Applied Game History
Edition: 1
Copyright: 2025
Pages: 396
Edition: 1
Copyright: 2025
Pages: 396
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Video game design is at the forefront of technology's future, yet a keen understanding of its past is crucial to designing immersive experiences today. No mere history text, Applied Game History explores history while challenging the student to incorporate the lessons from history into the work of today. With deep-dive design discussions of games ranging from Roman Tali to modern AAA console games, this text is a comprehensive overview of gaming from knucklebones in a cave all the way to video game consoles and the internet. Includes fun exercises incorporating the material from each chapter!
Chapter 1 The Origin of Games: Searching for Iteration
Chapter 2 In Search of the First Game Designers
Chapter 3 In Search of the First Video Games, Part 1: Penny Arcades
Chapter 4 In Search of the First Video Games, Part 2: Pinball
Chapter 5 In Search of the First Video Games, Part 3: Tabletop Wargaming
Chapter 6 Computers and the First Video Games
Chapter 7 Magnavox, Atari, and Pong: Birth of an Industry
Chapter 8 PLATO, Microcomputers, and the First Computer Role-Playing Games
Chapter 9 The Golden Age of Arcades
Chapter 10 From Boom to Bust: The First Two Generations of Video Game Consoles
Chapter 11 We're Going on an Adventure: The Adventure Game Genre
Chapter 12 The Return of the Video Game: The Third Console Generation
Chapter 13 Home Computer Gaming in the 1080s
Chapter 14 The Console Wars and the 16-Bit Era: A Game Design Perspective
Chapter 15 16-Bit Home Computing and Games
Chapter 16 Full Immersion: The First-Person Shooter
Chapter 17 The Mighty Polygon: The Fifth and Sixth Console Generations
Chapter 18 The World of Online Games
Chapter 19 Handheld Video Games
Chapter 20 The Power of Games: A Summary of Modern Game History
Robert began his journey in video games by combining his love of music, sound, and games as a freelance sound designer. Realizing his passion for game development extended beyond audio, Robert entered SMU’s prestigious Guildhall program as a game designer in 2007. After graduation, Rob worked on such titles as Bioshock Infinite, Batman: Arkham Origins, and Prey 2, all during his five years at Human Head Studios. His personal favorite title, however, was 2011’s cult hit Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon, developed while at Vicious Cycle Software.
After working for three years in Silicon Valley for 21st Century Fox and Disney at Cold Iron Studios on Aliens: Fireteam Elite, Rob was appointed to the faculty of Purdue University in 2019. He is now a Professor of Practice in the Computer Graphics Technology department, teaching game design, level design, and game audio. Robert has also authored two books for Kendall Hunt, including "Game Design Essentials" in 2023 and "Applied Game History" in 2025.