The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
rsaguilar's review against another edition
4.0
Exciting and enjoyable! Each chapter is a story about development of a different video game and never felt like a lag in the pace.
benrogerswpg's review against another edition
4.0
I found this a pretty fun and interesting book.
I had a small idea about the pressure of game devs, but this book put that on the forefront. This book was stressful!
I am glad to be a programmer!
I particularly enjoyed reading the stories of some of the big games I have played.
I highly recommend if you are a gamer (I'm a former gamer).
3.8/5
I had a small idea about the pressure of game devs, but this book put that on the forefront. This book was stressful!
I am glad to be a programmer!
I particularly enjoyed reading the stories of some of the big games I have played.
I highly recommend if you are a gamer (I'm a former gamer).
3.8/5
mattwhitby's review against another edition
5.0
Thirty years of coding and it's always interesting to read about large projects. I would have liked more about how teams consisting of hundreds of people were managed, but it was still a fun read.
ameliareadsstuff's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
A great insight into the video game industry in the mid-2010's, through the story of ten different games (nine of which actually came out). A fascinating behind-the-scenes look, and a really enjoyable read. The indie game chapters in particular were especially interesting when contrasted with how things were handled in the bigger studio games.
It's a little less critical of the insane working conditions that plague pretty much every game in this book than it could be, but I believe Schreier's 2021 follow-up covers this subject more directly. Looking forward to reading it, though it sounds like it ends up being pretty bleak!
It's a little less critical of the insane working conditions that plague pretty much every game in this book than it could be, but I believe Schreier's 2021 follow-up covers this subject more directly. Looking forward to reading it, though it sounds like it ends up being pretty bleak!
lehrules's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This book provided great insight into the woes of game development across a swath of different environments, team sizes, and budgets. From the One Man Army of Stardew Valley developer Eric Barone to the collective efforts of hundreds at Bioware in their journey to finish Dragon Age: Inquisition.Â
Jason Schreier opened a window into the studio of which I had not looked through before.Â
Jason Schreier opened a window into the studio of which I had not looked through before.Â
adeleighpenguin's review against another edition
4.0
So fascinating. I’m heartbroken about Star Wars 1313. Disney really sucks sometimes. Basically, I’m inclined to NEVER try to work in game development, but I also feel like I’ll appreciate games more after reading.
voxlunae's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Fuck it, I'm gonna make a video game.
Really dug this. I'm a fan of Schreier through his games journalism and podcast, Triple Click, and I really enjoyed the style of reporting and storytelling here. Also, the audiobook, read by Ray Chase, is great.Â
Really dug this. I'm a fan of Schreier through his games journalism and podcast, Triple Click, and I really enjoyed the style of reporting and storytelling here. Also, the audiobook, read by Ray Chase, is great.Â
anthonylwolf's review against another edition
4.0
Anger. Awe. Relief. This and more I felt as I was flicking through Jason's brilliant recount of the video games industry and its struggles, following the tales of some of the most successful and fascinating games in the past decade. To a gamer who loves certain developers just as much as the games they craft, this book is a heart-shattering experience. It features a detailed account of many hopes, dreams and abuses from either management or power, which sometimes are annoyingly shrugged off and dismissed as "the norm" in the video game industry.
In Jason's defence, I know where it all comes from. As a game reporter, his only self-proclaimed role in this book was to – well – report the stories of the people he interviewed. In doing so, however, Jason somehow allowed a dangerous undertone to sit throughout the entire book: that crunch is somehow justifiable, that abuse from publishers and holding companies is just how the industry works, and that you should be expected to give up your social life and/or relationships if you are working on a hit game. I doubt this happens anywhere else in the entertainment world.
Yet, from Pillars of Eternity to the disastrous story of Star Wars 1313 (really, Disney?), Jason goes a long way to ensure his book is not filled with unexplained jargon and is perfectly readable by anyone who is or isn't an avid gamer with an interest in the industry. The whole book is a love letter to the stories and games that Jason himself loved, it feels personal in some places, and incredibly charming throughout.
I am eager to read Jason's new book, Press Reset, soon. However, following the backlash of Cyberpunk 2077 and the resurfacing of the issue of crunch in the mainstream game press, I can't help but wonder if his recount will be less conceding, next time around.
In Jason's defence, I know where it all comes from. As a game reporter, his only self-proclaimed role in this book was to – well – report the stories of the people he interviewed. In doing so, however, Jason somehow allowed a dangerous undertone to sit throughout the entire book: that crunch is somehow justifiable, that abuse from publishers and holding companies is just how the industry works, and that you should be expected to give up your social life and/or relationships if you are working on a hit game. I doubt this happens anywhere else in the entertainment world.
Yet, from Pillars of Eternity to the disastrous story of Star Wars 1313 (really, Disney?), Jason goes a long way to ensure his book is not filled with unexplained jargon and is perfectly readable by anyone who is or isn't an avid gamer with an interest in the industry. The whole book is a love letter to the stories and games that Jason himself loved, it feels personal in some places, and incredibly charming throughout.
I am eager to read Jason's new book, Press Reset, soon. However, following the backlash of Cyberpunk 2077 and the resurfacing of the issue of crunch in the mainstream game press, I can't help but wonder if his recount will be less conceding, next time around.