Mark J. P. Wolf

the theory and history of subcreation

Building imaginary worlds

Bernard Perron

The Video Game Theory Reader

DIVThe inaugural title in the Landmark Video Games series/div

The World of the D'ni

Myst and Riven

The concept of world and the practice of world creation have been with us since antiquity, but they are now achieving unequalled prominence. In this timely anthology of subcreation studies, an international roster of contributors come together to examine the rise and structure of worlds, the practice of world-building, and the audience's reception of imaginary worlds. Including essays written by world-builders A.K. Dewdney and Alex McDowell and offering critical analyses of popular worlds such as those of Oz, The Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, and Minecraft, Revisiting Imaginary Worlds provides readers with a broad and interdisciplinary overview of the issues and concepts involved in imaginary worlds across media platforms.

A Subcreation Studies Anthology

Revisiting Imaginary Worlds

This companion provides a definitive and cutting-edge guide to the study of imaginary and virtual worlds across a range of media including literature, television, film, and games. From the Star Trek universe, Thomas More's classic Utopia, and J. R. R. Tolkien's Arda, to elaborate, user-created gameworlds like Minecraft, contributors present interdisciplinary perspectives on authorship, world structure/design, and narrative. The Routledge Companion to Imaginary Worlds offers new approaches to imaginary worlds both as an art form and cultural phenomenon, explorations of the technical and creative dimensions of world-building, and studies of specific worlds and world-builders.

The Routledge Companion to Imaginary Worlds

In this book, Mark J.P. Wolf and four other scholars conduct the first thorough investigation of the video game as an artistic medium.

The Medium of the Video Game

Now in its second edition, the Encyclopedia of Video Games: The Culture, Technology, and Art of Gaming is the definitive, go-to resource for anyone interested in the diverse and expanding video game industry. This three-volume encyclopedia covers all things video games, including the games themselves, the companies that make them, and the people who play them. Written by scholars who are exceptionally knowledgeable in the field of video game studies, it notes genres, institutions, important concepts, theoretical concerns, and more and is the most comprehensive encyclopedia of video games of its kind, covering video games throughout all periods of their existence and geographically around the world. This is the second edition of Encyclopedia of Video Games: The Culture, Technology, and Art of Gaming, originally published in 2012. All of the entries have been revised to accommodate changes in the industry, and an additional volume has been added to address the recent developments, advances, and changes that have occurred in this ever-evolving field. This set is a vital resource for scholars and video game aficionados alike.

The Culture, Technology, and Art of Gaming [3 volumes]

Encyclopedia of Video Games [3 volumes]

An introduction to Tolkiens life, thought, and legacy that focuses specifically on how his imagination and his imaginary world related to his life, works, and faith. Author Mark J. P. Wolf examines themes in Tolkiens work as well as the works themselves such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

Of Words and Worlds

J. R. R. Tolkien

Abstracting Reality considers the relationship between digital technology and culture and their mutual influences on each other. The book begins with an examination of how everyday life became quantized over time, setting the stage for digital technology, which developed out of communication, machine control, and calculating machines. From there the book explores how digital technology changed the nature of art, inherent culture biases in digitization, composite imagery, machine-mediated communication, the metaphor of cyberspace, virtual reality, and finally, the way in which digital technology and imaging changes the very nature of indexicality itself.

Art, Communication, and Cognition in the Digital Age

Abstracting Reality

Toru Iwatani

Thirty-nine essays explore the vast diversity of video game history and culture across all the world's continents.

Video Games Around the World

This encyclopedia collects and organizes theoretical and historical content on the topic of video games, covering the people, systems, technologies, and theoretical concepts as well as the games themselves. * More than 300 A–Z cross-referenced and integrated entries, from Atari to Zelda * Dozens of screenshots and photographs * A "Further Reading" bibliography section is included with many entries

Encyclopedia of Video Games: A-L

"Now in its second edition, the Encyclopedia of Video Games: The Culture, Technology, and Art of Gaming is the definitive, go-to resource for anyone interested in the diverse and expanding video game industry"--

The Culture, Technology, and Art of Gaming

Encyclopedia of Video Games

Contributors examine the early days of video game history before the industry crash of 1983 that ended the medium’s golden age.

Early Video Game History

Before the Crash

Now in its second edition, the Encyclopedia of Video Games: The Culture, Technology, and Art of Gaming is the definitive, go-to resource for anyone interested in the diverse and expanding video game industry. This three-volume encyclopedia covers all things video games, including the games themselves, the companies that make them, and the people who play them. Written by scholars who are exceptionally knowledgeable in the field of video game studies, it notes genres, institutions, important concepts, theoretical concerns, and more and is the most comprehensive encyclopedia of video games of its kind, covering video games throughout all periods of their existence and geographically around the world. This is the second edition of Encyclopedia of Video Games: The Culture, Technology, and Art of Gaming, originally published in 2012. All of the entries have been revised to accommodate changes in the industry, and an additional volume has been added to address the recent developments, advances, and changes that have occurred in this ever-evolving field. This set is a vital resource for scholars and video game aficionados alike. Explores games, people, events, and ideas that are influential in the industry, rather than simply discussing the history of video games Offers a detailed understanding of the variety of video games that have been created over the years Includes contributions from some of the most important scholars of video games Suggests areas of further exploration for students of video games

Encyclopedia of Video Games: The Culture, Technology, and Art of Gaming, 2nd Edition [3 volumes]

Over a mere three decades, the video game has become the entertainment medium of choice for millions of people, who now spend more time in the interactive virtual world of games than they do in watching movies or even television. The release of new games or game-playing equipment, such as the PlayStation 2, generates great excitement and even buying frenzies. Yet, until now, this giant on the popular culture landscape has received little in-depth study or analysis. In this book, Mark J. P. Wolf and four other scholars conduct the first thorough investigation of the video game as an artistic medium. The book begins with an attempt to define what is meant by the term "video game" and the variety of modes of production within the medium. It moves on to a brief history of the video game, then applies the tools of film studies to look at the medium in terms of the formal aspects of space, time, narrative, and genre. The book also considers the video game as a cultural entity, object of museum curation, and repository of psychological archetypes. It closes with a list of video game research resources for further study.

This title traces the growth of video games, showing how they have become an integral part of popular culture today.

Mark J. P. Wolf

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