| Brenda Laurel: Pioneering Games for Girls Contributor(s): Kocurek, Carly A. (Author), Kocurek, Carly A. (Editor), Dewinter, Jennifer (Editor) |
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ISBN: 1501319779 ISBN-13: 9781501319778 Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic OUR PRICE: $34.60 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: February 2017 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Games & Activities | Video & Electronic - Social Science | Media Studies - Biography & Autobiography |
| Dewey: B |
| LCCN: 2016036516 |
| Series: Influential Video Game Designers |
| Physical Information: 0.7" H x 5.4" W x 8.4" (0.55 lbs) 184 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Brenda Laurel is best known for her work with Purple Moon, the pioneering game company she cofounded in the 1990s. Purple Moon's games were based on years of research Laurel completed in an effort to understand why computer games seemed to be of so little interest to girls. Using diverse archival sources such as trade journals, newspapers, and recorded interviews, alongside Laurel's completed games and own writings and an original interview with Laurel herself, this volume offers insight into both the early development of the games for girls movement of the 1990s and the lasting impact of Laurel's game design breakthroughs. In her work with Purple Moon, Laurel drew on her background in theatre as well as her expertise in human computer interaction and qualitative research. By relying on this interdisciplinary background, Laurel made significant contributions to our understanding of the design and development of games as a medium for emotional rehearsal and storytelling. Additionally, her dedication to research-informed design has had a longstanding impact as companies and designers increasingly rely on audience research and metrics to shape their practices. The newest in Bloomsbury's Influential Video Game Designers series, Carly Kocurek highlights the contributions of a designer whose work has had a profound impact on the development of both games for girls and empathy games. |
Contributor Bio(s): Dewinter, Jennifer: - Jennifer deWinter is Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and Interactive Media and Game Development at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, US, where she researches computer production and global circulation. deWinter is particularly interested in the cross media vampirism of entertainment media, with a focus on computer games and Japan. She is currently co-editing a book on the intersection of technical communication and games and is working with Steven Conway on a book about video game policy.Kocurek, Carly A.: - Carly A. Kocurek is Assistant Professor of Digital Humanities and Media Studies at Illinois Institute of Technology, US, and researches the history and cultural practices of video gaming in the United States, and teaches courses on game studies, media studies, and digital humanities. Her current manuscript chronicles the development of early video game culture and gamer identity around the video game arcade during the 1970s and 1980s. |
