I was inspired by Liz Danforth’s article and Justin’s response — how can we as librarians broaden the experience of gaming for our patrons, and empower them to connect their passion for games with other things that might interest them? Liz had some great suggestions (I’m particularly intrigued by World of Warcraft and Philosophy), one of which was to pull books from the shelves to put out during gaming events. This idea, coupled with the “Like this? Try this” concept that Amazon and Netflix have used to great success with their recommendations, led me here:

Bioshock

Bioshock is one of my favorite games, so I thought I’d use it as a jumping-off point. What books would I suggest for someone who enjoyed the game? Well, Atlas Shrugged is a natural choice, as it was one of the primary inspirations behind the game. But Chuck Palahniuk‘s books also might be of interest — they’re edgy and violent, and have some amazing and unexpected twists, so it’s the narrative structure that’s the tie-in here. Fight Club and Choke are both excellent, with great movie adaptations.

Speaking of movies, what about suggestions for them? Visually, Bioshock gives us a lot to work with — Metropolis is a classic that also inspired the makers of the game, and City of Lost Children has some of the same thematic elements, as well as a dark, fantastic steampunk setting where Big Daddies would fit right in.

But “broadening the experience” doesn’t mean we have to leave out other games — as Craig’s last post illustrates, games are evolving past button-mashing to become rich, immersive story experiences. Craig gives some great suggestions of other story-rich games that Bioshock fans might enjoy. In terms of gameplay, Dead Space covers a lot of similar ground, and has the same dark, ominous feel that Bioshock cultivates so well. An older but extremely well-received game that combines the dystopian theme with role-play and first-person shooter elements is Deus Ex (and its sequel, Deus Ex: Invisible War).

Any popular game could be a starting point for a display or recommendation list. Try it — what would you recommend for someone who loves Modern Warfare 2, Mass Effect or Assassin’s Creed?