The Rough Guide To Videogames

The Rough Guide to Videogames is the ultimate guide to the world’s most addictive pastime. Both a nostalgic look at the past and a celebration of the latest in joystick-wrecking wonders, this book covers the full story from the first arcade machines to the latest digital delights. Easy access to 75 of the greatest games of all time, from Civilization and Pro Evolution Soccer to We Love Katamari and World of Warcraft. The guide profiles the stories behind the software giants, famous creators and the world’s favourite characters, including Mario, Lara Croft and Sonic the Hedgehog. All the gadgets and devices for consoles, hand-helds, phones and PCs are explored as well as the wider world of gaming, from websites and movies to books.

Videogamers will find all they need to know in this collection of reviews of the top 150 games. Includes a roundup of monthly magazines and e-zines and Web site contact information for all hardware manufacturers, game developers, and publishers mentioned in the guide. Screen shots.

The Rough Guide to Manga is the ultimate handbook offering a comprehensive overview of one of the most fashionable genre's in today's popular culture. The guide features the manga story: from manga's twelfth-century roots to the rise of English-language manga with profiles of influential creators like Leiji Matsumoto and CLAMP as well as publishers to look out for. You'll find an overview of manga's unique styles, techniques and genres decoded as well as a canon of fifty must-read manga, including the iconic Astro Boy, global hits Fruits Basket and Battle Royale, plus less well-known works like Please Save My Earth. The Rough Guide to Manga demystifies unfamiliar terms and genres for newcomers whilst offering manga fans plenty of new recommendations including listings for manga magazines and websites along with a glossary of terms. Crammed with illustrations, and including a section on the anime connection, this is must-have Manga for beginners and enthusiasts alike.

The Rough Guide Book of Brain Training contains 100 days' worth of puzzles designed to give your brain a thorough work-out. Just 5 puzzles a day will lead to a smarter you. Combining favourites such as sudoku and kakuro with many entirely new puzzle types, puzzle creator Dr Gareth Moore exercises every part of your mind - from processing speed, mental arithmetic and problem-solving to memory and creativity. Every ten days, a test page allows you to chart your progress, while throughout the book Dr Tom Stafford's incisive and thought-provoking text explores the wonders of our brain and how we can get better at using it to its full potential. Offering much more than other brain-testing books The Rough Guide Book of Brain Training answers mind-boggling questions such as 'does classical music make you more intelligent?' and 'can we slow down or stop the ageing of our brain?' This guide is guaranteed to give your brain a thorough work-out.

Competitive gaming, or esports – referring to competitive tournaments of video games among both casual gamers and professional players – began in the early 1970s with small competitions like the one held at Stanford University in October 1972, where some 20 researchers and students attended. By 2022 the estimated revenue of the global esports industry is in excess of $947 million, with over 200 million viewers worldwide. Regardless of views held about competitive gaming, esports have become a modern economic and cultural phenomenon. This book studies the full history of competitive gaming from the 1970s to the 2010s against the background of the arrival of the electronic and computer age. It investigates how competitive gaming has grown into a new form of entertainment, a sport-like competition, a lucrative business and a unique cultural sensation. It also explores the role of competitive gaming in the development of the video game industry, making a distinctive contribution to our knowledge and understanding of the history of video games. A History of Competitive Gaming will appeal to all those interested in the business and culture of gaming, as well as those studying modern technological culture.

Newman's lucid and engaging introduction guides the reader through the world of videogaming. It traces the history of the videogame, from its origins in the computer lab, to its contemporary status as a global entertainment industry, where characters such as Lara Croft and Sonic the Hedgehog are familiar even to those who've never been near a games console. Topics covered include: What is a videogame? Why study videogames? a brief history of videogames, from Pac-Man to Pokémon the videogame industry Who plays videogames? Are videogames bad for you? the narrative structure of videogames the future of videogames

"James Newman's lucid and engaging introduction guides the reader through the world of videogaming, providing a history of the videogame from its origins in the computer lab to its contemporary status as a global entertainment industry, with characters such as Lara Croft and Sonic the Hedgehog familiar even to those who've never been near a games console. Topics covered include: classifications, game theory and interactivity - what is a videogame? the videogame audience the videogame industry videogame structure narratives and play- approaches to the study of videogames videogames, avatars and virtual worlds social gaming and the culture of videogames This second edition updates the book to include recent developments such as: the popularity of the wii and the increase in non-traditional gamers and more physical gaming the development of MMOGs (massively multiplayer online games) such as World of Warcraft games being downloaded as apps or accessed via mobile phones, iPods and social networking sites"--

The aim of this book is to collect and to cluster research areas in the field of serious games and entertainment computing. It provides an introduction and gives guidance for the next generation of researchers in this field. The 18 papers presented in this volume, together with an introduction, are the outcome of a GI-Dagstuhl seminar which was held at Schloß Dagstuhl in July 2015.