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kurthl33t's review
5.0
Overall an excellent collection. Not every piece was within my realm of experience--I felt I liked the necessary background to fully grasp the article on Japanese games, for example, or the one about Flappy Bird. Nevertheless, I found it an admirable and informative anthology.
enriquedcf's review
5.0
Back when I bought this book in 2015, I didn't expect most of the issues discussed in these essays to still be around in 2019. That's both the most interesting and depressing thing about The State of Play, that this industry hasn't changed much in the past years, and an updated collection of essays could deal with the same topics, along with newer problems in the video game industry.
As any collection of essays, not all of them are great, but overall the quality of the writing and the approach to the themes by the different authors is pretty good; I would recommend this book to anyone that cares about videogames beyond the most basic stuff and I hope we eventually get a 2020 edition.
As any collection of essays, not all of them are great, but overall the quality of the writing and the approach to the themes by the different authors is pretty good; I would recommend this book to anyone that cares about videogames beyond the most basic stuff and I hope we eventually get a 2020 edition.
frumiouslyalice's review
5.0
I gave this book five stars because although I stumbled a little at the beginning, the book is such a comprehensive snapshot of gaming today, whether you're invested heart and soul into it or whether you'd like to inhabit a different planet from it entirely. The thing is that video games are here to stay and not only that, video games are now heavily mainstream. The perception of an isolated niche enjoyment has and should be broken as well as its isolation as a straight white cis male-only club. I would also have rearranged the book somewhat, beginning with connections of people and video games and then pushing into how that affects us in reality... for better or for worse.
The book has great essays by the people I anticipated buying the book in the first place, such as Ibrahim discussing what it is like to be an Arab playing the ubiquitous "shoot Arabs in the face" games likeCall of Duty ALL MILITARY SHOOTERS, Sarkeesian (and Cross) discussing two sides of harassment that women are subject to inside and outside the game, and Quinn's evolving creation of Depression Quest which led her to both fame and then intensive infamy. However, though I did love those essays, the book is definitely strongly bolstered by the other collaborators.
I never knew about Twine before this book, and the usage of it by people who are not tied to coding but rather than written word (and how even without realistic death animations and so forth, simplistic gaming is gaming in its storytelling) was an eye opening experience. Both Anthropy and Lopas use it as methods of queer and outside of the box storytelling, somewhat amusing if only for the fact that with its content so progressive, its gameplay was once the foundation of what this entire culture came out of. And though I would have put Johnston's essay on level design closer to the front of the book, his essay gives a deep insight to level design and architecture in video games, and how the limitations (not of graphics but of line of sight) forces certain things upon us. Not to mention how much thought needs to go into them, because a good level design tends to go unnoticed - it's what's around us, not in front of us - but a bad one everyone notices.
Narcisse's irritations and undercurrent of despair every time he is forced to choose a non-black hairstyle and pretend because the game developers either never employ black hairstyles outside of humor or cannot recreate them due to lack of knowledge despite providing a thousand options for other race's styles speak to the frustration of how easy it is to be yourself, a white person, but somewhat impossible if you want to be just about anything else. I really liked his nuances about representation - it isn't just about getting a character that is black, it's about getting a variety of characters who are black with variations of that race explored or even mentioned. He wants everything and no, that is not asking too much.
On the flipside of viewing games just in the now, Knoblauch shares his decades-long observation of the apocalypse in video games, from the stressful reality and the certitude of utter destruction in Cold War times to a backdrop, occasionally even a pleasant one, to the typical sense of survival.
There's just so many essays that I want to pluck out individually and hand to friends with varying interests, whether that's history, queer culture, being a poc, making a game - but not only would that ruin the copy I have, I think the book is worth reading as a whole. Everyone could benefit from reading these topics tied into gaming, and definitely not just gamers. The book gives us a vivid snapshot of gaming now, a mainstream no longer a niche enjoyment, but an explosion of culture shaping pop that is screaming in agony as those of us who have always been there but unmentioned for so long drag it steadfast forward.
The book has great essays by the people I anticipated buying the book in the first place, such as Ibrahim discussing what it is like to be an Arab playing the ubiquitous "shoot Arabs in the face" games like
I never knew about Twine before this book, and the usage of it by people who are not tied to coding but rather than written word (and how even without realistic death animations and so forth, simplistic gaming is gaming in its storytelling) was an eye opening experience. Both Anthropy and Lopas use it as methods of queer and outside of the box storytelling, somewhat amusing if only for the fact that with its content so progressive, its gameplay was once the foundation of what this entire culture came out of. And though I would have put Johnston's essay on level design closer to the front of the book, his essay gives a deep insight to level design and architecture in video games, and how the limitations (not of graphics but of line of sight) forces certain things upon us. Not to mention how much thought needs to go into them, because a good level design tends to go unnoticed - it's what's around us, not in front of us - but a bad one everyone notices.
Narcisse's irritations and undercurrent of despair every time he is forced to choose a non-black hairstyle and pretend because the game developers either never employ black hairstyles outside of humor or cannot recreate them due to lack of knowledge despite providing a thousand options for other race's styles speak to the frustration of how easy it is to be yourself, a white person, but somewhat impossible if you want to be just about anything else. I really liked his nuances about representation - it isn't just about getting a character that is black, it's about getting a variety of characters who are black with variations of that race explored or even mentioned. He wants everything and no, that is not asking too much.
On the flipside of viewing games just in the now, Knoblauch shares his decades-long observation of the apocalypse in video games, from the stressful reality and the certitude of utter destruction in Cold War times to a backdrop, occasionally even a pleasant one, to the typical sense of survival.
There's just so many essays that I want to pluck out individually and hand to friends with varying interests, whether that's history, queer culture, being a poc, making a game - but not only would that ruin the copy I have, I think the book is worth reading as a whole. Everyone could benefit from reading these topics tied into gaming, and definitely not just gamers. The book gives us a vivid snapshot of gaming now, a mainstream no longer a niche enjoyment, but an explosion of culture shaping pop that is screaming in agony as those of us who have always been there but unmentioned for so long drag it steadfast forward.
fluka's review
2.0
A decent collection of essays attempting to map the current critical landscape of games criticism. This is probably an impossible task, given the current variety of voices and fast rate of change. And as such, the collection can rather seem a bit disjointed, swinging all the way from literal personal memoir to academic essays with 30+ footnotes. Some of the essays are less about games and more about the conversation and culture surrounding them (and at least one feels like an ad for the author's work, heh). As such, I'm not sure there's a coherent central message to be drawn, beyond "Lots of stuff is happening!" Many of the essays are merely okay, overshadowed by the writers' better work online - an essay on violence in games, while written by two of my favorite critics, is over before it even seems to have begun. But when the collection is good, it's really good, with Evan Narcisse's essay on black hair in videogames probably the number one standout, weaving together personal story, character creation mechanics in videogames, and a broader discussion of race in society. You can easily find better articles by many of the same authors with a quick google search, but as an attempted random sample of the current critical discussion, you could do a lot worse.
clairelorraine's review
4.0
Yeah, I had a Gameboy and have my fair share of memories of playing computer games and N64 with friends, but my gaming history is short and I'm just now learning some of the jargon of games and gaming genres as I realize that not everything is Halo. This book made me excited about games in a way I haven't been since elementary school, and the variety of voices made me feel like games could be for me, too. This book is Important, varied, scholarly, funny, and thought-provoking. The people writing each essay are perfectly suited for it (an Arab writing about shooting Arabs in games, a creator writing about why and how she created her game etc). I learned a lot about gaming past, present, and possible futures and why any of it matters.
careythesixth's review
5.0
I liked this collection a lot. However, I don't think I identify as a gamer. It's kind of weird but I like reading about video games more than I like playing them. But there are a few that I enjoy. I found these essays diverse and thoughtful, and many of them got me to thinking about video games in a totally different way. I especially enjoyed the articles that discussed narrative gaming and I will definitely be checking out Twine in the near future.
P.S. I was able to read an advance copy of this book through super librarian powers. And what I mean by that is Edelweiss.
P.S. I was able to read an advance copy of this book through super librarian powers. And what I mean by that is Edelweiss.
808jake_'s review
4.0
This is a mostly well-rounded, insightful collection of essays about the sections of gaming culture that typical “gamers” don’t really think about. That being said, this isn’t written for those gamers- many of the essays here are preaching to the choir. Then again, once you’re convinced Gamergate is the work of wymyn trying to “dumb down and neuter the last type of male entertainment,” as one angry commenter is quoted here, then there’s really no point in using logic to sway that opinion, is there?
The essays here run the gamut from the above-mentioned examination of the culture that led to Gamergate to gaming while black to gaming while Arab to gaming while growing up during the Cold War to gaming and creating games while going through depression. Some read like extended academic journals (the last one on Judeo-Christian influences on Japanese video games comes to mind) but most are insightful, well written and thought-provoking.
It’s just a pity the audience who needs to hear this books’ message about inclusiveness and acceptance probably won’t touch this book with a 10-foot pole.
The essays here run the gamut from the above-mentioned examination of the culture that led to Gamergate to gaming while black to gaming while Arab to gaming while growing up during the Cold War to gaming and creating games while going through depression. Some read like extended academic journals (the last one on Judeo-Christian influences on Japanese video games comes to mind) but most are insightful, well written and thought-provoking.
It’s just a pity the audience who needs to hear this books’ message about inclusiveness and acceptance probably won’t touch this book with a 10-foot pole.
heyheyrenay's review
3.0
Thoughts: http://ladybusiness.dreamwidth.org/2016/01/25/lets-get-literate-life-on-the-margins-edition.html#thestateofplay
smarmy's review
4.0
This collection of essays tackles a wide variety of topics that are present in game culture -- from both a development and consumer aspect. Five years after publication this book gives a somewhat historical background to relevant discrimination, mental health, sexuality, war, religion, and terrorism discussions still happening in the industry today (in the year 2020, and I don't think it will be changing anytime soon, unfortunately). I would recommend this as a succinct introduction to these extremely prevalent _human_ topics if you love games and are looking to have an informed voice in industry conversation.
debz57a52's review
4.0
The State of Play is not the type of book I would normally pick up. Although it's anthropological in purpose, I think, which I like, it's a collection of (mostly) essays about video games, both historically and in current times. As a video game watcher (when my husband or son are playing) but not a video game player, I wasn't certain that I would enjoy the level of analysis this book strove to meet.
However, all told, I feel like I'm a better person for having read it. First, the essays deepened my understanding of video games as a cultural and personal influence. Second, they helped me to appreciate video games as both an art form and as a touchstone for many people of my generation. Finally, the essays helped me think more deeply about the things in video games now that both me, like the shooting, sexual marketing, etc. I can totally see myself using some of these essays to discuss video game culture and history with my high school students, too, which is an added bonus.
- Leigh Alexander - female writing about how programming and video games called to her as a child.
- Ian Shanahan - male writing about his experience with competition in online games, when people make assumptions about you racial identity based on a screen name.
- anna anthropy - trans-female writing about the rise of Twine as a game-making platform, and her experience writing love-themed games.
- Evan Narcisse - male writing about the absence of minority video game creators and representation in video games.
- Hussein Ibrahim - Detroit-born male writing about fighting Middle Eastern enemies while being Middle Eastern and now living in the Middle East.
- Zoe Quinn - female writing about her video game that simulates depression for the game-player and how popular reception of the game sparked the GamerGate discussion.
- Anita Sarkeesian & Katherine Cross - females writing about the way women are both depicted in games and treated as gamers in gaming communities, with a focus on the GamerGate explosion.
- Dan Golding - a white male gamer writing about how the end of the white, privileged male "gamer" label is ending as the world evolves.
- Cara Ellison & Brendan Keogh - A series of letters between these two writers, exploring why we enjoy violence in video games so much.
- Ian Bogost - a writer exploring what about Flappy Bird (and other simple games) that makes it popular.
- David Johnston - a male writing about how architecture both influences level creation and is the exact opposite of the process of a level creator.
- William Knoblauch - a male writing about the way the apocalyptic video games of the last three decades have changed base on what is happening in the world at large.
- Merritt Kopas - a trans-female exploring the way the video games and sex are similar, are depicted, and are explored.
- Ola Wikander - a male writing about how ancient civilizations and religions, especially those related to the supernatural or the occult, are depicted in video games in both subtle and overt ways.
However, all told, I feel like I'm a better person for having read it. First, the essays deepened my understanding of video games as a cultural and personal influence. Second, they helped me to appreciate video games as both an art form and as a touchstone for many people of my generation. Finally, the essays helped me think more deeply about the things in video games now that both me, like the shooting, sexual marketing, etc. I can totally see myself using some of these essays to discuss video game culture and history with my high school students, too, which is an added bonus.
- Leigh Alexander - female writing about how programming and video games called to her as a child.
- Ian Shanahan - male writing about his experience with competition in online games, when people make assumptions about you racial identity based on a screen name.
- anna anthropy - trans-female writing about the rise of Twine as a game-making platform, and her experience writing love-themed games.
- Evan Narcisse - male writing about the absence of minority video game creators and representation in video games.
- Hussein Ibrahim - Detroit-born male writing about fighting Middle Eastern enemies while being Middle Eastern and now living in the Middle East.
- Zoe Quinn - female writing about her video game that simulates depression for the game-player and how popular reception of the game sparked the GamerGate discussion.
- Anita Sarkeesian & Katherine Cross - females writing about the way women are both depicted in games and treated as gamers in gaming communities, with a focus on the GamerGate explosion.
- Dan Golding - a white male gamer writing about how the end of the white, privileged male "gamer" label is ending as the world evolves.
- Cara Ellison & Brendan Keogh - A series of letters between these two writers, exploring why we enjoy violence in video games so much.
- Ian Bogost - a writer exploring what about Flappy Bird (and other simple games) that makes it popular.
- David Johnston - a male writing about how architecture both influences level creation and is the exact opposite of the process of a level creator.
- William Knoblauch - a male writing about the way the apocalyptic video games of the last three decades have changed base on what is happening in the world at large.
- Merritt Kopas - a trans-female exploring the way the video games and sex are similar, are depicted, and are explored.
- Ola Wikander - a male writing about how ancient civilizations and religions, especially those related to the supernatural or the occult, are depicted in video games in both subtle and overt ways.
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