A thought-provoking cultural study of videogames traces the history of this popular form of entertainment and explains why videogames will become the dominant popular art form of the twenty-first century. Reprint.

Why can’t a wargame be anti-war? Why does “gamification” spit on the downtrodden? And why do so many videogames take the form of boring jobs? Investigating the aesthetics, politics, and psychology of modern videogames, the mini-essays in this long-awaited follow-up to 2000's Trigger Happy are an edited and revised selection of Steven Poole's much-loved columns for Edge magazine. In it, you'll find out why the Tomb Raider series is like the oeuvre of Mark Rothko, why Nietzsche might have enjoyed Donkey Kong, and what "self co-op", "cognitive panic" and "unreliable agency" mean when you're gripping a joypad or clawing at a mouse. Praise for Trigger Happy: "A seminal piece of work" — Edge "A bright and beautiful writer" — Tony Parsons "Splendid… witty, comprehensive and passionate" — Times "A critical contribution to our understanding… Essential reading" — Guardian "A delightful and insightful romp" — Evening Standard "A witty, erudite treat" — Select "From the design standpoint, I haven't seen any better history of the game industry, and more importantly what that history means, than Steven Poole's Trigger Happy" — Ernest Adams, Gamasutra