Game studies Wiki



Welcome to the Game Studies Wiki!
Hello and welcome to the Game Studies Wiki! This is an ongoing exploratory project into the field of game studies in general, meant to satisfy my curiosity while providing something someone out on the Internet might find useful.

What you'll find in the pages to follow are the result of months of processing and regurgitation, hopefully providing you with kernels of information from minds much greater than my own. This is not meant to be a replacement for any of the works I've used; all the authors I've dealt with have had so much to say that a complete reproduction of their work is impossible here. No, what I've attempted to do here is provide the curious game scholar with a diving board from which they may leap into the field's depth.

The summaries herein should give a better grasp of the growing field of Game Studies, and introduce you to some big names, concepts, and themes. If there's anything I've learned, it's that the field is already vast, and we've just scratched the surface. Well, perhaps "surface" isn't the right term, but I'll get to that soon. Before we begin, there are a few things you should know...

How to Use this Wiki
If you have no idea where to start, or are curious about my thoughts on the authors I've spent so many hours with, check out my Personal Commentary. In it, I review my process and briefly say how I felt about each book. It also includes the formal bibliography, for you scholarly types.

If you're a more conceptual type, start with my list of 6 Things You Should Know About Game Studies -- that'll give you plenty to chew on. In any case, check out any lead that strikes your fancy, then follow up on it.

Sometimes, clicking randomly is the best option. In that case, go directly below to the "Books" section and go wild! Whatever you do, I suggest you don't take my word on anything. Being a member of the human race, I am full of biases and am prone to mistakes. The regurgitations here are merely shadows of greatness; if a topic interests you, go right to the source! I'm only here to open the door.

So? What are you waiting for? Go for it!

Books
Unit Operations: An Approach to Videogame Criticism

A Theory of Fun for Game Design

Half Real: Video Games between Real Rules and Fictional Worlds

The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses

Gaming Matters: Art, Science, Magic, and the Computer Game Medium