Gamer Nation: The Rise of Modern Gaming and the Compulsion to Play Again

by Eric Geissinger

A tech-industry insider takes a critical look at the effect games are having on our short- and long-term happiness and assesses the cultural prospects of a society increasingly obsessed with gaming.The American "game economy" has become an enormous enterprise, devouring roughly one-ninth of America's entire economic output. This overview of arguably the most influential segment of the entertainment industry examines the perspectives of gaming enthusiasts, addicts, designers, arcade owners, psychologists, philosophers, and more. Weighing the positive and negative aspects of games, the author considers their effect not only upon the players but upon culture and society. What trade-offs are being made when people play games for twenty-plus hours a week?The author puts particular emphasis on Candy Crush, whose enormous popularity has left all other games far behind. Since 2013 it has been installed over a billion times and its simplicity has disrupted previous game-design assumptions, proving new games don't have to be sophisticated and graphically immersive.He also offers insights from interviews with experts on the mechanics of manipulation. Sophisticated psychological tools are used to design games that are compelling, irresistible, and possibly addicting. In a few case, obsessive game-playing has been the cause of death.Whether you enjoy games as a harmless pastime or are suspicious of their effects on the quality of your family's life, you'll want to read this wide-ranching exploration of the growing game phenomenon.

Genres: Nonfiction

277 pages, Hardcover

Published July 31, 2018

Reviews

[Goose · Rating 1 out of 5]

Was sick and this was the only thing proximal unread book. Not really sure what the point was. The first chapter is beyond skippable and the second is completely tangential (starts talking about outrage culture and college campuses). There's a 6 page section where the author narrates in detail a professional Overwatch match. This as part of a chapter where he asserts that esports are a big deal. Okay.. There's also a chapter on Candy Crush where he spells out how the game is addictive and very much like slot machines. Don't we know this crap already? Oh and then there's the parts where he gets philosophical and starts talking about Wittgenstein's definition of game and Huizinga... needless to say it is flighty and goes no where.

[Kiara · Rating 1 out of 5]

This seems to look down on games. I understand if there is a neutral stance, with a few positives or negatives. A few. This book seems to dislike games and looks down on them. On top of all that, it seems to be scattershot in terms of games, like talking about play fighting which doesn't really add up to much of anything. It even said that one game inspired by a woman's injury is useless even though later on they praised a parents' grief of a child to create a game. They are both completely different games and, yet, the author clearly looks down on one of them.

Even said that there HAS to be a game changing game in the future, when there have been many many many game changing games in the past. Super Mario Bros helped revive the video game industry after the crash in the 80s, is considered one of the greatest games of all time, AND the first level of the game taught level designers how video games worked. THAT is a game changer. And then there is the Mass Effect games that helped define features of choice, alignment and development? The Rock Band games that helped bring a new generation to music AND instruments?

I like books about games but this was insulting.

[Ralph · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Who wins? Who loses?"



Well, after reading this book for over a month and finally finishing it, it's safe to say that anyone who tries to read this book loses.

I found this book at the library and decided to pick it up because the author's life sounded fascinating (he worked in Silicon Valley then became a writer of poetry and short fiction) and the premise sounded intriguing enough for me, but I was left massively disappointed.

Geissinger constantly digresses and rambles about a bunch of things and makes weak connections between them and video games. I also find a lot of his arguments overall questionable in nature. The overwhelming number of run-on sentences was the cherry on top to how difficult to read this book is.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very well-researched book that claims that games (including video games) are harming Americans in ways they don't even necessarily realize.

Feels a bit disjointed, and the author claims that he's being unbiased in chapter 4, but most of the rest of the book seems to indicate that he thinks video games are harmful and the video game companies are abusing their power to get people hooked.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Large companies are working very hard to indoctrinate small children into a gambling lifestyle through franchises that their parents trust, like Marvel Super Hero Squad, a Disney product.

The game economy is growing four times as fast as the rest of the economy and shows no signs of slowing down.

N0 mature man will look back on a five year slice of his twenties during which he was living with his parents and spending the majority of his time playing video games and consider it a positive experience. It might have been fun at the time but it also represents a complete dereliction of responsibility. It's putting off the inevitable. You are not engaging in the real world. Sitting at home playing video games winnows away the possibilities for a dynamic life.

Facebook co founder, Sean Parker explained that the objective of Facebook was how to consume as much of your time and conscious attention as possible.

Facebook, Google and modern video game designers are not friends making tools or games to either simplify or enhance ones life, but coldhearted businessmen leveraging biological weaknesses with one goal in mind: making money.