How to Play Video Games
How to Play Video Games by Matthew Thomas Payne, published by NYU Press on March 26, 2019, is a comprehensive collection of forty original essays that explore the multifaceted world of video games and gaming culture. This edition, comprising 400 pages, delves into various aspects of video games, examining their impact on globalization, social dynamics, and cultural narratives. The essays cover a range of topics, from the significance of iconic games like Pokémon Go and Tetris to the cultural implications of titles such as Kim Kardashian: Hollywood and BioShock Infinite.
Readers will find insightful analyses from leading scholars who discuss how video games shape our understanding of contemporary culture. The contributions address themes such as the role of avatars in Grand Theft Auto V, the musical elements in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and the lessons on postcolonialism presented by Age of Empires. By critically engaging with these games, the essays suggest that video games serve as a lens through which to view broader social and cultural contexts, making this collection relevant for both fans and students interested in media studies and social science.
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Forty original contributions on games and gaming culture
What does Pokémon Go tell us about globalization? What does Tetris teach us about rules? Is feminism boosted or bashed by Kim Kardashian: Hollywood? How does BioShock Infinite help us navigate world-building?
From arcades to Atari, and phone apps to virtual reality headsets, video games have been at the epicenter of our ever-evolving technological reality. Unlike other media technologies, video games demand engagement like no other, which begs the question—what is the role that video games play in our lives, from our homes, to our phones, and on global culture writ large?
How to Play Video Games brings together forty original essays from today’s leading scholars on video game culture, writing about the games they know best and what they mean in broader social and cultural contexts. Read about avatars in Grand Theft Auto V, or music in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. See how Age of Empires taught a generation about postcolonialism, and how Borderlands exposes the seedy underbelly of capitalism. These essays suggest that understanding video games in a critical context provides a new way to engage in contemporary culture. They are a must read for fans and students of the medium.
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