The Games People Play
Identity, Insights and Issues in the Games Industry

The Games People Play: Identity, Insights and Issues in the Games Industry provides a detailed overview of the game industry?s continuing evolution, including the history, economic impact, and patterns of growth. It examines the evolution of games technology, platform cycles, and the establishment of various game genres, before shifting focus toward providing insights into the relationship between the game and the game user. It looks at games alongside social and cultural values and examines the structural relationships between game publishers, distributors, and developers.

Key Features

• Identifies the key characteristics of the games industry and places these into context in the video game and multimedia industries
• Provides real-world examples to support key characteristics and identifies patterns in this growing medium
• Reviews technological, cultural, scientific, sociological and psychological elements pertinent to the growth and development of the games industry
• Discusses ethical issues and the continued debate on stereotyping, gender equality and violence in video games

Overview of the Games Industry. IDENTITY. History of Games. Games Technology and Technology Cycles. The Evolution of Games. INSIGHTS. The Games that People Play. Structures and Lifecycle of the Games Industry. Roles, People and Professionalism. ISSUES. Legal and Financial. Individual and Company Ethics. Social and Cultural Ethics.