American Life and Video Games from Pong to Minecraft

American Life and Video Games from Pong to Minecraft PDF

Author: Kathryn Hulick

Publisher: Cavendish Square Publishing, LLC

Published: 2016-07-15

Total Pages: 114

ISBN-13: 1502619768

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Video games have taken America by storm. Readers will learn about the rise of gaming culture from the first games like Pong to the sensation of Minecraft. This book also examines some of the controversies and innovative technologies that have made gaming one of America’s favorite pastimes.

American Life and Video Games from Pong to Minecraft

American Life and Video Games from Pong to Minecraft PDF

Author: Kathryn Hulick

Publisher: Cavendish Square Publishing, LLC

Published: 2016-07-15

Total Pages: 114

ISBN-13: 150261975X

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Video games have taken America by storm. Readers will learn about the rise of gaming culture from the first games like Pong to the sensation of Minecraft. This book also examines some of the controversies and innovative technologies that have made gaming one of America’s favorite pastimes.

Video Games and Esports

Video Games and Esports PDF

Author: Michael Maley

Publisher: Greenhaven Publishing LLC

Published: 2019-12-15

Total Pages: 104

ISBN-13: 1534568212

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Just as athletes from the NFL and NBA have gained fame and fortune, professional gamers who compete in esports are attracting loyal fans. Esports encompass any competitive, organized gaming endeavor. This competitive activity is becoming a billion-dollar industry. However, some people still argue that playing video games has many negative effects. The ever-evolving world of video games is explained through engaging text that delves into the details so readers gain a full understanding. Full-color photographs, annotated quotes, sidebars, and informative charts highlight the many debates surrounding the popularity of video games.

A History of Competitive Gaming

A History of Competitive Gaming PDF

Author: Lu Zhouxiang

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2022-05-13

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 100058853X

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Competitive gaming, or esports – referring to competitive tournaments of video games among both casual gamers and professional players – began in the early 1970s with small competitions like the one held at Stanford University in October 1972, where some 20 researchers and students attended. By 2022 the estimated revenue of the global esports industry is in excess of $947 million, with over 200 million viewers worldwide. Regardless of views held about competitive gaming, esports have become a modern economic and cultural phenomenon. This book studies the full history of competitive gaming from the 1970s to the 2010s against the background of the arrival of the electronic and computer age. It investigates how competitive gaming has grown into a new form of entertainment, a sport-like competition, a lucrative business and a unique cultural sensation. It also explores the role of competitive gaming in the development of the video game industry, making a distinctive contribution to our knowledge and understanding of the history of video games. A History of Competitive Gaming will appeal to all those interested in the business and culture of gaming, as well as those studying modern technological culture.

Game On!

Game On! PDF

Author: Dustin Hansen

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Published: 2016-11-22

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 1250080967

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Find out about the fast and furious growth and evolution of video games (including how they are quickly taking over the world!) by looking at some of the most popular, innovative, and influential games ever, from Pong, the very first arcade game ever, to modern hits like Uncharted. Learn about the creators and inspiration (Mario was named after Nintendo’s landlord after he barged into a staff meeting demanding rent), discover historical trivia and Easter eggs (The developers of Halo 2 drank over 24,000 gallons of soda while making the game), and explore the innovations that make each game special (The ghosts in Pac-Man are the first example of AI in a video game). Whether you consider yourself a hard-core gamer or are just curious to see what everyone is talking about, Game On! is the book for you!

Western Japaneseness: Intercultural Translations of Japan in Western Media

Western Japaneseness: Intercultural Translations of Japan in Western Media PDF

Author: Frank Jacob

Publisher: Vernon Press

Published: 2021-03-02

Total Pages: 174

ISBN-13: 1648891543

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Our images of non-Western cultures are often based on stereotypes that are replicated over the years. These stereotypes often appear in popular media and are responsible for a pre-set image of otherness. The present book investigates these processes and the media representation of otherness, especially as an artificial construct based on stereotypes and their repetition, in the case of Japan. 'Western Japaneseness' thereby illustrates how the Western image of Japan in popular media is rather a construct that, in a way, replicated itself, instead of a more serious encounter with a foreign and different cultural context. This book will be of great value to students and academics who hold interest in media studies, Japanese studies, and cultural studies. It will also appeal to a broader audience with interests in Japan more generally.

The Ultimate History of Video Games, Volume 1

The Ultimate History of Video Games, Volume 1 PDF

Author: Steven L. Kent

Publisher: Crown

Published: 2001

Total Pages: 628

ISBN-13: 9780761536437

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The definitive behind-the-scenes history of the dawn of video games and their rise into a multibillion-dollar business “For industry insiders and game players alike, this book is a must-have.”—Mark Turmell, designer for Midway Games and creator of NBA Jam, NFL Blitz, and WrestleMania With all the whiz, bang, pop, and shimmer of a glowing arcade, volume 1 of The Ultimate History of Video Games reveals everything you ever wanted to know and more about the unforgettable games that changed the world, the visionaries who made them, and the fanatics who played them. Starting in arcades then moving to televisions and handheld devices, the video game invasion has entranced kids and the young at heart for nearly fifty years. And gaming historian Steven L. Kent has been there to record the craze from the very beginning. The Ultimate History: Volume 1 tells the incredible tale of how this backroom novelty transformed into a cultural phenomenon. Through meticulous research and personal interviews with hundreds of industry luminaries, Kent chronicles firsthand accounts of how yesterday’s games like Space Invaders, Centipede, and Pac-Man helped create an arcade culture that defined a generation, and how today’s empires like Sony, Nintendo, and Electronic Arts have galvanized a multibillion-dollar industry and a new generation of games. Inside, you’ll discover • the video game that saved Nintendo from bankruptcy • the serendipitous story of Pac-Man’s design • the misstep that helped topple Atari’s $2-billion-a-year empire • the coin shortage caused by Space Invaders • the fascinating reasons behind the rise, fall, and rebirth of Sega • and much more! Entertaining, addictive, and as mesmerizing as the games it chronicles, this book is a must-have for anyone who’s ever touched a joystick.

Video Games

Video Games PDF

Author: Hal Marcovitz

Publisher: Greenhaven Publishing LLC

Published: 2009-09-28

Total Pages: 112

ISBN-13: 1420502840

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According to Big Fish Games, approximately 155 million American play video games for at least three hours a week, and four out of five households own a video game console. Polygon tells us that consumers spent 16.5 billion dollars on gaming content in 2015. This illuminating volume delves into the world of video games and gaming. The book examines the history of video games, video games as part of contemporary culture, and what the future holds in store for gaming.

Gamer Nation

Gamer Nation PDF

Author: John Wills

Publisher: JHU Press

Published: 2019-05-21

Total Pages: 297

ISBN-13: 1421428695

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Explores how games actively influence the ways people interpret and relate to American life. In 1975, design engineer Dave Nutting completed work on a new arcade machine. A version of Taito's Western Gun, a recent Japanese arcade machine, Nutting's Gun Fight depicted a classic showdown between gunfighters. Rich in Western folklore, the game seemed perfect for the American market; players easily adapted to the new technology, becoming pistol-wielding pixel cowboys. One of the first successful early arcade titles, Gun Fight helped introduce an entire nation to video-gaming and sold more than 8,000 units. In Gamer Nation, John Wills examines how video games co-opt national landscapes, livelihoods, and legends. Arguing that video games toy with Americans' mass cultural and historical understanding, Wills show how games reprogram the American experience as a simulated reality. Blockbuster games such as Civilization, Call of Duty, and Red Dead Redemption repackage the past, refashioning history into novel and immersive digital states of America. Controversial titles such as Custer's Revenge and 08.46 recode past tragedies. Meanwhile, online worlds such as Second Life cater to a desire to inhabit alternate versions of America, while Paperboy and The Sims transform the mundane tasks of everyday suburbia into fun and addictive challenges. Working with a range of popular and influential games, from Pong, Civilization, and The Oregon Trail to Grand Theft Auto, Silent Hill, and Fortnite, Wills critically explores these gamic depictions of America. Touching on organized crime, nuclear fallout, environmental degradation, and the War on Terror, Wills uncovers a world where players casually massacre Native Americans and Cold War soldiers alike, a world where neo-colonialism, naive patriotism, disassociated violence, and racial conflict abound, and a world where the boundaries of fantasy and reality are increasingly blurred. Ultimately, Gamer Nation reveals not only how video games are a key aspect of contemporary American culture, but also how games affect how people relate to America itself.

Lost in a Good Game

Lost in a Good Game PDF

Author: Pete Etchells

Publisher: Icon Books

Published: 2019-04-04

Total Pages: 332

ISBN-13: 1785785060

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'Etchells writes eloquently ... A heartfelt defence of a demonised pastime' The Times 'Once in an age, a piece of culture comes along that feels like it was specifically created for you, the beats and words and ideas are there because it is your life the creator is describing. Lost In A Good Game is exactly that. It will touch your heart and mind. And even if Bowser, Chun-li or Q-Bert weren't crucial parts of your youth, this is a flawless victory for everyone' Adam Rutherford When Pete Etchells was 14, his father died from motor neurone disease. In order to cope, he immersed himself in a virtual world - first as an escape, but later to try to understand what had happened. Etchells is now a researcher into the psychological effects of video games, and was co-author on a recent paper explaining why WHO plans to classify 'game addiction' as a danger to public health are based on bad science and (he thinks) are a bad idea. In this, his first book, he journeys through the history and development of video games - from Turing's chess machine to mass multiplayer online games like World of Warcraft- via scientific study, to investigate the highs and lows of playing and get to the bottom of our relationship with games - why we do it, and what they really mean to us. At the same time, Lost in a Good Game is a very unusual memoir of a writer coming to terms with his grief via virtual worlds, as he tries to work out what area of popular culture we should classify games (a relatively new technology) under.