Abstract
In this chapter I begin by offering a discussion of the role of video game consoles in the video game industry, the most important video game consoles, and the question of whether consoles will be supplanted by tablets and smartphones. Next I offer information on the most important kinds and genres of video games and statistics on the amount of money spent on handheld, mobile, personal computer, and video game consoles and a listing of the top ten video games of 2013. This is followed by a discussion of the attributes of video games, such as immersion and interactivity, and the problem of video game addiction. Finally I offer an analysis of PacMan as an example of how video games reflect important themes in American culture.
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© 2015 Arthur Asa Berger
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Berger, A.A. (2015). Video Game Consoles and Video Games: Everyone’s a Hero. In: Gizmos or: The Electronic Imperative: How Digital Devices have Transformed American Character and Culture. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-56545-7_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-56545-7_7
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, New York
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-88738-5
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-56545-7
eBook Packages: Palgrave Media & Culture CollectionLiterature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0)