From explorations of video game series to Netflix shows to Facebook timelines, Subjective Experiences of Interactive Nostalgia helps readers understand what it is actually like to be nostalgic in a world that increasingly asks us to interact with our past. Interdisciplinary authors tackle the subject from historical, philosophical, rhetorical, sociological, and economic perspectives, all the while asking big questions about what it means to be asked to be active participants in our own mediated histories. Scholars and pop culture enthusiasts alike will find something to love as this collection moves from a look at traditional interactive media, such as video games, to nostalgia within all things digital and ends with a rethinking of the potentials of nostalgia itself.

Game Audio with FMOD and Unity introduces readers to the principles and practice of game audio through the process of creating their own First Person Shooter (FPS) game. All the basics are covered, as well as a simple introduction to coding. Using the free software Unity and FMOD Audio Middleware, the reader will be able to create a game of their own and develop a portfolio that demonstrates their capacities in interactive sound design. Perfect for classroom use or independent study, Game Audio with FMOD and Unity also comes with a full suite of audio assets provided on a companion website.

Drawing on decades of experience, Beep to Boom: The Development of Advanced Runtime Sound Systems for Games and Extended Reality is a rigorous, comprehensive guide to interactive audio runtime systems. Packed with practical examples and insights, the book explains each component of these complex geometries of sound. Using practical, lowest-common-denominator techniques, Goodwin covers soundfield creation across a range of platforms from phones to VR gaming consoles. Whether creating an audio system from scratch or building on existing frameworks, the book also explains costs, benefits and priorities. In the dynamic simulated world of games and extended reality, interactive audio can now consider every intricacy of real-world sound. This book explains how and why to tame it enjoyably.

Discover 40+ recipes like Mooshroom Burgers, Suspicious Stew, and The Cake! Featuring recipes that are ideal for every skill level (and player type), this cookbook is just what you need to bring a touch of Minecraft into your kitchen. So, what are you waiting for? It's time to gather, cook, and eat! Building can be hungry work. And sometimes, you just need to take a break and enjoy the fruits of your labor, whether that's a quick baked potato while you're hunkered down, waiting for a creeper to quit skulking at your door, or creating a celebratory feast for all your friends! Minecraft: The Official Cookbook gives you everything you need to build awesome meals, no matter your skill level.

Recent years have seen an increase in public attention to identity and representation in video games, including journalists and bloggers holding the digital game industry accountable for the discrimination routinely endured by female gamers, queer gamers, and gamers of color. Video game developers are responding to these critiques, but scholarly discussion of representation in games has lagged far behind. Gaming Representation examines portrayals of race, gender, and sexuality in a range of games, from casuals like Diner Dash, to indies like Journey and The Binding of Isaac, to mainstream games from the Grand Theft Auto, BioShock, Spec Ops, The Last of Us, and Max Payne franchises. Arguing that representation and identity function as systems in games that share a stronger connection to code and platforms than it may first appear, the contributors to this volume push gaming scholarship to new levels of inquiry, theorizing, and imagination.

Working with Video Gamers and Games in Therapy moves beyond stereotypes about video game addiction and violence to consider the role that games play in psychological experiences and mental health. Chapters examine the factors that compel individual gamers to select and identify with particular games and characters, as well as the different play styles, genres, and archetypes common in video games. For clinicians looking to understand their clients' relationships with video games or to use games as a therapeutic resource in their own practice, this is a thoughtful, comprehensive, and timely resource.

This book provides an overview of concepts and challenges in intis investigated using structural equation modeling. The conveyed understanding of gaming QoE, empirical eraction quality in the domain of cloud gaming services. The author presents a unified evaluation approach by combining quantitative subjective assessment methods in a concise way. The author discusses a measurement tool, Gaming Input Quality Scale (GIPS), that assesses the interaction quality of such a service available. Furthermore, the author discusses a new framework to assess gaming Quality of Experience (QoE) using a crowdsourcing approach. Lastly, based on a large dataset including dominant network and encoding conditions, the evaluation method is investigated using structural equation modeling. The conveyed understanding of gaming QoE, empirical findings, and models presented in this book should be of particular interest to researchers working in the fields of quality and usability engineering, as well as service providers and network operators.

For the first time, the collected texts from the critically and commercially acclaimed fantasy video game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim are bound together in three exciting volumes. Lavishly illustrated and produced, these titles are straight out of the world of Skyrim - and a must for any wandering adventurer.

Game Devs & Others: Tales from the Margins tell the true stories of life in the industry by people of color, LGBTQIA and other marginalized identities. This collection of essays give people a chance to tell their stories and to let others know what life on the other side of the screen is like when you're not part of the supposed "majority". Key Features This book is perfect for anyone interested in getting into the games industry who feels they have a marginalized identity For those who wish to better diversify their studio or workplace who may or may not have access to individuals that could or would share their stories about the industry Includes initiatives aimed at diversifying the industry that have a positive or negative impact on the ongoing discussions Coverage of ajor news items about diversity, conferences aimed at or having diversity at its core of content and mission are discussed Included essays are written with as little game dev specific jargon as possible, makeing it accessible to people outside the industry as well as those in the scene but that may not have all the insider lingo

ALL THE CRAZIEST HIGHLIGHTS FROM FORTNITE'S LATEST SEASONS IN THE BRAND-NEW OFFICIAL ANNUAL FROM EPIC GAMES It's been another wild ride in the world of Fortnite, with new challenges, rewards, map changes, and awesome Outfits keeping the game as fresh as ever. Now, in this official yearbook from Epic Games, you can relive all the major Battle Royale stories and surprises from the past 12 months. Packed full of fun features, cool artwork, quizzes, and exclusive inside knowledge, this is essential reading for any Fortnite fan.

Game Programming for Artists provides a foundation for artists and creatives to jumpstart learning to program their own games. It is an accessible and conversational guide focused on three areas: basic programming, understanding game engines, and practical code for commonly employed game systems. The best way to get into games is to make one, and this book will help artists do that!

Photoshop is not just for photographers anymore. Photoshop 3D for Animators is one of the only titles available that discusses 3D Photoshop techniques specifically for animators. Now with Adobe CS5, 3D Digital artists can integrate 3D models into Photoshop or create 3D models in Photoshop with the high capability to customize, edit and animate. With Photoshop 3D for Animators, explore the new 3D tools and techniques that will enhance your animation pipeline and workflows with the Adobe Suite softwares, including After Effects and Flash. Explore the ins and outs of Adobe Photoshop and expand your 3D expertise with the comprehensive guide to Adobe 3D toolset for animators. Customize Adobe CS5 tools for your specific, animation workflow and integrate your 3D models with Adobe Flash and the entire Adobe Suite platform with ease. Learn to manipulate 3D images as well as import 3D content from the Adobe creative suite. With in-depth, step-by-step tutorials, explore lighting, digital painting, texturing and rendering for 2D and 3D the power of Adobe Photoshop software. Enhance your digital workflow and expand your expertise with this hands-on guide to Photoshop CS5. Includes downloadable resources with source files, working samples and models.

Scholars and professionals from all over the world, across experience levels and the gender and sexuality spectrum, share experiences and analysis of romance and sexuality in video games. Whether discussing casual sex in the Star Wars universe; analyzing various Otome games; examining "the gaze" in various games; player romance behavior in games; or exploring the ethical ramifications of sexuality in virtual reality and other emerging technologies, this book discusses what players want in video game romance, and how developers can best deliver it. Key Features: Examines the past, present, and future of romance in single-player, role-playing games Discusses common presentations of romance in single-player, role-playing games- both in the category and game mechanics that drive romance Discusses research on how players define a satisfying game romance and what specific steps narrative designers can take to design satisfying games Explains the notion of the empathic game and explores its importance in relation to romance in game design

The perfect gift for any fan of World of Warcraft. Journey through Azeroth and prepare to feast on new culinary delights inspired by World of Warcraft. This official gift set comes with World of Warcraft: New Flavors of Azeroth and an exclusive apron featuring celebrated Pandaren chef Nomi, equipped with a large front pocket and adjustable straps. As a young boy in Pandaria, Nomi answered the beckoning call of the Cooking School Bell and quickly grew into a promising chef. Through the years, this intrepid cook has traveled across Azeroth, learning countless regional recipes and techniques from Pandaria, the Broken Isles, and even the mysterious Shadowlands. In this cookbook, Nomi has collected the best recipes gathered during his travels, including: --Bladespire Bagel --Wild Berry Bread --Chewy Fel Taffy Equip your apron and let culinary expert Nomi be your guide in World of Warcraft: New Flavors of Azeroth Gift Set.

Digital technology plays an important role in the everyday lives of people. New types of 'digital sports', (sport) gaming, exergaming, cybersport and eSports increase in popularity all over the world and are even challenging the modern and hegemonic concept of sport. Modern games can hardly be compared with the first generation of electronic games, as the diversity of games has increased dramatically. Philosophers (of sport) have much to say about these new forms of digital play. This book bridges the gap between 'game studies' and current topics within the philosophy of sport literature. It does so by dealing with a variety of topics in which the virtual or the electronic takes over, contradicts or melts with current sports as we know it. This book deals with a variety of conceptual and moral questions, such as: Can video games and eSports be considered as sports activities or not? Are motor skills a defining characteristic of eSports? Can the personal identity be explored within the virtual world? What is happening in a virtual (game) world? How playful is a virtual environment? How do moral standards change in a digital game and how does the game-person and role-playing relate to the real person? This book was originally published as a special issue of Sport, Ethics and Philosophy.

The last several years have seen mass uprisings and dynamic social movements across the globe, from the onset of the Arab Spring in 2011, to the Black Lives Matter movement following Michael Brown's death in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014. There is no doubt that social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter accelerated and facilitated these uprisings, providing a way for people to organize and express themselves despite government repression. From Tahrir Square to Ferguson: Social Networks as Facilitators of Social Movements attempts to answer the question of whether these movements could have succeeded before the advent of the Internet age. From political protest to regime change, social movements have become increasingly digital. Taking on the current political climate from an international perspective, From Tahrir Square to Ferguson: Social Networks as Facilitators of Social Movements attempts to address the issues of a growing social media audience facing a wide variety of social and political issues.

This book takes you through all the basic steps of character design for games and animation, from brainstorming and references through to the development phase and final render. It covers a range of styles such as cartoon, stylized and semi-realistic, and explains how to differentiate between them and use them effectively. Using a step-by-step approach for each stage of the process, this book guides you through the process of creating a new character from scratch. It contains a wealth of design tips and tricks as well as checklists and worksheets for you to use in your own projects. The book covers how to work with briefs, as well as providing advice and practical strategies for working with clients and creating art as a product that can be tailored and sold. This book will be a valuable resource for all junior artists, hobby artists, and art students looking to develop and improve their character development skills for games and animation.

Game studies has been an understudied area within the emerging field of digital media and religion. Video games can reflect, reject, or reconfigure traditionally held religious ideas and often serve as sources for the production of religious practices and ideas. This collection of essays presents a broad range of influential methodological approaches that illuminate how and why video games shape the construction of religious beliefs and practices, and also situates such research within the wider discourse on how digital media intersect with the religious worlds of the 21st century. Each chapter discusses a particular method and its theoretical background, summarizes existing research, and provides a practical case study that demonstrates how the method specifically contributes to the wider study of video games and religion. Featuring contributions from leading and emerging scholars of religion and digital gaming, this book will be an invaluable resource for scholars in the areas of digital culture, new media, religious studies, and game studies across a wide range of disciplines.

Written for the new generation of hobbyists and aspiring game developers, HTML5 Game Development from the Ground Up with Construct 2 shows you how to use the sophisticated yet user-friendly HTML5-based game engine Construct 2 to develop and release polished, two-dimensional games on a multitude of different platforms. The book also covers the foundational knowledge of game analysis and design based on the author's research and teaching experiences at DigiPen Institute of Technology, James Cook University, and other institutions. The author first helps you understand what really matters in games. He guides you in becoming a better game designer from the ground up, being able to play any game critically, and expressing your ideas in a clear and concise format. The book then presents step-by-step tutorials on designing games. It explains how to build an arcade-style game as well as a platformer integrating some physics elements. It also shows you how to create a more complex puzzle game the author's own published game, Turky on the Run. Lastly, the book discusses different ways to deploy and monetize games across several platforms, including Facebook, iOS, Android, and web-based marketplaces. Sample Construct 2 project files for the games designed in the book are available on the author's website. Integrating hands-on guidance with theoretical game design concepts, this book gives you a solid foundation in game development. It will help you advance in your journey as an indie game developer.

Call of Duty is the most culturally significant video game franchise of the 21st century. Since the first game was released for PC in 2003, the franchise has sold over 250 million copies and been complemented by merchandise ranging from toys and comic books to a special edition Jeep Wrangler. The top players can even compete for millions in prize money in tournaments sanctioned by the Call of Duty World League.While the gaming community has reported on and debated over each development, there has not been much formal scholarship on Call of Duty games. This collection fills that void by examining the ideologically charged campaign mode of major franchise releases, with a special focus on militarism, realism, and gender. After reading this book, you will never just play Call of Duty again.

A compendium of sweet and savoury recipes inspired by Blizzard's hit online card game, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft. Featuring a dynamic in-world design, this fun and engaging cookbook is an exciting follow-up to World of Warcraft: The Official Cookbook. Including food pairings for each dish and tips on adapting meals to specific diets, this portable little cookbook is the perfect culinary guide for weary travellers from Azeroth and beyond.

Character rigging is the method with which you create a system for animating a character. A rig is represented by two primary mechanics: the skeleton, consisting of hierarchical rotations to drive the motions, and a skin, or method of deforming the geometry that makes up the character model. Essential Skills in Character Rigging is a beginner's guide to learning and understanding the essential aspects of character setup, evaluation, skeletal construction, and deformation. Borrowing from the author's extensive experience in the field, it presents the primary theories, constructs, and objectives for constructing a basic rig from the ground up, just as it would be done in a professional studio. The book explains the basic elements of hierarchies, skeletons, kinematics, deformation, skinning, and creating relationships between nodes. It gives hands-on experience with taking a completed character model and setting it up with a skeleton with kinematics and soft-skin deformation. It also gives specific instructions on using inverse kinematics systems, and how to set up the essential mechanics of a human rig with these systems. All of these lessons are conducted using a simplistic, conversational style that keeps technical and mathematical jargon to a minimum. The book also includes video tutorials corresponding to specific modules. Essential Skills in Character Rigging takes aspiring character artists through the vital components in the process of taking a 3D character model and turning it into an animatable rig that is ready for production in film or games. It identifies the universal fundamentals at work behind character rigging, and the practical complexities of the process are broken down into simple steps that are easy to comprehend and execute.