James Newman's lucid and engaging introduction guides the reader through the world of videogaming, providing a history of the videogame, from its origins in the computer lab to its contemporary status as a global entertainment industry, with characters such as Lara Croft and Sonic the Hedgehog familiar even to those who've never been near a games console. Newman introduces: What is a videogame?; Why study videogames?; a brief history of videogames, from Pac-Man to Pokemon; the videogame industry; who plays videogames?; are videogames bad for you?; the narrative structure of videogames; and the future of videogames. Newman traces the battle for dominance among key players such as Atari, Nintendo and Sega, explains how new videogames are developed and produced, and outlines research into the effects of videogaming on players, challenging the popular notion that too much Playstation is bad for your health.
