Philosophy Through Video Games Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Philosophy Through Video Games? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Philosophy Through Video Games. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Philosophy Through Video Games ReviewWhile many attempts to "make philosophy relevant" to beginners come across as forced and artificial, _Philosophy Through Video Games_ does an excellent job of showing how important philosophical problems naturally arise from thinking about video games. The issues discussed range from the very old to the cutting edge, some of which are sure to intrigue anyone who enjoys both video games and intensive reflection but has not been able to bring the two together in any meaningful way. Cogburn and Silcox are very good at explaining difficult issues clearly and helpfully, making them both understandable and important without presupposing any previous knowledge of philosophy.
Anyone looking for a new way to bring students into the oldest discipline should read this book. I plan on using it for a first-year course very soon.Philosophy Through Video Games OverviewHow can Wii Sports teach us about metaphysics?Can playing World of Warcraft lead to greater self-consciousness?How can we learn about aesthetics, ethics and divine attributes fromZork, Grand Theft Auto, and Civilization?A variety of increasingly sophisticated video games are rapidly overtaking books, films, and television as America's most popular form of media entertainment. It is estimated that by 2011 over 30 percentof US households will own a Wii console - about the same percentage that owned a television in 1953.In Philosophy Through Video Games, Jon Cogburn and Mark Silcox - philosophers with game industry experience - investigate the aesthetic appeal of video games, their effect on our morals, the insights they give us into our understanding of perceptual knowledge, personal identity, artificial intelligence, and the very meaning of life itself, arguing that video games are popular precisely because they engage with longstanding philosophical problems.Topics covered include:* The Problem of the External World* Dualism and Personal Identity* Artificial and Human Intelligence in the Philosophy of Mind* The Idea of Interactive Art* The Moral Effects of Video Games* Games and God's GoodnessGames discussed include:Madden Football, Wii Sports, Guitar Hero, World of Warcraft, Sims Online, Second Life, Baldur's Gate, Knights of the Old Republic, Elder Scrolls, Zork, EverQuest Doom, Halo 2, Grand Theft Auto, Civilization, Mortal Kombat, Rome: Total War, Black and White, Aidyn Chronicles

Want to learn more information about Philosophy Through Video Games?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

The Game Design Reader: A Rules of Play Anthology Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Game Design Reader: A Rules of Play Anthology? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Game Design Reader: A Rules of Play Anthology. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Game Design Reader: A Rules of Play Anthology ReviewThis book collects a wide variety of critical thought on game design and the theory of games. As the subtitle states, it's a nice companion to "Rules of Play", but "Rules of Play" is by no means necessary to appreciate this book.
I like that it has a broad mix of theoretical articles from academics and more practical discussions from practicing game designers. It has most of the seminal articles I would expect to find in a summary of the field, as well as some I was not previously familiar with, but still enjoyed. As with any collection, not every piece was my cup of tea, but the overall quality was higher than I expected.
If you like games, this will make you think about how they work. It won't give you much day to day practical advice on making games, but sometimes it's good to think outside the practical. As a professional video game designer, I like things that make me think in new ways.The Game Design Reader: A Rules of Play Anthology OverviewThe Game Design Reader is a one-of-a-kind collection on game design andcriticism, from classic scholarly essays to cutting-edge case studies. A companionwork to Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman's textbook Rules of Play: Game DesignFundamentals, The Game Design Reader is a classroom sourcebook, a reference forworking game developers, and a great read for game fans and players.Thirty-twoessays by game designers, game critics, game fans, philosophers, anthropologists,media theorists, and others consider fundamental questions: What are games and howare they designed? How do games interact with culture at large? What criticalapproaches can game designers take to create game stories, game spaces, gamecommunities, and new forms of play?Salen and Zimmerman have collected seminalwritings that span 50 years to offer a stunning array of perspectives. Gamejournalists express the rhythms of game play, sociologists tackle topics such asrole-playing in vast virtual worlds, players rant and rave, and game designersdescribe the sweat and tears of bringing a game to market. Each text acts as aspringboard for discussion, a potential class assignment, and a source ofinspiration. The book is organized around fourteen topics, from The PlayerExperience to The Game Design Process, from Games and Narrative to CulturalRepresentation. Each topic, introduced with a short essay by Salen and Zimmerman,covers ideas and research fundamental to the study of games, and points to relevanttexts within the Reader. Visual essays between book sections act as counterpoint tothe writings.Like Rules of Play, The Game Design Reader is an intelligent andplayful book. An invaluable resource for professionals and a unique introduction forthose new to the field, The Game Design Reader is essential reading for anyone whotakes games seriously.

Want to learn more information about The Game Design Reader: A Rules of Play Anthology?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Challenges for Game Designers Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Challenges for Game Designers? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Challenges for Game Designers. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Challenges for Game Designers ReviewFinally! A book that talks about HOW to become a good game designer instead of merely addressing WHAT game design is. Most of the game design textbooks I've read taught me a bunch of academic buzz words (ludology, emergent game play, etc.), but they didn't leave much in the way of practical application. Brathwaite and Schreiber cap each chapter with a series of game design challenges that let the reader put their new knowledge to the test with good old pen and paper.
I found these challenges really helpful. In fact, they got me in the right mindset for taking design tests with game companies. After interviewing with one company, I was asked to take their design test. Thanks to Challenges, I was comfortable working under all sorts of real-world constraints, from genre-specific/technological limitations to IP restraints. The company liked my test and invited me to more interviews! So as an aspiring game designer, I extend my highest recommendation for this book to those looking to expand their design portfolio and prepare themselves for breaking into the game industry.
Challenges for Game Designers OverviewWelcome to a book written to challenge you, improve your brainstorming abilities, and sharpen your game design skills! Challenges for Game Designers: Non-Digital Exercises for Video Game Designers is filled with enjoyable, interesting, and challenging exercises to help you become a better video game designer, whether you are a professional or aspire to be. Each chapter covers a different topic important to game designers, and was taken from actual industry experience. After a brief overview of the topic, there are five challenges that each take less than two hours and allow you to apply the material, explore the topic, and expand your knowledge in that area. Each chapter also includes 10 "non-digital shorts" to further hone your skills. None of the challenges in the book require any programming or a computer, but many of the topics feature challenges that can be made into fully functioning games. The book is useful for professional designers, aspiring designers, and instructors who teach game design courses, and the challenges are great for both practice and homework assignments. The book can be worked through chapter by chapter, or you can skip around and do only the challenges that interest you. As with anything else, making great games takes practice and Challenges for Game Designers provides you with a collection of fun, thoughtprovoking, and of course, challenging activities that will help you hone vital skills and become the best game designer you can be.

Want to learn more information about Challenges for Game Designers?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...