Short description:

This book delves into the intricate realms of games and their creation, examining them through cultural, systemic, and, most notably, human lenses. It explores diverse themes like authorship, creative responsibility, the tension between games as a product and games as a form of cultural expression, and the myth of a universal audience.

Long description:

This book delves into the intricate realms of games and their creation, examining them through cultural, systemic, and, most notably, human lenses. It explores diverse themes such as authorship, creative responsibility, the tension between games as a product and games as a form of cultural expression, and the myth of a universal audience.

The book analyzes why we should put politics in our games and how hyperrealism may be a trap. It also proposes a new framework for thinking about game narrative and a different paradigm for the production altogether. Topics tackled are approached from a multidisciplinary perspective, so be prepared to read both about Peter Paul Rubens and John Carmack. There are also graphs, system rhetorics discussions, and the market reality?stakeholders, return on investments, and the gaming bubble bursting.

This book is written for readers passionate about the craft of making games, including journalists and industry professionals. It offers a more humanistic perspective on games, presented by experienced writers who know the intricacies of game development.

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1: Games as a Medium. Chapter 2: Why Do People Make Games. Chapter 3: The Myth of the Universal Audience. Chapter 4: Traps of Realism. Chapter 5: Authorial Voice and Intent in System Design. Chapter 6: The Topography of Narrative. Chapter 7: Playing with Authorship. Chapter 8: Why Games Will Always Be Political. Chapter 9: Author as a Group Entity: How It Feels to Be One of 500 Voices. Chapter 10: Slow Games. Chapter 11: Games of the End Times. Index