Who Would Like This Book:
If you're fascinated by what goes on behind the scenes in game development or you're considering working in the video game industry, this one's a must-read. Jason Schreier pulls back the curtain on the volatile, often harsh realities developers face - studio closures, crunch, job insecurity - and gives a voice to those navigating these storms. Thought-provoking and empathetic, it’s especially eye-opening for gamers, aspiring devs, or anyone interested in stories about passion-driven industries.
Who May Not Like This Book:
If you prefer uplifting stories of success or are looking for hard data, you might find this one a bit grim or lacking in deeper analysis. Some readers wished for more balance, less repetition, and bigger-picture context, while others missed the personal flair and engaging structure of Schreier’s earlier book. Plus, if you’re not familiar with lesser-known studios or aren’t interested in industry politics, parts of the book may not resonate.
About:
Press Reset: Ruin and Recovery in the Video Game Industry by Jason Schreier focuses on the darker aspects of game development. It explores the struggles and instability faced by developers in the gaming industry, particularly in AAA studios. Through various narratives, the book highlights issues like high turnover rates, project cancellations, and poor treatment of employees. Schreier argues for much-needed systemic changes and unionization to better protect workers in this passion-driven field.
The writing style of the book is more investigative and article-like compared to Schreier's previous work. While it presents many important stories and insights, some readers found it less engaging and sometimes radical in its tone. It offers a collection of narratives rather than a single, cohesive story. Despite the critiques of its structure, it serves as a valuable resource for understanding the industry's behind-the-scenes dynamics and the often harsh realities faced by game developers.
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Notes:
Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include discussions of workplace stress, mental health issues, job insecurity, and corporate exploitation.
From The Publisher:
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. From the bestselling author of Blood, Sweat, and Pixels comes the next definitive, behind-the-scenes account of the video game industry: how some of the past decade's most renowned studios fell apart-and the stories, both triumphant and tragic, of what happened next.
Jason Schreier's groundbreaking reporting has earned him a place among the preeminent investigative journalists covering the world of video games. In his eagerly anticipated, deeply researched new book, Schreier trains his investigative eye on the volatility of the video game industry and the resilience of the people who work in it.
The business of videogames is both a prestige industry and an opaque one. Based on dozens of first-hand interviews that cover the development of landmark games-Bioshock Infinite, Epic Mickey, Dead Space, and more-on to the shocking closures of the studios that made them, Press Reset tells the stories of how real people are affected by game studio shutdowns, and how they recover, move on, or escape the industry entirely.
Schreier's insider interviews cover hostile takeovers, abusive bosses, corporate drama, bounced checks, and that one time the Boston Red Sox's Curt Schilling decided he was going to lead a game studio that would take out World of Warcraft. Along the way, he asks pressing questions about why, when the video game industry is more successful than ever, it's become so hard to make a stable living making video games-and whether the business of making games can change before it's too late.
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