Games and gaming have always been an important part of society and culture. Within the last 35 years, due to numerous technology innovations, electronic games in many formats haven’t only become ubiquitous in each day recreational life but have also permeated many professional fields and disciplines for multiple purposes including teaching and learning. The Handbook of Research on Effective Electronic Gaming in Education presents a framework for understanding games for educational purposes while providing a broader sense of current related research. Compiling over 50 groundbreaking research studies from leading international authorities in the field, this advanced and uniquely comprehensive reference is a must-have for academic and research libraries and for all those interested in expanding their theoretical and practical knowledge of the exciting field of electronic gaming.

About the Author

Richard E. Ferdig is an associate professor of education (more…)

Make one fantasy come true Leave those mythical monsters alone for a minute and consider this. What if you had a really kickass PC that would let youcompletelyexperience the game? What if it included every feature you’ve dreamed of-a motherboard designed exclusively for gaming, top-notch video and sound cards, the fastest processor? What if another gamer could instruct you to build it yourself, without spending a Jedi’s ransom? What if you buy this book, turn to page 1, and get started! Expert instructions for * Planning your PC * Setting your budget * Deciding where to shop for parts * Choosing a processor, memory, motherboard, sound and video cards, and the rest * Selecting speakers, a monitor, and a case * Assembling the PC * Installing the OS and software * Hooking up to a game network

From the Back Cover

Make one fantasy come true Leave those mythical monsters alone for a minute and consider this. What if you h (more…)

Book Description

“Feel” is the essence of human-computer interaction. It is the single most important (yet often overlooked) element in games that makes the game art form unique. No other traditional art form like film, literature, music encompasses interactivity, as games do. This book bring “feel” to the forefront and gives it a proper voice.

“Game Feel” exposes “feel” as a hidden language in game design that no one has fully articulated yet. The language could be compared to the building blocks of music (time signatures, chord progressions, verse) – no matter the instruments, style or time period – these building blocks come into play. Feel and sensation are similar building blocks where game design is concerned. They create the meta-sensation of involvement with a game. The understanding of how game designers create feel, and affect feel are only partially understood by most in the field and tends to be overlooked as a method or course of study (more…)

Recently I needed to switch from my television provider and move to satellite. The reasons were simple, I just didn’t like the movie and channel plans that my regular cable subscriber offered, and frankly they were too expensive. Direct Satellite TV was my first choice in satellite television and I couldn’t wait to sign up, the only problem is that they are not available in Canada at this moment. Direct TV in Canada would make a perfect match because Canadians watch a lot of television, due to our long winters.

At this moment, only Americans can have the pleasure of being signed up for Direct Satellite TV, and trust me this is a privilege that many of us Canadians are envious of. The fact is that there are not that many Satellite TV Providers in Canada, and the ones that are available are quite frankly disappointing. Often the channel lineup has a poor over-all selection or the movie networks offered are just not up to par. That’s where Direct TV is so much better, because they’ve got great packages on everything.

Taking a break from your online gaming is important, I for one wish I had Direct TV to spend my days in the basement watching my favorite movies.