50 Books for Everyone in the Games Industry

Ground Glass writes "Over at Next Generation there's a comprehensive feature on the books that everyone in games should read. It's by game designer and author Ernest Adams, and attacks the medium from every possible angle. Adding these books to your Amazon wishlist could only give you a better understanding of where games have been and where they are (and should be) going."

Comments

My own recommendations

[ludomancer]

You could come up with this same list of books by just visiting your local bookstore and picking up everything on games. He only mentions a few things outside of that. Disappointing.

I'd hoped he was going to recommend reading books like, say, Charles Dickens, or some Oscar Wilde, or a science magazine. Nothing is better to draw inspiration from than media you have very little contact with already. I think if you sat a developer down with a pile of game books, and another developer down with a pile of classic literature or something, the latter would ultimately produce the more unique experience because he would be exposed to new ideas outside of the realm of interactive media.

Just a thought.

Film Theory

[Cy Sperling]

I see film theory missing from that list. The movies have been around for long enough that the form has distilled a very effective common language for visual storytelling. It never ceases to amaze me how poorly many games work story-wise that could be improved with basic film storytelling techniques. Cut scenes alone are mini-movies, and yet often are missing out on the use of good editing and shot set-up. Any game that is attempting to tell a story needs to be concerned not only with script, but with visual compisition, editing and pacing, lighting, camera movement etc.

Game Over, Press Start to Continue

[Bones3D_mac]

I read the original version of this one back when it had the longer title, Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children, about twelve years ago. It's a pretty entertaining read and even goes back into Nintendo's history prior to their entry into the video game industry. (For those who don't already know, Nintendo was already several decades old, prior to their entry into the video games arena, as a playing card manufacturer.)

Most interesting of all though, is how they describe Hiroshi Yamauchi throughout the book. He almost has mafia-like qualities about him and apparently operated the company in that manner, taking no crap from anyone.

Definitely worth a look if you're into what goes on behind the curtain of the company that gave us Mario.