Simon Egenfeldt-Nielsen: Gaming research in the UK

Today Amazon sent me a "suggestion" email about upcoming books based on my search history... normally I would quickly hit Delete, but today's message was about Egenfeldt-Nielsen's book "Understanding Video Games: The Essential Introduction." The book looks like a good overview on game research, but there are not many reviews (amazon, Books in Print, journals). I hadn't read anything by Egenfeldt-Nielsen, but it lead me on an article and web search for his work. Based on what I've read from him so far, his book should be worth the investment. Here's his faculty webpage and a long publication list with links and download file.

His dissertation is also available:
Beyond Edutainment: Exploring the Educational Potential of Computer Games
Download his dissertation here

He has a variety of articles in print and online:
Can Education and Psychology Join Forces
Egenfeldt-Nielsen, S. Can education and psychology join forces: The clash of benign and malign learning from computer games. NORDICOM Review, 26(2), 103-107.

Understanding the educational potential of commercial computer games through activity and narratives. This article was published in "Game Research"

Egenfeldt-Nielsen was one of the founders of Serious Games Interactive. The website containsh research and demos of serious games for learning. Their game "Global Conflicts: Palestine" looks very thought provoking. As someone who taught a high school World Studies class, this game creates a great springboard for experience and discussion. There is a free demo for download so give it a try.