Computer Games: Text, Narrative and Play
Polity, Mar 31, 2006 - Games & Activities - 210 pages
Computer games are one of the most exciting and rapidly evolvingmedia of our time. Revenues from console and computer games havenow overtaken those from Hollywood movies; and online gaming is oneof the fastest-growing areas of the internet. Games are no longerjust kids' stuff: the majority of players are now adults, and themarket is constantly broadening. The visual style of games hasbecome increasingly sophisticated, and the complexities ofgame-play are ever more challenging. Meanwhile, the iconography andgeneric forms of games are increasingly influencing a whole rangeof other media, from films and television to books and toys.
This book provides a systematic, comprehensive introduction tothe analysis of computer and video games. It introduces keyconcepts and approaches drawn from literary, film and media theoryin an accessible and concrete manner; and it tests their use andrelevance by applying them to a small but representative selectionof role-playing and action-adventure games. It combines methods oftextual analysis and audience research, showing how the combinationof such methods can give a more complete picture of these playabletexts and the fan cultures they generate. Clearly written andengaging, it will be a key text for students in the field and forall those with an interest in taking games seriously.
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