Smartbomb: The Quest for Art, Entertainment, and Big Bucks in the Videogame Revolution
January 1st, 2010
Product Description What started as a game of Pong, with little blips dancing across a computer screen, has evolved into a multi-billion-dollar industry that is changing the future, making inroads into virtually all aspects of our culture. Who are the minds behind this revolution? How did it happen? Where is it headed? In Smartbomb, journalists Heather Chaplin and Aaron Ruby take the reader behind the scenes at gaming conventions, into powerhouse think tanks where new games are created, into the thick of the competition at cyberathlete tournaments, and into the homes of gamers for whom playing a role in a virtual world has assumed more relevance and reality than life in the real world.
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5 Responses to “Smartbomb: The Quest for Art, Entertainment, and Big Bucks in the Videogame Revolution”
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New Yorker goes to the Left Coast, doesn’t understand what she sees and hears, writes quotes out of context and without any insight or understanding into the logic or philosophy behind those quotes, insults the talented people she’s interviewing because they aren’t fashionable enough for her (and apparently that’s crucial for writing a book), then gives them a hug and says she likes being their friend. Couldn’t she have gleaned real insight from having spent substantial time with these fascinating people?
Rating: 1 / 5
I liked the book… a must-read for anyone in the industry or who wants to open the kimono on the industry.
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Rating: 4 / 5
This book is very well written, with a fun and engaging style a bit similar to other great books like “Hackers” and “Masters of Doom”. This one seems a bit as a rehash on those classic books, but it has its own merits. The best chapter is the one telling the Will Wright story, with the worst chapter being what should have been the best, talking about “Dallas, the first person shooter capital”, they talked too much about game contests and less about the creators of the games.
If you want a truly, superb, amazing and mind-blowing account of game making from grass-roots to success and downfall I must recommend “Masters of Doom”. Its just the best one out there. Its my personal choice.
That said, I enjoyed this book, the Will Wright story probably pays itself, and its a fair complement to my collection.
Rating: 4 / 5
Smartbomb is a great book for anyone interested in the gaming industry. Whether you’re currently working in (or trying to get in) the industry or if you’re just the casual gamer that sometimes wonders who are some of the people that put out the top games. The people the authors “hang out with” throughout the book are icons of the gaming industry. Guys like Shigeru Myiamoto (Nintendo), Will Wright (The Sims), John Carmack (Doom), and many others are talked about in the book. Also, the book focus on some of the people and events that have made the game industry a huge success. Events such as CPL and GDC are just two of the many events covered throughout the book.
The only downside (if you can call it that) was the way the setting and time would change randomly within the same chapter. Other than that, the book is flawless.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn a little something about the “behind-the-scenes” business side of the gaming industry.
Rating: 4 / 5
Although the first book by either of the authors, they manage to keep the reader engaged from cover to cover. I could hardly put the book down, although it helps to be in an airport for several hours w/ nothing else to do.
The book gives a thorough history of videogames (both platforms and games), and then progesses to give a well-written, engaging narrative of a MMORPG gamer along with a preview of where the videogame industry is headed. And it’s headed more and more towards the mainstream of 21st century culture.
Not only does this book include the obvious things (Atari, Nintendo, Doom, Quake, and the Sims) but it also gives insight into why the videogame revolution–if one can call it that–is so vibrant and why it will continue to flourish.
This book is a great read for anyone whether you are a hard core gamer, a casual gamer, non-gamer, or just intersted in reading a good book. I highly recommend it to anyone. A very well-written and researched short read.
Rating: 5 / 5