The Legend of the Syndicate: A History of Online Gaming's Premier Guild [Paperback]

Sean Stalzer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 2007

Embark on a fascinating look at the history of Online Gaming through the eyes of one of the most successful online organizations in the history of gaming. Discover the origins of the modern gaming era. Relive the challenges and triumphs that helped shape The Syndicate and, by extension, the development of a community of more than 8 million people from around the world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is by far the best book about online gaming I ve ever read. --John Smedley, Co-Creator of Everquest and President of Sony Online Entertainment

About the Author

Sean Stalzer has been the Guildmaster of The Syndicate since 1996. Sean is married and has two children, and he lives in Virginia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Avari Press (August 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933770023
• ISBN-13: 978-1933770024
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #952,657 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Insight into Online Gaming Guilds, June 19, 2007

By 

D. Dietrich (NJ USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Legend of the Syndicate: A History of Online Gaming's Premier Guild (Paperback)

I found Legend: The Syndicate to be a very interesting read. As a veteran player of MMORPGs (massive, multi-player online role-playing games), beginning with Ultima Online 9 years ago, I found the UO parts to be a real walk down memory lane. Though I played on a different shard (server) than The Syndicate, Stalzer has captured the flavor of the epic role-playing battles I used to enjoy back in that game and today in World of Warcraft. He also gives a peek into the social aspect of online gaming that makes them so much more multi-dimensional than console gaming.



This book gives one an insight into what makes an online gaming guild and what it takes to make one great. It is recommended reading for anyone wanting to form an online gaming guild or enhance an existing guild. It will also give players an idea of what they should look for in a gaming guild.



I watched Discovery HD's Gamer Generation the other day and it got me thinking how these virtual worlds we inhabit are changing the way people communicate. This book gives one a glimpse into the world of virtual gamers. Not surprisingly, gamers are ordinary folk, who have discovered a form of interactive entertainment, which is far more engaging than television. It is facinating to see how this virtual world is beginning to mesh into real life, as online gamers meet at conferences like the annual guild conferences of The Syndicate.



While not an academic work, Legend: The Syndicate gives a personal account of online gaming and the guilds that inhabit it. I still think it will be useful for academics seeking insights into this new field of research. Those looking for a more statistical approach to the subject of online gaming should check out Nick Yee's Daedalus Project. http://www.nickyee.com/daedalus/.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Legend: The Syndicate, June 21, 2007

By 

D. J. Larkin "-DigitalHerring-" (Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Legend of the Syndicate: A History of Online Gaming's Premier Guild (Paperback)

This was a wonderful read for me. I am of the older generation of folks who got involved in gaming in the early 80's, and have played in many of the big MMOs mentioned in Legend: The Syndicate. I even recognize the Guild credo LLTS as their reputation has been discussed for years now.

As other readers have mentioned, this is an incredible guild story that talks about the evolution of online gaming over the last decade and how this guild weathered the storms and was able to not only persist, but to reach new levels of camaraderie and member participation rarely if ever seen; and certainly not over the span of better than a decade.

Use it as a handbook for guild formation and delivery. It provides the critical concepts of "people" and "process" for "results" in a virtual online community. It is obvious that with all of the momentum and achievement Stalzer has described about The Syndicate in the book, that much of that success has to point back to the Leadership that Sean Stalzer must demonstrate to his guild members as the Guild Master. It is also obvious that just like a successful Leader in business today, he has surrounded himself with key identities whom he can trust and rely upon.

The stories are rich with adventure and were a joy to read and imagine. I really liked this book and highly recommend it to anyone interested in gaming, online gaming, or online or virtual communities.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The MMO Revolution!, June 20, 2007

By 

Byron J. Alcid (Chandler, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Legend of the Syndicate: A History of Online Gaming's Premier Guild (Paperback)

It's simply incredible! Stalzer takes you on a colorful journey through the roots of MMO gaming to what it has become today, Massive! He delves into guild life and the principles which warranted his guild's success as an online community rather than a typical guild. The Syndicate is truly a premier and the most renown MMO guild in history. This book is highly recommended to gaming enthusiasts, guildmasters, and naturally the online community whom wants to learn more about the history and MMO revolution through the Syndicate's perspective.