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Asi Burak

Laura Parker

Power Play: How Video Games Can Save the World Hardcover – January 31, 2017

by Asi Burak (Author), Laura Parker (Author)

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The phenomenal growth of gaming has inspired plenty of hand-wringing since its inception--from the press, politicians, parents, and everyone else concerned with its effect on our brains, bodies, and hearts. But what if games could be good, not only for individuals but for the world? In Power Play, Asi Burak and Laura Parker explore how video games are now pioneering innovative social change around the world.

As the former executive director and now chairman of Games for Change, Asi Burak has spent the last ten years supporting and promoting the use of video games for social good, in collaboration with leading organizations like the White House, NASA, World Bank, and The United Nations. The games for change movement has introduced millions of players to meaningful experiences around everything from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the US Constitution.

Power Play looks to the future of games as a global movement. Asi Burak and Laura Parker profile the luminaries behind some of the movement's most iconic games, including former Supreme Court judge Sandra Day O’Connor and Pulitzer-Prize winning authors Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. They also explore the promise of virtual reality to address social and political issues with unprecedented immersion, and see what the next generation of game makers have in store for the future.

Print length

272 pages
Language

English
Publisher

St. Martin's Press
Publication date

January 31, 2017
Dimensions

5.84 x 0.95 x 8.43 inches
ISBN-10

9781250089335
ISBN-13

978-1250089335
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Highlights a range of 'games for change'―like Re-Mission,...Or the iCivics platform, a game from former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor that lets players make the same decision as lawmakers, judges and Presidents." ―How Video Games Can Save the World, Sarah Begley, TIME

"Practical and inspiring, providing blueprints for success and stories that excite the imagination." ―Library Journal

“This fascinating book shows how much games have to teach not only our children, but our society as a whole. Here’s hoping that the pioneers profiled here inspire a new generation to engage and participate in our political process.”--The Honorable Sandra Day O’Connor, Retired Supreme Court Justice

“Meticulously researched and deeply compelling, Power Play chronicles the fascinating journey of video games as agents for social change. This is a powerful narrative that will redefine our understanding of games and their role in society.”-- Jane McGonigal, New York Times bestselling author of Reality is Broken and SuperBetter

“Games will change the world - and this fantastic book will help you understand how.”--Morgan Spurlock, filmmaker and TV Producer, Academy Award-nominated director of Super Size Me

“Power Play is the definitive report on the growing success of the movement to make games for change, written by people who helped make it all happen. It is a must read for anyone even remotely interested in games and their power for good.”--Dr. James Paul Gee, author of What Video Games Have To Teach Us About Learning and Literacy

"A rejoinder to the anti-technological and a solid piece of pop-culture/business journalism."--Kirkus

"We already know the extraordinary power of games to entertain. Burak and Parker prove beyond doubt the even greater power of games to move people to action. And through deep engagement, that games can bring insight into, and help answer, the central questions of our time."--Bruce Hack, former Vice Chairman at Activision-Blizzard

About the Author

ASI BURAKwas named one of the “Digital 25: Leaders in Emerging Entertainment” by the Producers Guild of America (PGA) and Variety Magazine for his work with Games for Change. He co-founded and led Impact Games, the creators of the acclaimed PeaceMaker and Play the News.

LAURA PARKER is a journalist who writes about video games and technology for publications including The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Vanity Fair. She is coauthor with Asi Burak of Power Play.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1250089336
Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin's Press (January 31, 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781250089335
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250089335
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.84 x 0.95 x 8.43 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,315,202 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #495 in Computer & Video Game Design
- #683 in Human-Computer Interaction (Books)
- #1,641 in Social Aspects of Technology

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7 ratings

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Asi Burak
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Asi Burak is an award-winning video game creator, tech executive, and social entrepreneur.
He serves as the Chairman of Games for Change (G4C), an influential organization with the mission to celebrate the positive power of digital games. G4C produces the Annual Games for Change Festival in New York City, now part of the Tribeca Film Festival. He is often interviewed by international media, and has been invited to speak at conferences and institutions including TED Talks, Harvard Kennedy School, the Clinton Global Initiative, Sundance, the Skoll World Forum, CES, SXSW, and the US Army War College.
Asi is a faculty member at the School of Visual Arts MFA in Design for Social Innovation, and he holds a Master of Entertainment Technology from Carnegie Mellon University.
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Laura Parker
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Freelance writer. Culture, science, and tech. Contributing writer at The New York Times.
Freelance reporting for The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Pacific Standard Magazine, New York Magazine, The Atlantic, Slate, New Statesman, TIME Magazine, The Wall Street Journal and GOOD Magazine.
New York.
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Top reviews from the United States

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ysheer

A Wonderful Book at A Time Where We All Need A Dose of Hope

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 2, 2017

Verified Purchase

These are times where we all need a dose of hope.
And this book delivers.
Each chapter in the book chronicles the moment in which visionaries from different backgrounds realized that they can use video games as a force for positive changes in their fields. Those who had those visions are far removed from the world of games and their backgrounds could not be more diverse. They include a former Supreme Court Judge, a Pediatric Oncologist, a Saudi Prince, and a Journalist. All created together a path of hope as they understood the engaging power of games. The book celebrates these visionaries and the moment they made power plays.

Excellent and engaging read.

3 people found this helpful

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The Severs

Feels less like "How can?" and more like "When will?" video games save the world.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 16, 2017

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Fantastic read chronicling the current games for change ecosystem. Each chapter walks through a different perspective showing how designs can (and do) influence the real world. The implications of the examples discussed are simultaneously inspiring and terrifying in regards to their potential impact. Subject matter is presented in a way that a novice could appreciate, but still offers enough insight for someone close to the scene to glean new insights. After reading, feels less like "How can?" and more like "When will?" video games save the world. Highly recommend for anyone wishing to know what the future hold and how video games can drive us there.

One person found this helpful

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Ellen R. Burns

so glad I read this book

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 2, 2017

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I'm so, so glad I read this book. I've been helping people learn through digital interaction for more than five years now, and I found this book very motivating. I'm even more excited to continue learning how to make games.

The book is fairly short, but it touches on dozens of stories about different gamemakers. You never really delve deeply into any one story, but that's OK. It's not a book about process. It's a book about possibility, and in that I think it excels. Read it, and learn about some of the game-based learning that's happening out there!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 23, 2017

Very enlightening.

A "must have" for anyone seeking to understand how games can impact the world for good.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 25, 2017

I received an advance copy of this book for free.

Power Play is a collection of short anecdotes of impact games - games that in some way seek to have a positive impact on the player, whether by having them apply their problem solving abilities to solving real world scientific puzzles, to understanding the role of chemotherapy (and taking one's medication) in fighting cancer. As someone who often sees skepticism about the potential positive impact of video games, this book is an excellent resource in describing how games have impacted health, science, peace and conflict, social affairs, civic education, fiscal responsibility, and empathy building. Not only does it capture the creativity of the designers of these impact games, but it also is rich with evidence - scientific studies, rigorous evaluation, and heartfelt personal narratives - of how the games actually made a difference. If you are interested in learning more about the history of impact gaming and some of the more compelling examples of what the industry has to offer, I definitely recommend reading this book.

One person found this helpful

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