The books, people, and podcasts to help you gamify your life
If you want to keep up with the gaming industry and how it’s influencing other aspects of our lives, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a toolkit of resources to read, watch, listen to, and follow in order to better understand how games are changing the world.
Recommended reading…
- Reality is Broken and Superbetter, by Jane McGonigal. One of the most prominent faces of the “gaming for good” movement makes the case for applying game design to everything from combating addiction to saving historical cemeteries.
- Blood, Sweat, and Pixels: The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made, by Jason Schreier. A detailed look at the reality of what it takes to get a game idea out into the market, and a fascinating window into what it takes to make any bold creative vision a reality.
- Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation, by Blake J. Harris. The entertaining backstory of these nostalgic brands will tug not only millennial heartstrings, but also provides a case study in how raw capitalism shapes gaming.
- The Monopolist s by Mary Pilon (that’s me!) Much of what you need to know about the future of gaming was set in motion more than a century ago. The game Monopoly was invented by a woman who was largely lost to history and unearthed by accident when an economist took on Parker Brothers.
- Word Freak by Stefan Fatsis. A manifesto about Scrabble, but also a great view into the community of fans that can form around a game.
- Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter, by Tom Bissell. Akin to McGonigal’s work, Bissell takes a deeper dive into why and how we play.
- Crash Override: How Gamergate (Nearly) Destroyed My Life, and How We Can Win the Fight Against Online Hate, by Zoe Quinn. No conversation of recent gamer history is complete without understanding #Gamergate, the online abuse campaign that overtook game designer Quinn’s life. Her account is an examination of the darker, less-discussed side of the industry and tools for how to fight back.
Recommended listening and viewing…
- What’s Good Games.“Your source for video game news, analysis, commentary and funny stuff for the nerd-inclined.”
- Kinda Funny Gamecast. A weekly breakdown of games played, won and lost.
- Gamers With Jobs. An independent, editorial podcast with a steady of rotation of guest stars to discuss the latest in and around gaming.
- Waypoint Radio. Vice’s buzzy look at video game industry news.
- Retronauts. A look back on games of yore through a contemporary lens.
- The Polygon Show. An all-female take on the gaming world.
- Kotaku’s Splitscreen. The audio component of the indispensable video game news outlet.
- Tropes vs. Women. A popular Kickstarter-backed series deconstructing tropes and stereotypes that persist in gaming.
- Twitch. The juggernaut platform for gamers.
Recommended people and groups to follow on social media…
- Jane McGonigal. The game designer and author who is on a crusade for a game designer to win a Nobel Peace Prize
- NYU Game Center. A leading program for the next generation of game makers, with a large game library to boot.
- Kotaku. The longtime staple of gamer reading, reviews, and community. Fittingly, they too have a robust list of gamer Twitter accounts to follow.
- Amy Henning. An industry veteran and president of Skydance media.
- Michael Pachter. A much-watched gaming industry financial analyst.
- Ian Bogost. Game designer, writer, and professor at Georgia Tech. (Check out our Q&A with him here.)
Thanks for reading. We’ll leave you with Tetris.