The Minds Behind the Games - (Studies in Gaming) by Patrick Hickey (Paperback)

About the Book

"Featuring interviews with the creators of 36 popular video games, this book gives a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of some of the most influential and iconic games of all time. Recounting endless hours of painstaking development, the challenges of working with mega publishers and the uncertainties of public reception, the interviewees reveal the creative processes"--

Book Synopsis

Featuring interviews with the creators of 36 popular video games--including Deus Ex, Night Trap, Mortal Kombat, Wasteland and NBA Jam--this book gives a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of some of the most influential and iconic (and sometimes forgotten) games of all time. Recounting endless hours of painstaking development, the challenges of working with mega publishers and the uncertainties of public reception, the interviewees reveal the creative processes that produced some of gaming's classic titles.

Review Quotes

"a wealth of knowledge about the journey of video game development, detailed by the people who made it all happen...interesting and entertaining...fascinating book chock full of information you're probably not going to get anywhere else...valuable"-Retrovolve; "a passion project that finally gives the greatest minds in video games their due...a must-read for classic gaming fans and anyone interested in learning about the thought process of gaming"-Old School Gamer Magazine; "a must read"-Against the Grain; "From arcade rats to indie developers, Hickey gives an intimate look at the personalities behind gaming with the passion of a fanboy and the attention of a scholar."-Cesar R. Bustamante, Jr., New York Daily News; "The Minds Behind the Games reads like a personal voiceover for a ESPN 30-for-30 documentary on every classic video game mentioned in the book. This is a must-read for classic gaming fans and anyone interested in learning about the thought process of game developers."-Brian Mazique, Forbes; "Patrick interviews some of the greatest pioneers of the gaming industry in his book. He treats us to a factual, yet accessible look at some of the most influential games ever, created through first-hand interviews with the developers."-Pete Paquette, senior animator, Bioshock: Infinite, Overwatch, Madden NFL 18; "Fantastic. One part serious journalism and the other a love letter to the history of gaming."-Anthony Frisina, author of The Regulator; "This book will make your inner gamer do the time warp again and again."-Chris Butera, founder, Bonesaw webzine; "I love the WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game chapter, which perfectly captures the aura surrounding that title-its development and release during such a transitionary phase for Wrestling-and how it smartly serves as a fun and exemplary reminder of the game's uniqueness in being a fighting game at heart, hybridized...and stylized with mystical, whimsical gimmick-specific elements effectively creating a 'game for everyone, ' during a time when that was an impossible task."-Joel Gertner, Extreme Championship Wrestling Legend; "Hickey's discussions of the NHL Faceoff brought back huge memories for me. Being able to play a season, insert yourself in the lineup and play to hoist the Stanley Cup made the dreams of my youth come alive on the television. Thanks for allowing me to re-live my past with the telling of these stories."-Gary Harding, 1240 SportsTalk Radio.

About the Author

Patrick Hickey, Jr., is the founder and editor-in-chief of ReviewFix.com and a lecturer of English and journalism at Kingsborough Community College, in Brooklyn, New York. Over the past decade, his video game coverage has been featured in national ad campaigns by Nintendo, Disney and EA Sports. Series editor Matthew Wilhelm Kapell teaches American studies, anthropology, and writing at Pace University in New York.