The Videogames Handbook

by Newman; James

• ISBN13: 9780415383271
• ISBN10: 0415383277
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2020-01-07
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

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

Foreword Introduction

Videogame Development

Games Design

The role of the videogame developer

Concept Development

Designing Play

Experiences

Iterative Design and White Box' Testing

Simon and Andrew Oliver Designing Videogames, a 20-Year Retrospective'

Programming

Game Engines

Artificial Intelligence

Artists

Character Design

Level Design

Computer Modelling and Animation

Publishing Producing and Marketing

The role of the publisher

The commissioning process

Supervising the production

Quality assurance and play testing

Games marketing and strategies

Ernest Adams Developing Videogames, a 10-year Prediction'

Players/Creators

The modification of existing videogames modding

Machinima and the cinematic potential of videogames

Fan criticism and games development

Customisation and play

Videogame Cultures

Videogames Journalism

The Editor

The Art Editor

The Games Editor

Staff Writers

Games Journalism and New Media

Blogging and Online Journalism

Margaret Robertson The Videogame Journalist'

Videogame Culture

Players as consumers

The place of gameplay in everyday life

Videogames and education

Technology and cultural form

Videogame censorship

(New) media effects

Player cultures and fan authors

Aleks Krotoski Gender and Games'

Videogame Studies

Game Studies Fundamentals

What is a game? What is a videogame?

The limits of representation

Understanding play

Videogame aesthetics

Simulation and the virtual

Interactive media

James Newman Interactivity?'

Technology and determinism

Avatars and videogame identification

Gameworlds

New media convergence

Tanya Krzywinska Videogames, and Other Media'

Conclusion Glossary of terms

Bibliography

Ludography (referenced videogames?

Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.