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.
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Book Description
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.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful
By D. Dietrich
Format: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/.
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
By D. J. Larkin
Format: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.
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
Format: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.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
yes I am biased from personal experience
The guild creator (and probably the same guy who is hocking this book + wrote it) runs The Syndicate like a business, not like a guild. Read more
Published on January 19, 2008 by Adam Graves
1.0 out of 5 stars
Great Idea, Very Flawed Execution
This book really embodies a great idea that suffers from a very amateurish execution. This is one of the first (if not only) books focused on describing the history of an online... Read more
Published on January 3, 2008 by S. Sztuk
2.0 out of 5 stars
Its a Recruitment Tool
The Legend of the Sydicate, while a good book overall for the MMO Industry, didn't live up to my expectations. The book goes over the same few topics over and over. Read more
Published on December 20, 2007 by C. D. Molloy
5.0 out of 5 stars
How to guide to build a guild
This book should be used as a blueprint for how to build a guild in a MMORPG. Yes, The Syndicate started in the perfect storm, but it was true leadership from Dragons and others... Read more
Published on November 4, 2007 by G. Micher
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting, but flawed
I picked up this book after reading about it on Slashdot. I play World of Warcraft and help manage a guild, so I was interested in the subject matter. Read more
Published on October 31, 2007 by C. Ciancutti
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great insights into organizational structure
Anyone who has ever been an active member in a sports club, volunteer organization, amateur theater company, band or church group knows one thing:
People problems are... Read more
People problems are... Read more
Published on August 15, 2007 by Philip Willis
4.0 out of 5 stars
Unique opportunity to look inside a long running Online Guild
If I could I would assign 4.5 stars as this book stumbles a bit on the structure. Fortunately it more than makes up for it in unique and interesting content. Read more
Published on August 9, 2007 by T. Martin
5.0 out of 5 stars
From MMO cyberspace with love,
To try and call this book a gaming book is an easy thing to do. It's influences from video games and the surrounding culture is evident but what you find when you actually read... Read more
Published on August 3, 2007 by C. A. Hunt
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent book!
This is a excellent, very well written book. Discover the fantastic organization and leadership it takes to create a long term successful, massive MMORP guild. Read more
Published on June 29, 2007 by Samantha L. Houp
5.0 out of 5 stars
Informative and Fun
The Legend of the Syndicate is a wonderfully written book that provides real insight into the inner workings of a great guild. Read more
Published on June 28, 2007 by Michael Halsey
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