Jesper Juul (1)

If I were to pick a book that this one most reminded me of, it would be Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics: you could practically entitle this Understanding Video Games and be none the worse for wear. Like McCloud, Juul comes to his chosen branch of the media tree with a fresh eye, determined to coherently examine its component elements in order to build a new conception of the way they work their effects. For Juul, the key elements are narrative and rule-based play, and the unique show more experience of video games grows out of cooperation (as well as tensions and slippages) between these forces. Fascinating reading, clear and lucid, an essential work for anyone interested in the academic study of video games or cross-platform narrative. Highly recommended. show less

An excellent and important book to mark a beginning of computer game theory, Juul's writing and particular subject matter make the book a little dogged to read at times, and a touch repetitive. Still, the ideas are overall fascinating, and the distinction of games as defined by rules and/or fiction leads to a lot of philosophical questioning. A must-read for anyone dealing with technology in any way, and all-in-all a terrific book.

A very solid title. While I wouldn't recommend it for someone who wanted casual insight into the critical study of video games, it is a crucial resource for the researcher. There is much thorough and clear-headed analysis to serve as a springboard for future investigations.

It's now available as an ebook on the MIT press portal http://mitpress-ebooks.mit.edu/product/casual-revolution