Corporate overachiever and all-around fly chick Shanté Smith thinks she's got the goods to keep her slickster boyfriend Keith, from straying—until he discovers a greener pasture, Shanté's archrival, Conny. Scorned, she plans to get her man back by any means necessary.

After being dumped by his model girlfriend, aspiring writer Quincy Watson quits his job and is inspired to pen the ultimate how-to book on breaking up. When it becomes a smash bestseller, he starts giving his player cousin, Evan, choice tips on how to win the battle of the sexes. After Evan's beautiful girlfriend, Nikki, utters the words "we need to talk", Evan panics and decides to leave her before she can leave him. But when Nikki realizes Evan's connection to break-up guru Quincy, it's these players that end up getting played.

Shanté Smith has moved to Atlanta where she's the Love Doctor, a relationship expert who uses her knowledge of the male psyche to help women get what they want. Tiffany contacts her after she catches her boyfriend, Byron, in a clinch with his boss, Carla, right after he wins a competition called "The Trainee." Shanté initiates a five-step program for Tiffany while Byron seeks advice from his best friend, Gizzard. Then, Bryon consults Shanté: has the Love Doctor switched sides? And, what happens if Byron finds out that Tiffany's playing games? Can true love run without a play book?

In thirty years, the video game has conquered an increasingly wide audience. Drawing on the recent work of economists, sociologists, experts and interviewing major players in this field, this investigation unravels the overwhelming domination of this new mass media.