If you want to keep up with the gaming industry and how it’s influencing other aspects of our lives, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a toolkit of resources to read, watch, listen to, and follow in order to better understand how games are changing the world.
Recommended reading…
- Reality is Broken and Superbetter, by Jane McGonigal. One of the most prominent faces of the “gaming for good” movement makes the case for applying game design to everything from combating addiction to saving historical cemeteries.
- Blood, Sweat, and Pixels: The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made, by Jason Schreier. A detailed look at the reality of what it takes to get a game idea out into the market, and a fascinating window into what it takes to make any bold creative vision a reality.
- Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation, by Blake J. Harris. The entertaining backstory of these nostalgic brands will tug not only millennial heartstrings, but also provides a case study in how raw capitalism shapes gaming.
- The Monopolists by Mary Pilon (that’s me!) Much of what you need to know about the future of gaming was set in motion more than a century ago. The game Monopoly was invented by a woman who was largely lost to history and unearthed by accident when an economist took on Parker Brothers.
- Word Freak by Stefan Fatsis. A manifesto about Scrabble, but also a great view into the community of fans that can form around a game.
- Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter, by Tom Bissell. Akin to McGonigal’s work, Bissell takes a deeper dive into why and how we play.
- Crash Override: How Gamergate (Nearly) Destroyed My Life, and How We Can Win the Fight Against Online Hate, by Zoe Quinn. No conversation of recent gamer history is complete without understanding #Gamergate, the online abuse campaign that overtook game designer Quinn’s life. Her account is an examination of the darker, less-discussed side of the industry and tools for how to fight back.
