HISTORY, BEAUTY, AND INFLUENCE OF VIDEO GAMES
- Jul 1
- 2 min read
Jan-Bart De Muelenaere
Author, comedian, game journalist, and art historian Jan-Bart De Muelenaere sets out in 26 self-contained stories in his essayistic non-fiction book * History, Beauty and Influence of Video Games * why he views games not as mere toys or a pastime, but as one of the most influential cultural forms of our time. From the first digital game worlds to contemporary interactive universes, video games prove to be mirrors, laboratories, and sometimes even engines of societal change.
This book dives into the beauty of video games and shows how aesthetics in an interactive medium are related to those of music, theater, literature, architecture, and art. Or does it only seem that way? Moreover, games influence us too: they shape how we think, feel, learn, collaborate, and even how we view reality. They allow us to practice moral choices, understand systems, experience loss, and rediscover hope. And all of this within worlds that are not 'real,' yet have a real impact.
Drawing on insights from art history, philosophy, and game history, this book reveals how video games, like the Renaissance arts, evolved into an art form that you not only watch but also experience. It connects personal wonder with cultural analysis and shows how something that began as a few moving pixels has grown into a medium that helps shape our imagination—and our world.
Video games are not an escape from reality. They are a way to understand it.
PUBLICATION DETAILS
LANGUAGE | BINDING | EDITION | ISBN | YEAR | PAGES |
Dutch | Hardcover | | 9789090421407 | 2026 | 320 |
OTHER NAMES
History, Beauty, and Influence of Video Games
Historie, schoonheid en invloed van videogames
TAGS
Authors: #JanBartDeMuelenaere
Publishers: #ApostelDertienProducties (Apostel Dertien Producties)
Languages: #Dutch
Format: #Hardcover
Accessibility: N/A
Year: #Year2026
Genres: #GameStudies
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