Encyclopedia of Video Games: The Culture, Technology, and Art of Gaming

Gr 6–10—This encyclopedia both expands upon information presented in such general surveys as Tristan Donovan's Replay: The History of Video Games (Yellow Ant, 2010) and the editor's Video Game Explosion (Greenwood, 2007), and offers it in a more granular, accessible way. In more than 300 alphabetically arranged articles, the 97 contributors, a mix of researchers and game creators, discuss and reflect on video gaming's 50 years of history, technology, design, and sociology-as well as, naturally, groundbreaking games and systems, important producers, and professional media and organizations. Along with examinations of (selected) products from Pong to Sony PS3 and densely technical disquisitions on the "JAMMA Standard," "Z-Axis Depth," and other expert-level knowledge, articles covering such topics as "Girls' Games," "Education (Religious)," "Ludology," and "Cheating" explore social and psychological aspects of the pastime. Furthermore, articles on gaming in a number of countries and regions of the world provide international scope. Most articles end with reading lists, and a few feature small, poor-quality black-and-white photos. Though the alphabetical table of contents at the front of both volumes is superfluously paginated, a topical listing of articles in volume one and the requisite comprehensive index in volume two will be helpful for quick orientation, and a plethora of boldface terms in the articles functions as "see" references. Drab of appearance but broad and deep of coverage, this resource goes well beyond a narrow appeal to students of pop culture.—John Peters, Children's Literature Consultant, New York City