Books in the Approaches to Digital Game Studies series

This collection brings the weight of contemporary social theory and media criticism to bear on the public controversy and intellectual investigation of first-person shooter games.

Music Video Games takes a look (and listen) at the popular genre of music games - video games in which music is at the forefront of player interaction and gameplay. With chapters on a wide variety of music games, ranging from well-known console games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band to new, emerging games for smartphones and tablets, scholars from diverse disciplines and backgrounds discuss the history, development, and cultural impact of music games. Each chapter investigates important themes surrounding the ways in which we play music and play with music in video games. Starting with the precursors to music games - including Simon, the hand-held electronic music game from the 1980s, Michael Austin's collection goes on to discuss issues in musicianship and performance, authenticity and "selling out," and composing, creating, and learning music with video games. Including a glossary and detailed indices, Austin and his team shine a much needed light on the often overlooked subject of music video games.

"Interrogates the nature and meaning of the 'violence' encountered and experienced by game players"--

This collection brings the weight of contemporary social theory and media criticism to bear on the public controversy and intellectual investigation of first-person shooter games.

As a genre, digital role playing games have undergone constant and radical revision, pushing not only multiple boundaries of game development, but also the playing strategies and experiences of players. This book helps readers understand their own relationships - as players, designers, consumers, and citizens - with digital role playing games.