Optimizing Play: Why Theorycrafting Breaks Games and How to Fix It

“Paul offers an exceptional and detailed analysis of the optimization of video gameplay that is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the contemporary nature of video games and their players.”—Garry Crawford, Professor of Cultural Sociology, University of Salford; author of Video Games as Culture, Video Gamers, and Cosplay and the Art of Play “This is more than a book about optimizing gameplay. Weaving together examples ranging from Big Brother all the way to Overwatch, Christopher Paul has crafted a compelling critique of our society’s obsession with maximizing efficiency.”—Kelly Bergstrom, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication & Media Studies, York University “With Optimizing Play, Christopher Paul proposes a provocative and thoughtful account of the trend toward optimization in video games, how it homogenizes play, and why we should remember that play is a creative exploration of possibilities.”—Miguel Sicart, Professor of Digital Play, IT University of Copenhagen; author of Play Matters, Playing Software, Beyond Choices, and The Ethics of Computer Games “Smart and engagingly written, Optimizing Play offers a well-evidenced argument and suggestions for how, in the face of optimization, game producers and sports leagues might still balance the competing interests of players, leagues, and spectators to maintain interest and excitement.”—Amanda Cote, Associate Professor, Department of Media & Information, Michigan State University; author of Gaming Sexism