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An Introduction to Game Studies

Author: Frans Mäyrä

Publisher: SAGE

Published: 2008-02-18

Total Pages: 210

ISBN-13: 1849205396

An Introduction to Game Studies is the first introductory textbook for students of game studies. It provides a conceptual overview of the cultural, social and economic significance of computer and video games and traces the history of game culture and the emergence of game studies as a field of research. Key concepts and theories are illustrated with discussion of games taken from different historical phases of game culture. Progressing from the simple, yet engaging gameplay of Pong and text-based adventure games to the complex virtual worlds of contemporary online games, the book guides students towards analytical appreciation and critical engagement with gaming and game studies. Students will learn to: - Understand and analyse different aspects of phenomena we recognise as ′game′ and play′ - Identify the key developments in digital game design through discussion of action in games of the 1970s, fiction and adventure in games of the 1980s, three-dimensionality in games of the 1990s, and social aspects of gameplay in contemporary online games - Understand games as dynamic systems of meaning-making - Interpret the context of games as ′culture′ and subculture - Analyse the relationship between technology and interactivity and between ′game′ and ′reality′ - Situate games within the context of digital culture and the information society With further reading suggestions, images, exercises, online resources and a whole chapter devoted to preparing students to do their own game studies project, An Introduction to Game Studies is the complete toolkit for all students pursuing the study of games. The companion website at www.sagepub.co.uk/mayra contains slides and assignments that are suitable for self-study as well as for classroom use. Students will also benefit from online resources at www.gamestudiesbook.net, which will be regularly blogged and updated by the author. Professor Frans Mäyrä is a Professor of Games Studies and Digital Culture at the Hypermedia Laboratory in the University of Tampere, Finland.

Introduction to Game Design, Prototyping, and Development

Author: Jeremy Gibson Bond

Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional

Published: 2017-08-17

Total Pages: 1940

ISBN-13: 0134659880

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Master the Unity Game Engine to Design and Develop Games for Web, Mobile, Windows, macOS, and More! If you want to design and develop games, there’s no substitute for strong hands-on experience with modern techniques and tools—and that is exactly what this book provides. The first edition was frequently the top-selling game design book on Amazon, with more than 70% of the reviews being 5 stars. In a testament to the iterative process of design, this new edition includes hundreds of improvements throughout the text, all designed to make the book easier to understand and even more useful. This book was written with Unity 2017; the book.prototools.net website will cover changes for later versions of the software. Award-winning game designer and professor Jeremy Gibson Bond has spent more than a decade teaching game design and building great games. In that time, his most successful students have been those who combine knowledge of three critical disciplines: game design theory, rapid iterative prototyping, and practical programming. In this book, Bond distills the most important aspects of all three disciplines into one place. Part I: Game Design and Paper Prototyping • The Layered Tetrad framework: a synthesis of 50 years of game design theory • Proven practices for brainstorming and refining game designs through the iterative process of design • Methods and tools to manage game projects and small teams • Processes to make playtesting and feedback easier Part II: Digital Prototyping with Unity and C# • Chapters that guide you through learning C# the right way • Instruction that takes you from no prior programming knowledge through object-oriented programming • Deep exploration of Unity, today’s most popular game engine on both macOS and Windows • Methods for understanding and debugging code issues you encounter Part III: Game Prototype Examples and Tutorials • In-depth tutorials for seven different game prototypes, including a simple action game, a space shooter, a solitaire card game, a word game, and a top-down adventure • Instructions to compile these games for PC, web, or any of the dozens of other release platforms supported by Unity • Improved structure and layout that makes the steps of each tutorial easier to follow • A completely new Dungeon Delver prototype not present in the first edition

Introduction to Game Design, Prototyping, and Development

Author: Jeremy Gibson

Publisher: Pearson Education

Published: 2015

Total Pages: 944

ISBN-13: 0321933168

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This hands-on guide covers both game development and design, and both Unity and C♯. This guide illuminates the basic tenets of game design and presents a detailed, project-based introduction to game prototyping and development, using both paper and the Unity game engine.

Game Theory

Author: Roger A McCain

Publisher: World Scientific Publishing Company

Published: 2014-04-29

Total Pages: 600

ISBN-13: 9814578894

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The objective of the third edition of Game Theory: A Nontechnical Introduction to the Analysis of Strategy is to introduce the ideas of game theory in a way that is approachable, intuitive, and interdisciplinary. Relying on the Karplus Learning Cycle, the book is intended to teach by example. Noncooperative equilibrium concepts such as Nash equilibrium play the central role. In this third edition, increased stress is placed on the concept of rationalizable strategies, which has proven in teaching practice to assist students in making the bridge from intuitive to more formal concepts of noncooperative equilibrium. The Instructor Manual and PowerPoint Slides for the book are available upon request for all instructors who adopt this book as a course text. Please send your request to [email protected].

Game Research Methods: An Overview

Author: Patri Lankoski

Publisher: Lulu.com

Published: 2015

Total Pages: 374

ISBN-13: 1312884738

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"Games are increasingly becoming the focus for research due to their cultural and economic impact on modern society. However, there are many different types of approaches and methods than can be applied to understanding games or those that play games. This book provides an introduction to various game research methods that are useful to students in all levels of higher education covering both quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods. In addition, approaches using game development for research is described. Each method is described in its own chapter by a researcher with practical experience of applying the method to topic of games. Through this, the book provides an overview of research methods that enable us to better our understanding on games."--Provided by publisher.

Understanding Video Games

Author: Simon Egenfeldt-Nielsen

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013-04-26

Total Pages: 338

ISBN-13: 1136300422

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This expanded and revised second edition of Understanding Video Games provides a comprehensive introduction to the growing field of game studies. Understanding Video Games, 2nd Edition is an essential read for newcomers to video game studies and experienced game scholars alike. This follow-up to the pioneering first edition takes video game studies into the next decade of the twenty-first century, highlighting changes in the game business, advances in video game scholarship, and recent trends in game design and development—including mobile, social, and casual gaming. In Understanding Video Games, 2nd Edition students will: Assess the major theories used to analyze games, such as ludology and narratology Gain familiarity with the commercial and organizational aspects of the game industry Trace the history of video games from Pong to Playstation 3 and beyond Explore the aesthetics of game design Evaluate the cultural position of video games Consider the potential effects of both violent and "serious" games. Extensively illustrated, and featuring discussion questions, a glossary of key terms, and a detailed video game history timeline (including an interactive online version), Understanding Video Games, 2nd Edition is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in examining the ways video games are reshaping entertainment and society.

Game Theory

Author: Roger A. McCain

Publisher: World Scientific

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 632

ISBN-13: 9814289655

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Fundamentals; Two-Person Games; Larger Numbers and Uncertainty; Games in Extensive Form and Repeated Play; Cooperation; Behavioral Game Theory; Selected Applications.

Game Analytics

Author: Magy Seif El-Nasr

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2013-03-30

Total Pages: 800

ISBN-13: 1447147693

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Developing a successful game in today’s market is a challenging endeavor. Thousands of titles are published yearly, all competing for players’ time and attention. Game analytics has emerged in the past few years as one of the main resources for ensuring game quality, maximizing success, understanding player behavior and enhancing the quality of the player experience. It has led to a paradigm shift in the development and design strategies of digital games, bringing data-driven intelligence practices into the fray for informing decision making at operational, tactical and strategic levels. Game Analytics - Maximizing the Value of Player Data is the first book on the topic of game analytics; the process of discovering and communicating patterns in data towards evaluating and driving action, improving performance and solving problems in game development and game research. Written by over 50 international experts from industry and research, it covers a comprehensive range of topics across more than 30 chapters, providing an in-depth discussion of game analytics and its practical applications. Topics covered include monetization strategies, design of telemetry systems, analytics for iterative production, game data mining and big data in game development, spatial analytics, visualization and reporting of analysis, player behavior analysis, quantitative user testing and game user research. This state-of-the-art volume is an essential source of reference for game developers and researchers. Key takeaways include: Thorough introduction to game analytics; covering analytics applied to data on players, processes and performance throughout the game lifecycle. In-depth coverage and advice on setting up analytics systems and developing good practices for integrating analytics in game-development and -management. Contributions by leading researchers and experienced professionals from the industry, including Ubisoft, Sony, EA, Bioware, Square Enix, THQ, Volition, and PlayableGames. Interviews with experienced industry professionals on how they use analytics to create hit games.