Handbook of Computer Game Studies

New media students, teachers, and professionals have long needed a comprehensivescholarly treatment of digital games that deals with the history, design, reception, and aestheticsof games along with their social and cultural context. The Handbook of Computer Game Studies fillsthis need with a definitive look at the subject from a broad range of perspectives. Contributorscome from cognitive science and artificial intelligence, developmental, social, and clinicalpsychology, history, film, theater, and literary studies, cultural studies, and philosophy as wellas game design and development. The text includes both scholarly articles and journalism from suchwell-known voices as Douglas Rushkoff, Sherry Turkle, Henry Jenkins, Katie Salen, Eric Zimmerman,and others.Part I considers the "prehistory" of computer games (including slot machines and pinballmachines), the development of computer games themselves, and the future of mobile gaming. Thechapters in part II describe game development from the designer's point of view, including thedesign of play elements, an analysis of screenwriting, and game-based learning. Part III reviewsempirical research on the psychological effects of computer games, and includes a discussion of theuse of computer games in clinical and educational settings. Part IV considers the aesthetics ofgames in comparison to film and literature, and part V discusses the effect of computer games oncultural identity, including gender and ethnicity. Finally, part VI looks at the relation ofcomputer games to social behavior, considering, among other matters, the inadequacy of laboratoryexperiments linking games and aggression and the different modes of participation in computer gameculture.

Joost Raessens is Professor of Media Theory, Department of Media and Culture Studies, at the Faculty of Humanities, Utrecht University.