100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ

Overnight NZ-wide delivery on in-stock orders πŸš€

The Making of Prince of Persia

Journals 1985-1993
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Making of Prince of Persia offers an intimate look into the creation of the iconic 1980s video game, Prince of Persia, from the perspective of its creator, Jordan Mechner. This collector's edition presents 300 pages of Mechner's original journals, enriched with present-day annotations, cartoons, and archival visuals. Readers are taken through the game's development journeyβ€”from early sketches and rotoscoped animations to screenshots and design memosβ€”culminating in a rich legacy section celebrating 30 years of the franchise and its cultural impact.
Read More
Format: Hardback
$4499
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for retro gaming enthusiasts, aspiring game developers, and anyone fascinated by the creative and technical challenges behind classic video game production. It also appeals to artists, writers, and creators interested in storytelling and the evolution of digital entertainment.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A deep dive into the origins of the epic, bestselling video game, in the creator's own words.

The creator of one of the most innovative and bestselling video games of all time gives an unvarnished look into the creative process in this one-of-a-kind compilation.

Before Prince of Persia was a best-selling video game franchise and a Disney movie, it was an Apple II computer game created and programmed by one person: Jordan Mechner. Mechner's candid and revealing journals from the time capture the journey from his parents' basement to the forefront of the fast-growing 1980s video game industry and the creative, technical, and personal struggles that brought the Prince into being and, ultimately, into the homes of millions of people worldwide.

Now, on the 30th anniversary of Prince of Persia's release, Mechner looks back at the journals he kept from 1985 to 1993, offering new insights into the game that established him as a pioneer of cinematic storytelling in the industry. This beautifully illustrated and annotated collector's edition includes:

  • 300 pages of Mechner's original journals
  • Present-day margin notations by Mechner adding explanation, context, and affectionate cartoons of real-life characters
  • Archival visuals illustrating the stages of the game's creation
  • Work-in-progress sketches, rotoscoped animation, screenshots, interface design, memos, and more
  • A full-colour 32-page "Legacy" section in which Mechner and fans share Prince of Persia memories from the past 30 years, including the Ubisoft games and Disney movie

The Making of Prince of Persia is both a tribute to a timeless classic and an indelible look at the creative process that will resonate with retro-gaming fans, game developers, and writers, artists, and creators of all stripes.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780578627311

Publisher: Animal Media Group LLC

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 11 June 2020

Country: United States

Imprint: Animal Media Group LLC

Illustration: Various images and illustrations as well as marginalia from the author's original notebooks

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 158.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 0g

Pages: 336

About the Author

Jordan Mechner is a game designer, screenwriter, graphic novelist, and author. Widely considered a pioneer of cinematic storytelling in the video game industry, he created Prince of Persia, one of the most successful and enduring video game franchises of all time, and became the first game creator to adapt his own work into a feature film with Disney’s Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. He also created the games Karateka and The Last Express. His books include the Eisner Award-nominated graphic novel Templar (a New York Times bestseller); his 1980s game development journals, The Making of Karateka and The Making of Prince of Persia; and his recent sketchbook journal, Year 2 in France. He lives in France.

More from Computing & Technology

View all
  • Digital Minimalism
    Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport presents a revolutionary strategy for optimising your interaction with digital technology in a way that fosters productivity, focus, happiness, and creativity. Most of us recognise that our reliance on texting, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter is not due to sheer lack of intelligence or depth, but because these platforms truly offer significant value in the form...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Careless People
    Shocking and darkly funny, Careless People gives you a front-row seat to the decisions that are shaping our world and the people who make them. Welcome to Facebook. Sarah Wynn-Williams, a young diplomat from New Zealand, pitched for her dream job. She saw Facebook's potential and knew it could change the world for the better. But, when she got there...
    Paperback
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Empire of AI
    An eye-opening account of the tech arms race shaping our planet, from an award-winning journalist and AI insider to the world of Sam Altman and OpenAI. When longtime AI expert and journalist Karen Hao first began covering OpenAI in 2019, she thought they were the good guys. Founded as a nonprofit with safety enshrined as its core mission, it was...
    Paperback
    $2899
    Elsewhere:
    $3700
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Open to Work
    β€˜Open To Work helps you stop fearing the future and start shaping it with purpose.’ Jay Shettyβ€˜An instantly useful guide to futureproofing your career.’ Adam Grantβ€˜Open to Work lays out a smart and clear path to the future of work’ BrenΓ© Brown In a world where AI is transforming work at a rapid pace, Open to Work is your essential...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies
    The founder of the field of AI risk explains why superintelligent AI is a global suicide bomb and we must halt development immediately. AI is the greatest threat to our existence that we have ever faced. The technology may be complex but the facts are simple. We are currently on a path to build superintelligent AI. When we do, it...
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Amazing Generation
    A children's version of the global bestseller The Anxious Generation How can we live a happy and exciting life without a smartphone? The Anxious Generation started a world-changing conversation about the effects of smartphones and social media on young people. Now bestselling authors Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price have teamed up to talk directly to those young people about how...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Infinity Machine
    A revelatory portrait of the visionary behind Google DeepMind, the race to control the future - and what it means to win. Even in a tech world crowded with visionary leaders, Demis Hassabis is recognised as a special case. Born to working-class, immigrant parents in North London, a chess prodigy by five and wizard coder in his teens, he turned...
    Paperback
    $3499
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Co-Intelligence
    From Wharton professor and author of the One Useful Thing Substack, comes an urgent and definitive playbook for working, learning and living in the new age of AI. For fans of Kevin Kelly, Ray Kurzweil, Cal Newport, and Martin Ford. A New York Times Bestseller Co-Intelligence is the very best book I know about the ins, outs, and ethics of...
    Paperback
    $3400
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Bullet Journal Method
    The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Carroll is an indispensable guide to gaining control over your chaotic life using the power of a simple pen and notebook. Whether you're a seasoned planner or a beginner, this book lays out a revolutionary system that provides structure, clarity, and purpose to your everyday activities. It's not just a method of organising your...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Careless People
    Shocking and darkly funny, Careless People gives you a front-row seat to the decisions that are shaping our world and the people who make them. Welcome to Facebook. Sarah Wynn-Williams, a young diplomat from New Zealand, pitched for her dream job. She saw Facebook's potential and knew it could change the world for the better. But, when she got there...
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (4)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Little Book of Data
    Data is not about number crunching. It’s about ideas. And when used properly (read: ethically), it is the problem solver of our time. Yet many savvy people seem to be in data denial: they don’t think they need to understand data, or it’s too complicated, or worse, using it is somehow unethical. As data and AI (just an accelerated way...
    Paperback
    $3400
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Don’t Burn Anyone at the Stake Today
    An electrifying, thought-provoking exploration of how the digital era is reshaping our world, by bestselling, Women's Prize-winning writer Naomi Alderman. What's the most useful thing you could know about your own life? In this era-defining book, developed from her groundbreaking Radio 4 essay series, Naomi Alderman turns her boundless curiosity and incisive thinking to a question that affects us allβ€”how...
    Hardback
    $3500
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 80,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.