A new collection of essays from the Digiplay team aimed at digital games researchers and teachers is now available. Covering the study of digital games from business and design to culture and education the book provides and excellent source of current thinking in the field. The introduction to the book is by Jo Bryce and Jason Rutter is available online and Amazon offer a 'Search Inside' feature.

Understanding Digital Games
Jason Rutter & Jo Bryce (eds)

Sage
ISBN: 1-4129-0034-4 (Paperback) £18.99 (RRP £20.99)
ISBN: 1-4129-0033-6 (Cloth) £63.00
272 pages
April 2006

The study of Digital Games is a lively area of research and theorising which draws upon perspectives from a range of disciplines including sociology, psychology, media and film studies, economics and business, gender studies and computer science. “Understanding Digital Games” brings them all together to offer a unique survey in this emerging field.

Detailing both theoretical and empirical approaches the book is divided into three parts, looking in turn at: History and Production, Theories and Approach and Key Debates. Each chapter looks at the key scholars, analytical tools and themes and reviews a broad range of literature in order to demonstrate their relevance to the study of digital games.

Illustrated with many examples all chapters include:

• Breakout boxes defining key terms
• A chapter- specific bibliography
• A list of useful web sites

Potential limitations and problems associated with particular theoretical or methodological approaches are considered.

The collection’s emphasis is on providing a single comprehensive text for students and other readers new to the study of digital games. The text is organised so the each chapter can be read individually or sequentially on order to build a complete overview of the filed.

This book will be essential reading for all students of digital media.

CONTENTS

• An Introduction to Understanding Digital Games
  Jo Bryce and Jason Rutter
  (This sample chapter is available free online)

PART ONE: 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 TWO: 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 THREE: 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