Since the Doom series, First Person Shooter (FPS) videogames have ricocheted through the gaming community, often reaching outside that community to the wider public. While critics primarily lampoon FPSs for their aggressiveness and on-screen violence, gamers see something else. Halo is one of the greatest, most successful FPSs ever to grace the world of gaming. Although Halo is a FPS, it has a science-fiction storyline that draws from previous award-winning scien...

Recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most popular MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) in videogame history, World of Warcraft is everywhere - from episodes of South Park and The Simpsons, to online series like Watch the Guild, accolades and awards from game critics, and prime-time commercials with Mr. T. Inevitably, such a cultural phenomenon triggers deeper questions. When does an assumed identity become r...

With both young and adult gamers as loyal fans, The Legend of Zelda is one of the most beloved video game series ever created. The contributors to this volume consider the following questions and more: What is the nature of the gamer’s connection to Link? Does Link have a will, or do gamers project their wills onto him? How does the gamer experience the game? Do the rules of logic apply in the game world? How is space created and distributed in Hyrule (the fictional land in which ...

Considered a sign of the "coming of age" of video games as an artistic medium, the award-winning BioShock franchise covers vast philosophical ground. BioShock and Philosophy: Irrational Game, Rational Book presents expert reflections by philosophers (and BioShock connoisseurs) on this critically acclaimed and immersive fan-favorite.● Reveals the philosophical questions raised through the artistic complexity, compelling characters, and absorbing plots of t...

The story of Nintendo's rise and the beloved icon who made it possible.Nintendo has continually set the standard for video-game innovation in America, starting in 1981 with a plucky hero who jumped over barrels to save a girl from an ape.The saga of Mario, the portly plumber who became the most successful franchise in the history of gaming, has plot twists worthy of a video game. Jeff Ryan shares the story of how this quintessentially Japanese company found...

The definitive behind-the-scenes history of the dawn of video games and their rise into a multibillion-dollar business“For industry insiders and game players alike, this book is a must-have.”—Mark Turmell, designer for Midway Games and creator of NBA Jam, NFL Blitz, and WrestleManiaWith all the whiz, bang, pop, and shimmer of a glowing arcade, volume 1 of The Ultimate History of Video Games reveals everything you ...

Cheats Unlimited are the specialists when it comes to video game cheats, tips and walkthrough guides. Fronted by the glamorous and gorgeous CheatMistress, Cheats Unlimited has helped over seven million gamers worldwide over the last 12 years. Through phone lines, fax machines, the Web and WAP sites and now eBooks, we have been there for gamers when they've needed us the most.With EZ Cheats: Video Game Cheats, Tips and Secrets, we aim to help you unlock the game's full potential with a seri...

In this fact-filled installment in Jimmy Russell's Games Console History series, we learn 101 amazing facts about Nintendo's seminal NES, the most significant console in Nintendo history. The facts cover many areas, including the history, the hardware, game titles both rare and popular and some incredible information you probably never knew! Everyone from retro gamers who were there at the time to n00bz who think a PlayStation is Old School will find this excellent eBook jam packed full of...

Through the stories of gaming's greatest innovations and most beloved creations, journalist Harold Goldberg captures the creativity, controversy--and passion--behind the videogame's meteoric rise to the top of the pop-culture pantheon.Over the last fifty years, video games have grown from curiosities to fads to trends to one of the world's most popular forms of mass entertainment. But as the gaming industry grows in numerous directions and everyone talks about the advance of the mo...

Halo®—one of the most iconic video game franchises in history—comes to Dark Horse!Before she was a supersolider defending humanity as part of the Spartan-IV program, Sarah Palmer was an ODST—Orbital Drop Shock Trooper—carrying out the most dangerous missions behind enemy lines!Join her on her dramatic journey from the ranks of humanity's toughest leathernecks to the highest echelon of elite warriors in the galaxy. Collects the three-issue miniseries.* A new...

This beautiful gift edition of The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien's classic prelude to his Lord of the Rings trilogy, features cover art, illustrations, and watercolor paintings by the artist Alan Lee.Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an epic adventu...

More American children recognize Super Mario, the hero of one of Nintendo’s video games, than Mickey Mouse. The Japanese company has come to earn more money than the big three computer giants or all Hollywood movie studios combined. Now Sheff tells of the Nintendo invasion–a tale of innovation and cutthroat tactics.