Dragon's Lair and the Fantasy of Interactivity
Dragon's Lair and the Fantasy of Interactivity

Author: MJ Clarke

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2022-06-06

Total Pages: 151

ISBN-13: 1793636044

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Perhaps no arcade game is so nostalgically remembered, yet so critically bemoaned, as Dragon’s Lair. A bit of a technological neanderthal, the game implemented a unique combination of videogame components and home video replay, garnering great popular media and user attention in a moment of contracted economic returns and popularity for the videogame arcade business. But subsequently, writers and critics have cast the game aside as a cautionary tale of bad game design. In Dragon’s Lair and the Fantasy of Interactivity, MJ Clarke revives Dragon’s Lair as a fascinating textual experiment interlaced with powerful industrial strategies, institutional discourse, and textual desires around key notions of interactivity and fantasy. Constructing a multifaceted historical study of the game that considers its design, its makers, its recording medium, and its in-game imagery, Clarke suggests that the more appropriate metaphor for Dragon’s Lair is not that of a neanderthal, but a socio-technical network, infusing and advancing debates about the production and consumption of new screen technologies. Far from being the gaming failure posited by evolutionary-minded lay critics, Clarke argues, Dragon’s Lair offers a fascinating provisional solution to still-unsettled questions about screen media.

Fifty Key Video Games
Fifty Key Video Games

Author: Bernard Perron

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2022-07-26

Total Pages: 351

ISBN-13: 1000596168

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This volume examines fifty of the most important video games that have contributed significantly to the history, development, or culture of the medium, providing an overview of video games from their beginning to the present day. This volume covers a variety of historical periods and platforms, genres, commercial impact, artistic choices, contexts of play, typical and atypical representations, uses of games for specific purposes, uses of materials or techniques, specific subcultures, repurposing, transgressive aesthetics, interfaces, moral or ethical impact, and more. Key video games featured include Animal Crossing, Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, The Legend of Zelda, Minecraft, PONG, Super Mario Bros., Tetris, and World of Warcraft. Each game is closely analyzed in order to properly contextualize it, to emphasize its prominent features, to show how it creates a unique experience of gameplay, and to outline the ways it might speak about society and culture. The book also acts as a highly accessible showcase to a range of disciplinary perspectives that are found and practiced in the field of game studies. With each entry supplemented by references and suggestions for further reading, Fifty Key Video Games is an indispensable reference for anyone interested in video games.

Gamish
Gamish

Author: Edward Ross

Publisher: Penguin UK

Published: 2020-11-05

Total Pages: 210

ISBN-13: 1846149495

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*Shortlisted for the British Book Design and Production Award for Graphic Novels* 'A love letter to gaming in all its forms - from board games, to role-play, to virtual reality and video games. For fans of gaming, this is the perfect read. For those new to gaming, it is the perfect introduction' The Scotsman A thrilling illustrated journey through the history of video games and what they really mean to us Pac-Man. Mario. Minecraft. Doom. Ever since he first booted up his brother's dusty old Atari, comic artist Edward Ross has been hooked on video games. Years later, he began to wonder: what makes games so special? Why do we play? And how do games shape the world we live in? This lovingly illustrated book takes us through the history of video games, from the pioneering prototypes of the 1950s to the modern era of blockbuster hits and ingenious indie gems. Exploring the people and politics behind one of the world's most exciting art-forms, Gamish is a love letter to something that has always been more than just a game.

Interactive Storytelling for Video Games
Interactive Storytelling for Video Games

Author: Josiah Lebowitz

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2012-09-10

Total Pages: 333

ISBN-13: 113612733X

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What really makes a video game story interactive? What's the best way to create an interactive story? How much control should players be given? Do they really want that control in the first place? Do they even know what they want-or are their stated desires at odds with the unconscious preferences? All of these questions and more are examined in this definitive book on interactive storytelling for video games. You'll get detailed descriptions of all major types of interactive stories, case studies of popular games (including Bioshock, Fallout 3, Final Fantasy XIII, Heavy Rain, and Metal Gear Solid), and how players interact with them, and an in-depth analysis of the results of a national survey on player storytelling preferences in games. You'll get the expert advice you need to generate compelling and original game concepts and narratives.With Interactive Storytelling for Video Games, you'll:

Dragons Don't Cry
Dragons Don't Cry

Author: D'Elen McClain

Publisher: Four Carat Press

Published: 2017-10-09

Total Pages: 157

ISBN-13:

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One pint sized human female who’s had too much to drink, not enough sleep, and absolutely no patience meets one stubborn dragon shifter with an attitude. Bastian claims Acasia, his unwilling bride, after she spends the night carousing with friends. She’s not happy, he’s pissed off, and with a curse from a goddess thrown in, you’ll see Bastian breathe fire. Add secrets, treasure, and unimaginable heartbreak for an emotionally humorous read and discover why Dragons Don’t Cry. A fairy tale for adults - 17+readers

The Video Game Explosion
The Video Game Explosion

Author: Mark J. P. Wolf

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2007-11-30

Total Pages: 401

ISBN-13: 031308243X

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The Video Game Explosion: A History from PONG to PlayStation and Beyond traces the growth of a global phenomenon that has become an integral part of popular culture today. All aspects of video games and gaming culture are covered inside this engaging reference, including the leading video game innovators, the technological advances that made the games of the late 1970s and those of today possible, the corporations that won and lost billions of dollars pursing this lucrative market, arcade culture, as well as the demise of free-standing video consoles and the rise of home-based and hand-held gaming devices. In the United States alone, the video game industry raked in an astonishing $12.5 billion last year, and shows no signs of slowing. Once dismissed as a fleeting fad of the young and frivolous, this booming industry has not only proven its staying power, but promises to continue driving the future of new media and emerging technologies. Today video games have become a limitless and multifaceted medium through which Fortune 50 corporations and Hollywood visionaries alike are reaching broader global audiences and influencing cultural trends at a rate unmatched by any other media.

Yoshitaka Amano: The Illustrated Biography Beyond the Fantasy Limited Edition
Yoshitaka Amano: The Illustrated Biography Beyond the Fantasy Limited Edition

Author: Florent Gorges

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Published: 2018-12-11

Total Pages: 454

ISBN-13: 1506707548

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The ultimate tribute to fantasy and science fiction artist Yoshitaka Amano! This limited edition slipcase contains: The 328-page Yoshitaka Amano: The Illustrated Biography--Beyond the Fantasy. This handsome, landscape-style hardback contains nearly 400 illustrations and photos from the incredible career of Final Fantasy designer Yoshitaka Amano. An elegant 96-page landscape-style softcover with French flaps: Yoshitaka Amano--Paris Sketchbook, following the artist through the city in a photo essay, and collecting the sketches he made along the way. A region-free Blu-ray (subtitled in English) with almost three hours of material: extensive discussions with Amano in his home, studio, and archives, as well as a "live draw" showing Amano's exact technique from blank sheet to finished Vampire Hunter D painting! Two mini-lithographs made by Amano exclusively for the Limited Edition. An individually signed and numbered card from Amano!

A Lair So Sinful
A Lair So Sinful

Author: Zoey Ellis

Publisher: Zoey Ellis Books

Published: 2021-03-26

Total Pages: 302

ISBN-13:

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From a dark, magic-ravaged world comes an enthralling new fantasy romance series. Five brothers, last of an ancient Alpha bloodline, each bound by fire and blood to their majestic dragons. Captive in a dragon lord’s lair. No memory. Stripped bare. I’mya awakens to find herself the property of Nyro—a rare and powerful Alpha bonded to a monstrous dragon. Like the other women in the lair, her only purpose is to satiate his every fantasy, but the beautiful omega is hiding a dark secret—even from herself. From the first explosive encounter with Nyro, her incredible power is unleashed. His carnal desires feed the fire of her magic. Nyro’s captivation with her turns to possession, and I’mya becomes more than a plaything for him. But as shards of her memories puzzle back together, her mind finally unveils the compelling truth. A purpose much more sinister than pleasure. Passion. Obsession. Betrayal. I’mya must fulfill her quest, regardless of the cost. Nyro has conquered her body, but if he discovers the truth behind her presence in his lair… it is her life he will take. A LAIR SO SINFUL is the first book in an adult fantasy romance standalone series. This story includes romance of a dark nature and a HEA.