Inside the Video Game Industry

Judd Ethan Ruggill is an Associate Professor of Computational Media at the University of Arizona and co-founder and co-director of the Learning Games Initiative. He researches computer game technologies, play, and cultures, and is the co-author of Tempest: Geometries of Play and Gaming Matters: Art, Science, Magic, and the Computer Game Medium. Ken S. McAllister is a Professor of Rhetoric and Associate Dean of Research and Program Innovation for the College of Humanities at the University of Arizona. A co-founder and co-director of the Learning Games Initiative, McAllister is the author or co-author of numerous books and articles on topics ranging from game preservation to critical technology studies. Randy Nichols is an Assistant Professor in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington Tacoma. His research has focused on understanding the political economy of the video game industry and its intersections with other cultural industries. Ryan Kaufman began his career at LucasArts Entertainment, and for ten years worked as a tester, designer, and content supervisor on games such as Full Throttle, Rogue Squadron N64, and Republic Commando. He is currently Director of Design at Telltale Games, contributing to titles including The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us, and Game of Thrones.

• Introduction. Chapter 1. Programming. Chapter 2. Art. Chapter 3. Design. Chapter 4. Producing. Chapter 5. Quality Assurance. Chapter 6. Audio. Chapter 7. Business. Conclusion.

"Rare is the game studies book that shifts the focus from what it means to play games, to what it means to make them. Inside the Video Game Industry showcases frank conversations about how games get made and is essential reading for anyone interested in how artists, programmers, designers, and others navigate the personal and professional challenges of commercial game development." –Matthew Thomas Payne, author of Playing War: Military Games After 9/11 and co-editor of Joystick Soldiers: The Politics of Play in Military Video Games and Flow TV: Television in the Age of Media Convergence."Inside the Video Game Industry moves past the glitz and hype surrounding the game industry to tackle a far more interesting subject – the daily work practices and accumulated experiences of the men and women who make digital games. Each interview and overview provides fascinating glimpses into the many different facets of game development and production; showing how games come together (or don’t) and how game industry workers make sense of their activities. Extremely valuable reading for game studies scholars as well as those who want to make games themselves." –Mia Consalvo, Canada Research Chair in Game Studies and Design, Concordia University