Everything to Play For: An Insider's Guide to How Videogames are Changing Our World

An insider’s account of the videogame industry telling how gaming can become a force for good

Everything To Play For asks if videogames can achieve egalitarian goals instead of fuelling hyper-materialist, reactionary agendas. Combining cultural theory and materialist critiques with accessible language and personal anecdotes, industry insider Marijam Did engages both novices and seasoned connoisseurs. From the innovations of Pong and Doom to the intricate multiplayer or narrative-driven games, the author highlights the multifaceted stories of the gaming communities and the political actors who organise among them. Crucially, the focus also includes the people who make the games, shedding light on the brutal processes necessary to bring titles to the public.

The videogame industry, now larger than the film and music industries combined, has a proven ability to challenge the status quo. With a rich array of examples, Did argues for a nuanced understanding of gaming’s influence so that this extraordinary power can be harnessed for good.

Marijam Did has worked within the videogames industry for many years, currently at AAA studios. In 2019, she was nominated for Games Industry.biz’s 100 Women in Games as well as Campaigner of The Year at MCV UK Awards.  She has written about the industry in Guardian, VICE, GamesIndustry.biz, Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. She is also currently a Lecturer at Royal Holloway, University of London. Previously she has been the Chair Of Communications Committee for Game Workers Unite International - an organisation assisting in unionising the global videogames industry. She also cofounded GWU UK - the first legal trade union that has come out of the movement.