Half-Real: Video Games between Real Rules and Fictional Worlds (Mit Press)

Very good book on the theory of videogames. Accessible, innovative, thoughtful, and centered on concrete (and popular) examples. He also includes lots of screenshots, which is good.Juul takes what might be called a "grassroots" approach to game studies, not bringing heavy disciplinary baggage to colonize the area, but instead trying to build a formal theory of games from the ground up. He takes his lead primarily from game and culture theorists like Huizinga, Caillois, Crawford and Sutton-Smith rather than from literary theory or media studies. But he really charts his own course and stakes out his own ground in many ways.He has a strong interest in game rules, which has led some to criticize him for being overly formalistic, but I find this a refreshing and interesting contrast to the more standard "new media" approach to video games.

This is an interesting read for anyone who wants a perspective about games and gaming from someone who isn't a typical "fanboy" or "industry geek." Some of the insights were a bit typical for what you might expect, but there were a few nuggets that showed that Juul actually took some time to think about the genre and how rules both affect and are effected in games. I found it a bit light on scholarly sources, but since he is a professor, perhaps this book is more what he is teaching in his class than his own research. Not a bad read, if you can stomach some of prose.

I had to purchase this book for an English class where we discuss how we can use videogames to produce fiction, and also how to produce a videogame that is fiction, as well as how the two relate. From what we have covered so far it has really sparked my interest to pursue other literature in this category. Jesper Juul does a great job putting his thoughts out there, and it's been a great read so far.

Fantastic book for anyone who is curious about game design but has just started looking into it. Whether you would want to make games later on or just better understand them, this book explains things in a very effective way. Although I understood most of the book already, there were still a few bits I learned from it. Give it to someone who needs to appreciate videogames more.

Very well-structured, well-researched and readable. Rather than losing us in the theoretical weeds, Juul continually grounds his assertions with very easy-to-understand examples, reflections and quips. A must-read for anyone currently engaged in the tedious "story vs. gameplay" debate.

I wanted to start digging into some theory, and this book was recommended by my Theory of New Media professor, whose research is focused on video games. I found it a great starting point! It's interesting, thoughtful, and approachable.

Excellent book on games. I also moved on to the author's next book which was even better

An ideal companion for someone looking to venture into the filed of video game studies and a stepping stone to newer critical research happening in the field.

Gleich vorweg was "Half-Real" nicht leistet: der Titel bietet keine kritische Auseinandersetzung mit den eigentlichen Inhalten von Computer- und Videospielen. Dem dänischen Ludologen Jesper Juul, nicht zu verwechseln mit dem gleichnamigen, populären Erziehungswissenschafter, gelingt es vielmehr als Ersten überhaupt, strukturell zu erklären WAS Computerspiele eigentlich sind.Der ursprüngliche Ausgangspunkt von LiteraturtheoretikerInnen wie Janet Murray (Hamlet on the Holodeck) wurde zu Beginn dieser Dekade von der Ludologie zum Teil scharf angegriffen: in "Half-Real" finden sich aber eigentlich sämtliche narratologischen Elemente bestens integriert wieder. Eine bemerkenswerte wissenschaftliche Leistung, noch dazu hervorragend geschrieben und mit persönlichen Anektoten versehen. Leider ist der Band nicht besonders umfangreich, und hat einen sehr stolzen Preis. Wer aber an Stelle eines Readers lieber eine Monographie zum Thema lesen möchte, wird derzeit NOCH um "Half-Real" absolut nicht herum kommen - auch wenn große wissenschaftliche Publikationen zum Thema zuletzt beinahe im Monatsrhytmus veröffentlicht wurden.

Nice book. Well written and full of examples. Sometime is a bit repetitive but definitely worth reading. Liked the diagrams about the classic model, real world and fictional world. The conclusion chapter resumes very well the essence of the book.

Really interesting book. For someone who does living history and has written a dissertation on this topic, it was really useful for researching Blast Theory and other playful Arts-related immersive companies, games and theatre.

I have read a few books on Ludology (the study of recreational games) and Half-Real is by far the best that I have read. It serves as an exceptional introduction to the subject matter and serves as good reference material.