When Palladas, the Greek poet who flourished in the 4th century AD, said that life is but a game, he hardly could have imagined how pervasive games could become in every aspect of our modern lives. From security training simulations to war games to role-playing games, to sports games to gambling, playing video games has become a social phenomena and the increasing number of players that cross gender, culture, and age is on a dramatic upward trajectory. "Playing Video Games: Motives, Responses, and Consequences" integrates communication, psychology, and technology to examine the psychological and mediated aspects of playing video games. It is the first volume to delve deeply into these aspects of computer game play. It fits squarely into the media psychology arm of entertainment studies, which promises to be the next big wave in media studies. The book targets one of the most popular and pervasive media in modern times, and it will serve to define the area of study and provide a theoretical spine for future research.