Death by Video Game
Tales of obsession from the virtual frontline
Published on 13. August 2015
978-1-78283-143-3 (ISBN)
Description
Whether it's Space Invaders, Candy Crush Saga or Grand Theft Auto, video games draw us in and don't let go. In Taiwan, a spate of deaths at gaming cafes is raising a question: why is it that some of us are playing games beyond the limits of our physical wellbeing?
Death by Video Game uncovers the real stories behind our video game obsession. Along the way, award-winning journalist Simon Parkin meets the players and game developers at the frontline of virtual extremism, including the New York surgeon attempting to break the Donkey Kong world record; the Minecraft player three years into an epic journey towards the edge of the game's vast virtual world and the German hacker who risked prison to discover the secrets behind Half-Life 2.
Investigating the impact of video games on our lives, Death by Video Game will change the way we think about our virtual playgrounds.
Death by Video Game uncovers the real stories behind our video game obsession. Along the way, award-winning journalist Simon Parkin meets the players and game developers at the frontline of virtual extremism, including the New York surgeon attempting to break the Donkey Kong world record; the Minecraft player three years into an epic journey towards the edge of the game's vast virtual world and the German hacker who risked prison to discover the secrets behind Half-Life 2.
Investigating the impact of video games on our lives, Death by Video Game will change the way we think about our virtual playgrounds.
Reviews / Votes
Parkin has a deft sense of the ways that video games appeal to and satiate the longings of the spirit ... Death by Video Game offers an excellent sociocultural study of the 21st century's quintessential art form * Washington Post * Engaging, multifaceted, exhaustive, and touching ... exceptional ... Parkin excels at combining in-depth, unflinching journalism with smart prose ... a must read * Pop Matters * The best book about video games ... brainy enough to appeal to even the deepest gamer, and yet accessible enough for the reader who hasn't picked up a controller in years * GQ * A sort of love-letter travelogue [and a] thought-provoking introduction to the fastest-growing religion on the planet * The Times * A thoughtful and intelligent exploration ... Parkin holds a mirror up to society, allowing even those with no personal gaming experience to gain insight into this global obsession * BBC Focus * One of the best writers around on games and games culture ... Parkin's quest for the big picture quickly takes him on to the many ways in which video games are a part of life * New Scientist * One of the most effortless and masterly voices in video game writing ... [Death by Video Game is] an enlightening and well-informed survey of developments in the medium, attempting to explain what it is that drives people to these virtual worlds ... [Parkin] offers the kinds of measured and erudite perspectives that are rare in discussions of this medium * New Statesman * The book is rich in personalities ... Parkin is an excellent writer, sensitive and empathetic, at his best when simply talking with people ... for Parkin, games are a safe place to retreat to from a more complicated, dangerous and unpredictable world * Times Literary Supplement * Terrific ... [Parkin is] one of the best journalists and critics who writes about games ... a meditation on video games and their peculiar power over us * Kotaku * Remarkable ... Parkin's style [is] energised by empathy alongside his ability to craft an engaging human story ... this fine book is a must-read for those who play games as well as those who seek to understand the attraction that this form of play holds for others - such as parents bemused by their child's immersion in the popular world of Minecraft * Australian * Groundbreaking ... his reportage leads to brilliant, fresh insights ... accomplishing that rare feat of teaching while entertaining, this work ignites a series of debates crucial to the future of video games * Library Journal * Parkin has a literary eye for scenic and investigative detail ... thoughtful, serious criticism on gaming and play * New York Times Book Review * [A] precise and fluent study ... an expansive, detailed and memorable tour of digital frontiers * Literary Review * What these stories share - besides Parkin's exceptional flair for writing - is [a] deep-seated affection for gaming ... [Death by Video Game] explains, with wisdom and generosity, precisely what it is about gaming that draws us to the art * Details Magazine * Parkin is a powerful writer ... the prose gleams with enthusiasm and wonder and as far as any book can transport us into these digital worlds, Parkin does so marvellously * National * Entertaining ... [Parkin is] one of the leading voices in video games journalism ... fascinating reading. -- Jack Arnott * Independent * An in-depth look at the role of video games in society ... [Parkin] invites readers to examine human nature and the multitude of ways video games fit into our world * South China Morning Post * An entertaining, intelligent read * Shortlist * A fantastic insight into video game obsession * International Business Times * Entertaining ... enjoyable and informative * Fortean Times * Simon Parkin's surgical story-telling reveals the humanity, beauty and truth beneath the surface of our digital adventuring -- Jonathan Smith, Director of the National Videogame Arcade The finest book on video games yet. Simon Parkin thinks like a critic, conjures like a novelist, and writes like an artist at the height of his powers - which, in fact, he is. -- Tom Bissell, author of Extra Lives and God Lives in St. Petersburg Death by Video Game is life by video games. Simon Parkin is gaming's Jon Ronson, and his book charts the extremes of the medium to try to answer the question why the hell do we all care about video games anyway?' -- Kieron Gillen, writer of Iron Man, Uncanny X-Men and The Wicked + The Divine, co-founder of Rock, Paper, Shotgun The best book about video games I've read since I wrote one -- Steven Poole, author of Trigger HappyMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Profile Books Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Reflowable
ISBN-13
978-1-78283-143-3 (9781782831433)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
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08/2015
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Person
Simon Parkin is an award-winning writer and journalist from England.
Over the past decade his criticism and journalism has featured in numerous high-profile publications, including New Yorker.com, Harper's Magazine, the Guardian, New Statesmen, ESPN, BBC and a variety of other publications. A sought-after video game pundit, Parkin has been a guest on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 5 Live.
He writes investigative pieces, profiles, criticism and essays on a variety of subjects, often around culture, video games and technology, some of which are collected on his website (www.simonparkin.com).
Death by Video Game is Parkin's first non-fiction book.
Over the past decade his criticism and journalism has featured in numerous high-profile publications, including New Yorker.com, Harper's Magazine, the Guardian, New Statesmen, ESPN, BBC and a variety of other publications. A sought-after video game pundit, Parkin has been a guest on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 5 Live.
He writes investigative pieces, profiles, criticism and essays on a variety of subjects, often around culture, video games and technology, some of which are collected on his website (www.simonparkin.com).
Death by Video Game is Parkin's first non-fiction book.
