{"product_id":"uncertainty-in-games-greg-costikyan-9780262527538","title":"Uncertainty in Games","description":"\u003cb\u003eHow uncertainty in games--from \u003ci\u003eSuper Mario Bros. \u003c\/i\u003eto \u003ci\u003eRock\/Paper\/Scissors\u003c\/i\u003e--engages players and shapes play experiences.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In life, uncertainty surrounds us. Things that we thought were good for us turn out to be bad for us (and vice versa); people we thought we knew well behave in mysterious ways; the stock market takes a nosedive. Thanks to an inexplicable optimism, most of the time we are fairly cheerful about it all. But we do devote much effort to managing and ameliorating uncertainty. Is it any wonder, then, asks Greg Costikyan, that we have taken this aspect of our lives and transformed it culturally, making a series of elaborate constructs that subject us to uncertainty but in a fictive and nonthreatening way? That is: we create games. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In this concise and entertaining book, Costikyan, an award-winning game designer, argues that games require uncertainty to hold our interest, and that the struggle to master uncertainty is central to their appeal. Game designers, he suggests, can harness the idea of uncertainty to guide their work. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Costikyan explores the many sources of uncertainty in many sorts of games--from \u003ci\u003eSuper Mario Bros.\u003c\/i\u003e and\u003ci\u003e Dungeons \u0026amp; Dragons \u003c\/i\u003eto\u003ci\u003e Rock\/Paper\/Scissors\u003c\/i\u003e, from \u003ci\u003eMonopoly\u003c\/i\u003e to \u003ci\u003eCityVille\u003c\/i\u003e, from FPS \u003ci\u003eDeathmatch\u003c\/i\u003e play to \u003ci\u003eChess\u003c\/i\u003e. He describes types of uncertainty, including performative uncertainty, analytic complexity, and narrative anticipation. And he suggests ways that game designers who want to craft novel game experiences can use an understanding of game uncertainty in its many forms to improve their designs.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Greg Costikyan\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0262527537\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780262527538\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e MIT Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 02\/01\/2015\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 152\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.40lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 7.90h x 5.30w x 0.50d","brand":"Greg Costikyan","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43913519333631,"sku":"9780262527538","price":16.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/products\/img_927d9414-b6e6-4136-a7a2-ef7a86cd2233.jpg?v=1680620812","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/uncertainty-in-games-greg-costikyan-9780262527538","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}