Video Games: From Concept to Consumer

by Kevin Cunningham

With advanced HD graphics, motion controls, and 3-D images, video games have come a long way since their earliest days. While these games are fun to play, making them is no simple process. Readers will see how large teams of specialized workers come together to design, plan, and program today's cutting edge video games.

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

This title is one of the “Calling all Innovators: a career for you” series. It looks like any elementary book with some basic facts about video game careers. But looks can be deceiving. The content is first-rate and will appeal to a wide variety of readers, even adults. It begins with great amounts of information about video games: their creation, their evolution, and the lucrative business they have become. The information that follows addresses the amount of work and effort required to launch a successful video game and all the individuals needed to create just one game. There are anecdotes and interviews with individuals in the gaming field that describe just how demanding these careers are. There are also pages devoted to the wide variety of different jobs to be had in this arena and the education paths interested students should pursue. Running time lines of important dates in the industry, sidebars, and photographs add critical details. Back matter includes a “Career Stats” salary page from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, a glossary, bibliography, and index. One weakness for me are the spreads denoted by a sunburst that have supplementary information but are inserted between the pages of chapters. They are informative for sure, but they look just like the chapter pages and break the flow of reading for the intended audience. If they had a different format or colored pages, they would be easier to recognize and maneuver around. The series still would be a worthwhile purchase for any library.

[Ash Pine · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

Great book for what it is, teaches quite a bit and I've learned a few things here and there that I previously didn't know of before.

[Burak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good description book of the history of video games.

[Zeke · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was good
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