Hey guys I just finished a book called "Smartbomb." It devotes chapters to the people who have helped make the video game industry what it is today, and milestones that have changed the industry. The first two chapters were a bit of a bore. They focused on Atari/Bushnell and Shigeru Miyamoto...they've been covered to death. After that the book is really interesting. It talks about the development of the first person shooter from John Carmack, John Romero, and Tom Hall. It gives the history and behind the scenes information from when they were developing DOOM. Next up is Will Wright. They talk about his creating of simulations from Sim City to The Sims. The guy's a genius...he does simulation work for companies and defense work for the US government on the side. The next chapter changes gears and explores the MMO culture, which is the next stage in video games. It talks about the troubles creating Star Wars Galaxies and the successes with games like World of Warcraft. "Smartbomb" is next. This talks about how simulations and the video game industry have gotten into the US military for training. Now the video game technology is so strong that it's going into other areas. The last section is about the XBOX which is an analysis on the current market where you need big bucks and a big staff to even try to compete in the market. It's about bringing the digital world into your living room, which is what Sony and Microsoft are really trying to do. Anyway, if you can get your hands on it it's worth a read. Laters, Eric www.Japan-Games.com www.SegaSaturnCDs.com
