Creating Q*bert and Other Classic Video Arcade Games

The story of white masculinity in geek culture through a history of hobby gaming

Geek culture has never been more mainstream than it is now, with the ever-increasing popularity of events like Comic Con, transmedia franchising of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, market dominance of video and computer games, and the resurgence of board games such as Settlers of Catan and role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. Yet even while the comic book and hobby shops where the above are consumed today are seeing an influx of BIPOC gamers, they remain overwhelmingly white, male, and heterosexual.

The Privilege of Play contends that in order to understand geek identity’s exclusionary tendencies, we need to know the history of the overwhelmingly white communities of tabletop gaming hobbyists that preceded it. It begins by looking at how the privileged networks of model railroad hobbyists in the early twentieth century laid a cultural foundation for the scenes that would grow up around war games, role-playing games, and board games in the decades ahead. These early networks of hobbyists were able to thrive because of how their leisure interests and professional ambitions overlapped. Yet despite the personal and professional strides made by individuals in these networks, the networks themselves remained cloistered and homogeneous—the secret playgrounds of white men.

Aaron Trammell catalogs how gaming clubs composed of lonely white men living in segregated suburbia in the sixties, seventies and eighties developed strong networks through hobbyist publications and eventually broke into the mainstream. He shows us how early hobbyists considered themselves outsiders, and how the denial of white male privilege they established continues to define the socio-technical space of geek culture today. By considering the historical role of hobbyists in the development of computer technology, game design, and popular media, The Privilege of Play charts a path toward understanding the deeply rooted structural obstacles that have stymied a more inclusive community. The Privilege of Play concludes by considering how digital technology has created the conditions for a new and more diverse generation of geeks to take center stage.

Embark on a colorful journey to reveal a hidden Egypt! Explore Egyptian gods, animals, hieroglyphs, designs, and more as you color the elaborate artwork, revealing vibrant details while learning unusual Egyptology facts and coloring tips along the way. Learn about ancient Egypt color theory, including the history of primary colors in the Egyptian palette, their meaning and symbolism, to inspire your own artistic coloring choices. Use your imagination to color, or follow the suggestions accompanying each art panel, including techniques for adding texture, shading, and depth to your artwork. Ancient Egypt is filled with beautifully detailed, inspiring artwork and designs to color, frame, and display in your home. Transform and personalize the black-and-white line drawings into your own unique and colorful art. Appealing to all ages, ideal for adults to unwind and relax, and fun to share with the whole family.

Embark on a colorful journey to reveal the hidden treasures of the famous ancient Egyptian pharaoh, Tutankhamun! Explore the extraordinary decorations of his elaborate tomb, spectacular funerary mask, ornate throne, dazzling jewelry, and more as you color the intricate artwork, revealing insights into the young king’s life. Make Tutankhamun your own! Embellish and add your personal touch to the black-and-white line drawings to transform them into a unique colorful artwork, to frame and display in your home. Use your imagination to color, or follow the coloring tips and suggestions accompanying each art panel, including techniques for adding texture, shading, and depth. Appealing to all ages, ideal for adults to unwind and relax, and fun to share with the whole family.

Over half a million copies sold

Six murders. One hundred pages. Millions of possible combinations… but only one is correct. Can you solve Torquemada’s murder mystery?

In 1934, the Observer’s cryptic crossword compiler, Edward Powys Mathers (aka Torquemada), released a novel that was simultaneously a murder mystery and the most fiendishly difficult literary puzzle ever written.

The pages have been printed in an entirely haphazard order, but it is possible – through logic and intelligent reading – to sort the pages into the only correct order, revealing six murder victims and their respective murderers.

Only three puzzlers have ever solved the mystery of Cain’s Jawbone: do you have what it takes to join their ranks?

Please note: this puzzle is extremely difficult and not for the faint-hearted.

In recent years, poetry and video games have begun talking to – and taking from – one another in earnest. Poets, ever in pursuit of meaning, now draw inspiration from digital-interactive fantasy worlds, while video game developers aim to enrich their creations by imbuing them with poetic depth. This book investigates the phenomena of poem-game hybrids and other forms of poetic-ludic interplay, making use of both a multidisciplinary critical approach and the author’s own experiments in building and testing hybrid artefacts. What emerges is the suggestion of a future where reading and playing are no longer seen as separate endeavours, where the quests for sensory pleasure and philosophic insight are one and the same.