Publisher: McFarland

Release Date: November 2010

Price: $35.00

Author: Michael J. Tresca

Format: 238 pgs.; Trade Paperback

ISBN: 9-780-7864-5895-0

Age Rating: Teen+

ICv2 Rating: 3 Stars out of 5

 

Because this came out from a pricey academic press, there is an expectation that this will be an ornate, scholarly work.  In fact, it was written by a man who grew up playing games, and who is one of the administrators of a Multi-User Dungeon with a long history.

 

It is not entirely a popular narrative, either.  It is indeed a history of the various game genres, annotated and with a huge bibliography.  That is both a strength and a weakness. It is neither a truly scholarly work nor a quick and readable history.  It falls halfway between, which makes it a good starting point, but not always a complete work.

 

Since much of the book is based on the experience of a single person, who even interviews members of his own family for certain sections, much of it is subjective in areas of direct experience.  Thus, the book dismisses several popular games because the author had bad experiences with them. In other areas, games are overlooked or minimized, either due to the author’s choice or his lack of familiarity with the game.

 

The statistical data used repeatedly in the book comes from a survey done several years ago, but which only covers gamers up to age 35, which may skew the data.

 

Because the book covers miniatures games, tabletop role-playing, computer games and even Live Action Role Playing, the book is at best an overview and history, but has fascinating points to make.  Anyone seriously interested can spin off from the many entries in the bibliography for further study.  This serious study will only be of interest to adults.

 

-- Nick Smith: Librarian Technician, Community Services, for the Pasadena Public Library in California.