In the Mind of a Game

"In the Mind of a Game" provides a solid body of critical and theoretical material that furnishes the groundwork for academic, journalistic, and marketing writers on games, and focuses squarely on theory and criticism. It provides a core set of theoretical and critical writings that readers can draw upon as they write critical essays and other writings on games. This book is not simply an anthology of critical essays; it is a core set of writings that presents starting points for critical and commercial writers. It differs from current texts on the market by focusing on developing the critical theory that can be applied to computer game design and addressing a range of 14 central topic areas that can serve as a starting point for almost any academic or commercial writer. Included in this audience are teachers of literary, film, and game criticism, professional and academic critical writers, reviewers who participate non-professionally in Internet sites, and students oriented toward the arts and humanities seeking games as a topic of critical writing.

In the Mind of a Game provides a core set of historical, theoretical, and critical writings on computer game studies. The topics it incorporates span the academic and industrial spectra and furnish more than a simple anthology of critical essays. It can serve as a valuable resource for professional game developers, and it furnishes a ready asset for teachers and students involved in game development or literary, film, and game criticism; professional and academic critical writers; and students in the arts and humanities who seek computer games as a topic of critical writing. It provides philosophical, anthropological, and sociological views of computer games, and it incorporates topics from discourse theory and cognitive psychology to provide perspectives on the culture of computer game playing and game development. Coverage includes discussion of the development, use, marketing, financing, criticism, and consumption of computer games. Two chapters offer a personalized account of the author's direct experience developing a computer game.

John P. Flynt, Ph.D., works in the software development industry, has taught at colleges and universities, and has authored courses and curricula for several college-level game development programs. His academic background includes work in information technology, the social sciences, and the humanities. Among his works are In the Mind of a Game, Simulation and Event Modeling for Game Developers (with co-author Ben Vinson), and Software Engineering for Game Developers. John lives in the foothills near Boulder, Colorado.