The five video game industry books you should read
Sometimes it’s nice to put down the controller, make a steaming mug of cocoa and pick up a good book. If you are loath to leave the world of video games altogether, here are five incredible books about the gaming industry you should definitely read.
Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle That Defined a Generation | Blake J. Harris
If you played games in the early nineties, the chances are you were loyal to either Sega or Nintendo. This book – soon to be a major motion picture co-directed by none other than Seth Rogen – is the untold behind-the-scenes story of the rivalry between the two Japanese giants. Even more interestingly, it highlights the civil war between Sega of Japan and Sega of America. An utterly fascinating read.
Reality is Broken | Jane McGonigal
In this incredible book by noted game designer and author Jane McGonigal the science of psychology behind games – and the potential they hold to radically improve our own lives and change the world – is explored. As weighty a tome as this book may appear, Jane is a brilliantly engaging author. If you have an interest in why games make you feel the way they do then this book will draw you in and both inform and entertain.
Embed with Games: A year on the couch with game developers | Cara Ellison
Cara has one of the most distinctive voices in video game journalism and this book follows her year living as an itinerant journalist, literally sleeping on the couches of video game creators the world over. Cara’s sharp eye and sharper wit misses little and this book is as interesting and enlightening a travelogue as you will ever read, exploring as it does what drives those who put their all into making games. A must read.
A Brief History Of Video Games: From Atari to Xbox One | Richard Stanton
If you are looking for a chronicling of video game history, you could do far worse that pick up Richard’s entertaining book. Focusing as much on the culture of the times as the machines themselves, the book is an enlightening look at the development of games from the simplest interactions to the complex social constructs we have today.
You Died: The Dark Souls Companion | Keza MacDonald and Jason Killingsworth
Okay – we admit we’re cheating here. This book’s not yet out, but come on… a book about one of the greatest video game franchises of all time, written by two of the UK’s most talented games journalists? Where do I sign up? If you are a fan of Dark Souls, this promises to be the definitive companion. If you aren’t, you can expect this book to shed light on how one of the most challenging and deliberately opaque video game experiences has captured the hearts and minds of so many.
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There you have it. Five of our favourite books inspired by the hobby we love so much. What are your choices? Let us know in the comments!
