Virtual Cities by Konstantinos Dimopoulos (Hardback)

£30.00
Available
Product Ref. (e.g. ISBN, SKU)
9781783528486
Published:
12 Nov 2020
Format:
Hardback
Number of pages:
255 pages
Dimensions:
286x287x28mm
Weight:
1.484kgs
This beautifully illustrated atlas is the first book to map and explore the spectacular imaginary cities of video games

Virtual cities are places of often-fractured geographies, impossible physics, outrageous assumptions and almost untamed imaginations given digital structure. This book, the first atlas of its kind, aims to explore, map, study and celebrate them. To imagine what they would be like in reality. To paint a lasting picture of their domes, arches and walls.

From metropolitan sci-fi open worlds and medieval fantasy towns to contemporary cities and glimpses of gothic horror, author and urban planner Konstantinos Dimopoulos and visual artist Maria Kallikaki have brought to life over forty game cities. Together, they document the deep and exhilarating history of iconic gaming landscapes through richly illustrated commentary and analysis.

Virtual Cities transports us into these imaginary worlds, through cities that span over four decades of digital history across literary and gaming genres. Travel to fantasy cities like World of Warcraft's Orgrimmar and Grim Fandango's Rubacava; envision what could be in the familiar cities of Assassin's Creed's London and Gabriel Knight's New Orleans; and steal a glimpse of cities of the future, in Final Fantasy VII's Midgar and Half-Life 2's City 17.

Within, there are many more worlds to discover - each formed in the deepest corners of the imagination, their immense beauty and complexity astounding for artists, game designers, world builders and, above all, anyone who plays and cares about video games.

About the Author: Following a degree in engineering, a MSc in Urban and Regional Planning, and a PhD in city planning and urban geography Konstantinos Dimopoulos has been working full time in the games industry since 2011. He specializes in game urbanism, game & level design, narrative design, and world building for playable offerings both digital, and analog. He happily survives by consulting on urban environments and systems for video games, while also writing a lot, and teaching level design at SAE Institute Athens. He still hasn't stopped researching historical, and contemporary urban geographies.

More Information
Number of pages 255

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