Gamers at Work: Stories Behind the Games People Play 1st ed. Edition

by Morgan Ramsay (Author), Peter Molyneux (Foreword)

20 ratings

ISBN-13: 978-1430233510

ISBN-10: 1430233516

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There are few companies in the video-game industry that have withstood the test of time; most startups exit as quickly as they enter. In Gamers at Work: Stories Behind the Games People Play, the countless challenges of building successful video game developers and publishers in this unstable industry are explored through interviews containing entertaining stories, humorous anecdotes, and lessons learned the hard way.

Gamers at Work presents an inside look at how 18 industry leaders play the odds, seize opportunities, and transform small businesses into great businesses. Here, in Gamers at Work, you will find their stories replete with their personal struggles, corporate intrigue, and insights into strategy, leadership, and management.

Gamers at Work:

Explores the formation of entertainment software companies from the perspectives of successful founders who played the odds
Provides insight into why experienced professionals sacrifice the comfort of gainful employment for the uncertainty and risk of the startup
Shares the experiences and lessons that shape the lives, decisions, and struggles of entrepreneurs in this volatile business

Featured Entrepreneurs:

Trip Hawkins, Electronic Arts (Madden NFL)
Nolan Bushnell, Atari (Pong)
Wild Bill Stealey, MicroProse Software (Sid Meier's Civilization)
Tony Goodman, Ensemble Studios (Age of Empires)
Feargus Urquhart, Obsidian Entertainment (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II)
Tim Cain, Troika Games (Arcanum, Vampire: The Masquerade--Bloodlines)
Warren Spector, Junction Point Studios (Disney Epic Mickey)
Doug and Gary Carlston, Broderbund Software (Prince of Persia, Carmen Sandiego)
Don Daglow, Stormfront Studios (Neverwinter Nights, Tony La Russa Baseball)
John Smedley, Verant Interactive (EverQuest, PlanetSide)
Ken Williams, Sierra On-Line (King's Quest, Leisure Suit Larry)
Lorne Lanning, Oddworld Inhabitants (Oddworld)
Chris Ulm, Appy Entertainment (FaceFighter, Trucks & Skulls)
Tobi Saulnier, 1st Playable (Kung Zhu, Yogi Bear)
Christopher Weaver, Bethesda Softworks (The Elder Scrolls)
Jason Rubin, Naughty Dog (Crash Bandicoot, Jak and Daxter)
Ted Price, Insomniac Games (Spyro, Ratchet & Clank)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A critical resource for new and experienced business leaders." -Peter Molyneux OBE, video game pioneer

"Gamers at Work explores every imaginable subtlety of the video game industry." -Hal Halpin, president, Entertainment Consumers Association

"Some of the most interesting and methodical interviews I've read." -Simon Carless, chairman, Game Developers Choice Awards

"I couldn't have dreamed of ever getting the amount of advice that is contained within this book." -Josh Fairhurst, cofounder, Mighty Rabbit Studios

"An often historical and surprisingly personal look at how to start, leave, and rebuild companies." -VentureBeat

About the Author

Morgan Ramsay, author of Gamers at Work: Stories Behind the Games People Play and Online Game Pioneers at Work, has interviewed 53 leaders in entertainment, technology, and sports, such as Electronic Arts founder Trip Hawkins, Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen, and DeNA chairwoman Tomoko Namba. Visit his website at MorganRamsay.com.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Apress; 1st ed. edition (February 8, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 369 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1430233516
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1430233510
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.16 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.01 x 0.81 x 10 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,727,107 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #400 in E-Commerce (Books)
- #585 in Business Entrepreneurship
- #592 in Computing Industry History

Customer Reviews:
20 ratings

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Morgan Ramsay

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Morgan Ramsay is the author of the critically acclaimed books "Gamers at Work" and "Online Game Pioneers at Work" which have been hailed as "extraordinary," "astounding," and "a critical resource" by some of the world's most successful technology and entertainment leaders.

Considered one of the game industry's top interviewers, he has interviewed a record 53 CEOs, such as private astronaut Richard Garriott, Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen, and DeNA chairwoman Tomoko Namba. Simon Carless, chairman of the Game Developers Choice Awards, called his work "some of the most interesting and methodical interviews I've read."

For nearly 20 years, Morgan has worked in a diverse range of disciplines, recently serving as Producer and QA Director at Pixelmage Games, a studio founded by the creators of EverQuest, until its acquisition by Amazon Game Studios. Previously, he was President & CEO at Entertainment Media Council, the association for game industry leaders; and Managing Director & Chief Brand Architect at Heretic, where he led communications for small business and Fortune Global 500 clients.

Customer reviews

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4 star		19%
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Top reviews from the United States

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Amazon Customer

A Good Book About the Business of Software, Not Just Games

Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2013

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Don't buy this book thinking it's all about games. It's not.

This book is about the business of software and software start ups. Those start ups build games instead of social media connectors (or whatever it is most software start ups do these days).

You will find some interesting stories about the early days of video games and the founders of these companies.

The real value of this book is the experiences of the entrepreneurs who built these gaming companies. I think there are a lot of great lessons and some good advice in this book.

My complaint is (as it is with all these "at work" books) is sometimes, the interviewees say something really interesting and instead of picking up on this an expanding, the interviewer will ask about something completely unrelated. It's frustrating, but only a minor issue.

3 people found this helpful

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Zeh

Good but business-oriented

Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2013

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Word of advice: this book focuses more on the business side of things rather than the development side of things (think "Founders at work", not "Coders at work"). And I have to say I expected more from the author; some questions are hit-and-miss, failing to follow up on very interesting topics or just making the conversation confusing. Or maybe I'm just biased the author is a self-described "serial entrepreneur" rather that a developer. Still, this is mandatory read for anyone who's interested in game development, if anything to show how difficult things can be from a management perspective and for some candid, very interesting personal stories.

5 people found this helpful

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Thomas B

Phenomenal insight into your favorite game makers

Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2014

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As a software developer, I love to read about other developers: how did they solve problems, what was most difficult for them and from their own mouths. This book delivers exceptionally well and might be the best book in it's class. The next best book is probably Racing the Beam, which has lessons for everyone on so many different levels.

Gamers at Work fills the role nicely as well. It tells the story of many developers from different eras and their trials as they delivered the marquee games of their generation. This was a great read.

2 people found this helpful

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Awful Scribbles

Well written and entertaining

Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2013

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A really nicely written insight into the gaming industry and the people that shaped it. Priceless for anyone that wants to get an insight into the industry!

One person found this helpful

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Lisa wigget

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2015

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good

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Josh

A great book all around

Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2012

I ordered this book completely out of the blue with absolutely no real idea of what to expect. It turned out that this book was one of the most relevant books I could have ever purchased. In August of 2010, I founded Mighty Rabbit Studios, a small independent game studio in Raleigh, NC. I've spoken with several industry vets about starting the company, but I couldn't have dreamed of ever getting the amount of advice that is contained within this book. This book was designed specifically to help aspiring entrepreneurs in the video game industry, and it excels at that. If you have the desire to open your own game studio, this is a book you must read.

13 people found this helpful

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D. G. Rosenthal

A fascinating behind the scenes look

Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2012

Morgan Ramsay provides an insightful and fascinating glimpse into the way the games so many of us love are actually developed. Most people never think beyond "Oh yeah, some geeks just got together and used their nerd magic to make Gears of Duty 4: San Andreas, and bro this is awesome." But the games industry is a mature, developed field with careful thought and inspiration behind what makes hit games. Morgan's connections allowed him access to some of the most important names in the industry, with collective centuries of game design experience among them. It's well worth a read for anyone planning a career in the games industry, or for those who simply want to know a little more about the people who populate it.

5 people found this helpful

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Mr. Paul Carter

Fantastic

Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2012

This book is a great insight into the minds of some of the most influential and pioneering people in the games industry past and present.

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

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Amazion

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 27, 2017

Verified Purchase

Very interesting book.

Carlos Urtasun Estanga

Un muy buen libro de una excelente serie.

Reviewed in Spain on October 20, 2012

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La serie "At work" que viene publicando Apress es muy recomendable.

El libro que nos ocupa contiene una serie de entrevistas a diferentes empresarios y desarrolladores de videojuegos: desde históricos como Nolan Bushnell, de Atari, a nombres más recientes como Ted Price, de Insomniac Games.

Todos aportan su visión acerca de sus inicios en esta actividad, la forma de entender el negocio y de los factores que les han llevado al éxito.

2 people found this helpful

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mtarzaim

Let's do business. Game business.

Reviewed in France on October 12, 2012

Verified Purchase

There's more and more books about (video) games.
How they succeed. How they failed. How they turn you into a genius or a serial killer.
We know their history. We know their pionners. We know their highs and lows.
We know how to make them. Who did. And why.
But what do we know about the video game business?
What's about the behind the scenes, where ambitions clash, dreams shutter and victories turn into defeats?

Very little in fact, and this book is exactly about this subject.

See it as a collection of The Making of Prince of Persia , turned into an interview of a few dozen of pages, each of them staring a game businessman talking about his turf. Relevant people discussing about relevant experiences.
Each of them has his own take on video games. Some glorify it, some spit on it, some just enjoy it for what they can muster. A plethora of stories, some successful, some bitter, from people behind the most iconic, awarded or big budgeted interactive creations of this young industry.

Amazon Customer

Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada on March 9, 2016

Verified Purchase

Great book. Very inspirational.

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Gamers at Work: Stories Behind the Games People Play 1st ed. Edition

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