The Game Design Reader: A Rules of Play Anthology [Hardcover]

Katie Salen (Editor), Eric Zimmerman (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0262195364 | ISBN-13: 978-0262195362 | Publication Date: November 23, 2005

The Game Design Reader is a one-of-a-kind collection on game design and criticism, from classic scholarly essays to cutting-edge case studies. A companion work to Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman's textbook Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals, The Game Design Reader is a classroom sourcebook, a reference for working game developers, and a great read for game fans and players.Thirty-two essays by game designers, game critics, game fans, philosophers, anthropologists, media theorists, and others consider fundamental questions: What are games and how are they designed? How do games interact with culture at large? What critical approaches can game designers take to create game stories, game spaces, game communities, and new forms of play?Salen and Zimmerman have collected seminal writings that span 50 years to offer a stunning array of perspectives. Game journalists express the rhythms of game play, sociologists tackle topics such as role-playing in vast virtual worlds, players rant and rave, and game designers describe the sweat and tears of bringing a game to market. Each text acts as a springboard for discussion, a potential class assignment, and a source of inspiration. The book is organized around fourteen topics, from The Player Experience to The Game Design Process, from Games and Narrative to Cultural Representation. Each topic, introduced with a short essay by Salen and Zimmerman, covers ideas and research fundamental to the study of games, and points to relevant texts within the Reader. Visual essays between book sections act as counterpoint to the writings.Like Rules of Play, The Game Design Reader is an intelligent and playful book. An invaluable resource for professionals and a unique introduction for those new to the field, The Game Design Reader is essential reading for anyone who takes games seriously.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman have done a great service to the academic community with their well-composed and highly usable work. With all these key texts now conveniently accessible, there is one reason less to postpone setting up game-studies courses and degrees."--Frans Mäyrä, Hypermedia Laboratory, University of Tampere, Finland, and President, Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA)Please note: Arrived too late to appear on book jacket.

About the Author

Eric Zimmerman is a game designer, game design theorist, and co-founder and CEO of gameLab. He has taught at universities including MIT, the University of Texas, Parsons School of Design, New York University, Rhode Island School of Design, and the School of Visual Arts.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 954 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press (November 23, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262195364
• ISBN-13: 978-0262195362
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 8.3 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #320,401 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful, May 28, 2009

By 

Tom "making games fun" (United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Game Design Reader: A Rules of Play Anthology (Hardcover)

This book collects a wide variety of critical thought on game design and the theory of games. As the subtitle states, it's a nice companion to "Rules of Play", but "Rules of Play" is by no means necessary to appreciate this book.

I like that it has a broad mix of theoretical articles from academics and more practical discussions from practicing game designers. It has most of the seminal articles I would expect to find in a summary of the field, as well as some I was not previously familiar with, but still enjoyed. As with any collection, not every piece was my cup of tea, but the overall quality was higher than I expected.

If you like games, this will make you think about how they work. It won't give you much day to day practical advice on making games, but sometimes it's good to think outside the practical. As a professional video game designer, I like things that make me think in new ways.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not really a "book", exactly..., October 27, 2011

By 

Keith D. Burgun (Goldens Bridge, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Game Design Reader: A Rules of Play Anthology (Hardcover)

There's a lot in here, ranging from total hot-air nonsense to some really brilliant stuff. Basically, getting this book is a lot like googling "Game Design Article" - you have to do a lot of sifting of your own. However, with that said, I suppose it's nice to have. In general, though, I can't totally recommend it. You're better off reading other books on design, or simply playing games, or designing games than reading this.

3 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolute must-read!, December 17, 2005

By 

Gi-In An (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Game Design Reader: A Rules of Play Anthology (Hardcover)

Curious minds that have delighted in games will love this book! I adored the compilation of shared thoughts from "Who's Who" in game design. Aesthetically, the book is so cute! My copy sits on my coffee table. The book had me at the cover...