Fun Inc. (27 page)
Authors: Tom Chatfield
Lewitt, Adam, ‘Mass Killer “Rejected” by Girl at Party’,
Sunday Times
, 15 March 2009; <
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tolmews/world/europe/article5908602.ece
>
Lofgren, Eric T and Fefferman, Nina H, ‘The Untapped Potential of Virtual Game Worlds to Shed Light on Real World Epidemics’,
Lancet, Infectious Diseases
, September 2007, Volume 7, Issue 9; <
http://terranova.blogs.com/sl4733099077021283.pdf
>
Martin, Adam and Chatfield, Tom (eds), ‘Alternate Reality Games White Paper’, 2006, written for the International Game Developers Association ARG Special Interest Group; <
http://www.igda.org/ arg/resources/IGDA-AlternateReality Games-Whitepaper-2006.pdf
>
Martin, Tim, ‘Endpaper – Fiction Reaches a New Level’,
Daily
Telegraph, 7
May 2009; <
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookreviews/5291671/Endpaper---Fiction-reaches-a-newlevel.html
>
PricewaterhouseCoopers, ‘Global Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2009-2013’, report of 2009; available via
www.pwc.com/gx/en/global-entertainment-media-outlook
Reeves, Byron; Malone, Thomas W and O’Driscoll, Tony, ‘Leadership’s Online Labs’,
Harvard Business Review
, May 2008; <
http://hbr.harvardbusiness.org/2008/05/leaderships-online-labs/ar/l
>
Reeves, Byron, ‘Welcome to an Exploration of: Multiplayer Games, Virtual Worlds and Energy Efficiency’, November 2008; video viewable on YouTube at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDR0-QgqiEk
Scruton, Roger, ‘Can Virtual Life Take over from Real Life?’,
Sunday Times
, 16 November 2008; <
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article5139532.ece
>
Thier, David, ‘World of Warcraft Shines Light on Terror Tactics’,
Wired
, 20 March 2008; <
http://www.wired.com/gaming/virtual-worlds/news/2008/03/wow_terror
>
Tieman, Ross, ‘Recruits Fired up by Virtual Rivalry’,
Financial Times
, 3 May 2009; online via archive search at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDR0-QgqiEk
Watts, Peter, ‘Tunnel 228: Theatre for the Playstation Generation’,
The Big Smoke
blog for
Time Out London
, 20 May 2009; <
http://www.timeout.com/london/bigsmoke/blog/7779/ Tunnel_228-theatre_for_the_Playstation_generation.html
>
Magazines, websites and other resources
The Daedalus Project, the website at
www.nickyee.com/daedalus
contains numerous important articles and data relating to Nick Yee’s long-running survey of MMO players
Edge
magazine (Future Publishing, UK), games news, reviews and forums; <
http://www.edge-online.com
>
Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association, British membership association for the computer and video games industry, with many reports and data resources; <
http://www.elspa.com
>
Entertainment software association, US association serving games publishers; <
http://www.theesa.com/about/index.asp
>
Gamasutra, an indispensable website for games developers; <
http://www.gamasutra.com
>
GamerDNA, a social media company for gamers; <
http://www. gamerdna.com
>
Games investor consulting; their website at
www.gamesinvestor.comcontains
invaluable reports on games industry business models, and reports on the history and current state of the industry
Games for Change (G4C), a US-based community and movement dedicated to using games for the purposes of social change; <
http://www.gamesforchange.org
>
Hot Milky Drink, Derek Robertson’s blog on the potentials of games as learning tools; <
http://hotmilkydrink.typepad.com/
>
Jason Rohrer, his homepage hosts games, writing and more; <
http://hcsoftware.sourceforge.net/jasonrohrer/
>
Kongregate, one of the best of the growing number of Flash gaming sites; <
http://www.kongregate.com
>
Negative Gamer, a refreshingly opinionated blog on what the gaming world ought to be doing better; <
http://negativegamer.com
>
Pew Internet & American Life Project, free data and analysis on trends shaping America and the world, with detailed reports on new media usage; <
http://www.pewinternet.org
>
Seriosity, a consulting company applying game strategies to other businesses; <
http://www.seriosity.com
>
Slate
magazine (The Washington Post Company), news, politics and culture, including incisive tech commentary: <
http://www.slate.com
>
Stephanie Rothenberg, this artist’s website explores the boundaries between work and play, and virtual and real lives; <
http://www.pan-o-matic.com
>
T-machine blog, games development blog specialising in MMOs and iPhone development; <
http://t-machine.org/
>
Terra Nova, influential collaborative blog on virtual worlds and virtual economics; <
http://terranova.blogs.com/
>
Wired
magazine (Condé Nast) explores the effects of technology on life; <
http://www.wired.com
>
Games and virtual worlds
America’s Army
, US Army & Ubisoft, 2002 (Windows PC, MacOS, Linux)
BioShock
, 2K Games, 2007 (Windows PX, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Mac OS)
Boom Blox
, Electronic Arts, 2008 (Wii, Mobile, N-Gage 2.0)
Cloud
, USC Interactive Media Division, 2005 (Windows PC)
Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training
, Nintendo, 2005 (Nintendo DS)
Doom
, id Software, 1993 (MS-DOS PC)
Darfur is Dying
, mtvU, 2006 (Web browser)
EVE Online
, CCP Games, 2003 (Windows PC,Mac OS)
EverQuest
, Sony Online Entertainment, 1999 (Windows PC,MacOS)
flOw
, Sony Computer Entertainment, 2006 (PlayStation 3, PSP)
Flower
, Sony Computer Entertainment, 2009 (PlayStation 3)
Gator Six
, Will Interactive/US Army, 2005 (specialist interactive training)
Ghostbusters; The Video Game
, Atari, 2009 (Windows PC, Nintendo DS, PSP, Play Station 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360)
Grand Theft Auto IV
, Rockstar Games, 2008 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows PC)
Guitar Hero
, RedOctane/MTV Games, 2005 (PlayStation 2)
How Big is Your Brain?
, Playfish, 2008 (Web Browser, iPhone)
I Dig It
, InMotion Software, 2009 (iPhone)
Legend of Mir 3
, WeMade Entertainment, 2009 (Windows PC)
Medal of Honor
, Electronic Arts, 1999 (PlayStation)
M.U.L.E
., Elecronic Arts/Ariolasoft, 1983 (Atari 400/800)
Minesweeper
, Microsoft, 1990 (Windows PC)
Moshi Monsters
, Mind Candy, 2008 (Web Browser)
MUD (Multi-User Dungeon
), Essex University network, 1980 (DEC PDP-10)
Nintendogs
, Nintendo, 2005 (Nintendo DS)
Overlord
, Codemasters, 2007 (Xbox 360, Windows PC, PlayStation 3)
Pac-Man
, Namco, 1980 (Arcade cabinet)
Passage
, Jason Rohrer, 2007 (Windows PC, Mac OS, GNU/Linux)
Pokémon
, Nintendo, 1996 (Game Boy)
Pong
, Atari, 1972 (Arcade cabinet)
Psychonauts
, Majesco Entertainment, 2005 (Xbox,Windows PC,PlayStation 2)
Restaurant City
, Playfish, 2009 (Web browser)
Rock Band
, MTV Games/Electronic Arts, 2007 (PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii)
Second Life
, Linden Lab, 2003 (Windows PC, Mac OS, Linux)
SingStar
, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, 2004 (PlayStation2)
Space Invaders
, Midway, 1978 (Arcade cabinet)
Spacewar!
, MIT, 1962 (DEC PDP-1)
Star Wars Galaxies
, LucasArts, 2003 (Windows PC)
Starcraft
, Blizzard Entertainment, 1998 (Windows PC, Mac OS)
Super Mario Brothers
, Nintendo, 1985 (Nintendo Entertainment
System)
Tetris
, Nintendo, 1989 (Game Boy)
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
, Infocom, 1984 (Apple II, Macintosh, Commodore 64, Amiga, Atari 8-bit and ST, IBM PC)
The Legend of Sword and Fairy
, Softstar Entertainment, 1995 (Windows & DOS PC)
The Sims
, Electronic Arts, 2000 (Windows PC, Mac OS, Linux, PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube)
Ultima Online
, Electronic Arts, 1997 (Windows PC)
Wii Play
, Nintendo, 2006 (Wii)
World of Warcraft
, Blizzard Entertainment, 2004 (Windows PC, Mac OS)
Zelda Two: The Adventure of Link
, Nintendo, 1987 (Nintendo Entertainment System)
Acknowledgements
A lot of people have given freely of their time, expertise and good will during the writing of this book, and it couldn’t exist without them. Thank you all. All errors, of course, are the author’s own, while most of the best ideas were first gleaned in conversation with one or more of the people listed below.
Thanks first of all to my darling wife, Cat, without whose patience, support and near-infinite capacity for reading first and second drafts this book would never have made it to fruition in the first place. Thanks, too, to her alter ego Sangla for companionship and expert healing in the more hazardous parts of Azeroth.
This book wouldn’t have existed without the insight, expertise and considerable efforts of Robert Dudley, who first suggested I write it and went on to make this idea a reality. I would also like to thank Jon Elek for his ongoing enthusiasm, advice and representations on my behalf.
I’m hugely grateful, too, to David Goodhart, David Hanger and everyone else at
Prospect
magazine, who both published my articles in the first place and supported me throughout my writing with consideration, generosity and (most crucially of all) time away from my desk. The whole
Prospect
editorial team have been instrumental in helping me to think and to write better, and in sending a steady stream of gaming ideas and queries my way: thank you, Tom, James, Hilly, Susha, Mary, Jonathan, Brian, David.
Editorially, working with the Virgin team – Louisa and Sophia – and my copy editor Jane has been a delight, especially for someone who spends so much time sitting behind an editorial desk themselves. Thanks both to them, and to everyone else who has put so much effort into making this book look beautiful and persuading people to read it: Jessica, Vickie, Lucy, and everyone and anyone else at Random House who I’ve failed to notice working on my behalf.
I’ve interviewed and talked to a huge number of people for this book, not all of whom have even made it into this final cut (my fault, not theirs). One of the greatest pleasures of writing about the games industry has been the sheer goodwill and passion I’ve encountered amongst those working in and around it, and their willingness to explain themselves for hours to – or to swap emails and Skype calls with – a persistent stranger with a Dictaphone and a coffee habit. A thousand thanks and more to those inside, around and interested in all matters fun-related, including:
Naomi Alderman, Richard Bartle, Adam ‘Mogwai’ Brouwer, Michael Bywater, Peter Bazalgette, Edward Castronova, Jenova Chen, Timothy Crosby, Julian Dibbell, Jim Greer, Dawn Hallybone, Adrian Hon, Rupert Humphries, Raph Koster, Liz & Ville Lehtonen, Sam Leith, Simon Levene, Jason ‘Jagarr’ & Kim ‘Lambytoes’ Long, Nicholas Lovell, Adam Martin, Jon ‘Magicmoocow’ Matheson (aka Baxie), Graham McAllister, Craig McKechnie
&
the Hooligans, Philip Oliver, Tim Phillips, Rhianna Pratchett, Michael Rawlinson, Derek Robertson, Kristian Segerstråle, Suzanne Seggerman, Michael Smith, Linda Snow, Justin Villiers, Peter Watts, David Wortley, Nick Yee, Riccardo Zacconi …
Plus numberless, nameless others who have found themselves cornered by me at parties and in cafés and compelled to talk about games. It’s been a pleasure and a privilege.
Index
9/11 attacks (2001)
80
2001: a Space Odyssey
(film)
113
Acel Group
216
achievement
4
Acorn Computers ix
‘adventure’ games x