Buy new:
$24.95
FREE delivery on orders over $35.00 shipped by Amazon.
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery on orders over $35 shipped by Amazon.
Temporarily out of stock.
Order now and we'll deliver when available.
Order now and we'll deliver when available. We'll e-mail you with an estimated delivery date as soon as we have more information. Your account will only be charged when we ship the item.
Details
Want it faster? The Kindle eBook is available now and can be read on any device with the free Kindle app.
$$24.95 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$24.95
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$3.98 delivery May 2 - 3. Details
Used: Good | Details
Sold by glenthebookseller
Condition: Used: Good
Comment: Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc...
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Heather Chaplin
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Smartbomb: The Quest for Art, Entertainment, and Big Bucks in the Videogame Revolution Hardcover – November 4, 2005

by Heather Chaplin (Author), Aaron Ruby (Author)
3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 20 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$24.95","priceAmount":24.95,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"24","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"95","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"6e6QRd91l4ODhry4KBOaCcil%2BTacagoU88ai5xdbK8GYuC6oG1JR4bedIgsxXlTeO2ypMw5MrNEohTvO3cRQ0le1O35yKgISmzMyTzCCQvGjoAmY0iCnHkxLZh4Ga3gFABsFVjUQYzc%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$1.24","priceAmount":1.24,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"1","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"24","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"6e6QRd91l4ODhry4KBOaCcil%2BTacagoUDqrvqG87S4bL29OiNi6OvjRULjy7RR89vQHi72Y8jtni7QNTN73t42IRbFi90amTbkzR6R2VL10JzBJhFEac7uK1nDaX0J9rJfA%2BcCtMWXmBc%2BuLQqd4rXFWafNXN1sLBHPDFJeN7OGHifPZ91RQ9unIazjM792l","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

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.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    288 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Algonquin Books
  4. Publication date
    November 4, 2005
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 1 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1565123468
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1565123465
  8. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Freelance journalists (and married couple) Chaplin and Ruby team up for a wide-ranging look at the video-game industry. They dwell extensively on the corporations behind the games, from Nintendo's humble origins as a playing card manufacturer, to the extravagances of today's most popular game designers, who have earned millions by applying their world-class computer programming skills to increasingly complex imaginary worlds for players to explore, both peaceful (The Sims) and violent (Grand Theft Auto). The game players are the other major part of the story, and Ruby's experiences in the gaming community prove especially helpful as his role-playing character becomes intertwined with that of one of his interview subjects in online multiplayer games like Star Wars Galaxies (Ruby writes this portion in the third person and mentions his wife's frustrations with the time he spends online without naming her, underscoring the duo's efforts to make themselves invisible in the story). Much of the reporting takes place at gaming tournaments and industry expos, reinforcing the circuslike atmosphere. A chapter on the U.S. military's interest in using video games as both recruiting and training tools adds some gravity, but overall it's easiest to appreciate this work as a whirlwind subcultural tour.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School-This thorough history in eight essay-style chapters begins at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in 2001 with CliffyB, a 26-year-old who already had nine years of experience in the industry. The story goes back in time to MIT in the late '50s and the development of the first video game. Moving onward to the present, readers meet developers at Nintendo, the creators of Doom, the developers of the Sims series, and players of Massively Multiplayer Online games. By the book's finish, the arrival of video games as the dominant form of contemporary entertainment could not be made clearer than by the embrace of gaming by two behemoths of industry-the U.S. Military and Microsoft. The essays consist of both first-person interviews and well-noted research and give a holistic picture of how the industry developed the way it did. Lots of numbers and facts back up the popularity of video games-for example, it only took a year for PlayStation2 to appear in 10 million homes, a feat that took the telephone 35 years to accomplish. This immensely readable book will have great appeal with gaming teens, but should also be required reading for librarians interested in learning more about gaming and its role in our culture and our teen-focused libraries.-Jamie Watson, Harford County Public Library, Belcamp, MD
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Algonquin Books; F First Edition (November 4, 2005)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1565123468
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1565123465
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 20 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Heather Chaplin

Heather Chaplin

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9 out of 5
20 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Rui Ferreira
4.0 out of 5 stars Superb Insights and Revelations from Game Land
Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2008
Verified Purchase
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.
Helpful
 Report
Robert Inget
5.0 out of 5 stars A prescient look at computer generated gaming history
Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2013
Verified Purchase
If you are curious about why you no longer see your husband or former boyfriend, read Heather Chaplin's history of
gaming and gain insight.
Not only has role playing become a huge part of the industry of 'entertainment' Ms Chaplin explains how our Armed Services are using games as both training and recruitment tools. The chapter on the Pentagon's attempted takeover
Is stunning. I used the word 'prescient' in my headline because a few years have pasted since the book was published.
The author envisions here so many trends that have, post publication, come to pass. If you are thinking of investing in the industry, want to gain insight into habituation, just curious, steal this book.
Helpful
 Report
Craig Goldenberger
3.0 out of 5 stars Compelling Writing, important subject.
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2013
Verified Purchase
Smartbomb is a well written account that reads as much like a mystery as a history. (I made a rhyme) It is dated, but that is the point. It is written at a point in time when the gaming industry had changed from a garage industry to a corporate juggernaut. Ms. Chaplin has done a very good job describing the frenetic energy of the game makers in their youth. She's captured the innate optism of creating then showed us the first stages of greif as the pioneers see the virtual world they created to create virtual worlds taken back into the real world. She deserves much credit for penetrating this male world and giving it's inhabitants their due. Many would have descended into cliche.
Compelling writing. Important subject. Definitely worth the read. A sequel would be nice.
Helpful
 Report
C. Gerena
4.0 out of 5 stars Great overview of video game history
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2013
Verified Purchase
Smartbomb contains many details that I had not read before about the video game industry, especially the earliest games like Spacewar.
Helpful
 Report
Stephen Grout
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic overview
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2006
Verified Purchase
I read about the videogame industry constantly as part of my job, but I got more of an overview of the pioneers and personalities involved in the development & running of this industry.

The only complaint I had about the book was I thought it should have given more of a background about the 900 lb. gorilla in the industry--Electronic Arts. Even so, a very enjoyable book for anyone interested in how the videogame industry came about & the personalities behind it.
5 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
skooly
4.0 out of 5 stars Just a few points short of a high score...
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2006
THE GOOD: All things considered, Smartbomb is an excellent book. It's well paced and paints an exciting portrait of an exploding industry. Following in the footsteps of "Game Over", "Trigger Happy" and "Joystick Nation" the authors present a dynamic overview of the gaming scene. All the usual suspects are here (Miyamoto, Bushnell, Carmack...). Instead of just rehashing the same stories and personalities found in other books they manage to squeeze out a couple of new gems. Who knew that Will Wright has been working on "Spore" (aka "SimEverything") for 8 years now? Or that he wanted to call "The Sims", "SimDollhouse"? The bits on Miyamoto's family life and a clever retelling of his 'cave games' proved insightful. They also did a great job capturing the inventive atmosphere that spawned video games in the first place. Probably the most interesting (and frightening) section though, featured the American military's take on video games as a recruiting tool. The blunt nature of these conversations and giddy allusions to "Ender's Game" and kid soldiers left my jaw on the floor. The fact that the American government promotes this agenda while demonizing games as corruptors of youth speaks volumes.

THE BAD: As much as I enjoyed reading the accounts of those featured here, the overall aim of the book left something to be desired. While it's true that a Tony Hawk game can sell more copies than a Britney Spears album and no one will know who made it - generating some sort of "star culture" found in other industries won't help. If anything, it will damage the industry. There are already enough megalomaniacs chomping at the bit to earn the label of "the next Carmack" or "the next Miyamoto". The fact of the matter though is that people like Miyamoto and Carmack earned their chops back when teams were smaller, the stakes lower and projects much smaller in scope. Surely there will still be visionary characters that raise everyone else's game but it will most likely be a collection of individuals working together, shaping artificial reality as a cohesive whole. Not very sexy I'm afraid but that's really where we're at.

THE UGLY: This is more of a nit-picky game nerd thing but I found some of the inaccuracies in this book a little disappointing. Crediting Yu Suzuki as the creator of Sonic the Hedgehog is like giving Michelangelo credit for painting the Mona Lisa. Luigi appeared in games before "Super" Mario Brothers, and it's QuakeCo"n" not QuakeCo"m". These are admittedly obnoxious things to point out but it made me wonder if some of the other sections of the book which I wasn't so familiar with were in fact accurate.

Criticism aside I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Hopefully more people will point to this book as a document of the exciting, positive aspects of video game development.
8 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Kimber Edwards
1.0 out of 5 stars Smartbombs
Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2005
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?
16 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Michael Zyda
5.0 out of 5 stars A slice in time of the videogame revolution ...
Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2005
Verified Purchase
This book is an engaging look at some of the movers and shakers in today's videogame production world. The author breathes life into the characters, and she makes you appreciate their humanity, although often her physical descriptions of people tend to be not quite right and sometimes just plain wrong. Is in no way comprehensive but is a quick and fun read on a slice in time of the videogame revolution.
11 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

SquirrelNuts
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 15, 2006
Verified Purchase
Whether you're a gamer or a games designer, you'll find this to be a fascinating read. Both Heather and Aaron weave the kind of prose that make you want to turn just one more page. If you liked books such as 'Masters of Doom', then this is for you. Lots of insight into the companies and individuals that make the games industry what it is.
3 people found this helpful
 Report