How to use the book:
Play the Game: The Parent’s Guide to Video Games is divided in 3 clear-cut sections – and those sections have their own, fully-independent, content-specific chapters.
I – The Basics
This is where you find information about the bare essentials of gaming.
Chapter 1 (Where It All Began) explains the history of video games, from Pong to Halo 3 and defines the three spaces where people play games – arcade, console and computer.
Chapter 2 (Games 101) goes into the inner workings of games. It deals with current platforms (such as the Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360), game genres and the ESRB ratings system.
II – The Research
Here, we demonstrate how games can be used to bring you and your kids closer together, help them make friends (socialization) and learn in a fun and effective way.
Chapter 3 (You and Your Kids) is devoted to research on parent-child relationships, strategies for approaching your kids and tips on how to make your home “game friendly”.
Chapter 4 (The Social Game) moves on to the way games connect people. We explore MMOGs such as World of Warcraft, First Person Shooter lingo, team play and relationships outside of the parent’s sphere.
Chapter 5 (Playing to Learn) dives into Education. We offer proof of the immense potential that games have for learning. Each genre is seen again from an Educational point of view and innovative learning strategies are suggested.
III – The Business
The fundamentals of the Game Industry are explained in this section. We introduce parents to the industry’s structure, game development jobs and how to get your kids their game-related dream job.
Chapter 6 (Game Makers) focuses on the industry itself. Product cycles and relationships between Publishers and Developers share space with the explanation behind each game job such as Producer and Game Designer.
Chapter 7 (Playing to Work) shows the path to a game-related job. What schools to attend, possible ports of entry, events and networking receive their share of attention.
Bonus Chapter and Resources
The Bonus Chapter (Know Your Game) brings some valuable information about of the most difficult aspects of gaming: the technology. HDTV types, cables, lag and many other technical questions are explained in a way that provides parents with the information they need to be “in the know”. Finally, the Resources section has links to game-related websites, book and article suggestions and industry events, taking your new-found knowledge even further.
Play the Game: The Parent’s Guide to Video Games goes deeper than any other book in its class. We hope this Quick Guide will help you enjoy it even more!
