Understanding Video Games

Jonas Heide Smith holds an MA in Media Studies from the University of Copenhagen and a PhD in video games from the IT University of Copenhagen. He has taught computer-mediated communication at The University of Copenhagen, The Copenhagen Business School, The IT University of Copenhagen and Roskilde University, and is the co-author of a critically acclaimed book in Danish on computer games. Simon Egenfeldt-Nielsen is CEO of Serious Games interactive. He has worked as an assistant professor at the IT University of Copenhagen teaching games and learning projects for five years, and has studied, researched and worked with computer games for over a decade. He is the author of four books on video games. Susana Pajares Tosca holds a PhD in digital literature from the Complutense University of Madrid and is an associate professor at the IT University of Copenhagen. She has taught, researched and published widely on computer games since the mid-nineties. She is a founding editor of Game Studies, the first international peer-reviewed journal on computer game studies.

Introduction 1. Studying Video Games 2. The Game Industry 3. What is a Game? 4. History 5. Video Game Aesthetics 6. Video Games in Culture 7. Narrative 8. Serious Games—When Entertainment Is Not Enough 9. Video Games and Risks Video Game Timeline. Glossary List of Games Bibliography