Customer Reviews

Secrets of the Game Business, 2nd Ed.

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Note the title carefully, this book is about the Game BUSINESS. It is not a programming manual, it is not on how to design games, it is about the business aspects of the gaming industry. It is written by professionals in that business.

This book is a collection of some twenty-six essays written by professionals in all aspects of the game business. They are broken down into five sections:

The Game Business Then and Now
Publishers and Developers
Startups
Bringing Games to Market
Managing Game Production.

The essays vary in quality and content. Some are much better written than others, some don't seem to have much in either quality or content. All in all, a professional in the gaming industry probably knows all this, but that's not who the book is for. If, on the other hand, you are thinking of starting a gaming software company, there's a lot here.

This is the second edition of the book, updated and expanded.

I would say that if You are planning to take part in Gamebusiness this is the first book best to read: it gives You the sense of how homplicated on a marketing side, on a game success side business is. I'd say that After Ive read it I got a little bit scared of spending my time in game business. There's also a chapter that is called smt like: Don't try to Compete with half-life 2 - haha that killed me! But I have studied management in UMISt in Manchester and the book lost all my interest after Ive read exactly half of it: All i did then is list the topics and only read what is particularlyt interesting to me. This book is talking broadly and veen though it gives examples of some downs and ups it gives little info on how to solve in particular some of the problems! It just says: do this do this do this but it really does not specify very concrete things like e.g. what step # 1 involves (it would ahve been nice to aleast add tables that include the very specifics of development). e.g. it says step #3 is process (but it does not specify that engine is made here and so on) basically its more managerial and is very low suited book for individuals who wnat to make games in small groups or alone. But for non freelancers it does give good overview of teh business!

A great collection of articles that illustrate the complex and challenging world of the videogame business. While it's written with developers in mind, the wisdom in its pages will also be useful for professionals in the publishing side, and in general to anyone looking to get a better view of the whole picture of game business.

I bought this book as research for a class, but it was not as informative as the description led me to believe.