Download or read book Japanese Role Playing Games written by Rachael Hutchinson and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2022-04-11 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Japanese Role-playing Games: Genre, Representation, and Liminality in the JRPG examines the origins, boundaries, and transnational effects of the genre, addressing significant formal elements as well as narrative themes, character construction, and player involvement. Contributors from Japan, Europe, North America, and Australia employ a variety of theoretical approaches to analyze popular game series and individual titles, introducing an English-speaking audience to Japanese video game scholarship while also extending postcolonial and philosophical readings to the Japanese game text. In a three-pronged approach, the collection uses these analyses to look at genre, representation, and liminality, engaging with a multitude of concepts including stereotypes, intersectionality, and the political and social effects of JRPGs on players and industry conventions. Broadly, this collection considers JRPGs as networked systems, including evolved iterations of MMORPGs and card collecting “social games” for mobile devices. Scholars of media studies, game studies, Asian studies, and Japanese culture will find this book particularly useful.

Download or read book Strictly Fantasy written by Gerald Nachtwey and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2021-04-23 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Role-playing games seemed to appear of nowhere in the early 1970s and have been a quiet but steady presence in American culture ever since. This new look at the hobby searches for the historical origins of role-playing games deep in the imaginative worlds of Western culture. It looks at the earliest fantasy stories from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, at the fans--both readers and writers--who wanted to bring them to life, at the Midwestern landscape and the middle-class households that were the hobby's birthplace, and at the struggle to find meaning and identity amidst cultural conflicts that drove many people into these communities of play. This book also addresses race, religion, gender, fandom, and the place these games have within American capitalism. All the paths of this journey are connected by the very quality that has made fantasy role-playing so powerful: it binds the limitless imagination into a "strict" framework of rules. Far from being an accidental offshoot of marginalized fan communities, role-playing games' ability to hold contradictions in dynamic, creative tension made them a necessary and central product of the twentieth century.

Download or read book Of Dice and Men written by David M. Ewalt and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2013-08-20 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A definitive look at Dungeons & Dragons traces its origins on the battlefields of ancient Europe through the hysteria that linked it to satanic rituals and teen suicides and to its apotheosis as father of the modern video game industry.

Download or read book Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks written by Ethan Gilsdorf and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2010-09-01 with total page 335 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An amazing journey through the thriving worlds of fantasy and gaming What could one man find if he embarked on a journey through fantasy world after fantasy world? In an enthralling blend of travelogue, pop culture analysis, and memoir, forty-year-old former D&D addict Ethan Gilsdorf crisscrosses America, the world, and other worlds—from Boston to New Zealand, and Planet Earth to the realm of Aggramar. “For anyone who has ever spent time within imaginary realms, the book will speak volumes. For those who have not, it will educate and enlighten.” —Wired.com “Gandalf’s got nothing on Ethan Gilsdorf, except for maybe the monster white beard. In his new book, Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks, Gilsdorf . . . offers an epic quest for reality within a realm of magic.” —Boston Globe “Imagine this: Lord of the Rings meets Jack Kerouac’s On the Road.” —National Public Radio’s “Around and About” “What does it mean to be a geek? . . . Fantasy Freaks andGaming Geeks tackles that question with strength and dexterity. . . . part personal odyssey, part medieval mid-life crisis, and part wide-ranging survey of all things freaky and geeky . . . playful . . . funny and poignant. . . . It’s a fun ride and it poses a question that goes to the very heart of fantasy, namely: What does the urge to become someone else tell us about ourselves?” —Huffington Post

Download or read book Vintage Games 2 0 written by Matt Barton and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2019-05-08 with total page 540 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Super Mario Bros. Doom. Minecraft. It’s hard to imagine what life would be like today without video games, a creative industry that now towers over Hollywood in terms of both financial and cultural impact. The video game industry caters to everyone, with games in every genre for every conceivable electronic device--from dedicated PC gaming rigs and consoles to handhelds, mobile phones, and tablets. Successful games are produced by mega-corporations, independent studios, and even lone developers working with nothing but free tools. Some may still believe that video games are mere diversions for children, but today’s games offer sophisticated and wondrously immersive experiences that no other media can hope to match. Vintage Games 2.0 tells the story of the ultimate storytelling medium, from early examples such as Spacewar! and Pong to the mind blowing console and PC titles of today. Written in a smart and engaging style, this updated 2nd edition is far more than just a survey of the classics. Informed by hundreds of in-depth personal interviews with designers, publishers, marketers, and artists--not to mention the author’s own lifelong experience as a gamer--Vintage Games 2.0 uncovers the remarkable feats of intellectual genius, but also the inspiring personal struggles of the world’s most brilliant and celebrated game designers--figures like Shigeru Miyamoto, Will Wright, and Roberta Williams. Ideal for both beginners and professionals, Vintage Games 2.0 offers an entertaining and inspiring account of video game’s history and meteoric rise from niche market to global phenomenon. Credit for the cover belongs to Thor Thorvaldson.

Download or read book Encyclopedia of Play in Today s Society written by Rodney P. Carlisle and published by SAGE Publications. This book was released on 2009-04-02 with total page 1033 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title for 2009 "This ground-breaking resource is strongly recommended for all libraries and health and welfare institutional depots; essential for university collections, especially those catering to social studies programs." —Library Journal, STARRED Review Children and adults spend a great deal of time in activities we think of as "play," including games, sports, and hobbies. Without thinking about it very deeply, almost everyone would agree that such activities are fun, relaxing, and entertaining. However, play has many purposes that run much deeper than simple entertainment. For children, play has various functions such as competition, following rules, accepting defeat, choosing leaders, exercising leadership, practicing adult roles, and taking risks in order to reap rewards. For adults, many games and sports serve as harmless releases of feelings of aggression, competition, and intergroup hostility. The Encyclopedia of Play in Today′s Society explores the concept of play in history and modern society in the United States and internationally. Its scope encompasses leisure and recreational activities of children and adults throughout the ages, from dice games in the Roman Empire to video games today. With more than 450 entries, these two volumes do not include coverage of professional sports and sport teams but, instead, cover the hundreds of games played not to earn a living but as informal activity. All aspects of play—from learning to competition, mastery of nature, socialization, and cooperation—are included. Simply enough, this Encyclopedia explores play played for the fun of it! Key Features Available in both print and electronic formats Provides access to the fascinating literature that has explored questions of psychology, learning theory, game theory, and history in depth Considers the affects of play on child and adult development, particularly on health, creativity, and imagination Contains entries that describe both adult and childhood play and games in dozens of cultures around the world and throughout history Explores the sophisticated analyses of social thinkers such as Huizinga, Vygotsky, and Sutton-Smith, as well as the wide variety of games, toys, sports, and entertainments found around the world Presents cultures as diverse as the ancient Middle East, modern Russia, and China and in nations as far flung as India, Argentina, and France Key Themes Adult Games Board and Card Games Children′s Games History of Play Outdoor Games and Amateur Sports Play and Education Play Around the World Psychology of Play Sociology of Play Toys and Business Video and Online Games For a subject we mostly consider light-hearted, play as a research topic has generated an extensive and sophisticated literature, exploring a range of penetrating questions. This two-volume set serves as a general, nontechnical resource for academics, researchers, and students alike. It is an essential addition to any academic library.

Download or read book A Guide to Japanese Role Playing Games written by Bitmap Books and published by . This book was released on 2021-10-25 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Runequest Roleplaying in Glorantha written by Greg Stafford and published by Chaosium. This book was released on 2018-08 with total page 445 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Core Rulebook

Download or read book Role Playing Game Studies written by Sebastian Deterding and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-04-17 with total page 905 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This handbook collects, for the first time, the state of research on role-playing games (RPGs) across disciplines, cultures, and media in a single, accessible volume. Collaboratively authored by more than 50 key scholars, it traces the history of RPGs, from wargaming precursors to tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons to the rise of live action role-play and contemporary computer RPG and massively multiplayer online RPG franchises, like Fallout and World of Warcraft. Individual chapters survey the perspectives, concepts, and findings on RPGs from key disciplines, like performance studies, sociology, psychology, education, economics, game design, literary studies, and more. Other chapters integrate insights from RPG studies around broadly significant topics, like transmedia worldbuilding, immersion, transgressive play, or player–character relations. Each chapter includes definitions of key terms and recommended readings to help fans, students, and scholars new to RPG studies find their way into this new interdisciplinary field.

Download or read book BattlePlan Magazine written by Decision Games and published by Past Into Print Publishing. This book was released on with total page 76 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Battleplan was an ambitious magazine devoted to providing variants, scenarios, and articles on game strategy for wargaming products by a variety of publishers. Published between 1987 and 1989, the magazine had a great deal of content to appeal to war gamers, including articles and materials for Ambush!, Squad Leader, Advanced Squad Leader, Up Front, and many other games. The periodical lasted nine issues, before it was folded into the Wargamer, Volume 2 periodical. In this inaugural issue, published in March/April 1987, the contents include: Letter from the Editior Squad Leader Scenarios - "One if by Air, Two if by Sea" and "Blunting the Spearhead" Solitaire Up Front - Flamethrower Defense Scenario Overlord 1943 - Variant for AH Fortress Europa (includes countersheet insert) Battle for Leyte - Scenario for SSG Carriers at War A House Restored - Rules variants for GDW A House Divided (part 1 of 3) The Russian Campaign - Political variants for AH Russian Campaign (includes countersheet insert) Holding the Line - Scenario for Task Force's Armor at Kursk Field Marshal - Variant situation cards and weather effects for Jedko Games Field Marshal by John Edwards (includes card inserts) Combat Cards II - Escalation variant for Yaquinto WWII card game Warlords of the World - Tournament scenario contest for Panther game Warlords Quick and Dirty Variants - Collection of variants for World in Flames, Third Reich, and Operation Konrad Solo Wargames Gamer’s Guide Classified Ads Writer’s Guidelines Inserts: Fortress Europa Variant “Overlord ’43” Countersheet, Russian Campaign II Variant Counters, Field Marshal Variant Situation Cards, Charles Roberts and H.G. Wells Award Ballot, "One if by Air, Two if by Sea" and "Blunting the Spearhead" Squad Leader Scenarios.

Download or read book The Routledge Handbook of Role Playing Game Studies written by José P. Zagal and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2024-06-27 with total page 588 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Handbook provides a comprehensive guide to the latest research on role-playing games (RPGs) across disciplines, cultures, and media in one single, accessible volume. Collaboratively authored by more than 40 key scholars, it traces the history of RPGs, from wargaming precursors to tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons to the rise of live-action role-play and contemporary computer RPG and massively multiplayer online RPG franchises, like Baldur’s Gate, Genshin Impact, and World of Warcraft. Individual chapters survey the perspectives, concepts, and findings on RPGs from key disciplines, like performance studies, sociology, psychology, education, economics, game design, literary studies, and more. Other chapters integrate insights from RPG studies around broadly significant topics, like worldbuilding, immersion, and player-character relations, as well as explore actual play and streaming, diversity, equity, inclusion, jubensha, therapeutic uses of RPGs, and storygames, journaling games, and other forms of text-based RPGs. Each chapter includes definitions of key terms and recommended readings to help students and scholars new to RPG studies find their way into this interdisciplinary field. A comprehensive reference volume ideal for students and scholars of game studies and immersive experiences and those looking to learn more about the ever-growing, interdisciplinary field of RPG studies.

Download or read book SuperBetter written by Jane McGonigal and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2015-09-15 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An innovative guide to living gamefully, based on the program that has already helped nearly half a million people achieve remarkable personal growth In 2009, internationally renowned game designer Jane McGonigal suffered a severe concussion. Unable to think clearly or work or even get out of bed, she became anxious and depressed, even suicidal. But rather than let herself sink further, she decided to get better by doing what she does best: she turned her recovery process into a resilience-building game. What started as a simple motivational exercise quickly became a set of rules for “post-traumatic growth” that she shared on her blog. These rules led to a digital game and a major research study with the National Institutes of Health. Today nearly half a million people have played SuperBetter to get stronger, happier, and healthier. But the life-changing ideas behind SuperBetter are much bigger than just one game. In this book, McGonigal reveals a decade’s worth of scientific research into the ways all games—including videogames, sports, and puzzles—change how we respond to stress, challenge, and pain. She explains how we can cultivate new powers of recovery and resilience in everyday life simply by adopting a more “gameful” mind-set. Being gameful means bringing the same psychological strengths we naturally display when we play games—such as optimism, creativity, courage, and determination—to real-world goals. Drawing on hundreds of studies, McGonigal shows that getting superbetter is as simple as tapping into the three core psychological strengths that games help you build: • Your ability to control your attention, and therefore your thoughts and feelings • Your power to turn anyone into a potential ally, and to strengthen your existing relationships • Your natural capacity to motivate yourself and super-charge your heroic qualities, like willpower, compassion, and determination SuperBetter contains nearly 100 playful challenges anyone can undertake in order to build these gameful strengths. It includes stories and data from people who have used the SuperBetter method to get stronger in the face of illness, injury, and other major setbacks, as well as to achieve goals like losing weight, running a marathon, and finding a new job. As inspiring as it is down to earth, and grounded in rigorous research, SuperBetter is a proven game plan for a better life. You’ll never say that something is “just a game” again.

Download or read book Warriors of the Blessed Realms written by Chris McMahon and published by . This book was released on 2020-10 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the Vaults of Sheol - worlds ruined by the ruthless immortal krell - Lord VoYannan plots to unleash a devastating assault on the Blessed Realms. The Realms, defended with steel and magic, have contained VoYannan for thousands of years. The krell uses an ancient Gateway on Earth to strike at the Realms. The Vault forces capture the priestess Sephany, crucial to VoYannan's plans, and escape. Realm warrior Finn Evenstone sets off in pursuit, but cannot pass the Gateway used by the Vault. Liam Durrow, sole survivor of an ancient Earth lineage, is led to Fraser Island by a vision. He uses his unique magical abilities as Keeper to open the Gateway. Both Finn and Liam are soon battling the Vault on Earth, and in the Shadow Worlds, planets already ruined by the krell. They need all the help they can get. They are joined by the tenacious Federal Agent Yolinda Paris, who has her own score to settle.They push deep into the Vault, racing against time to rescue Sephany and save the Earth - and the Realms - from destruction.

Download or read book Ultima and Worldbuilding in the Computer Role Playing Game written by Carly A. Kocurek and published by Amherst College Press. This book was released on 2024-04-09 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ultima and World-Building in the Computer Role-Playing Game is the first scholarly book to focus exclusively on the long-running Ultima series of computer role-playing games (RPG) and to assess its lasting impact on the RPG genre and video game industry. Through archival and popular media sources, examinations of fan communities, and the game itself, this book historicizes the games and their authors. By attending to the salient moments and sites of game creation throughout the series’ storied past, authors Carly A. Kocurek and Matthew Thomas Payne detail the creative choices and structural forces that brought Ultima’s celebrated brand of role-playing to fruition. This book first considers the contributions of series founder and lead designer, Richard Garriott, examining how his fame and notoriety as a pioneering computer game auteur shaped Ultima’s reception and paved the way for the evolution of the series. Next, the authors retrace the steps that Garriott took in fusing analog, tabletop role-playing with his self-taught lessons in computer programming. Close textual analyses of Ultima I outline how its gameplay elements offered a foundational framework for subsequent innovations in design and storytelling. Moving beyond the game itself, the authors assess how marketing materials and physical collectibles amplified its immersive hold and how the series’ legions of fans have preserved the series. Game designers, long-time gamers, and fans will enjoy digging into the games’ production history and mechanics while media studies and game scholars will find Ultima and World-Building in the Computer Role-Playing Game a useful extension of inquiry into authorship, media history, and the role of fantasy in computer game design.

Download or read book Seekers 1 The Quest Begins written by Erin Hunter and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2009-10-06 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first book in a thrilling animal fantasy series following the epic journey of three bears, from the #1 nationally bestselling author of Warriors. When three young bears from different species—black, polar, and grizzly—are separated from their families, fate brings them together on a path that will change their lives forever. Along the way, they will face great danger, terrible tragedies, new landscapes, and situations that require all their ingenuity to survive. For fans of Warriors, Survivors, and animal fantasy series like Wings of Fire and Foxcraft, Seekers is a sweeping and incredible journey through the beautiful, dangerous world of wild bears.

Download or read book The CRPG Book A Guide to Computer Role Playing Games written by Felipe Pepe and published by . This book was released on 2019-09 with total page 528 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reviews over 400 seminal games from 1975 to 2015. Each entry shares articles on the genre, mod suggestions and hints on how to run the games on modern hardware.

Download or read book Odyssey of the Dragonlords RPG written by Modiphius and published by Modiphius. This book was released on 2020-03-03 with total page 466 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Campaign book; compatible with the "5E" edition rules of Dungeons & Dragons.