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Understanding Video Games: The Essential Introduction
From Pong to PlayStation 3 and beyond, Understanding Video Games is the first general introduction to the exciting new field of video game studies. This textbook traces the history of video games, introduces the major theories used to analyze games such as ludology and narratology, reviews the economics of the game industry, examines the aesthetics of game design, surveys the broad range of game genres, explores player culture, and addresses the major debates surrounding the medium, from educational benefits to the effects of violence. Throughout the book, the authors ask readers to consider larger questions about the Extensively illustrated, Understanding Video Games is an indispensable and comprehensive resource for those interested in the ways video games are reshaping entertainment and society. A Companion Website ( www.routledge.com/textbooks/978041597... ) features student resources including discussion questions for each chapter, a glossary of key terms, a video game timeline, and links to other video game studies resources for further study.
304 pages, Paperback
First published February 19, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 30, 2019
A good general overview of what avenues of interest game studies and scholars are looking into. Lots of hand-holding for people who don't play games, but sometimes there are glimpses of real criticism in the paragraphs that I found interesting enough to want to investigate on my own. Would make a good text book for an intro class.
August 15, 2021
It is strange how the industry of videogames can change in five years. I read the 2016 edition (the 3rd one) and many things have happened since (Fortnite, for example, or the COVID-19, two things that I believe have deeply affected the industry). I'd suggest you look for the newest version (2019).
Still, most of the information here is really valuable for understanding video games in general as a sociocultural phenomenon (shotout to another routledge book I'd recommend) and, while I did not agree with everything here, it really made me reflect upon how video games work and how they are perceived by regular gamers and non-gamers alike.
Still, most of the information here is really valuable for understanding video games in general as a sociocultural phenomenon (shotout to another routledge book I'd recommend) and, while I did not agree with everything here, it really made me reflect upon how video games work and how they are perceived by regular gamers and non-gamers alike.
December 29, 2011
This is by far the best (and maybe the only?) textbook on video games I have encountered. The chapter on history gave a good overview and didn't bore me; the philosophical and literature reviews were thorough without excess meanderings. The chapter on "serious games" and edutainment was one of the most coherent critiques of the educational games that came out of the behaviorist era that I have ever read (though in my opinion the application of theory in games like math blaster is somewhat misguided; the "rewards" for correct answers are too trivial).
Additionally, the authors themselves had opinions on other literature and game theory. One example that stood out to me was how they critiqued James Gee's book as lacking in an awareness of previous research, which I found accurate. The authors read and summarized books that I had dismissed as tangential and hence, saved me the trouble of reading them (i.e., Hamlet on the Holodeck).Through reading the narrative chapter I realized that the approach I took in my thesis toward analyzing "interactive fiction" was somewhat dated.
Sadly, the edition I read is marred by what appears to be a rush to the printers. Parentheses are left unresolved and words misspelled; a few paragraphs seem untouched by an editor. It is my hope that another addition will rectify these errors and also update the analysis to include more recent trends.
Additionally, the authors themselves had opinions on other literature and game theory. One example that stood out to me was how they critiqued James Gee's book as lacking in an awareness of previous research, which I found accurate. The authors read and summarized books that I had dismissed as tangential and hence, saved me the trouble of reading them (i.e., Hamlet on the Holodeck).Through reading the narrative chapter I realized that the approach I took in my thesis toward analyzing "interactive fiction" was somewhat dated.
Sadly, the edition I read is marred by what appears to be a rush to the printers. Parentheses are left unresolved and words misspelled; a few paragraphs seem untouched by an editor. It is my hope that another addition will rectify these errors and also update the analysis to include more recent trends.
January 8, 2014
An initially facile, mechanical walkthrough of the video games industry yielded to a thoroughly absorbing conclusion, including: a sensitive introduction to the narratology v ludology debate; a useful analysis of cultural and commercial context for serious games; and finally a fascinating overview of the ongoing (ultimately inconclusive) research into the physical, emotional and behavioural effects of playing video games.
Already in its second edition, Understanding Video Games is probably due another update - some references are already effectively outdated – but I found it a solid resource for accessing major areas of industry research.
Already in its second edition, Understanding Video Games is probably due another update - some references are already effectively outdated – but I found it a solid resource for accessing major areas of industry research.
July 19, 2024
(The English review is placed beneath the Russian one)
Трудно сказать, на кого ориентирована эта книга, так как человек, который никогда не играл в видеоигры, вряд ли сможет полностью понять, что такое видеоигры, почему люди с таким упоением играют в них и почему одни видеоигры популярны или даже легендарны, а другие уходят незамеченными в небытие, с первых дней после их выпуска.
Я уже читал подобные книги и всегда видел, что авторы таких книг сами в видеоигры не играют (в рамках, нормы, я имею в виду). Да, в научной среде считается, что необязательно быть участником событий, чтобы писать книги об этом самом событии. Однако это правило не подходит когда мы имеем дело с видеоиграми. Если автор книги, который пишет об этих самых видеоиграх, не играет или даже не умеет играть (не все игры простые, как это может изначально показаться, а некоторые вообще ориентированы на взрослую аудиторию), то в таком случаи написать хорошую книгу у такого автора вряд ли получится. Вот именно эту проблему я вижу всякий раз, как встречают книги о компьютерных играх. Это правило – необходимость самому быть увлечённым геймером – применимо так же и для читателей. Если читатель такой литературы сам не играет в видеоигры, тогда он не поймёт суть и даже дух видеоигр. Впрочем, если читатель наоборот увлекается компьютерными играми, то такая вот книга ему ничего нового не скажет (лично я ничего нового или хотя бы интересного в книге не обнаружил). Вот и получается такой вот парадокс, когда чтобы написать и прочитать книгу на такую тему нужно играть в видеоигры, но если увлекаться видеоиграми, то читать такие книги, особого смысла нет. Да, есть темы в видеоиграх, которые могли бы быть интересны для тех, кто любит играть в видеоигры, но пока я удачных образцов такой литературы не встретил.
В этой книге авторы просто коротко описывают жанры, механики, составные элементы и пр. видеоигр. К примеру, авторы пишут о том, что такое gamespace, gameplay, perspective, cut‑scene, NPC, narrative и так далее. Любой, кто играет в видеоигры, знает, что это такое. Получается, что четверть книги рассказывает о том, что любой игрок и так знает. Другая четверть посвящена истории видеоигр, но об этом лучше посмотреть парочку документальных фильмов, ибо намного лучше видеть, как выглядели те самые видеоигры. Оставшаяся часть представляет из себя скучное и узкоспециализированное исследование влияние видеоигр на культуру (отражение видеоигр в культуре), а также их влияние на самих игроков. Плюс риски, которые представляют видеоигры и будущие самих видеоигр. В общем, эта книга чем-то похожа на классический университетский учебник.
It's hard to say who this book is aimed at, as a person who has never played video games is unlikely to fully understand what video games are, why people play them so enthusiastically, and why some video games are popular (or even legendary) while others go unnoticed into oblivion, from the first days after their release.
I've read books like this before, and I've always seen that the authors of such books don't play video games themselves. Yes, in academia, it is accepted that you don't have to be a participant in an event to write a book about that very event. However, this rule does not apply when we are dealing with video games. If the author of the book, who writes about these very video games, does not play or even does not know how to play (not all games are as simple as they may initially seem, and some of them are oriented to the adult audience), then in such a case it is unlikely that such an author will be able to write a good book. This is exactly the problem I see every time I come across books about computer games. This rule - the need to be a keen gamer yourself - applies to readers as well. If the reader of such literature does not play video games himself, then he will not understand the essence and (even) the spirit of video games. However, if the reader on the contrary is fond of computer games, then such a book will tell him nothing new (I didn't find anything new or at least interesting in the book). Here we get such a paradox, when to write and read a book on such a topic, you need to play video games, but if you are fond of video games, it makes no sense to read such books. Yes, there are topics in video games that could be interesting for those who like to play video games, but so far, I have not met any successful samples of such literature.
In this book, the authors just briefly describe the genres, mechanics, building blocks, etc. of video games. For example, the authors write about what gamespace, gameplay, perspective, cut-scene, NPCs, narrative, and so on are. Anyone who plays video games knows what these are. It turns out that a quarter of the book is about what any player already knows. Another quarter is devoted to the history of video games, but it's better to watch a couple of documentaries about it, for it's much better to see what those very video games looked like. The remaining part is a boring and highly specialized study of the impact of video games on culture (the reflection of video games in culture) as well as their impact on the players themselves. Plus, the risks posed by video games and the future of video games themselves. All in all, this book is something like a classic university textbook.
Трудно сказать, на кого ориентирована эта книга, так как человек, который никогда не играл в видеоигры, вряд ли сможет полностью понять, что такое видеоигры, почему люди с таким упоением играют в них и почему одни видеоигры популярны или даже легендарны, а другие уходят незамеченными в небытие, с первых дней после их выпуска.
Я уже читал подобные книги и всегда видел, что авторы таких книг сами в видеоигры не играют (в рамках, нормы, я имею в виду). Да, в научной среде считается, что необязательно быть участником событий, чтобы писать книги об этом самом событии. Однако это правило не подходит когда мы имеем дело с видеоиграми. Если автор книги, который пишет об этих самых видеоиграх, не играет или даже не умеет играть (не все игры простые, как это может изначально показаться, а некоторые вообще ориентированы на взрослую аудиторию), то в таком случаи написать хорошую книгу у такого автора вряд ли получится. Вот именно эту проблему я вижу всякий раз, как встречают книги о компьютерных играх. Это правило – необходимость самому быть увлечённым геймером – применимо так же и для читателей. Если читатель такой литературы сам не играет в видеоигры, тогда он не поймёт суть и даже дух видеоигр. Впрочем, если читатель наоборот увлекается компьютерными играми, то такая вот книга ему ничего нового не скажет (лично я ничего нового или хотя бы интересного в книге не обнаружил). Вот и получается такой вот парадокс, когда чтобы написать и прочитать книгу на такую тему нужно играть в видеоигры, но если увлекаться видеоиграми, то читать такие книги, особого смысла нет. Да, есть темы в видеоиграх, которые могли бы быть интересны для тех, кто любит играть в видеоигры, но пока я удачных образцов такой литературы не встретил.
В этой книге авторы просто коротко описывают жанры, механики, составные элементы и пр. видеоигр. К примеру, авторы пишут о том, что такое gamespace, gameplay, perspective, cut‑scene, NPC, narrative и так далее. Любой, кто играет в видеоигры, знает, что это такое. Получается, что четверть книги рассказывает о том, что любой игрок и так знает. Другая четверть посвящена истории видеоигр, но об этом лучше посмотреть парочку документальных фильмов, ибо намного лучше видеть, как выглядели те самые видеоигры. Оставшаяся часть представляет из себя скучное и узкоспециализированное исследование влияние видеоигр на культуру (отражение видеоигр в культуре), а также их влияние на самих игроков. Плюс риски, которые представляют видеоигры и будущие самих видеоигр. В общем, эта книга чем-то похожа на классический университетский учебник.
It's hard to say who this book is aimed at, as a person who has never played video games is unlikely to fully understand what video games are, why people play them so enthusiastically, and why some video games are popular (or even legendary) while others go unnoticed into oblivion, from the first days after their release.
I've read books like this before, and I've always seen that the authors of such books don't play video games themselves. Yes, in academia, it is accepted that you don't have to be a participant in an event to write a book about that very event. However, this rule does not apply when we are dealing with video games. If the author of the book, who writes about these very video games, does not play or even does not know how to play (not all games are as simple as they may initially seem, and some of them are oriented to the adult audience), then in such a case it is unlikely that such an author will be able to write a good book. This is exactly the problem I see every time I come across books about computer games. This rule - the need to be a keen gamer yourself - applies to readers as well. If the reader of such literature does not play video games himself, then he will not understand the essence and (even) the spirit of video games. However, if the reader on the contrary is fond of computer games, then such a book will tell him nothing new (I didn't find anything new or at least interesting in the book). Here we get such a paradox, when to write and read a book on such a topic, you need to play video games, but if you are fond of video games, it makes no sense to read such books. Yes, there are topics in video games that could be interesting for those who like to play video games, but so far, I have not met any successful samples of such literature.
In this book, the authors just briefly describe the genres, mechanics, building blocks, etc. of video games. For example, the authors write about what gamespace, gameplay, perspective, cut-scene, NPCs, narrative, and so on are. Anyone who plays video games knows what these are. It turns out that a quarter of the book is about what any player already knows. Another quarter is devoted to the history of video games, but it's better to watch a couple of documentaries about it, for it's much better to see what those very video games looked like. The remaining part is a boring and highly specialized study of the impact of video games on culture (the reflection of video games in culture) as well as their impact on the players themselves. Plus, the risks posed by video games and the future of video games themselves. All in all, this book is something like a classic university textbook.
June 28, 2024
NOTE: My review pertains only to the 5th edition of this book, released on May 27, 2024.
Over all, there is a lot of good content in this book, so if you've never read one of the previous editions, go ahead and buy it. However, if you have the fourth edition or one of the earlier ones, give this a pass.
First off, if they hired proofreaders for this book, those proofreaders didn't earn their pay. Almost every page has spelling, typing or grammatical errors, including many that even a free spellcheck program would have caught (e.g. spelling Activision as Actionvison on p.24). Not exaggerating when I say these errors are consistent throughout the book. This would be embarrassing for a self-published e-book, let alone an academic textbook at its price point!
More importantly, there are several instances where the text just flat out wasn't updated from previous editions, leading to false or misleading information. The most appalling example I've come across is on p.113, where they say Microsoft has not released a game in their Flight Simulator series since 2006, indicating that the subgenre of realistic simulation games is "about to sunset." This is completely false, as Microsoft Flight Simulator made a massively successful comeback in 2020, four years before this new edition of Understanding Video Games came out.
This same type of error appears throughout the first 4 chapters, as whoever updated the book for its 5th edition evidently added some new content without revising any of the earlier content to correct completely outdated / false / inaccurate statements.
I can't imagine that is typical practice for releasing a new edition of an academic textbook, so surely this is an egregious (and kinda scummy) example of laziness for a quick buck. Kind of ironic in a book that includes discussion of predatory microtransactions in the games industry.
Over all, there is a lot of good content in this book, so if you've never read one of the previous editions, go ahead and buy it. However, if you have the fourth edition or one of the earlier ones, give this a pass.
First off, if they hired proofreaders for this book, those proofreaders didn't earn their pay. Almost every page has spelling, typing or grammatical errors, including many that even a free spellcheck program would have caught (e.g. spelling Activision as Actionvison on p.24). Not exaggerating when I say these errors are consistent throughout the book. This would be embarrassing for a self-published e-book, let alone an academic textbook at its price point!
More importantly, there are several instances where the text just flat out wasn't updated from previous editions, leading to false or misleading information. The most appalling example I've come across is on p.113, where they say Microsoft has not released a game in their Flight Simulator series since 2006, indicating that the subgenre of realistic simulation games is "about to sunset." This is completely false, as Microsoft Flight Simulator made a massively successful comeback in 2020, four years before this new edition of Understanding Video Games came out.
This same type of error appears throughout the first 4 chapters, as whoever updated the book for its 5th edition evidently added some new content without revising any of the earlier content to correct completely outdated / false / inaccurate statements.
I can't imagine that is typical practice for releasing a new edition of an academic textbook, so surely this is an egregious (and kinda scummy) example of laziness for a quick buck. Kind of ironic in a book that includes discussion of predatory microtransactions in the games industry.
May 24, 2021
I teach English 272: Video Games as Literature at my local community college. I used this book as the primary textbook for my class. My students and I LOVED the discussion questions! I will say, however, that Chapter 8 felt like a wasted chapter for my students. It was their least favorite chapter to read, and I do wish that Chapter 9 had appeared slightly sooner in the text. As it was, I taught Chapters 4 and 7 before other chapters because I think learning the history of gaming should appear sooner in the text as well. In addition, I wish there had been a little more about how to apply the reader response critique as my students played the recommended games, but I will continue using this textbook. I look forward to future editions!
September 19, 2024
I wasn't expecting much, but it turned out to be the best introduction to game studies I have ever read, along with Frans Mäyra's An introduction to game studies. Well written, comprehensible, if anything sometimes it was too superficial but overall delivers what is expected of it.
August 28, 2017
A good introduction to the world of game studies.
August 5, 2018
Se queda algo desactualizado a la hora de hablar de la industria en general pero como base para iniciarse en game studies es muy completo y está muy bien
February 16, 2025
good text just have to struggle through the stuff the translation clearly gets wrong
February 1, 2016
Solid introduction to the study of video games. The chapters gave good overviews of the study of video games, the history of video games, aesthetics, culture, narrative, and more. I especially liked the discussion on the difference between ludology (the study of games based on their rules) and narratology (the study of games based on their narrative qualities). I think that the author could've given more explanation here and there about concepts mentioned from secondary sources, so delving into those secondary sources would definitely help in going beyond an introduction.
August 11, 2012
Annoying typographic errors mar an otherwise useful textbook. Alas, the field has changed much during the latter half of the decade, and the book already feels outdated, a common woe of much of new media/digital entertainment studies and textbooks.
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