{"product_id":"the-wellread-game-isbn-9780262552233","title":"The Well-Read Game","description":"\u003cb\u003eHow players evoke personal and subjective meanings through a new theory of player response.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eThe Well-Read Game, \u003c\/i\u003eTracy Fullerton and Matthew Farber explore the experiences we have when we play games: not the outcomes of play or the aesthetics of formal game structures but the ephemeral and emotional experiences of being in play. These are the private stories we tell ourselves as we play, the questions we ask, and our reactions to the game’s intent. These experiences are called “readings” because they involve so many of the aspects of engaging with literary, cinematic, and other expressive texts. A game that is experienced in such a way can be called “well-read,” rather than, or as well as, “well-played,” because of the personal, interpretive nature of that experience and the way in which it relates to our reading of texts of all kinds.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe concept of the “well-read game” exists at the convergence of literary, media, and play theories—specifically, the works of Louise Rosenblatt’s reader-response theory, Brian Upton’s situational game theory, Tracy Fullerton’s playcentric design theory, and Bernie DeKoven’s well-played game philosophy. Each of these theories, from their own perspective, challenges notions of a separate, objective, or authorial meaning in a text and underscores the richness that arises from the varied responses of readers, who coauthor the meaning of each text through their active engagement with it. When taken together, these theories point to a richer understanding of what a game is and how we might better value our experiences with games to become more thoughtful readers of their essential meanings.On Thinking Playfully\u003cbr\u003eAcknowledgments\u003cbr\u003eIntroduction\u003cbr\u003e1 Reading Games Aesthetically\u003cbr\u003e2 Learning to Play Closely\u003cbr\u003e3 Reading a Game Deeply\u003cbr\u003e4 Performing a Game\u003cbr\u003e5 Reflecting on Gameplay\u003cbr\u003e6 Playing Against the Game\u003cbr\u003e7 The Pleasures of Reading Games\u003cbr\u003e8 Becoming a Well-Read Player\u003cbr\u003eConclusion\u003cbr\u003eReferences\u003cbr\u003eIndex“\u003ci\u003eThe Well-Read Game\u003c\/i\u003e offers a groundbreaking theory of interpretive interactivity where readers become players and players become readers. Finally, a book has seamlessly melded literacy, literature, and gaming and placed them at the heart of education for creativity and critical thinking.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—James Paul Gee, Regents Professor Emeritus, Arizona State University; author of \u003ci\u003eNew Digital Media and Learning as an Emerging Area and “Worked Examples” as One Way Forward\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Well-Read Game\u003c\/i\u003e is an essential read if you’re among the growing group of people who understand that video games are as expressive an art form as literature and cinema.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Brian Upton, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Aesthetic of Play\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eSituational Game Design\u003c\/i\u003e; designer of \u003ci\u003eRainbow Six\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eGhost Recon\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This book reveals the beauty of games as texts to be read deeply. Fullerton and Farber show how thoughtful play can unlock personal insights and transform gaming into a meaningful, reflective practice.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Paul Darvasi, CEO and co-founder, Gold Bug Interactive\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“Fullerton and Farber propose an alternative to “systems thinking”–based approaches to games, instead calling for self-reflection and metacognition in play…. The call for more social and more shared experiences is welcome.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eChoice\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“With the foundation provided in\u003ci\u003e The Well-Read Game,\u003c\/i\u003e players now have strong guidelines to experience their games to the fullest.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e—\u003cb\u003eThe Journal of Popular Culture\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Well-Read Game\u003c\/i\u003e is a welcome addition to the methodology-oriented literature on game analysis. Its accessible writing style makes it particularly well suited for undergraduate courses, as well as for readers outside of game studies who wish to engage more thoughtfully with play. By foregrounding aesthetic readings, the book invites us to reflect more deeply on how games affect us—not only intellectually, but also on emotional and personal levels.” \u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eCritical Studies in Media Communication\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eTracy Fullerton, an experimental game designer, is Professor and Director of the Game Innovation Lab at the University of Southern California Games Program.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMatthew Farber is Associate Professor of Educational Technology and Codirector of the Gaming SEL Lab at the University of Northern Colorado.","brand":"The MIT Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46301922001125,"sku":"NP9780262552233","price":40.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780262552233.jpg?v=1767742180","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-wellread-game-isbn-9780262552233","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}