{"title":"Series: Influential Video Game Designers","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eInfluential Video Game Designers\u003c\/strong\u003e series delves into the creative minds shaping the world of gaming. Exploring themes from \u003cem\u003eComputing \u0026amp; Technology\u003c\/em\u003e to the psychological underpinnings of game mechanics, these works offer thoughtful insights into design philosophies and the cultural impact of video games.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReaders can expect engaging narratives that intersect with \u003cem\u003eBusiness \u0026amp; Entrepreneurship\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003ePhilosophy \u0026amp; Psychology\u003c\/em\u003e, revealing how innovation, strategy, and artistry converge in this dynamic medium. This collection is ideal for anyone fascinated by the genesis and evolution of games that define generations.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"shigeru-miyamoto-by-jennifer-dewinter-9781628923889","title":"Shigeru Miyamoto","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVideo games are considered by many to be just entertainment—essentially void of skilful, artistic intervention. But as any gamer knows, there’s incredible technical and graphic talent behind even a flickering Game Boy screen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eYou may have never heard Shigeru Miyamoto’s name, but you’ve probably spent many a lazy afternoon absorbed in his work. Joining Nintendo as a video game designer in the late 1970s, Miyamoto created the powerhouse franchises \u003ci\u003eSuper Mario Bros.\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Legend of Zelda\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eDonkey Kong\u003c\/i\u003e—games so ubiquitous that Miyamoto was named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in 2007.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCombining critical essays with interviews, bibliographies, and striking visuals, \u003ci\u003eShigeru Miyamoto\u003c\/i\u003e unveils the artist behind thousands of glowing gaming screens, tracing out his design decisions, aesthetic preferences, and the material conditions that shaped his work. With this incredible (and incredibly unknown) figure, series editors Jennifer DeWinter and Carly Kocurek launch the Influential Video Game Designers series, at last giving these artists the recognition they deserve.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46817011532012,"sku":"9781628923889","price":54.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/26657963482767.jpg?v=1757871976"},{"product_id":"todd-howard-by-wendi-sierra-9781501350962","title":"Todd Howard","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe newest addition to our Influential Video Game Designers series explores the work of Todd Howard, executive producer at Bethesda Studios, known for how he consistently pushes the boundaries of open-world gaming and player agency.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHoward’s games create worlds in which players can design their own characters and tell their own stories. While many games tell the story of the game’s main character, Todd Howard’s worldbuilding approach to game design focuses more on telling the story of the game’s world, whether it be the high fantasy environments of the \u003ci\u003eElder Scrolls\u003c\/i\u003e series or the post-apocalyptic wasteland of the \u003ci\u003eFallout\u003c\/i\u003e series. This focus on sculpting the world allows for remarkable amounts of player freedom and choice in an expansive game environment by creating a landscape rich with open opportunity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDrawing on both academic discussions of narrative, world design, and game design, as well as on officially released interviews, speeches, and presentations given by Howard and other designers at Bethesda Games, Wendi Sierra highlights three core areas that set Howard’s design perspective apart from other designers: micronarratives, iterative design, and the sharing of design tools. Taken as a whole, these three elements demonstrate how Howard has used a worldbuilding perspective to shape his games. In doing so, he has impacted not only Bethesda Studios, but also the landscape of game design itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46817182187756,"sku":"9781501350962","price":43.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/14789243482722.jpg?v=1757884634"},{"product_id":"hideo-kojima-by-bryan-hikari-hartzheim-9798765101698","title":"Hideo Kojima","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn exploration of the influential work of Hideo Kojima, creator of cinematic titles such as the blockbuster \u003cem\u003eMetal Gear Solid\u003c\/em\u003e franchise, which has moved over 50 million units globally, as well as \u003cem\u003eSnatcher\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003ePolicenauts\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eDeath Stranding\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs the architect of the \u003cem\u003eMetal Gear Solid\u003c\/em\u003e franchise, Kojima is synonymous with the “stealth game” genre, where tension and excitement is created from players avoiding enemies rather than confronting them. Through the franchise, Kojima also helped to bridge the gap between games and other forms of media, arguing that games could be deep experiences that unearthed complex emotions from players on the same level as films or novels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDrawing on archives of interviews in English and Japanese with Kojima and his team, as well as academic discourses of social\/political games and cinematic narrative\/world-building, this book examines Kojima's progressive game design as it applies to four key areas: socially-relevant narratives, cinematic aesthetics, thematically-connected systems, and reflexive spaces.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47460911481068,"sku":"9798765101698","price":49.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9798765101698-hideo-kojima.jpg?v=1774955960"},{"product_id":"keiji-inafune-by-andrew-schartmann-9798765120569","title":"Keiji Inafune","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis book explores Keiji Inafune’s unique and controversial approach to video game design by breaking down his prolific output into seven key concepts.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eKeiji Inafune is a polarising figure in the video game community. While some view his work on Capcom’s \u003cem\u003eMega Man\u003c\/em\u003e series as a pivotal contribution to the gaming industry, others question his very claim to the title of game designer. No matter one’s stance, however, Inafune’s work inspires passionate discussions about video game design and its history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn this book, Andrew Schartmann explores seven core principles that permeate Inafune’s output and constitute his creative “voice.” He also draws on Inafune’s controversial persona to probe the very definition of “video game designer”—a term problematised by the collaborative aspect of game design and the industry’s Wonka-esque obsession with secrecy. With high-profile games like \u003cem\u003eMega Man\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eStreet Fighter\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eResident Evil\u003c\/em\u003e, Inafune's repertoire provides an ideal lens through which to explore the nuts and bolts of game design and the many forces that shape it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47596721963244,"sku":"9798765120569","price":40.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/fa11e915bbd3982717e8a50d6c87f249.jpg?v=1777939151"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/series-influential-video-game-designers.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}