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The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers Volume 2: Monochrome Paperback – November 4, 2015

by John Szczepaniak (Author)

54 ratings

Book 2 of 3: The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers

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Nearly 400 pages and over 30 interviews, with exclusive content on the history of Japanese games. The origins of Hudson, Masaya's epic robot sagas, Nintendo's funding of a PlayStation RTS, detailed history of Westone Entertainment, and a diverse range of unreleased games. Includes exclusive office layout maps, design documents, and archive photos.

In a world first - something no other journalist has dared examine - there's candid discussion on the involvement of Japan's yakuza in the industry.

Forewords by Retro Gamer founding editor Martyn Carroll and game history professor Martin Picard.

Print length

396 pages
Language

English
Publication date

November 4, 2015
Dimensions

7.44 x 0.9 x 9.69 inches
ISBN-10

1518655319
ISBN-13

978-1518655319
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Szczepaniak is a journalist, novelist, and copy editor. He's written for Retro Gamer, GamesTM, Official PlayStation Magazine, Game Developer Magazine, Gamasutra, The Escapist, GameFAN MkII, nRevolution, 360 Magazine, Play UK, X360, Go>Play, Next3, The Gamer's Quarter, Retro Survival, NTSC-uk, Tom's Hardware Guide, Insomnia, GameSetWatch, Shenmue Dojo, Pixel Nation, plus others. He frequently contributes to Hardcore Gaming 101, where he helped put together The Guide to Classic Graphic Adventures book, and was managing editor on the Sega Arcade Classics Volume 1 book. John has been doing this for over 10 years, and has interviewed over 200 people. He also enjoyed a six month stint as Staff Writer on Retro Gamer and three years as sub-editor at Time Warner. He's licensed by the UK's Royal Yachting Association as a naval skipper, and also holds a Marine Radio Operator's license. MENSA certified, speaks Japanese, programs indie games, and brews wine.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1st edition (November 4, 2015)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 396 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1518655319
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1518655319
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.94 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.44 x 0.9 x 9.69 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #658,663 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,367 in Video & Computer Games
- #1,659 in Computer & Video Game Strategy Guides

Customer Reviews:
54 ratings

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4.7 out of 5

54 global ratings

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Amazon Customer

Great interviews you won't see anywhere else

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 9, 2019

Verified Purchase

It's hard to believe how many things had to go right for even the first book to exist. That there are two more chapters is nothing short of a miracle. There's not much in the way of interviews with Japanese game developers from the 80s and 90s even in Japanese, let alone English.

Volume 2 adds more depth to a lot of the content in Volume 1, with some new interviewees calling back to prior interviews and projects mentioned in those. There's more Hudson content in here than you'll find in a lot of places, and Szczepaniak is a skilled interviewer at getting hesitant interviewees to share more info that might never have been verified otherwise.

Helpful

Anthony Ernst

Nothing like this has EVER been done before -- to this ...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 13, 2015

Verified Purchase

What I'm about to say for Volume 2, also holds true for Volume 1. If one grew-up in the 80s/90s era of gaming, and was a true fan of video games....one MUST BUY this book (as well as volume 1). Nothing like this has EVER been done before -- to this great length of detail. It's a mircale it happened (all of these one-on-one interviews and behind-the-scenes stories)! There is a reason volume one was translated into other languages and why even the Japanese took note of this....its historical and attains viewpoints from the workers themselves...firsthand accounts. Don't miss this, and please support it so Volume 3 can become a reality!

6 people found this helpful

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Zorn Harbleen

Super cool book.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 27, 2017

Verified Purchase

Super interesting read. If you like old Japanese games are are in to Japan's golden years from the last century this is a super fun read and you need to pick it up. Not much else I can say. It indeed it The Untold History of Japanese (Video)Game Developers.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 25, 2015

Verified Purchase

I love this book. I don't usually write reviews, but I'm doing this one so that anyone on the fence will know how phenomenal this book is and what an undertaking it was to create. I want to support this book because the fate of the third volume rests on the success of this one.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Alan Robinson

boring

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 13, 2020

Verified Purchase

I love video games and I generally love video game books, but this was too much minutia about people who made 80s erra video games in japan. None of the technical details that make this kind of thing pop, at least for me.

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Serge

stories about how the greatest hits of the past were made

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 22, 2016

Verified Purchase

A must-read book for everyone who is interested in retro games and history of videogaming. Interviews, stories about how the greatest hits of the past were made, developers comments, game artwork, unused levels and characters and much more.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 16, 2017

Verified Purchase

Absolutely fantastic and detailed. So in-depth I can't even figure out what to say. This is a massive book (in size and goodness). I can't believe this exists.

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Phil

A must-have for fans of game dev, game design, game history, or anyone who wants a window into the creators of a paradigm shift!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 23, 2016

Verified Purchase

I am pathologically curious, and own over 500 non-fiction books. This is one of the best books I have ever encountered in my entire life. (Of course, I am a huge game enthusiast).

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Merman

A second volume packed with fascinating game development stories from Japan

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 5, 2015

Verified Purchase

John's second volume looking at the history of Japanese games development is packed with facts, anecdotes and previously unseen material. Over 396 pages it tells the story of several major developers and labels through the stories of the people that worked there.

John's in-depth research and tenacity creates a must-read for any fan of Japanese games, and anyone into retro gaming would do well to see just what went on in Japan. John does not shy away from tricky subjects. In a book about the past it is quite fitting to end with short interviews that look to the future, with John providing a list of over 100 Japanese games from the last generation (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, DS, PC) that defy the myth that Japanese game development is declining.

Packed with fascinating illustrations and photos, the cover was exclusively designed by artist Satoshi Nakai.

Volume 1 was exceptional and is still available - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Untold-History-Japanese-Game-Developers/dp/0992926025/
Volume 2 builds on that, telling new stories and hidden details, including a previously unknown PlayStation strategy game.

Volume 3 will only happen with good sales of volumes 1 and 2 - I implore anyone who has any interest in the subject to buy one or both to make it happen.

One person found this helpful

James Molloy

Niche but necessary.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 13, 2017

Verified Purchase

Runs a little more smoothly than the first installment. Tons of information you'd never read elsewhere. If Szczepaniak keeps writing these I'll keep reading them. Lots of ground covered and plenty left to do. If he ever goes back to Japan and does further interviews I'd love to know more about Data East.

Kaneda

Si te gustan los videojuegos,su cultura y todo lo que está detrás de los sprites y gráficos, no dejes de comprar este trabajo.

Reviewed in Spain 🇪🇸 on February 29, 2016

Verified Purchase

Trabajo totalmente indispensable y único para todos los que nos consideramos amantes de los videojuegos. Ya no sólo a los jugadores, tanto actuales como retro, sino que a cualquier persona que tenga interés en conocer y aprender más sobre la vertiente cultural y social que subyace detrás de todo el fenómeno, industria y universo del videojuego, esta serie de libros le va a encantar.

Contenido realmente exclusivo, muy bien documentado, y con más que interesante material gráfico, tanto fotográfico como el DVD del primer volumen, que también recomiendo encarecidamente

El autor, ha sido el primero, que yo conozca en tener la idea y el valor de documentar un punto del que era claro que existía un gran vacío informativo en general: La génesis de la industria y cultura del video juego, en el que se puede considerar, sino la cuna en un sentido muy purista, sin lugar a dudas el lugar donde vivió su primera gran expansión y desarrollo, Japón.

Un hombre valiente, Szczepaniak , que se atreve con un reto difícil, contando únicamente con sus conocimientos en el universo del videojuego ( que son muchos) y sus medios ( que no eran tantos) y como en los mejores videojuegos ( que no dejan de ser aventuras épicas, muy en el fondo) se enfrenta en soledad a su particular " Final Boss", y lo derrota. Resumiendo, compra y lectura, totalmente obligada.

Bravo por Szczepaniak.

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Amazon Customer

Indispensable... pour les anglophones.

Reviewed in France 🇫🇷 on October 21, 2016

Verified Purchase

Second tome d'entretiens avec des développeurs japonais. Il est nettement mieux structuré que le premier tome, et se disperse moins également. Cela reste malheureusement un peu anarchique et évidemment loin d'être complet (en attendant un 3e tome dont l'arrivée dépendra du succès des deux premiers), mais on trouve difficilement mieux, et l'initiative est vraiment importante pour la préservation de la culture du jeu vidéo.

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Amazon Customer

Good experience

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on January 16, 2016

Verified Purchase

Fast delivery. No complaints!

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