One challenge to researchers is the “name dropping” of games used as examples. Some books will provide context, some a description or illustration, and others will casually reference a game by name without offering additional information or significant details. Many works and series focus in-depth on specific games often referenced in game writing and criticism.
For example, many game histories describe Doom as a landmark game, both for its popularity and because it allows users to modify or adapt elements of the game. David Kushner’s Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture describes the story behind the game that shaped—in terms of innovation, ambition, and personality conflict—much of gaming in the 1990s. Jason Schrier’s Blood, Sweat, and Pixels: The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories behind How Video Games Are Made covers a range of games, emphasizing the design process. In examining the development of multiple games, this volume illustrates the harsh time-crunch and grueling demands of big-budget games and also the demands on small-game creators competing with larger companies. Some game histories take unique approaches to the stories behind games. One unusual example is Box Brown’s graphic novel Tetris: The Games People Play, which focuses not only on the creator and creation of this notable game, but also on the business dealings and international intrigue that surrounded its distribution.
Pokémon Go was the first truly successful game that blended real-world data, location, and navigation with an addictive model of monster-collecting gameplay. The Pokémon Go Phenomenon: Essays on Public Play in Contested Spaces, ed. by Jamie Henthorn et al. includes essays that describe how the sudden popularity of the game resulted in many encroachments and conflicts related to perceived uses of public (and sometimes private) spaces, as well as new models of interaction between the players themselves. Also useful for understanding games in depth are the titles in the “Boss Fights Books” series, from the publisher of the same name. Each book in the series focuses on a specific game or game resource, mixing personal narrative and objective analysis in a brief work that can quickly illustrate the impact and significance of the work. For example, the second book in this series—Michael Williams’s eponymous title on the game Chrono Trigger—examines this often-referenced time-travel and role-playing Super Nintendo game from various perspectives. Williams describes key elements and plots of the game, analyzes characterization and narrative, and examines the localization and diversity (or lack thereof) within the game world. Other books in the series explore games that often show up in criticism and analysis—among them Earthbound, Metal Gear Solid, and World of Warcraft. These book have something to offer even researchers who have a long history of video game play in general or are familiar with the particular game examined.
Masters of Doom : how two guys created an empire and transformed pop culture by 
