ABSTRACT
This book is about video games, a pervasive and significant form of expression in today’s culture. It’s based on the premise that video games are meaningfulnot just as sociological or economic or cultural evidence, but in their own right, as cultural expressions worthy of scholarly attention. The growing number of game studies scholars and dedicated academic programs would seem to support this view. Game development and computer science programs now offer courses in the theory and interpretation of games to their students; communications or media studies programs include courses on games; sociology or anthropology departments occasionally offer courses on the significance of video games in society. This book aims to make a contribution to the study of video games from the point of view of textual studies, but it also aims to enrich textual studies with an exploration of the nature of video games. It’s interdisciplinary, therefore, not only in approach but in spirit, a double, diplomatic effort.
