Computer games: strategy guides Books

Book SynopsisThe ethics and experience of “treacherous play”: an exploration of three games that allow deception and betrayal—EVE Online, DayZ, and Survivor.Deception and betrayal in gameplay are generally considered off-limits, designed out of most multiplayer games. There are a few games, however, in which deception and betrayal are allowed, and even encouraged. In Treacherous Play, Marcus Carter explores the ethics and experience of playing such games, offering detailed explorations of three games in which this kind of “dark play” is both lawful and advantageous: EVE Online, DayZ, and the television series Survivor. Examining aspects of games that are often hidden, ignored, or designed away, Carter shows the appeal of playing treacherously. Carter looks at EVE Online’s notorious scammers and spies, drawing on his own extensive studies of them, and describes how treacherous play

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Book SynopsisVideo games are not necessarily uniform in the "lessons" they teach players. Indeed, even violent video games are not simply hotbeds of violent content. For example, the popular Call of Duty and Resident Evil series require players to behave violently in order to protect other people or computer characters. Thus, in these games, aggression is taught in simultaneity with altruism. The questions, then, arise 1) whether social learning is an appropriate explanation for long-term effects of games, and 2) whether games can only teach antisocial lessons. The first chapter of this book addresses video game effects from a long-term, holistic perspective, focusing on antisocial and prosocial outcomes, using a conveniently collected survey dataset. Moreover, this book also analyses video games by different genres. Furthermore, this book provides information on associations and gender differences in children''s situational motivation, rate of perceived exertion and physical activity levels in exergaming; the efficiency of brain training versus recreational video games; the effect of social media in the video game industry; video games and their correlation with school and cognitive performance; video games and the effect they may have on seizures; and video gaming and the enhancement of prosocial behaviours.

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive, colorful look at everything to know and love about Super Mario, with character profiles, gameplay tips, and little-known triviaFor over 35 years, gamers young and old have gone on fantastic adventures with Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, and friends. The Big Book of Super Mario is a colorful celebration of that rich history from the 1980s to today!This deluxe guide also features exclusive content and strategy on recent Nintendo Switch games like Super Mario Odyssey and Super Mario Maker 2, plus an in-depth look at the new Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury. With dozens of full-color game images, this journey into the Mushroom Kingdom is a must-have for all Mario fans.

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Book SynopsisExplore the growing universe of PokÉmon! The fantastic world of PokÉmon® is constantly changing and expanding, and with so many ways to play, PokÉmon® is now more popular than ever before! Pojo's Unofficial Ultimate PokÉmon Trainer’s Handbook is your essential guide for becoming a gym champion and masterful PokÉmon trainer while exploring the vast and fantastic world of this timeless franchise, from the newest Nintendo Switch games to trading cards, anime, and more. Whether you’re just getting started playing Scarlet and Violet or are already acquainted with the long history of PokÉmon®, this jam-packed guide is a fully up-to-date resource for enthusiasts.

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Book SynopsisThe book is a compendium of thinking on virtuality and its relationship to reality from the perspective of a variety of philosophical and applied fields of study. Topics covered include presence, immersion, emotion, ethics, utopias and dystopias, image, sound, literature, AI, law, economics, medical and military applications, religion, and sex.Table of ContentsIntroduction ; Mark Grimshaw ; I. The Foundations of Virtuality ; 1. The Virtuality and Reality of Avatar Cyberspace ; Bruce Damer and Randy Hinrichs ; 2. The Physical and Social Reality of Virtual Worlds ; Philip Brey ; 3. Envisioning the Virtual ; Brian Massumi ; 4. Being More Than Yourself: Virtuality and Human Spirit ; Andre Nusselder ; 5. Mythologies of Virtuality: "Other Space" and "Shared Dimension" from Ancient Myths to Cyberspace ; Maria Beatrice Bittarello ; 6. The Paradox of Virtuality ; Michael R. Heim ; II. Psychology and Perception ; 7. Avatar Psychology ; James K. Scarborough and Jeremy N. Bailenson ; 8. Not Quite Human: What Virtual Characters Have Taught Us about Person Perception ; Elizabeth J. Carter and Frank E. Pollick ; 9. Emotions and Altered States of Awareness: The Virtuality of Reality and the Reality of Virtuality ; Jean-Claude Martin ; 10. Applying Psychological Plausibility to the Uncanny Valley Phenomenon ; Angela Tinwell ; 11. The Psychology of Addiction to Virtual Environments: The Allure of the Virtual Self ; Deborah Abdel Nabi and John P. Charlton ; 12. Being Present in a Virtual World ; Giuseppe Riva and John A. Waterworth ; 13. Immersion in Virtual Worlds ; Gordon Calleja ; III. Culture and Society ; 14. Communication in Virtual Worlds ; Paul C. Adams ; 15. So Good, They Named It Twice? A Lacanian Perspective on Virtual Reality from Literature and the Other Arts ; David Rudd ; 16. History and Cultural Heritage in Virtual Environments ; Erik Champion ; 17. Flirting, Cheating, Dating, and Mating in a Virtual World ; Julie M. Albright and Eddie Simmens ; 18. Cybersex ; Stale Stenslie ; 19. A Virtual Assembly: Constructing Religion out of Zeros and Ones ; Robert M. Geraci ; 20. Acoustemologies of the Closet ; William Cheng ; IV. Sound ; 21. Breaking the Fourth Wall? User-Generated Sonic Content in Virtual Worlds ; Karen Collins ; 22. Sonic Virtuality: Understanding Audio in a Virtual World ; Tom A. Garner and Mark Grimshaw ; 23. Virtual Worlds: An Ethnomusicological Perspective ; Trevor S. Harvey ; 24. The Music That's Not There ; Martin Knakkergaard ; V. Image ; 25. Through the Looking Glass: Philosophical Reflections on the Art of Virtual Worlds ; Gary Zabel ; 26. Recreating Visual Reality in Virtuality ; Anthony Steed ; 27. The Translation of Art in Virtual Worlds ; Patrick Lichty ; 28. Painting, the Virtual, and the Celluloid Frame ; Simon J. Harris ; VI. Economy and Law ; 29. Virtual Law ; Greg Lastowka ; 30. Virtuality in the Sphere of Economics ; Vili Lehdonvirta ; VII. A-Life and Artificial Intelligence ; 31. On the Role of "Digital Actors" in Entertainment-Based Virtual Worlds ; Phil Carlisle ; 32. Evolution in Virtual Worlds ; Tim Taylor ; 33. Virtual Ecologies and Environments ; David G. Green and Tom Chandler ; 34. Computational Modeling of Brain Function and the Human Haptic System at the Neural Spike Level: Learning the Dynamics of a Simulated Body ; Gabriel Robles-De-La-Torre ; VIII. Technology and Applications ; 35. Distributed Embodiment: Real Presence in Virtual Bodies ; John A. Waterworth and Eva L. Waterworth ; 36. Level of Realism: Feel, Smell, and Taste in Virtual Environments ; Alan Chalmers ; 37. Developing Handheld Augmented Reality Interfaces ; Mark Billinghurst, Huidong Bai, Gun Lee, and Robert Lindeman ; 38. Avoidable Pitfalls in Virtual-World Learning Design ; Keysha I. Gamor ; 39. Medical Clinical Uses of Virtual Worlds ; Giuseppe Riva ; 40. Military Simulations Using Virtual Worlds ; Roger Smith ; IX. Utopia and Dystopia ; 41. Ethics at the Boundaries of the Virtual ; Charles M. Ess ; 42. The Social Imaginary of Virtual Worlds ; Patrice Flichy ; 43. Virtuality and Humanity ; David Kreps ; 44. Virtual Dystopia ; Andrea Hunter and Vincent Mosco ; An Afterword in Four Binarisms ; Tom Boellstorff ; Index

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Book SynopsisVideo games open portals into fantastical worlds where imaginative play prevails. Sound Play explores the aesthetic, ethical, and sociopolitical stakes of people's engagements with audio phenomena in video games-from sonic violence to synthesized operas, from democratic musical performances to verbal sexual harassment.Trade ReviewAs addictive and energetically conceived as its subject matter, Sound Play enables even non-gamers to navigate the sonic waves and kinetic pleasures of story worlds that challenge us to rethink the complexities of human agency, identity politics, and embodied performance. * Maria Tatar, author of Enchanted Hunters: The Power of Stories in Childhood and editor of The Annotated Brothers Grimm *A major contribution from a bold and brilliant new voice with exceptional interdisciplinary range. Cheng is a serious player: his virtuosic flair is fully matched by his technical rigor and depth of interpretive insight. Sound Play confirms that the New Musicology is truly out of beta. * Kiri Miller, author of Playing Along: Digital Games, YouTube, and Virtual Performance *Compelling from the first page, Sound Play is an engaging and sophisticated study of how audio-whether in the form of music, voices, noises, or effects-crucially shapes our experience of video games, and how gaming deeply informs our engagement with sound. But more than that, William Cheng's excellent new book demonstrates how the interrelation of sound and play in video games challenges us to think deeply about what it means to live in a world in which the virtual and the real are increasingly intertwined. * Mark Katz, author of Capturing Sound: How Technology Has Changed Music and Groove Music: The Art and Culture of the Hip-Hop DJ *Captivating and inspired, probing and nimbly persuasive, playful yet bursting with profound insight, Sound Play is virtually and absolutely indispensable. * Charles Hiroshi Garrett, author of Struggling to Define a Nation: American Music and the Twentieth Century and editor-in-chief of The Grove Dictionary of American Music, 2nd edition *William Cheng tackles the wild west of game audio and conquers it with a combination of academic scrutiny, coupled by a gamer's unadulterated love of the art. Sound Play could very well be a turning point in the history of video game audio: the day when game audio came of age and inherited the mantle of serious art through the lens of scholarly analysis. With Sound Play, game audio finally has the academic credentials it needs to take its place among the other fine arts. * Christopher Tin, Grammy-winning video game music composer *Table of ContentsForeword by Richard Leppert ; Introduction ; Chapter 1: A Tune at the End of the World ; Chapter 2: How Celes Sang ; Chapter 3: Dead Ringers ; Chapter 4: Role-Playing toward a Virtual Musical Democracy ; Chapter 5: The Wizard, the Troll, and the Fortress ; Epilogue ; End Notes ; Works Cited ; Index

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Book SynopsisAn examination of subversive games like The Sims—games designed for political, aesthetic, and social critique.For many players, games are entertainment, diversion, relaxation, fantasy. But what if certain games were something more than this, providing not only outlets for entertainment but a means for creative expression, instruments for conceptual thinking, or tools for social change? In Critical Play, artist and game designer Mary Flanagan examines alternative games—games that challenge the accepted norms embedded within the gaming industry—and argues that games designed by artists and activists are reshaping everyday game culture.Flanagan provides a lively historical context for critical play through twentieth-century art movements, connecting subversive game design to subversive art: her examples of “playing house” include Dadaist puppet shows and The Sims. She looks at artists’ alternative computer-bas

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Book SynopsisThe Meaning of Video Games takes a textual studies approach to an increasingly important form of expression in todayâs culture. It begins by assuming that video games are meaningfulânot just as sociological or economic or cultural evidence, but in their own right, as cultural expressions worthy of scholarly attention. In this way, this book makes a contribution to the study of video games, but it also aims to enrich textual studies.Early video game studies scholars were quick to point out that a game should never be reduced to merely its story or narrative content and they rightly insist on the importance of studying games as games. But here Steven E. Jones demonstrates that textual studiesâwhich grows historically out of ancient questions of textual recension, multiple versions, production, reproduction, and receptionâcan fruitfully be applied to the study of video games. Citing specific examples such as Myst and Lost, Katamari Damacy, Trade Review"Steven E. Jones rolls his katamari through wonderful terrain, collecting insights about how video games relate to reality TV, otaku culture, British gift-book annuals, and our perspectives on outer space. The Meaning of Video Games draws on the methods of textual studies and on a solid understanding of games and how they are played. It is an enjoyable, edifying, next-generation book." -Nick Montfort, Massachusetts Institute of Technology "In The Meaning of Video Games Steven E. Jones makes it look easy, effortlessly dissolving distinctions between media studies, game studies, and textual studies. Close readings become 'close playings' (and back again) as the book creates an interdisciplinary convergence culture every bit as mobile and networked as the objects of its study." -Matthew G. Kirschenbaum, University of Maryland "This is a perfect case of a book hitting the market exactly when we need it. While there have been individual academic accounts of specific types and modes of games before, Jones's book is the first scholarly (and 'popular') study of an increasingly pervasive element of contemporary culture, deftly integrating the phenomenology of game design and game playing with the general textuality in which Jones wisely chooses to discuss both the creation and reception of gaming. Avoiding the pitfalls of a straight historical narrative, the author selects certain emblematic moments in the growth of games and games studies (from Lost to Halo to the Wii-and 'platform studies' -to the forthcoming Spore). He sets these exempla against a wide array of other disciplines and approaches: media studies, psychology, textual studies, popular culture, sociology, anthropology, and even 'literature.' Whether Jones has provided the last word on the 'meaning' of video games remains to be seen, but it will certainly inspire others to continue the search for such 'meaning.'" -David Greetham, City University of New York "Steven E. Jones rolls his katamari through wonderful terrain, collecting insights about how video games relate to reality TV, otaku culture, British gift-book annuals, and our perspectives on outer space. The Meaning of Video Games draws on the methods of textual studies and on a solid understanding of games and how they are played. It is an enjoyable, edifying, next-generation book." -Nick Montfort, Massachusetts Institute of Technology "In The Meaning of Video Games Steven E. Jones makes it look easy, effortlessly dissolving distinctions between media studies, game studies, and textual studies. Close readings become 'close playings' (and back again) as the book creates an interdisciplinary convergence culture every bit as mobile and networked as the objects of its study." -Matthew G. Kirschenbaum, University of Maryland "This is a perfect case of a book hitting the market exactly when we need it. While there have been individual academic accounts of specific types and modes of games before, Jones's book is the first scholarly (and 'popular') study of an increasingly pervasive element of contemporary culture, deftly integrating the phenomenology of game design and game playing with the general textuality in which Jones wisely chooses to discuss both the creation and reception of gaming. Avoiding the pitfalls of a straight historical narrative, the author selects certain emblematic moments in the growth of games and games studies (from Lost to Halo to the Wii-and 'platform studies' -to the forthcoming Spore). He sets these exempla against a wide array of other disciplines and approaches: media studies, psychology, textual studies, popular culture, sociology, anthropology, and even 'literature.' Whether Jones has provided the last word on the 'meaning' of video games remains to be seen, but it will certainly inspire others to continue the search for such 'meaning.'" -David Greetham, City University of New York "The meaning of video games - suggests Jones - is not intrinsic to the text, but is produced dynamically from the interaction between author and user, code and system, machine and human being. The pleasant digressions on otaku culture, reality TV shows and TV series such as Lost (which opens the volume) make reading The Meaning of Video Games pleasant, if not essential." - Matteo Bittanti, Videoludica "As his title promises, Jones successfully demonstrates strategies for understanding the meanings of video games. His six case studies present insightful analyses and exemplify how scholars might approach games using textual studies theories...Jones provides another fruitful contribution to the interdisciplinary network of game studies, offering close textual readings of specific game artifacts to illuminate how video games are the "quintessential social texts of our present cultural moment."" -Cinema Journal Spring 2009 Issue "Ultimately, Jones’ contributions in this excellent collection of more or less stand-alone chapters sums up with a wonderful exposition of the ceaseless movement of significance in the paratextual character of the human engagement with videogames." -New Media and Society 2009; 11; 641 Table of ContentsIntroduction1. The game of Lost2. Collecting Katamari Damacy3. The Halo universe4. The game behind Facade 5. The Wii platform6. Anticpating Spore Notes Selected Bibliography Glossary Index

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Book SynopsisDiscover new and exciting Minecraft base builds, with construction tips, blueprint spreads, and fun locations—written in official partnership with the experts at game-creator Mojang.Are you an expert builder? Looking for inspiration for your next epic build? Then the search is over!Visit the legendary bases of The Twelve, a guild of expert builders, who are ready to showcase their most stunning creations, including flying airships and underwater lairs. Learn their top tips and tricks for making incredible bases in a variety of themes, and follow their expert advice to create challenging structures and complex redstone mechanisms.Full of thematic builds and unique features, this book of exceptional bases will spark the imagination of Minecrafters young and old.

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Book SynopsisDive into Minecraft headfirst with this all-new beginner’s guide that will teach you everything you need to know for starting your Minecraft journey, whether that be in Survival mode or Creative. Are you new to Minecraft or still not quite getting the hang of it? Then this book is for you! Join characters such as Miss Hap, Sir Vival and Bill Ding on an adventure through the Overworld, to discover how you can ace your early game.Learn everything from what happens when you die and how to avoid it to how to feed yourself and where to find the cutest mobs. So what are you waiting for? Pick up the book and start your epic adventure!Full of fun and humor, this guide is perfect for kids of all ages.

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Book SynopsisThis book represents cutting-edge research that addresses major issues of social exclusion, power and liberatory fantasies in virtual play. Specifically, the scope of the book examines three areas of concern: social psychological implications of virtual gameplay; reproduction and contestation of social inequality in virtual realms.Trade ReviewSocial Exclusion, Power, and Video Game Play is a timely collection of essays on virtual worlds and online games. The contributors challenge sociologists (and others) to take these spaces of social interaction seriously, as both revealing and shaping broader cultural dynamics. By exploring issues including the psychology of online identity, the impact of racism and sexism, and relationships between design, play, and fandom, this book helps bring questions of power and inequality to the fore in debates over the impact of online games in virtual-world and physical-world contexts, both very 'real.' -- Tom Boellstorff, University of California, Irvine and author of Coming of Age in Second Life: An Anthropologist Explores the Virtually HumanTable of ContentsPart I. Introduction Chapter 1: Introduction to Social Exclusion, Power and Video Game Play David G. Embrick, J. Talmadge Wright and Andras Lukacs Part II. Social-Psychological Implications of Virtual Play Chapter 2: Marking the Territory: Grand Theft Auto IV as a Playground for Masculinities Elena Bertozzi Chapter 3: Discursive Engagements in World of Warcraft: A Semiotic Analysis of Player Relationships Elizabeth ErkenBrack Chapter 4: The Intermediate Ego – The Location of the Mind at Play Vanessa Long Chapter 5: Producing the Social in Virtual Realms J. Talmadge Wright Part III. Social Inequalities in Video Game Spaces: Race, Gender, and Virtual Play Chapter 6: Racism in Gaming: Connecting Extremist and Mainstream Expressions of White Supremacy Jessie Daniels and Nick LaLone Chapter 7: Worlds of Whiteness: Race and Character Creation in Online Games David Dietrich Chapter 8: Gendered Pleasures: The Wii, Embodiment and Technological Desire Adrienne Massanari Chapter 9: Sincere Fictions of Whiteness in Virtual Worlds: How Fantasy Massively Multiplayer Online Games Perpetuate Colorblind, White Supremacist Ideology Joel Ritsema and Bhoomi Thakore Chapter 10: The Goddess Paradox: Hyper-resonance Shaping Gender Experiences in MMORPGs Zek Cypress Valkyrie Part IV. Game Fans Speak Out Chapter 11: To Play is to Design: An Analysis of Player/Designer Interactions in World of Warcraft Sean C. Duncan Chapter 12: Western Otaku: Games Crossing Cultures Mia Consalvo Chapter 13: Beyond the Virtual Realm: Fallout fans, Producers, and the Troublesome Issue of Ownership in Videogame Fandom R.M. Milner Part V. Summary and Conclusions Chapter 14: Conclusion Andras Lukacs, David G. Embrick, and J. Talmadge Wright

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Book SynopsisAn oversized, full-color hardcover art book collecting concept art and creator commentary from the next chapter in Cal Kestis’ thrilling saga.Cal and his friends continue to evade the Empire’s clutches in the dark times following Order 66, but just as a hidden hope reveals itself, new dangers emerge and threaten to destroy everything that the young Jedi has fought to preserve.Explore the creation of the newest Star Wars Jedi adventure with a tome that intimately chronicles the game’s development—from visionary design to inspirational artwork to stunning final renders. With heroes and villains both familiar and new, breathtaking locales, and incredible ships and weapons, The Art of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor offers a unique look at the inner workings of a galaxy far, far away.

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