{"product_id":"optimizing-play-isbn-9780262547789","title":"Optimizing Play","description":"\u003cb\u003eAn unexpected take on how games work, what the stakes are for them, and how game designers can avoid the traps of optimization.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe process of optimization in games seems like a good thing—who wouldn’t want to find the most efficient way to play and win? As Christopher Paul argues in \u003ci\u003eOptimizing Play\u003c\/i\u003e, however, optimization can sometimes risk a tragedy of the commons, where actions that are good for individuals jeopardize the overall state of the game for everyone else. As he explains, players inadvertently limit play as they theorycraft, seeking optimal choices. The process of developing a meta, or the most effective tactic available, structures decision making, causing play to stagnate. A “stale” meta then creates a perception that a game is solved and may lead players to turn away from the game.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDrawing on insights from game studies, rhetoric, the history of science, ecology, and game theory literature, Paul explores the problem of optimization in a range of video games, including \u003ci\u003eOverwatch\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eFIFA\u003c\/i\u003e\/\u003ci\u003eEA Sports FC\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNBA 2K\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eClash Royale\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eWorld of Warcraft\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eLeague of Legends\u003c\/i\u003e. He also pulls extensively from data analytics in sports, where the problem has progressed further and is even more intractable than it is in video games, given the money sports teams invest to find an edge. Finally, Paul offers concrete and specific suggestions for how games can be developed to avoid the trap set by optimization run amok.Acknowledgments ix\u003cbr\u003eIntroduction: Optimization and Common Pool Resource Problems 1\u003cbr\u003e1 The Role of Optimization in Video Games 23\u003cbr\u003e2 \u003ci\u003eOverwatch \u003c\/i\u003e37\u003cbr\u003e3 Baseball as the Tic-Tac-Toe of Sports 53\u003cbr\u003e4 Less Solved Sports 71\u003cbr\u003e5 \u003ci\u003eEA SPORTS FC \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eNBA 2K \u003c\/i\u003e93\u003cbr\u003e6 \u003ci\u003eClash Royale \u003c\/i\u003e117\u003cbr\u003eConclusion: Don't Drain the Pool for the Rest of Us 131\u003cbr\u003eNotes 143\u003cbr\u003eBibliography 167\u003cbr\u003eIndex 185“Paul offers an exceptional and detailed analysis of the optimization of video gameplay that is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the contemporary nature of video games and their players.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Garry Crawford, Professor of Cultural Sociology, University of Salford; author of \u003ci\u003eVideo Games as Culture\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eVideo Gamers\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eCosplay and the Art of Play\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“This is more than a book about optimizing gameplay. Weaving together examples ranging from \u003ci\u003eBig Brother\u003c\/i\u003e all the way to \u003ci\u003eOverwatch\u003c\/i\u003e, Christopher Paul has crafted a compelling critique of our society’s obsession with maximizing efficiency.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Kelly Bergstrom, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication \u0026amp; Media Studies, York University\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“With \u003ci\u003eOptimizing Play\u003c\/i\u003e, Christopher Paul proposes a provocative and thoughtful account of the trend toward optimization in video games, how it homogenizes play, and why we should remember that play is a creative exploration of possibilities.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Miguel Sicart, Professor of Digital Play, IT University of Copenhagen; author of \u003ci\u003ePlay Matters\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003ePlaying Software\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBeyond Choices\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Ethics of Computer Games\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“Smart and engagingly written, \u003ci\u003eOptimizing Play\u003c\/i\u003e offers a well-evidenced argument and suggestions for how, in the face of optimization, game producers and sports leagues might still balance the competing interests of players, leagues, and spectators to maintain interest and excitement.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Amanda Cote, Associate Professor, Department of Media \u0026amp; Information, Michigan State University; author of \u003ci\u003eGaming Sexism\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eChristopher A. Paul is Professor of Communication and Media at Seattle University. He is the author of \u003ci\u003eFree-to-Play\u003c\/i\u003e and coauthor, with Mia Consalvo, of \u003ci\u003eReal Games\u003c\/i\u003e (both MIT Press). He is also the author of \u003ci\u003eThe Toxic Meritocracy of Video Games\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eWordplay and the Discourse of Video Games\u003c\/i\u003e.","brand":"The MIT Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46300646473957,"sku":"NP9780262547789","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780262547789.jpg?v=1767734243","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/optimizing-play-isbn-9780262547789","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}