This accessible, third edition textbook gives students the tools they need to analyze games, using strategies borrowed from textual analysis.
As game studies has become an established academic field, writing about games needs the language and methods that allow authors to reflect the complexity of a game and how it is played in a cultural context. This volume provides readers with an overview of the basic building blocks of game analysis—examination of context, content and distinctive features, and formal qualities—as well as the vocabulary necessary to talk about the distinguishing characteristics of a game. Examples are drawn from a range of games, non-digital and digital, and across history—from Pong to Fortnite—and the book includes a variety of examples and sample analysis, as well as a wealth of additional sources to continue exploring the field of game studies. This third edition revision brings the book firmly up to date, pulling in new examples and sources, and incorporating current key topics in this dynamic field, such as artificial intelligence and game streaming.
Introduction to Game Analysis remains an essential practical tool for students who want to become fluent writers and informed critics of games, as well as digital media in general.
1. The Whys and Wherefores of Game Analysis 2. Preparing for the Analysis 3. Areas of Analysis 1: Context 4. Areas of Analysis 2: Game Overview 5. Areas of Analysis 3: Formal Elements 6. Writing the Analysis 7. Wrapping Things Up Appendix I. Sample Analyses Appendix II. List of Other Published Analyses
Biography
Clara Fernández-Vara is Associate Arts Professor at the NYU Game Center, New York University. She teaches courses on game studies and narrative design, while also working as a game designer and writer. As a researcher, her main interest is in exploring the integration of stories and gameplay, the relationship between games and other media, and videogame history.
“Games and play are diverse, and one approach does not suit all of them. Here one can find tools that are appropriate for analysing games from simple to highly complex, while also taking into account their associated forms of play and game cultures.” - Frans Mäyrä, Professor of Information Studies and Interactive Media, Tampere University, Finland
“The book arms anyone interested in videogames with a rich vocabulary and an analytical toolset that is both deep and accessible. My students love how it guides them through the process and helps them uncover meaning by themselves. A must read!” - Víctor Navarro-Remesal, Professor and Game Scholar, Tecnocampus – Universistat Pompeu-Fabra, Spain
