Final Fantasy VII altered the course of video game history when it was released in 1997 on Sony's PlayStation system. It converted the Japanese role-playing game into an international gaming standard with enhanced gameplay, spectacular cutscenes and a vast narrative involving an iconic cast. In the decades after its release, the Final Fantasy VII franchise has grown to encompass a number of video game sequels, prequels, a feature-length film, a novel and a multi-volume remake series. This volume, the first edited collection of essays devoted only to the world of Final Fantasy VII, blends scholarly rigor with fan passion in order to identify the elements that keep Final Fantasy VII current and exciting for players. Some essays specifically address the game's perennially relevant themes and scenarios, ranging from environmental consciousness to economic inequity and posthumanism. Others examine the mechanisms used to immerse the player or to improve the narrative. Finally, there are several essays devoted specifically to the game's legacy, from its influence on later games to its characters' many crossovers and cameos.

Augmentative play is a special activity that substantially aids the pursuit of a larger, encompassing leisure activity. This approach to the study of play is unique. It recognizes the hundreds of activities in which play and leisure come together.

The story of white masculinity in geek culture through a history of hobby gaming Geek culture has never been more mainstream than it is now, with the ever-increasing popularity of events like Comic Con, transmedia franchising of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, market dominance of video and computer games, and the resurgence of board games such as Settlers of Catan and role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. Yet even while the comic book and hobby shops where the above are consumed today are seeing an influx of BIPOC gamers, they remain overwhelmingly white, male, and heterosexual. The Privilege of Play contends that in order to understand geek identity's exclusionary tendencies, we need to know the history of the overwhelmingly white communities of tabletop gaming hobbyists that preceded it. It begins by looking at how the privileged networks of model railroad hobbyists in the early twentieth century laid a cultural foundation for the scenes that would grow up around war games, role-playing games, and board games in the decades ahead. These early networks of hobbyists were able to thrive because of how their leisure interests and professional ambitions overlapped. Yet despite the personal and professional strides made by individuals in these networks, the networks themselves remained cloistered and homogeneous-the secret playgrounds of white men. Aaron Trammell catalogs how gaming clubs composed of lonely white men living in segregated suburbia in the sixties, seventies and eighties developed strong networks through hobbyist publications and eventually broke into the mainstream. He shows us how early hobbyists considered themselves outsiders, and how the denial of white male privilege they established continues to define the socio-technical space of geek culture today. By considering the historical role of hobbyists in the development of computer technology, game design, and popular media, The Privilege of Play charts a path toward understanding the deeply rooted structural obstacles that have stymied a more inclusive community. The Privilege of Play concludes by considering how digital technology has created the conditions for a new and more diverse generation of geeks to take center stage.

Creating new and innovative products, services or businesses can be challenging, which is why, sadly, most innovations are not successful. But, the good news is that you can significantly improve the chance for success by being guided - the lean way. That's where the Lean Innovation Guide comes in. This book guides you through the lean journey by clarifying what to focus on next and what to improve. If you or your organisation want or need to drive innovation, then this book is a must-read! Discover the secrets to faster, more focused innovation success: learn the proven approach to innovating your business and get the competitive edge you need to stay ahead. The book is aimed mainly at corporate innovators and provides them with the missing link to successfully using Lean Startup as an innovation method: namely the Lean Progress Model. With the Lean Progress Model, author David Griesbach developed a tool that quickly and purposefully guides you through the Lean Innovation process. You will know at all times where your project stands, which questions are still open-ended and what needs to be done next. In addition, the illustrations throughout the book support the text and turn this book into a practical guide that takes you through the startup and innovation process. In this book, you will find a proven approach to guide you and your colleagues to innovation success, helping you to move faster, be more focused, and innovate the business. The book provides an easy-to-follow approach to driving change in any business or startup and is a must-have for anyone looking to succeed in innovation. Any new business idea, product or service will be developed more efficiently, faster, and more focused using this model.

A fun, miniature version of football that is perfectly portable! Kit includes: * Field goal post (assembles in 3 pieces) * Football * Kicking tee * Challenge flag * Mini illustrated rule book

This handsome roll-up game combines convenience with style. It features a canvas board and a snap-on vegan leather pouch for storing pieces, and rolls up-just like a Pendleton blanket-for swift storage and easy travel.

Bring the fun on your next road trip with this handy book, Family Road Trip Games, from beloved children's book author Jack Henseleit. Featuring over 60 new and classic games - and more than 150 brain-burning trivia questions - plus a top secret treasure hunt (yippee!), this is the definitive collection of games and puzzles for the whole family. Whether it's a fresh take on I Spy, an on-the-go scavenger hunt, or a modern favourite like Snaps, you'll find a diverse group of games and ideas to appeal to any age or attention span. There are also fun illustrations throughout, making this book both an excellent gift or self-purchase. Put away the screens and find new ways to entertain, get creative and improve memory with kids and adults of any age.

Using textual analysis, interviews with game designers, audience surveys, and close analysis of player forum discussion, this book examines the unique nature of the producer/consumer relationship within promotional Alternate Reality Games (ARGs). Historically, ARGs are rooted in advertising as much as they are in narrative storytelling. As designers often have to respond to player actions as the game progresses, players can have an impact on the storyline, on character behaviour, and potentially on the final resolution of the narrative. This book explores how both media consumers and producers are responding to this new reconfiguration of the producer/consumer/prosumer dynamic in order to better understand the diverse advertising experiences available to media audiences today. With a focus on participatory culture and the political economy of promotional communications, this in-depth analysis of ARGs will appeal to academics and researchers in the fields of games, film, advertising, and media and cultural studies.

If you like true stories about real people, are intrigued by serendipity, curious about curiosities, or maybe you are a collector yourself, then this book is for you.

The collecting and researching of any collectable is an intense and pleasurable pastime. The author’s passion for more than half a century has been for collecting handwritten, original letters, antique documents, manuscripts, old share certificates, fire insurance policies, photographs and maps.

The writers of these words on paper include kings and queens, presidents and prime ministers, admirals and generals, actors and authors, judges and prisoners, philosophers, statesmen, scientists, and sportsmen. Some were famous, some infamous, some important, others less so. Many you will know about; with others, only their names may be familiar. There’s Admiral Nelson, and the Duke of Wellington; there are queens Elizabeth I and II and kings George III, IV and VI; presidents Eisenhower, Kruger, and Mandela are here; prime ministers Botha, Hertzog and Smuts; explorers Scott and Shackleton. There’s Faraday and De la Rey, and many more, including two controversial giants of history – Napoleon and Rhodes.

The chapters need not be read in any set order, although there is an underlying thread linking them to the life of the author that enabled this eclectic collection to evolve in the way it did.

Can you dissolve a coin, defy gravity or read someone's mind? Learn how to perform the greatest magic tricks around and astound your friends and family. This comprehensive book features over 350 magic tricks, including card magic, stage and optical illusions, stunts, puzzles, party and dinner table pranks. Each trick is fully illustrated and expertly described, enabling both the novice and experienced magician alike to perform feats such as bending a knife, predicting the future and cutting a person in two. Close-up secret views show how each trick is performed, with expert tips on preparation and the patter needed to allow the reader to achieve a polished performance.

BLAZE. COLOR. CREATE.

In the post-prohibition green frontier, elevated entrepreneur Wiz Khalifa has created his first-ever coloring book. Now he needs you to add some color to his worldwide weed empire, including iconic sites from Los Angeles to Amsterdam, favorite strains like Khalifa Kush, and special events such as Danksgiving and Wiz's Birthday.

Enjoy these challenging, fun, large-print crossword puzzles perfect for both beginners and experienced crossword fans! The newest addition to the Everything game series from Funster.com puzzlemaster Charles Timmerman is both easy to read and to solve. This book is a fun and lightly challenging diversion perfect for those who prefer books with large type. With clues ranging from favorite foods to classic movies, these crosswords are perfect for puzzlers of all ages. Beginners and experienced crossword fans alike will enjoy the satisfaction of quickly solving these entertaining puzzles.

From the most common Chinese traditions to the most arcane, this text contains over forty different Mahjong variants with detailed explanations and hand illustrations to appeal to beginners and masters alike. Ever wondered what else these beautiful tiles can do? Also included are games like Meow Meow Mahjong, Sap Tim Pun, Ten Phases, fortune telling and more. Tom Sloper of Sloperama Productions writes "Scott Miller has amassed an impressive amount of information about a great many mah-jongg variants. This is a work that all scholars and researchers of mah-jongg and games will need to add to their libraries. It's a valuable resource that's sure to add some branches to the family tree of mah-jongg."

Draw, narrate, and create your own manga adventure with this interactive workbook featuring blank fill-in panels so you can set up your very own comic.

What’s behind those big, bright eyes? Why is the student attacking the master? What’s inside that box? That’s up for you to decide with Make Your Own Manga!

Featuring six fully illustrated stories from two acclaimed artists along with blank template panels to create your own drawings and dialogue, Make Your Own Manga will inspire you to inject your own imagination into the storyline of each manga comic. Now you can create your own heroes and villains, heartbreaks and desires instead of just reading about them on the page. All you need is a healthy imagination to complete the manga within these pages. The power to create is in your hands!

The viral chonk cat trend gets a fun twist with this unique kit featuring mini chonk cats nesting dolls.

Purrfect for your home or the office, cat lovers and chonk cat enthusiasts alike can embrace their love for chub-tastic felines with this one-of-a-kind collectible set.

This fun kit includes 3 adorable chonk cats nesting dolls and a mini book celebrating chonk cats in all their glory and featuring the iconic chonky cat body mass index chart.