Understanding Games and Game Cultures

Book excerpt: No longer a marginal media form, the study of digital game industries and 'gameification' more popular than ever. Hjorth and Richardson bring you Understanding Games and Gaming Culture; the must-read guide to global games studies. Giving you the tools to conceptually navigate contemporary game studies, this book examines game development, audience and profit in the context of contemporary global debates and media, encapsulating: A broad scope that covers industry, economy and culture. An Interdisciplinary approach; with perspectives from anthropology, design, and human-machine communication, on top of media, communication and cultural studies. An International perspective: Authors use global case studies throughout, with a unique focus on examples from Asia, as so many of the most interesting developments in gaming industries and cultures is taking place outside of the West.