Focal Press Catalog 2008 Update

Game Design and Animation The Art of Game Design A Book of Lenses Jesse Schell Game Feel A Game Designer’s Guide to Virtual Sensation Steve Swink Game Usability Advancing the Player Experience Katherine Isbister & Noah Schaffer Aug 2008 $59.95 Hardback 978-0-12-369496-6 Oct 2008 $44.95 Paperback 978-0-12-374328-2 Oct 2008 $44.95 Paperback 978-0-12-374447-0 DVD • Understand the psychology of gameplay and entertainment • Employ techniques from traditional disciplines in the game design • Discover processes for inventing new experiences that will fully engage the player Jesse Schell takes an unusual approach to game design, proposing that the most important skill for a game designer is not creativity, but that of listening . The five kinds of listening (team, client, audience, game and self ) are shown to be the backbone of all successful game design methods . This book fully explains and compares these techniques and presents many case studies of their use . Excerpts from writers discussing such diverse topics as psychology, architecture, music, film, software engineering and theme park design give this book a sense of authority and timelessness that is currently lacking in game design books . In a simple, easy-to-follow style, game design teacher and practitioner Steve Swink demystifies this crucial, fundamental and unexplored aspect of game design with case studies, fully interactive examples and interviews with industry luminaries . No prior programming experience required! The book covers topics like the role of sound, ancillary indicators, the importance of metaphor, how people perceive things and a brief history of feel in games . The associated Web site contains a playset with ready-made tools to design feel in games, six key components to creating virtual sensation . • Examine many classic games from a fresh angle with in-depth interviews with industry luminaries • Understand what draws players in and makes them addicted to game play • Companion Web site features a fully playable interactive playset with ready-made tools for game and feel design • Hear from a range of experts, including great minds from large and small game companies, as well as cutting-edge researchers • Learn instantly applicable theory and tactics for designing game usability methods to improve and enhance games: pick methods to suit your needs • Read about cutting-edge techniques (such as measuring heart rate and tiny muscle movements) to measure and evaluate game play experience Usability is the ease with which people can employ a particular tool in order to achieve a particular goal . Usability refers to a computer program’s efficiency or elegance . The topic is of growing interest to game developers, but until now, no comprehensive survey of the range of issues and tactics has been available . This book offers a comprehensive introduction to usability that is targeted to the needs and interests of game developers and publishers . The book teaches methods, and is also a useful tool for evangelizing usability within game studios and publishing houses . 90 http://www.focalpress.com/Book.aspx?id=3088 http://www.focalpress.com/Book.aspx?id=3808 http://www.focalpress.com/Book.aspx?id=3110 http://www.focalpress.com/Book.aspx?id=3088 http://www.focalpress.com/Book.aspx?id=3808 http://www.focalpress.com/Book.aspx?id=3110 http://www.focalpress.com/Book.aspx?id=3088

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Focal Press Catalog 2008 Update

Focal Press Catalog 2008 Update Contents Broadcast and Digital Media Film and Postproduction Theatre and Live Performance Audio and Music Technology Game Design and Animation

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