A psychologist and life-long fan of video games helps you understand what psychology has to say about why video games and mobile game apps are designed the way they are, why players behave as they do, and the psychological tricks used to market and sell them.

What impact can video games have on us as players? How does psychology influence video game creation? Why do some games become cultural phenomena? The Psychology of Video Games introduces the curious reader to the relationship between psychology and video games from the perspective of both game makers and players. Assuming no specialist knowledge, this concise, approachable guide is a starter book for anyone intrigued by what makes video games engaging and what is their psychological impact on gamers. It digests the research exploring the benefits gaming can have on players in relation to education and healthcare, considers the concerns over potential negative impacts such as pathological gaming, and concludes with some ethics considerations. With gaming being one of the most popular forms of entertainment today, The Psychology of Video Games shows the importance of understanding the human brain and its mental processes to foster ethical and inclusive video games.

We all play mental games. It is part of our humanity. You play games with your loved ones, your friends, and your employees. People also play games with you. We are usually unaware of the games that we are engaged in. If you are not mindful of the mental games that are going on around you, then the chances of you winning at these psychological interactions is left up to chance! The edge goes to the one who understands these games, and knows how to play and win! In the past four years, Jeff Compton, has worked with over 150,000 managers and supervisors world-wide in his research into the psychological interactions between managers and employees. In this ground-breaking book, Jeff exposes the mental games that we play and shows you how to win them all! No matter who you are, or what position you hold, learning to communicate your objectives into the mind of others will place you in the upper-echelon of what is considered a great manager. The secrets that reside within this book will help you achieve this plateau. Your use of these techniques will make you persuasive and effective. You will build productivity and increase the harmony of the workplace, where common managers fail to achieve results. You will become a champion of the games managers play!

Much of late-nineteenth-century American politics was parade and pageant. Voters crowded the polls, and their votes made a real difference on policy. In Party Games, Mark Wahlgren Summers tells the full story and admires much of the political carnival, but he adds a cautionary note about the dark recesses: vote-buying, election-rigging, blackguarding, news suppression, and violence. Summers also points out that hardball politics and third-party challenges helped make the parties more responsive. Ballyhoo did not replace government action. In order to maintain power, major parties not only rigged the system but also gave dissidents part of what they wanted. The persistence of a two-party system, Summers concludes, resulted from its adaptability, as well as its ruthlessness. Even the reform of political abuses was shaped to fit the needs of the real owners of the political system--the politicians themselves.

“McGonigal is a clear, methodical writer, and her ideas are well argued. Assertions are backed by countless psychological studies.” —The Boston Globe “Powerful and provocative . . . McGonigal makes a persuasive case that games have a lot to teach us about how to make our lives, and the world, better.” —San Jose Mercury News “Jane McGonigal's insights have the elegant, compact, deadly simplicity of plutonium, and the same explosive force.” —Cory Doctorow, author of Little Brother A visionary game designer reveals how we can harness the power of games to boost global happiness. With 174 million gamers in the United States alone, we now live in a world where every generation will be a gamer generation. But why, Jane McGonigal asks, should games be used for escapist entertainment alone? In this groundbreaking book, she shows how we can leverage the power of games to fix what is wrong with the real world-from social problems like depression and obesity to global issues like poverty and climate change-and introduces us to cutting-edge games that are already changing the business, education, and nonprofit worlds. Written for gamers and non-gamers alike, Reality Is Broken shows that the future will belong to those who can understand, design, and play games. Jane McGonigal is also the author of SuperBetter: A Revolutionary Approach to Getting Stronger, Happier, Braver and More Resilient.

How Games Get Made: The Stories of the People Who Make and Play the Games We Love is your all-in-one comprehensive deep dive into the lives of developers and online platforms that create and broadcast your favorite games. What is it like solo developing a game from scratch? Is employment stable in the industry? And just how do people end up as gaming-focused Twitch streamers or YouTubers for a living? All these questions and more are answered through interviews with the likes of David Cage of Quantic Dream, Feargus Urquhart of Obsidian Entertainment, and Sean Baptiste of Bethesda among many others! Wondering what it's like to work in a corporate setting versus an indie studio? Trying to break into the gaming industry as a content creator? Look no further! How Games Get Made not only goes in depth on the developers, but also takes a comprehensive look at how games get marketed through traditional means as well as through platforms like YouTube and Twitch!

From one of the leading Fortnite gamers in the world comes your game plan for outclassing the rest at playing video games. “Get the right gear, practice the right way, and get into the right headspace and you too can Get Good.”—Time Packed with illustrations, photographs, anecdotes, and insider tips, this complete compendium includes everything Tyler "Ninja" Blevins wishes he knew before he got serious about gaming. Here's how to: • Build a gaming PC • Practice with purpose • Develop strategy • Improve your game sense • Pull together the right team • Stream with skill • Form a community online • And much more Video games come and go, but Ninja's lessons are timeless. Pay attention to them and you'll find that you're never really starting over when the next big game launches. Who knows—you may even beat him one day. As he says, that's up to you. Praise for Ninja: Get Good “If you’re a casual gamer looking to refine your gaming skills or equipment, or someone considering getting into esports, then livestreamer and gaming guru Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins’ book could be the perfect guide.”—Los Angeles Times “It’s perfect for young kids just getting into gaming after watching streamers, like Ninja, and their parents who may not know much about gaming and streaming . . . It’s an all-in-one checklist of everything you need to start up on a streaming life. This book breaks down complex and sometimes obscure concepts in gaming that many non-gamer parents may not know about or the kids know about instinctually but can't put into words.”—GameCrate