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.

Since its official release in 2011, Minecraft has sold nearly 50 million copies across all gaming platforms. The premise of Minecraft is simple: destroy, collect, build and interact in a world made entirely of colored cubes. Unlike Lego blocks or other construction toys, Minecraft's digital play space allows for virtually limitless creation without the cost and limitations of physical building materials. Creator Mojang's generous policies toward modification and other uses of their intellectual property also engender enthusiasm and creativity from fans who make music, art and animation inspired by the software. The first essays in this collection cover Minecraft's origins, describing its relationship to other video games and toys and examining the learning models implicit in its design. Later essays describe and theorize the various ways players interact with the software, which simultaneously presents them with structural constraints and limitless possibility.

In recent years, computer technology has permeated all aspects of life. Not only have work and education but leisure time and play have been all but revolutionized. Increasingly, digital games are the way we play. This volume addresses the world of digital games, with special emphasis on the roll and input of the gamer himself. In fifteen essays, the contributors discuss the various ways the game player interacts with the game. The first half of the book considers the physical and mental aspects of digital game play. The second section concentrates on factors that influence play, including the perception of the game player. Essays cover the full range of digital gaming, including computer, video and arcade games. Topics include a psychoanalytical investigation of particular, often controversial games; the ways in which game-playing crosses socioeconomic, age, gender and racial lines; and the physical and mental relationship between the game and the gamer. The final essays discuss scholars' perceptions of digital media.

The immensely popular Grand Theft Auto game series has inspired a range of reactions among players and commentators, and a hot debate in the popular media. These essays from diverse theoretical perspectives expand the discussion by focusing scholarly analysis on the games, particularly Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Part One of the book discusses the fears, lawsuits, legislative proposals, and other public reactions to Grand Theft Auto, detailing the conflict between the developers of adult oriented games and various new forms of censorship. Depictions of race and violence, the pleasure of the carnivalistic gameplay, and the significance of sociopolitical satire in the series are all important elements in this controversy. The second section of the book approaches the games as they might be studied absent of the controversy. These essays study why and how players meaningfully play Grand Theft Auto games.