Joe, the collapse of a $45 million virtual-reality game, and a takeover attempt by arch rival Mattel. 448 pp. Author tour. National ads. 30,000 print.

    Rediscover Lara Croft's greatest moments with fascinating coverage of the smash hit Tomb Raider movies, fiction, comics, and collectibles, and be enthralled by the legacy of Tomb Raider across the decades.Packed with exclusive art, photographs, and interviews covering all facets of the Tomb Raider franchise, 20 Years of Tomb Raider is the essential guide to this game's action-packed history and a must-have for every Tomb Raider fan.

    . . Desperate to defend his land from advancing hordes of bestial charr, King Adelbern summoned the all-powerful Foefire to repel the invaders. But magic can be a double-edged sword—the Foefire burned both charr and human alike. While the charr corpses smoldered, the slain Ascalonians arose again, transformed by their king’s rage into ghostly protectors and charged with guarding the realm . . . forever. The once mighty kingdom became a haunted shadow of its former glory.Centuries later, the descendants of Ascalon, exiled to the nation of Kryta, are besieged on all sides. To save humankind, Queen Jennah seeks to negotiate a treaty with the hated charr. But one obstacle remains. The charr legions won’t sign the truce until their most prized possession, the Claw of the Khan-Ur,is returned from the ruins of fallen Ascalon.Now a mismatched band of adventurers, each plagued by ghosts of their own, sets forth into a haunted, war-torn land to retrieve the Claw. Without the artifact, there is no hope for peace between human and charr—but the undead king who rules Ascalon won’t give it up easily, and not everyone wants peace!

    Fun Inc. dispels these misconceptions, revealing that 40 per cent of all video game players are women, that most of the bestselling console games of all time involve no real-world violence at all, and how World of Warcraft's online community of over 12 million players is changing our understanding of what it means to be sociable in the modern world.But understanding games means a lot more than simply challenging stereotypes. Find out why the South Korean government will invest $200 billion into its video games industry over the next 4 years and how games are used to train the US Military, to model global pandemics and to campaign against human rights abuses in Africa.Game worlds are creating a new science of mass engagement that is starting to transform our understanding of economics, business and communications. Whether you like video games or loathe them, Fun Inc. will show you that you cannot ignore them.

    This limited edition hardback version collects two new World of Warcraft novellas from the point of view of the Alliance (Elegy, by Christie Golden) and the Horde (A Good War, by Robert Brooks). These two tales explore the Horde and the Alliance versions of a fateful event, but only you can decide which faction tells it best. Each story includes original artwork exclusive to this edition.

    Every Dungeon: Low-level instances and the toughest raid dungeons are all covered in this monstrous compendium. Light is shed on everything from Ragefire Chasm to Ahn' Qiraj.Outdoor World Boss Encounters: Learn exactly what you need to take down Azuregos, Lord Kazzak, and the Dragons of Nightmare.Much more: Monster Information, Quest Guidance, Rewards, and Secret Rooms.Platform: PC CD-ROM Genre: MMORPG   This product is available for sale worldwide.

    A hybrid of games—such as Dungeons & Dragons, historical reenactment, fandom, and good old-fashioned pretend—larp is thriving, and this book explores its multifaceted communities and related phenomena, including the Society for Creative Anachronism, a medieval reenactment group that boasts more than 32,000 members. Author Lizzie Stark looks at the hobby from a variety of angles, from its history in the pageantry of Tudor England to its present use as a training tool for the US military. Along the way, she duels foes with foam-padded weapons, lets the great elder god Cthulhu destroy her parents’ beach house, and endures an existential awakening in the high-art larp scene of Scandinavia.

    “Get the right gear, practice the right way, and get into the right headspace and you too can Get Good.”—TimePacked with illustrations, photographs, anecdotes, and insider tips, this complete compendium includes everything Tyler "Ninja" Blevins wishes he knew before he got serious about gaming. Here's how to:• Build a gaming PC• Practice with purpose• Develop strategy• Improve your game sense• Pull together the right team• Stream with skill• Form a community online• And much moreVideo games come and go, but Ninja's lessons are timeless. Pay attention to them and you'll find that you're never really starting over when the next big game launches. Who knows—you may even beat him one day. As he says, that's up to you. Praise for Ninja: Get Good“If you’re a casual gamer looking to refine your gaming skills or equipment, or someone considering getting into esports, then livestreamer and gaming guru Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins’ book could be the perfect guide.”—Los Angeles Times“It’s perfect for young kids just getting into gaming after watching streamers, like Ninja, and their parents who may not know much about gaming and streaming . . . It’s an all-in-one checklist of everything you need to start up on a streaming life. This book breaks down complex and sometimes obscure concepts in gaming that many non-gamer parents may not know about or the kids know about instinctually but can't put into words.”—GameCrate

    “The result is a veritable pi

    Hell is a playground.Would it be your ultimate fantasy to enter the world of a video game?A realm where you don’t have to go to work or worry about your health; where you can look like a hero or a goddess; where you can fly space-ships, slay dragons, yet all of it feels completely real. A realm where there are no consequences and no responsibilities.Or would it be your worst nightmare?Stuck in an endless state of war and chaos where the pain and fear feels real and from which not even death can offer an escape.Prison or playground. Heaven or hell. This is where you find out. This is white-knuckle action, sprawling adventure, merciless satire and outrageous humour like you’ve never experienced.This is Bedlam.

    Previously published as Guide to Exploration, the revised and updated Guide to Survival has even more insider info and tips from the experts at game-creator Mojang, making this is the definitive, fully illustrated guide to survival in Minecraft.The mysterious world of Minecraft is just waiting to be explored. But danger lurks around every corner and survival can prove difficult for even the bravest adventurer.Learn how to find resources, craft equipment, and protect yourself. Discover which biomes to avoid when starting out, how to build a mob-proof shelter, where to look for naturally-generated structures laden with loot, and so much more.Collect all of the official Minecraft books: Minecraft: The IslandMinecraft: The CrashMinecraft: The Lost JournalsMinecraft: The Survivors' Book of SecretsMinecraft: Exploded Builds: Medieval FortressMinecraft: Guide to ExplorationMinecraft: Guide to CreativeMinecraft: Guide to the Nether & the EndMinecraft: Guide to RedstoneMinecraft: MobestiaryMinecraft: Guide to Enchantments & PotionsMinecraft: Guide to PVP MinigamesMinecraft: Guide to FarmingMinecraft: Let's Build! Theme Park AdventureMinecraft for BeginnersMinecraft: Guide to Ocean SurvivalMinecraft: Guide to Survival

    Greg Toppo's The Game Believes in You presents the story of a small group of visionaries who, for the past 40 years, have been pushing to get game controllers into the hands of learners. Among the game revolutionaries you'll meet in this book:*A game designer at the University of Southern California leading a team to design a video-game version of Thoreau's Walden Pond.*A young neuroscientist and game designer whose research on "Math Without Words" is revolutionizing how the subject is taught, especially to students with limited English abilities.*A Virginia Tech music instructor who is leading a group of high school-aged boys through the creation of an original opera staged totally in the online game Minecraft.Experts argue that games do truly "believe in you." They focus, inspire and reassure people in ways that many teachers can't. Games give people a chance to learn at their own pace, take risks, cultivate deeper understanding, fail and want to try again-right away-and ultimately, succeed in ways that too often elude them in school. This book is sure to excite and inspire educators and parents, as well as provoke some passionate debate.

    It seems so easy. Just a sip, a taste, and you're better than all the rest. You can suck up a bullet wound to the gut. You can knock your enemies through walls with a shove. You can have all the night has to offer without sacrificing your body and soul to it. This deal is too good to be true. Yeah. That's what Faust said. And now the Damned want their due. ...You Know You Want It! Ghouls: Fatal Addiction is a Vampire: The Masquerade sourcebook detailing the half-human servants of the Kindred. Whether you need a few new whipping boys or just want to taste the lash yourself, this book has everything you need to create ghouls as player or Storyteller characters. Watch out, though. This book just might make Renfield wake up and smell his fix...and the master who lives by blood might die by it, too. Ghouls: Fatal Addiction includes:* Rules for creating vassal, independent and revenant characters.* New Merits, Flaws, Derangements and other Traits to help you roleplay a codependent blood-slave.* Secret societies, ghoul "games," and clan-specific information on how vampires treat their servitors.

    Millions of them come to Barliona, looking forward to the things they can't get in real life: elves and magic, dragons and princesses, and unforgettable combat. The game has become so popular that players now choose to spend months online without returning home. In Barliona, anything goes: You can assault fellow players, level up, become a mythical hero, a wizard, or a legendary thief. The only rule that attempted to regulate the game demanded that no player be allowed to feel actual pain. But there's an exception to every rule. For a certain bunch of players, Barliona has become their personal hell. They are criminals sent to Barliona to serve their time. They aren't in it for the dragons' gold or the abundant loot. All they want is to survive the virtual inferno. They face the ultimate survival quest.

     Yet a dark shadow casts its presence over each trip – 28 years ago Annabel’s Aunt Hilary was brutally murdered on a similar holiday when Annabel was just a toddler. With no one found guilty, the subject has been hushed away and is now taboo on their trips. When an over-zealous journalist starts digging around the murder, the suspicion and guilt in Annabel’s family comes back to the surface. Annabel starts researching into the truth, and the discovery of her much-maligned French mother Monique’s diary reveals some alarming details. With the added pressure of her marriage struggling and a series of anonymous phone calls, Annabel is drawn into the middle of a dark family secret. ‘Past Shadows’ is another absorbing murder mystery from crime thriller author Anthea Fraser. Praise for Anthea Fraser: “A superbly crafted, riveting, page-turner of a read" - Booklist “Ms Fraser is her dependable elegant, guileful self withholding the killer's identity till a dying fall" - Sunday Times “A well-mannered, well-plotted and well-told story” - Birmingham Post “Sympathetic, well-executed book, in which full attention is paid to human feelings and failings” - Yorkshire Post “Anthea Fraser is a worthy follower of the traditional whodunit system...The plot is sustained throughout, and her artistic detective who literally "draws conclusions" is an original character.” - Sunderland Echo Anthea Fraser has written all her life but did not begin to take it seriously until after marriage, when she found herself at home with two small daughters and embarked on a correspondence course with the London School of Journalism. She wrote short stories before turning to novels of the supernatural, and then to crime. Her novels include ‘The Seven Stars’, ‘The Ten Commandments’, ‘Death Speaks Softly’ and ‘Pretty Maids All in a Row’.