Videogames

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 is Professor of Digital Media and Director of the Media Futures Research Centre at Bath Spa University. He is the author of numerous books on videogames and gaming cultures including Playing with Videogames (2008) and Best Before: Videogames, Supersession and Obsolescence (2012). James is a co-founder of the UK’s National Videogame Archive which is a partnership with the National Media Museum. He sits on the board of the Computer Games special collection of the British Library’s UK Web Archive and is a member of the GameCity international videogames festival team.