8 – Bloom – Gaming The Stage

In Gaming the Stage, Gina Bloom explores how the commercial theater of early modern England served as an early form of playable media by staging popular games. She investigates how staged performances of card games, backgammon, and chess trained audiences to understand and engage with the theater. The book examines plays by Shakespeare and his contemporaries, revealing how games shaped audience expectations and transformed spectator consumption into a mode of production. By linking early modern theater with contemporary digital games, Bloom offers new insights into the history of media and the nature of interactive play. Her analysis highlights the theater's role in teaching audiences how to interpret complex narratives and engage with staged representations.

In 'Ready Player Two', Ernest Cline continues the story of Wade Watts after he wins the contest set by OASIS founder James Halliday. Wade discovers a revolutionary new technology, the OASIS Neural Interface (ONI), which enhances the virtual reality experience but also poses significant risks. This discovery sets off a new quest involving a mysterious prize and an impossibly powerful and dangerous new rival. The fate of the OASIS and humanity hangs in the balance as Wade and his friends navigate this new challenge. Despite receiving mixed reviews, the book is known for its imaginative and action-packed adventure through the virtual universe, filled with nostalgic pop culture references.