Gaming as Culture: Essays on Reality, Identity and Experience in Fantasy Games

Name: Gaming as Culture: Essays on Reality, Identity and Experience in Fantasy Games
Rating: 4.333333492279053 (6 reviews)

J. Patrick Williams · Sean Q. Hendricks · W. Keith Winkler

Jan 2014 · McFarland

4.3

6 reviews

Ebook

232

Pages

Eligible

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About this ebook

Since tabletop fantasy role-playing games emerged in the 1970s, fantasy gaming has made a unique contribution to popular culture and perceptions of social realities in America and around the world. This contribution is increasingly apparent as the gaming industry has diversified with the addition of collectible strategy games and other innovative products, as well as the recent advancements in videogame technology.

This book presents the most current research in fantasy games and examines the cultural and constructionist dimensions of fantasy gaming as a leisure activity. Each chapter investigates some social or behavioral aspect of fantasy gaming and provides insight into the cultural, linguistic, sociological, and psychological impact of games on both the individual and society. Section I discusses the intersection of fantasy and real-world scenarios and how the construction of a fantasy world is dialectically related to the construction of a gamer's social reality. Because the basic premise of fantasy gaming is the assumption of virtual identities, Section II looks at the relationship between gaming and various aspects of identity. The third and final section examines what the personal experiences of gamers can tell us about how humans experience reality.

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Ratings and reviews

4.3

6 reviews

TYLER BRASFIELD

October 24, 2024

Gaming as Culture: Essays on Reality, Identity and Experience in Fantasy Games is a fascinating book that explores the cultural impact of video games. It's full of insightful essays that examine the ways in which games shape our understanding of the world and ourselves. Whether you're a hardcore gamer or just a casual player, this book offers a fresh perspective on the medium.

About the author

J. Patrick Williams is an assistant professor of Sociology at Arkansas State University. Sean Q. Hendricks is a lecturer and research consultant at the University of Georgia. W. Keith Winkler studied Anthropology and English at Emory University and International Business at Georgia State University. He is an adjunct faculty member at Murray State University in Kentucky.

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