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Blood, Sweat, and Pixels

The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games are Made
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( 23,752 ratings, 2,228 reviews)
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
Blood, Sweat, and Pixels by Jason Schreier dives into the intricate and challenging world of video game development. The book offers fascinating insights into the passion, ambition, and struggles faced by developers as they craft some of the world's most popular games. Through interviews and behind-the-scenes stories, Schreier highlights the sheer perseverance and creativity required in an industry fraught with uncertainty and constant hurdles.
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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?

You might enjoy this book if you're intrigued by the often tumultuous and highly creative process of video game development. It offers a behind-the-scenes look into the dedication, hard work, and sometimes chaos involved in bringing popular games to life, blending business insights with storytelling that might appeal to gamers and entrepreneurs alike.

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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

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

“The stories in this book make for a fascinating and remarkably complete pantheon of just about every common despair and every joy related to game development.” — Rami Ismail, cofounder of Vlambeer and developer of Nuclear Throne

Developing video games—hero's journey or fool's errand? The creative and technical logistics that go into building today's hottest games can be more harrowing and complex than the games themselves, often seeming like an endless maze or a bottomless abyss. In Blood, Sweat, and Pixels, Jason Schreier takes readers on a fascinating odyssey behind the scenes of video game development, where the creator may be a team of 600 overworked underdogs or a solitary geek genius. Exploring the artistic challenges, technical impossibilities, marketplace demands, and Donkey Kong-sized monkey wrenches thrown into the works by corporate, Blood, Sweat, and Pixels reveals how bringing any game to completion is more than Sisyphean—it's nothing short of miraculous.

Taking some of the most popular, bestselling recent games, Schreier immerses readers in the hellfire of the development process, whether it's RPG studio Bioware's challenge to beat an impossible schedule and overcome countless technical nightmares to build Dragon Age: Inquisition; indie developer Eric Barone's single-handed efforts to grow country-life RPG Stardew Valley from one man's vision into a multi-million-dollar franchise; or Bungie spinning out from their corporate overlords at Microsoft to create Destiny, a brand new universe that they hoped would become as iconic as Star Wars and Lord of the Rings—even as it nearly ripped their studio apart.

Documenting the round-the-clock crunches, buggy-eyed burnout, and last-minute saves, Blood, Sweat, and Pixels is a journey through development hell—and ultimately a tribute to the dedicated diehards and unsung heroes who scale mountains of obstacles in their quests to create the best games imaginable.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Blood, Sweat, and Pixels by Jason Schreier is highly praised for its insightful and meticulously researched exploration of game development. Reviewers highlight its gripping narrative that captures both the excitement and challenges faced by developers, often revealing the hidden struggles and triumphs behind popular video games. The book is noted for its ability to engage even those unfamiliar with gaming, as Schreier's writing presents a candid and respectful portrayal of the industry, making it a must-read for gamers and those interested in the art of game creation.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780062651235

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 05 October 2017

Country: United States

Imprint: HarperPaperbacks

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 134.0mm

Height: 203.0mm

Weight: 270g

Pages: 304

About the Author

Jason Schreier is the news editor at Kotaku, a leading website covering the industry and culture of video games. He has also covered the video game world for Wired, and has contributed to a wide range of outlets including The New York Times, Edge, Paste, Kill Screen, and The Onion News Network. Blood, Sweat, and Pixels is his first book.

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