel at the amazing creations that can come out of the human mind, a video game, and a little bit of free time. This book is not authorized, sponsored, endorsed or licensed by Mojang AB. The trademark Minecraft is owned by Mojang AB; and other company names and/or trademarks mentioned in this book are the property of their respective companies and are used for identification purposes only.

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Book SynopsisMinecraft has more than 100 million registered users and this book guides them through the mods You’ve built a great base, a secret hideout, and other awesome builds. You’ve mined diamond, gold, and iron. You may have even played around with Redstone or fought the Ender Dragon. Now, take your Minecraft game to a whole new level by experiencing the coolest mods—short for modifications—available. Mods change the game of Minecraft, both in ways that can be small and simple, such as better lighting or new creatures to fight, or they can literally reshape the game from the ground up, turning it into something entirely different and new. Enter Master the Mods!, the definitive guide for everything you need to know to about mods. This guide gives an overview of what mods are, what types of mods exist, and how to easily install them. Whether you’re trying mods for the first time or are already familiar with the wide world of mods, Master the Mods! presents whole new worlds to explore.This book is not authorized, sponsored, endorsed or licensed by Mojang AB. The trademark Minecraft is owned by Mojang AB; and other company names and/or trademarks mentioned in this book are the property of their respective companies and are used for identification purposes only.

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Book SynopsisThe best builds in Minecraft and the game’s most stunning creations — from minigames to giant cities — are found on Minecraft servers. But where to start in exploring the massive maps and multitude of servers available? The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Minigames and Servers introduces the most popular and unique servers and minigames for ’Crafters to discover. The No. 1 online activity for Minecrafters is minigames. In fact, for some ’Crafters, minigames are the only way they play Minecraft! Whether you’re new to servers and minigames or you’re an experienced adventurer, this book is bound to introduce exciting places to explore and games to play.

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Book SynopsisBrought to you by the writers and editors that created Pojo's Unofficial Ultimate Pokemon, Pojo's Unofficial Big Book of Pokemon features more of everything— more characters, more tv shows, more movie reviews, more video game history, and more tips for building the very best Pokemon team! Up to date for the 2016 holiday season, this collector's edition is packed with collector’s information, toy history, puzzles pages, and more! It is the ultimate guide, touching on everything Pokemon enthusiasts could ever ask for.

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Book SynopsisThe international phenomenon Pokémon GO has already changed the way people interact with their world, and the game is evolving just as fast as the Pokémon themselves! It’s time to level up, load up your Pokédex, and become a gym master with Pojo’s Unofficial Advanced Pokémon Go, the fully up to date game guide featuring tricks, strategies, and dozens of instructive full-color screenshots. Pojo’s Unofficial Advanced Pokémon Go is also your go-to reference on attacks, rankings, nests, tracking, rare Pokémon sightings, and more—even the new Pokémon GO Plus device. It’s the perfect book for any player, whether you’re Level 5 or 25, whether you’re Team Mystic or Team Instinct. Achieve master trainer status, and GO catch ’em all!

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Book SynopsisFrom his very first quest to attain the Triforce, explore Hyrule, and rescue Princess Zelda, Link has been on the ultimate adventure since 1986, and fans around the world have been involved in the journey all along the way. Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, the universe of the beloved Legend of Zelda video games is still ever-evolving, gaining new fans and reminding the world why it continues to captivate. The Legendary World of Zelda is a comprehensive look at everything to know and love about your favorite games with character profiles, gameplay tips, little-known facts, and more! From A Link to the Past, to Ocarina of Time, to Twilight Princess, and gazing ahead to Breath of the Wild, this is the ultimate guide for all fans of The Legend of Zelda.

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Book SynopsisThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is one of the highest-rated, fastest-selling video games of all time, a new crown jewel in the beloved Legend of Zelda series. Having just celebrated its 30th anniversary, the universe of the Legend of Zelda is clearly ever-evolving, gaining new fans and reminding the world why it continues to captivate. The Big Book of Zelda is a comprehensive look at everything to know and love about your favorite games with character profiles, gameplay tips, little-known facts, and more. From A Link to the Past, to Ocarina of Time, to Twilight Princess, and featuring extensive coverage of Breath of the Wild, this is the ultimate guide for fans old and new to explore Hyrule and capture the Triforce!

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Book SynopsisFortnite: Battle Royale is taking the world by storm, combining the high-octane action of traditional shooters with the creative construction elements of sandbox games like Minecraft. With 40 million players and counting, competition is fierce, and strategy is essential. Once you jump from the Battle Bus onto the island below, there can be only one goal: survival. This guide has all the tips and tricks you need to master the melee, whether you're playing on a console, PC, or your phone. Illustrated with dozens of full-color screenshots, find essential information on big-picture offensive and defensive tactics, best practices for building, and indispensable combat techniques. Learn all about uncovering loot, optimizing weapons use, exploring map locations, establishing a fortress, completing challenges, and more—in solo, duo, or squad mode.

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Book SynopsisYour island, your games, your rules! With over 125 million users and counting, Fortnite continues to expand and keep players on their toes! Master Builder Fortnite: Creative Mode is your ultimate guide to the game’s newest dimension. Packed with hints and hacks, this guide has all you need to know to build your own playable worlds with Fortnite Creative. Topics covered include new construction materials, building mechanics, game modes like racing and obstacle courses, island codes, and more. Additional chapters showcase the wildest, most astonishing creations we’ve seen so far, with helpful commentary and tips for getting featured on The Block. It’s time to turn imagination into reality and take your creations to new levels!

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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