Understanding Digital Games

Jason Rutter & Jo Bryce (Editors) Sage Publishing; ISBN: 1-4129-0034-4 (Paperback) £19.99 ISBN: 1-4129-0033-6 (Cloth) £60.00 272 pages, April 2006 Buy the book

The study of Digital Games is a lively area of research and theorising which draws upon perspectives from a range of disciplinary perspectives, including sociology, psychology, media and film studies, economics and business, gender studies and computer science. "Understanding Digital Games" brings together all these perspectives to offer a unique survey of this highly multidisciplinary field. Each chapter looks at the key theoretical perspectives and provides a review of the relevant literatures in order to demonstrate their relevance to study of digital games. Each chapter also considers the potential limitations and problems associated with a particular theoretical or methodological approach. The content of each chapter is illustrated by the use of a game text or case study, and each includes a definition of key terms, a topic-specific bibliography, and suggestions for further reading.

[Sample Chapter - pdf format]

Contents

Understanding Digital Games: An Introduction
Jo Bryce and Jason Rutter

Part 1: History and Production

A History of Digital Games
John Kirriemuir

The Business of Making Digital Games
Aphra Kerr

Economics of Digital Games
Alberto Alvisi

A Player-centred Approach to Digital Game Design
Jonathan Sykes

Part 2: Theories and Approaches

Literary Theory and Digital Games
Julian Kücklich

Cultural Studies and Digital Games
Garry Crawford and Jason Rutter

Film Studies and Digital Games
Geoff King and Tanya Krzywinska

Digital Games as New Media
Seth Giddings and Helen Kennedy

Community, Identity and Digital Games
Martin Hand and Karenza Moore

Part 3: Key Debates

Digital Games and Gender
Jo Bryce and Jason Rutter

Digital Games and the Violence Debate
Jo Bryce and Jason Rutter

Digital Games in Education
Timothy Dumbleton and John Kirriemuir

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