Classic and cutting-edge writings on games, spanning nearly 50 years of game analysis and criticism, by game designers, game journalists, game fans, folklorists, sociologists, and media theorists. The Game Design Reader is a one-of-a-kind collection on game design and criticism, from classic scholarly essays to cutting-edge case studies. A companion work to Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman's textbook Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals, The Game Design Reader is a classroom sourcebook, a reference for working game developers, and a great read for game fans and players. Thirty-two essays by game designers, game critics, game fans, philosophers, anthropologists, media theorists, and others consider fundamental questions: What are games and how are they designed? How do games interact with culture at large? What critical approaches can game designers take to create game stories, game spaces, game communities, and new forms of play? Salen and Zimmerman have collected seminal writings that span 50 years to offer a stunning array of perspectives. Game journalists express the rhythms of game play, sociologists tackle topics such as role-playing in vast virtual worlds, players rant and rave, and game designers describe the sweat and tears of bringing a game to market. Each text acts as a springboard for discussion, a potential class assignment, and a source of inspiration. The book is organized around fourteen topics, from The Player Experience to The Game Design Process, from Games and Narrative to Cultural Representation. Each topic, introduced with a short essay by Salen and Zimmerman, covers ideas and research fundamental to the study of games, and points to relevant texts within the Reader. Visual essays between book sections act as counterpoint to the writings. Like Rules of Play, The Game Design Reader is an intelligent and playful book. An invaluable resource for professionals and a unique introduction for those new to the field, The Game Design Reader is essential reading for anyone who takes games seriously.

"It was commonly accepted that judging a book by it’s cover was just about the rudest and un-wisest thing you could do. But that’s not going to stop you, is it? And that’s something I’ve always respected about you. If the ideas of the trials and tribulations of a pair of wizards travelling through time and space do nothing for you, then you’ve most likely already put this book down. To those who remain, may I just take a moment to introduce Kiko and Kara. Kiko was a bookish, kind (but slightly bizarre) human girl with a razor-sharp intellect and Kara was the kind of Half-Elf to punch me in the face if she heard me say anything bad about her, so I won’t be doing that. Both girls lived a life of magic and mystery on the thirteenth paralleled Earth, which was part of the Thirteenth parallel Universe; which is where this book is set."

Alodar was a mere journeyman thaumaturge learning the least of the five arts of magic. As such he had no right to aspire to the hand of the fair lady, Queen Vendora, but aspire he did. Alodar's quest is not only a stirring tale of adventure, but also one of the most logical detailings of the laws of magic ever to appear in fantasy. This edition includes new chapters, a glossary and an author's afterward

This book contains extended and revised versions of the best papers presented at the 24th IFIP WG 10.5/IEEE International Conference on Very Large Scale Integration, VLSI-SoC 2016, held in Tallinn, Estonia, in September 2016. The 11 papers included in the book were carefully reviewed and selected from the 36 full papers presented at the conference. The papers cover a wide range of topics in VLSI technology and advanced research. They address the latest scientific and industrial results and developments as well as future trends in the field of System-on-Chip (SoC) Design.

In the Empire of Rei-Een, tradition is everything and magic means death. After the magic war, anyone with magic was killed the moment they were discovered. Lis’s father has hidden her away for her entire life to ensure this doesn’t happen. But with the death of the crown prince, she is summoned for the Choosing of the Hidden Princess. With the Empire’s greatest hunter is never far from her side, what will he do if he discovers the truth? If she remains in the heart of the Empire of Rei-Een, there is far more at risk than her life. This box set contains the completed Magics of Rei-Een series – The Hidden Princess, Hidden Promises and The Hidden Phoenix.

VLSI is an important area of electronic and computer engineering. However, there are few textbooks available for undergraduate/postgraduate study of VLSI design automation and chip layout. VLSI Physical Design Automation: Theory and Practice fills the void and is an essential introduction for senior undergraduates, postgraduates and anyone starting work in the field of CAD for VLSI. It covers all aspects of physical design, together with such related areas as automatic cell generation, silicon compilation, layout editors and compaction. A problem-solving approach is adopted and each solution is illustrated with examples. Each topic is treated in a standard format: Problem Definition, Cost Functions and Constraints, Possible Approaches and Latest Developments. Special features: The book deals with all aspects of VLSI physical design, from partitioning and floorplanning to layout generation and silicon compilation; provides a comprehensive treatment of most of the popular algorithms; covers the latest developments and gives a bibliography for further research; offers numerous fully described examples, problems and programming exercises.

Create the Digital Games You Love to Play Discover an exercise-driven, non-technical approach to game design without the need for programming or artistic expertise using Game Design Workshop, Third Edition. Author Tracy Fullerton demystifies the creative process with a clear and accessible analysis of the formal and dramatic systems of game design. Examples of popular games, illustrations of design techniques, and refined exercises strengthen your understanding of how game systems function and give you the skills and tools necessary to create a compelling and engaging game. The book puts you to work prototyping, playtesting, and revising your own games with time-tested methods and tools. It provides you with the foundation to advance your career in any facet of the game industry, including design, producing, programming, and visual design.