Theory of Fun for Game Design | 
 enlarge | Author: Raph Koster
Publisher: Paraglyph
Category: Book
Buy Used: $64.65
Used (2) from $64.65
Avg. Customer Rating:  29 reviews
Sales Rank: 118571
Format: Illustrated
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.9 x 0.7
ISBN: 1932111972
Dewey Decimal Number: 793
EAN: 9781932111972
ASIN: 1932111972
Publication Date: November 6, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
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Product Description
Authored by Raph Koster, Chief Creative Officer of Sony Online Entertainment, this brilliantly illustrated book is a storyboard filled with inspirational ideas for all designers. As Will Wright (co-creator of SimCity 2000 and SimCopter) states in his foreword, "Raph forages across wide intellectual landscapes and then returns to share what hes discovered with the rest of us. He has filtered out a treasure trove of useful and relevant nuggets from a careers worth of his own research." A Theory of Fun for Game Design features a novel way of showing interactive designers how to improve their designs to incorporate the highest degree of fun. This book will truly inspire and challenge game designers, as well as artists and designers from all segments of the industry. The unique format of A Theory of Fun, with engaging text and thought-provoking illustrations, will ensure that this book becomes a classic text for designers. Already endorsed by major players in the gaming world such as BoingBoing, Noah Falstein, and Henry Jenkins of MIT A Theory of Fun covers such essential topics as: Why some games are fun and others boring Why making a game too hardor too easyis a mistake Why games have to balance deprivation and overload, order and chaos, silence and noise The difference between designing content and creating an experience Why both adults and children like to play games How playing a game and learning are connected The ethics of entertainment
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| Customer Reviews: Read 24 more reviews...
 A Fun Perspective on Fun August 30, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Koster has written an incredible book that cannot help but cover game design. The question of "fun" has baffled the game design community for years: it's an unquantifiable concept a designer succeeds at capturing more reliably with luck (and experience) than anything else. This book provides one of the first steps away from that.
For those who harangue the book because of the title, it's worth reading the Foreword, written by Will Wright.
To explain fun, Koster does not bother pretending to live in an ivory tower. He opens the doors to his life and allows you to connect with him as you ponder his ideas. Fun is difficult to disconnect from games, especially since that's his field, so he explains games, too. The result is a narrative, not a white paper: he brings you into his shoes and takes you on a journey, giving you contextual background before (How Brains Work) his central thesis and after (Ethics of Game Design).
The book is not a be-all, end-all "Definitive Guide to Fun". It's a provocation and a challenge, to game designers, to game theorists, and even to gamers. It's meant to make you think, not hold your hand. My favorite moment with the book was when I didn't have it: I loaned it to a roommate, who came back a week later completely stunned, complaining that it had made sense and had gotten him thinking. He plays rugby and Madden, mostly.
You won't find 12 steps to make your game fun, nor will you have any idea how to make a game after you read it, if you didn't before. But when you play a game, and you have fun, now you have somewhere to start in understanding why. And if another game bores you to tears, you may be able to figure out how to improve it.
The book is not about games. It's about gamers: about people. Because people have fun, and they sometimes even do it while gaming. And this book is about why.
 A fascinating primer on how we enjoy ourselves December 16, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I should start out by mentioning that I'm reviewing this book from more of a general knowledge standpoint than a purely video game related one.
A lot of other reviews have mentioned that there aren't many practical tips in this book, which is true, but that's why it's a theory of fun and not a handbook of rules. Theories pull basic meanings & principles out of a vast, murky subject that can later evolve into practical uses, in this case for video games or any other artistic medium.
The author breaks down our sense of enjoyment into more manageable & understandable categories, like social and aesthetic satisfactions. But the bulk of the book covers the enjoyment that comes from learning patterns and overcoming challenges, which he defines as "fun."
Although fun as Koster defines it is most evident in video games, the enjoyment that comes from learning and figuring things out could just as easily apply to a mystery novel as a puzzle game. Having a firm understanding of "fun" as well as the other types of enjoyment could benefit any artistic pursuit.
Another fascinating concept in "Theory of Fun" is the idea that all artforms become more and more complex until only a dedicated few can master it, at which point the artform either dies off or is reinvented to better suit the masses. This concept could explain the recent rise of the Wii, with its simple, accessible approach to games over more complex systems.
All in all, "A Theory of Fun for Game Design" isn't just ideas on how to build a better video game mousetrap, but a basic intro on enjoyment so we can hopefully learn to create work that's enjoyable for others.
 Self-absorbed designer angst October 9, 2007
1 out of 6 found this review helpful
There is actually a theory of fun buried in the book, but the time spent developing the theory is minimal. The rest of the book seems to be all about trying to justify choosing game design as a career. Geez! It's fun and you get paid. 'nuff said on that topic.
Excelent Book September 14, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is one of my first books i bought here at Amazon.
Im From Argentina and im studying Game Develop & Design. It is really good to read this kind of book because it really helps me on my develop here where the industry is staring recently.
It is an EXCELENT Book. It really acomplish everything i was looking for. It did, also, provide me a new sight of some matters when referring to Game Design.
I do disagree in some explications on the book but it is only my personal opinion and it doesn't make the book worst or anything.
It's a "HAD to HAVE.." book in your bookshelf.
Congratulations on the Writter!!
Required Reading, but not a Bible September 9, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Koster's presentation makes the book extremely accessible, but still quite in-depth. He covers all the necessary ground.
His theory does not venture far from previous work, but in sticking to accepted dogma, he offers a fairly comprehensive and clear compilation of ideas. This is what makes the book a good read for anyone looking for a foundation in theory related to games.
I found that many ideas in the first half of the book to be over-simplified. Though most issues are readdressed in the second half, his dual presentation created a sense of contradiction. Some early implications are later negated.
Koster also involves a bit much of his own tastes and artistic ethics. This is primarily in the latter portions of the book, but it was enough to turn me off. He goes into some description of how games "should" be, the responsibility of the designer, etc. That may be interesting to some, but I prefer to determine my own principles.
Theory of Fun would do well as required reading for anyone seeking an education in game design, and could be useful to anyone in art, but if you've already covered the field of theory, you may not be too impressed. Still, it's an easy read and rewarding.
I also suggest this book to anyone looking at games from the outside, anyone not involved in production or consumption. It can give the layman a good look into a new world and maybe close some generation gaps. Theory of Fun may be what we need to mail to our representatives to keep them from judging games to hastily.
-Chris Rock
http://blog.sokay.net
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