Video games feed a constantly growing market and feature characters who cross the boundaries of gaming and colonize movies and video platforms. All over the world, the number of people playing video games is increasing, as they manage to interact despite living in geographically and culturally distant places. Video games do not look to the past, as many seem to believe; they are crucial elements of contemporary society and everyday life. Those who do not play video games typically do not know much about them, nor understand them, and especially ignore their impact on young people’s and others’ lives. This book provides an opportunity to take stock of what video gaming means today and refute stereotypes and inaccurate beliefs. The author discusses the size and composition of the market for video games, their educational uses, the metaverse, and the future frontiers of gaming.

Francesco Toniolo teaches at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart and the New Academy of Fine Arts (NABA), both in Milan.