A thorough discussion of the present and future of digital gaming People play digital games for many reasons, from entertainment to professional training, but all games share the same basic characteristics. From those basic parameters, gaming professionals manage to create the enormous variety of games on the market today. The Handbook of Digital Games explores the many considerations and variables involved in game creation, including gaming techniques and tools, game play, and game design and development. A team of recognized gaming experts from around the world shares their thoughts on the different aspects of game creation, providing readers with a deep understanding and insider perspective on the cross-disciplinary aspects of the industry. The fundamentals are discussed, but the emphasis is on emerging theory and technology with topics including: * Player experience and immersion, including emotion * Automatic content generation and storytelling techniques * Collaboration and social information exchange * Game aesthetics * Simulation of game play and crowds * Collision detection * Networking issues such as synchronization The book also includes retrospective and ontological examinations of gaming, as well as discussions about mobile game play, spatial game structures, and education-centric gaming. In-game advertising, gender stereotyping, and independent game production are also considered. The Handbook of Digital Games is a robust compilation of the latest information across the entire industry, and a major resource for any gaming professional.