In Print: ‘Applied Game History’

Publication title

Applied Game History

Purdue author

Robert Howard

Publisher

Kendall Hunt Publishing Co.

Publication date

2025

About the book (from the publisher)

Video game design is at the forefront of technology’s future, yet a keen understanding of its past is crucial to designing immersive experiences today. No mere history text, “Applied Game History” explores history while challenging the student to incorporate the lessons from history into the work of today. With deep-dive design discussions of games ranging from Roman Tali to modern AAA console games, this text is a comprehensive overview of gaming from knucklebones in a cave all the way to video game consoles and the internet. The book includes fun exercises incorporating the material from each chapter.

About the Purdue author

Robert Howard is an associate professor of practice in Purdue Polytechnic Institute’s School of Applied and Creative Computing. Howard previously worked in the video game industry as a game designer, working on titles like “Bioshock Infinite,” “Batman: Arkham Origins” and “Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon.”

About the In Print series

To celebrate our faculty’s excellence in scholarship, Purdue Today’s weekly book series highlights faculty expertise across diverse subjects and disciplines. Find out more about the Purdue University Books Initiative and how to suggest a book for the In Print series on the Office of the Provost website.