Well Played 2.0: More Perspectives on Video Games, Value and Meaning
Well Played 3.0: Further Perspectives on Video Games, Value and Meaning
What makes a game good? or bad? or better?
Following on Well Played 1.0, these two books will also be full of in-depth close readings of video games that parse out the various meanings to be found in the experience of playing a game. Contributors will analyze sequences in a game in detail in order to illustrate and interpret how the various components of a game can come together to create fulfilling a playing experience unique to this medium. Contributors will again be looking at video games, some that were covered in Well Played 1.0 as well as new ones, in order to provide a variety of perspectives on more great games.
As before, the term “well played” is being used in two senses. On the one hand, well played is to games as well read is to books. So, a person who reads books a lot is "well read" and a person who plays games a lot is "well played." On the other hand, well played as in well done. So, a hand of poker can be “well played” by a person, and a game can be “well played” by the development team.
Contributors are looking at video games through both senses of “well played.” So, with well played as in well read, contributors are looking closely at the experience of playing a game. And with well played as in well done, contributors are looking at a game in terms of how well it is designed and developed.
The goal of all of these books is to help further develop and define a literacy of games as well as a sense of their value as an experience. Video games are a complex medium that merits careful interpretation and insightful analysis. By inviting contributors to look closely at video games and the experience of playing them, we hope to expand the discussion, and show how many different games are well played in a variety of ways.
These books will include contributions from the following:
Michael Abbott
Jorge Albor
Kirk Battle (L.B. Jeffries)
Matteo Bittanti
Ian Bogost
Brenda Brathwaite
Jay Bushman
Heather Chaplin
Patrick Curry
Drew Davidson
Garth DeAngelis
Sean Duncan
Corvus Elrod
Clara Fernandez-Vara
Charles Herold
Stephen Jacobs
Andy Jih
Scott Juster
Jesper Juul
Frank Lantz
Stone Librande
Eli Neiburger
Susan O'Connor
Oscar Garcia-Panella
Celia Pearce
Jane Pinckard
Chris Pruett
Sam Roberts
Margaret Robertson
Doris Rusch
Katie Salen
Matt Sakey
Jesse Schell
John Sharp
Lee Sheldon
Brett Shelton
Mark Sivak
Seth Sivak
Harvey Smith
Kurt Squire
Constance Steinkuehler
Alice Taylor
Clive Thompson
Jason Vandenberghe
Matthew Weise
Jose Zagal