Music Video Games takes a look (and listen) at the popular genre of music games – video games in which music is at the forefront of player interaction and gameplay. With chapters on a wide variety of music games, ranging from well-known console games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band to new, emerging games for smartphones and tablets, scholars from diverse disciplines and backgrounds discuss the history, development, and cultural impact of music games.

Each chapter investigates important themes surrounding the ways in which we play music and play with music in video games. Starting with the precursors to music games - including Simon, the hand-held electronic music game from the 1980s, Michael Austin's collection goes on to discuss issues in musicianship and performance, authenticity and “selling out,” and composing, creating, and learning music with video games. Including a glossary and detailed indices, Austin and his team shine a much needed light on the often overlooked subject of music video games.

Introduction - Taking Note of Music Games (Michael Austin, Howard University, USA)
Part One: Preludes & Overtures
Chapter 1 - Simon: The Precursor to Modern Music Video Games (William M. Knoblauch, Finlandia University, USA)
Chapter 2 - The Straightjacket of Diatonicism: Mario Paint vs. Mario Paint Composer (Dana M. Plank-Blasko, Case Western Reserve University, USA)
Chapter 3 - Thematic Associations and Musical Gameplay in The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time (1998) (Stephanie Lind, Queen's University, Canada)
Chapter 4 - Beat It! Playing the 'King of Pop' in Video Games (Melanie Fritsch, University of Bayreuth, UK)
Chapter 5 - Sample Cycle, Sync: The Music Sequencer and its Influence on Music Video Games (Michael Austin, Howard University, USA)
Part Two: Virtuosos, Virtues, & the Virtual
Chapter 6 - Consumerism Hero: The 'Selling Out' of Home Console Band Rhythm Video Games (Mario A. Dozal, University of New Mexico, USA)
Chapter 7 - Uncovering Implicit Music Theories in Rocksmith (Daniel D. O'Meara, Princeton University, USA)
Chapter 8 - Virtual Jam: A Critical Analysis of Virtual Music Game Environments (David Arditi, University of Texas at Arlington, USA)
Part Three: Concerts, Collaboration, & Creativity
Chapter 9 - Invite to Connect: The Emerging Societal Impact of Collaborative Music Video Games (Evan Combs, Connections Education and the The Julliard School, USA)
Chapter 10 - Music-Games and their Potential for Musical and Performative Creativity (Gianna Cassidy, Glasgow Caledonian University, UK and David Roesner, University of Kent, UK)
Chapter 11 - FourPlay: Using a Collaborative Game to Teach Music Appreciation (Monica Evans/Kathryn Evans/Robert Xavier Rodriguez, University of Texas at Dallas, USA)
Chapter 12 - Music Composition and/as Level Design in Rhythm Heaven (Peter Schultz, University of Chicago, USA)
Chapter 13 - Pitching the Rhythm: Music Games for the iPad (Nathan Fleshner, Stephen F. Austin State University, USA)

Glossary of Gaming and Musical Terms
About the Contributors
Index of Authors
Index of Games
General Index