What do you think?
Rate this book
The World's Most Dangerous Geek: And More True Hacking Stories
Every day, it seems, we hear stories about hackers. Hackers breaking into the computers of banks, governments, and corporations. Some are criminals, coding to exploit and destroy. Others are activists, using their tools to challenge institutions and fight for freedom. But often these characters linger in the shadows. Who are they? What makes them tick? Are they our allies, or our enemies?
For the past 20 years, author David Kushner has been exploring these questions, interviewing key players, and providing much-needed answers. The World’s Most Dangerous Geek is a riveting collection of his exclusive reports from the online underworld. We meet a fugitive hacktivist from the notorious collective, Anonymous; a lonely Floridian who hacked the emails of the biggest celebrities in Hollywood; and two artificial intelligence researchers who were both found dead in the same mysterious way.
You will come away from these stories with an appreciation for the awesome power of the Internet both to make fortunes and erase them, to build lives and destroy them.
For the past 20 years, author David Kushner has been exploring these questions, interviewing key players, and providing much-needed answers. The World’s Most Dangerous Geek is a riveting collection of his exclusive reports from the online underworld. We meet a fugitive hacktivist from the notorious collective, Anonymous; a lonely Floridian who hacked the emails of the biggest celebrities in Hollywood; and two artificial intelligence researchers who were both found dead in the same mysterious way.
You will come away from these stories with an appreciation for the awesome power of the Internet both to make fortunes and erase them, to build lives and destroy them.
Audiobook
First published April 1, 2012
102 people are currently reading
1733 people want to read
About the author
David Kushner
29 books229 followersDavid Kushner is an award-winning journalist and author. He is a contributing editor of Wired, Rolling Stone, and Spectrum and is an adjunct professor of journalism at New York University.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 200 reviews
April 10, 2012
Riddled with errors, both from a copyediting perspective (typos, transposed words, missing citations, notation of footnotes that don't exist) and a research perspective (quoting a review of GTA written in 2005 as reaction to the game's release in 1998, lots of uncited quotes listed as "a gamer" or "a reviewer"). Unfocused, with some odd tangents away from the development of the games or growth of Rockstar. Hyperbolic in praise of the Housers and occasional derision of gamers.
Rockstar Games and Grand Theft Auto have had a huge impact on not only video games, but on popular entertainment. It's a fascinating story - some English kids created the quintessentially American game and changed the industry - that deserves a better history than this.
Rockstar Games and Grand Theft Auto have had a huge impact on not only video games, but on popular entertainment. It's a fascinating story - some English kids created the quintessentially American game and changed the industry - that deserves a better history than this.
February 12, 2020
Longer than it needs to be, and I hate that it frequently makes use of invented conversations—things the author presumed were said. It loses a star for the sentence that went something like "He slid the quarter into the arcade machine's vaginal slot." Ew.
April 27, 2018
Если вы более-меенее представляете, кто такие братья Хаузеры и Джек Томпсон, играли в GTA и слышали про Hot Coffee, то особенно ничего нового в книге не найдёте. Зато вам расскажут про то что консоли оказывается выходят поколениями, а также что есть такая организация ESRB.
August 21, 2019
В довольно увлекательно написанной и легко читающейся "Подлинной истории ГТА" Кушнер рассказывает о том, как Rockstar Games и Хаузеры пытались (и преуспели в своих попытках) изменить видеоигры, вырвать их из привычных шаблонных рамок и приблизить к кинематографу, как в плане нарратива и историй, которые игры рассказывают, так и в плане "взрослого содержания" - насилия и секса. Ну и конечно, в плане отношения к играм со стороны общества, не желающего признавать их чем-то большим, чем детские развлечения, не говоря уже том, чтобы считать игры искусством. В результате серия GTA стала культурным феноменом и изменила индустрию.
Конечно, на этом пути, длинной в 11 лет, от первой до четвертой части GTA, Хаузерам пришлось встретить немало препятствий. Как в лице пуритански настроенного общественного мнения США, так и в лице политиков (некоторые из которых сейчас считаются очень прогрессивными), с удовольствием зарабатывающих очки, играя на людских страхах и невежестве, и обещая "запретить"/"защитить", при этом совершенно не разбираясь в сути вопроса. Все это довольно знакомо любому жителю России, в котором чиновники, регулирующие интернет, не имеют понятия о предмете регулирования.
Из драматургических соображений Кушнер пытался вывести в качестве главного конфликта противостояние Rockstar Games и адвоката и активиста Джека Томпсона, который объявил крестовый поход "жестоким играм, которые учат подростков убивать". Но в итоге сами рокстаровцы оказались себе куда худшим врагом, чем Томпсон, который затерялся на страницах книги.
Разумеется, лицемерные политики и религиозные кликуши, винящие "жестокие игры" во всех грехах, не вызывают никаких положительных эмоций, но чем дальше читаешь, тем меньше теплых чувств испытываешь и к другой стороне конфликта. Кушнер, явно симпатизирующий Хаузерам, пытался написать историю в духе "из грязи в князи": о том, как группа задротов-бунтарей из британской глубинки сумела прийти к успеху в США, став воистину "рок-звездами".
Проблема в том, что никакой "грязи" и в помине не было - братья Хаузеры, как и многие их приятели, стоявшие у истоков Rockstar Games, были "золотой молодежью" - детьми кинозвезд, модных музыкантов, продюсеров. В детстве они ни в чем себе не отказывали, вращались среди друживших с их родителями знаменитостей, ходили в элитные частные школы, а все их бунтарство заключалось в том, что вместо дорогих кожаных туфлей они надевали в школу дорогие брутальные ботинки, или сбегали с уроков, чтобы покататься на папином "роллс-ройсе".
В развлекательную индустрию Сэм Хаузер попал по блату, благодаря папиным знакомствам, потом точно так же протащил за собой брата и приятеля-мажора, который на тот момент ни черта не смыслил в компьютерах и видеоиграх, будучи ди-джеем и работая в музыкальной сфере. И даже к созданию GTA Хаузеры не имеют никакого отношения - и игру-песочницу с открытым миром, и концепцию игры за преступника придумали основатели шотландской студии DMA Design Дэйв Джонс и Майк Дэйли. Те самые настоящие "простые ботаны из британской глубинки".
После второй части GTA дороги Джонса и Rockstar разошлись из-за все возрастающих творческих разногласий и серия полностью перешла под управление Хаузера-старшего, который, впрочем, и раньше был визионером, подарившим GTA ее стиль. Хаузеры были буквально одержимы криминальными боевиками и бредили бандами и "крутыми" гангстерами, что в итоге поспособствовало оглушительному успеху GTA3, Vice City и San-Andreas. При этом забавно читать, как эти мальчики из приличных семей рассуждают в интервью о том, что "эти игры похоже на наше детство на улицах Лондона", изображают из себя банду и ассоциируют себя с Нико Белличем.
Хаузер хотел доказать всему миру, что "в игры играют не только лохи и задроты в мамкином подвале, но и реальные крутые пацаны", вроде него. Неудивительно, что внутри компании культивировалась фратбойская культура: с коллективными попойками, символами принадлежности к "студенческому братству" и практически обязательной необходимостью "выглядеть крутым и стильным". Об истеричных реакциях Сэма на то, что кто-то недостаточно восхищен их играми, или осмеливается критиковать их, и вовсе говорить нечего.
Сэм Хаузер так хотел, чтобы к видеоиграм относились по-взрослому, но при этом сам вел себя как инфантильный подросток, в том числе и в управлении компанией. Несмотря на тонны денег, выброшенные на шикарные вечеринки "для избранных" с обязательными стриптизершами - постоянные переработки, нехватка персонала, недоплаты, закончившиеся коллективными судебными исками и миллионными выплатами, давление на игропрессу.
Хаузеры с удовольствием добавляли в свои игры самый скандальный и провокационный контент, но когда вокруг него поднимался реальный, а не выдуманный скандал, представители компании прятались от прессы и разъяренной общественности, и отмалчивались, предпочитая, чтобы за них отдувались другие. Апофеозом стала история с эротическим модом "Hot Coffee", во время скандала с которым "крутые парни" показали себя во всей красе - перепугавшись они врали, изворачивались, винили всех кроме себя, предавая коммьюнити поклонников серии, чтобы спасти свою шкуру.
В итоге компания пришла в упадок - половина основателей разбежалась, персонал выгорел из-за постоянного внешнего и внутреннего давления, продажи упали. Тем не менее, Rockstar Games как феникс восстал из пепла с GTA4 и вновь взлетел выше звезд.
PS. На последних страницах книги автор оптимистично заявляет, что теперь-то (в 2012 году), окончательно доказано, что нет никакой прямой связи между жестокими играми и противоправным поведением, а значит больше никаких социополитических битв.
Как бы не так. Непрекращающиеся в последние годы шутинги в США вновь возродили разговоры о вине "жестоких игр" - в первую очередь чтобы отвлечь внимание от дискуссий о контроле оружия. Эта музыка будет вечной.
Оригинал
Конечно, на этом пути, длинной в 11 лет, от первой до четвертой части GTA, Хаузерам пришлось встретить немало препятствий. Как в лице пуритански настроенного общественного мнения США, так и в лице политиков (некоторые из которых сейчас считаются очень прогрессивными), с удовольствием зарабатывающих очки, играя на людских страхах и невежестве, и обещая "запретить"/"защитить", при этом совершенно не разбираясь в сути вопроса. Все это довольно знакомо любому жителю России, в котором чиновники, регулирующие интернет, не имеют понятия о предмете регулирования.
Из драматургических соображений Кушнер пытался вывести в качестве главного конфликта противостояние Rockstar Games и адвоката и активиста Джека Томпсона, который объявил крестовый поход "жестоким играм, которые учат подростков убивать". Но в итоге сами рокстаровцы оказались себе куда худшим врагом, чем Томпсон, который затерялся на страницах книги.
Разумеется, лицемерные политики и религиозные кликуши, винящие "жестокие игры" во всех грехах, не вызывают никаких положительных эмоций, но чем дальше читаешь, тем меньше теплых чувств испытываешь и к другой стороне конфликта. Кушнер, явно симпатизирующий Хаузерам, пытался написать историю в духе "из грязи в князи": о том, как группа задротов-бунтарей из британской глубинки сумела прийти к успеху в США, став воистину "рок-звездами".
Проблема в том, что никакой "грязи" и в помине не было - братья Хаузеры, как и многие их приятели, стоявшие у истоков Rockstar Games, были "золотой молодежью" - детьми кинозвезд, модных музыкантов, продюсеров. В детстве они ни в чем себе не отказывали, вращались среди друживших с их родителями знаменитостей, ходили в элитные частные школы, а все их бунтарство заключалось в том, что вместо дорогих кожаных туфлей они надевали в школу дорогие брутальные ботинки, или сбегали с уроков, чтобы покататься на папином "роллс-ройсе".
В развлекательную индустрию Сэм Хаузер попал по блату, благодаря папиным знакомствам, потом точно так же протащил за собой брата и приятеля-мажора, который на тот момент ни черта не смыслил в компьютерах и видеоиграх, будучи ди-джеем и работая в музыкальной сфере. И даже к созданию GTA Хаузеры не имеют никакого отношения - и игру-песочницу с открытым миром, и концепцию игры за преступника придумали основатели шотландской студии DMA Design Дэйв Джонс и Майк Дэйли. Те самые настоящие "простые ботаны из британской глубинки".
После второй части GTA дороги Джонса и Rockstar разошлись из-за все возрастающих творческих разногласий и серия полностью перешла под управление Хаузера-старшего, который, впрочем, и раньше был визионером, подарившим GTA ее стиль. Хаузеры были буквально одержимы криминальными боевиками и бредили бандами и "крутыми" гангстерами, что в итоге поспособствовало оглушительному успеху GTA3, Vice City и San-Andreas. При этом забавно читать, как эти мальчики из приличных семей рассуждают в интервью о том, что "эти игры похоже на наше детство на улицах Лондона", изображают из себя банду и ассоциируют себя с Нико Белличем.
Хаузер хотел доказать всему миру, что "в игры играют не только лохи и задроты в мамкином подвале, но и реальные крутые пацаны", вроде него. Неудивительно, что внутри компании культивировалась фратбойская культура: с коллективными попойками, символами принадлежности к "студенческому братству" и практически обязательной необходимостью "выглядеть крутым и стильным". Об истеричных реакциях Сэма на то, что кто-то недостаточно восхищен их играми, или осмеливается критиковать их, и вовсе говорить нечего.
Сэм Хаузер так хотел, чтобы к видеоиграм относились по-взрослому, но при этом сам вел себя как инфантильный подросток, в том числе и в управлении компанией. Несмотря на тонны денег, выброшенные на шикарные вечеринки "для избранных" с обязательными стриптизершами - постоянные переработки, нехватка персонала, недоплаты, закончившиеся коллективными судебными исками и миллионными выплатами, давление на игропрессу.
Хаузеры с удовольствием добавляли в свои игры самый скандальный и провокационный контент, но когда вокруг него поднимался реальный, а не выдуманный скандал, представители компании прятались от прессы и разъяренной общественности, и отмалчивались, предпочитая, чтобы за них отдувались другие. Апофеозом стала история с эротическим модом "Hot Coffee", во время скандала с которым "крутые парни" показали себя во всей красе - перепугавшись они врали, изворачивались, винили всех кроме себя, предавая коммьюнити поклонников серии, чтобы спасти свою шкуру.
В итоге компания пришла в упадок - половина основателей разбежалась, персонал выгорел из-за постоянного внешнего и внутреннего давления, продажи упали. Тем не менее, Rockstar Games как феникс восстал из пепла с GTA4 и вновь взлетел выше звезд.
PS. На последних страницах книги автор оптимистично заявляет, что теперь-то (в 2012 году), окончательно доказано, что нет никакой прямой связи между жестокими играми и противоправным поведением, а значит больше никаких социополитических битв.
Как бы не так. Непрекращающиеся в последние годы шутинги в США вновь возродили разговоры о вине "жестоких игр" - в первую очередь чтобы отвлечь внимание от дискуссий о контроле оружия. Эта музыка будет вечной.
Оригинал
March 20, 2013
If you followed gaming, Jack Thompson, or censorship in the 90's, this book isn't going to give you any revelations. It covers the rise of R* Games on the wave of popularity from the Grand Theft Auto Series with "inside" information about the corporate culture (wild partying frat boys forced to grow up) and a parallel history of Jack Thompson's crusade to censor video games. Of course, the climax (no pun intended) is the Hot Coffee fiasco and an emotional downer of breakup of the founders of the company. However, this is done in a very pro-R* tone throughout, giving enormous credit where only average credit was due and being more about the author's love of the company rather than the facts. In fact, the only new tidbit in this book was that R* was planning to release a patch for the sex scenes in San Andreas on their own, had the modding community not done it for them.
As a result, this book services only one audience well: the individual (likely founder) who provided the backstage information. It is full of hyperbole regarding the culture of R*, an almost reverential treatment of the CEO Sam Houser (until the bitter ending), and information gleaned from the Federal hearings into the Hot Coffee Scandal. As a fan of the GTA series, I've been under the impression for years that the Hot Coffee mod was vastly over-covered and sensationalistic, and this book is trying to rekindle that same fire for one more go at sales. Shame on Mr. Kushner for that.
Even during its re-coverage of the Hot Coffee mod, the book lacks that critical thinking element that would have made it a good book. R* apparently told the world that the sex scenes were left in the game because it was too time consuming to rip them out at the end of the development cycle. This is accepted as near-Gospel truth by the author without even noticing that just a few chapters earlier he had described how the World Trade Center and other famous New York landmarks were ripped out of GTA:III in the wake 9/11. Rumour has long had it that there were missions also ripped out of that game (though if you're hoping to find some sort of answer to that question, do not bother with this book as it's not even hinted at), and the changes were made after the game had been finalized. Yet for some reason, R* claims that the sex mini-game in San Andreas could afford to be "wrapped" but not deleted before GTA:SA was even finalized, as it would have had other game-related repercussions. Even a decent critical review of the same tired old story would have probed this even more.
Overall this book is there. It exists, and probably could have been published by R* to create new controversy. But it's not what this GTA Gamer wanted to see and is a wild disappointment if you're looking for something beyond what is found in game-website archives across the internet.
As a result, this book services only one audience well: the individual (likely founder) who provided the backstage information. It is full of hyperbole regarding the culture of R*, an almost reverential treatment of the CEO Sam Houser (until the bitter ending), and information gleaned from the Federal hearings into the Hot Coffee Scandal. As a fan of the GTA series, I've been under the impression for years that the Hot Coffee mod was vastly over-covered and sensationalistic, and this book is trying to rekindle that same fire for one more go at sales. Shame on Mr. Kushner for that.
Even during its re-coverage of the Hot Coffee mod, the book lacks that critical thinking element that would have made it a good book. R* apparently told the world that the sex scenes were left in the game because it was too time consuming to rip them out at the end of the development cycle. This is accepted as near-Gospel truth by the author without even noticing that just a few chapters earlier he had described how the World Trade Center and other famous New York landmarks were ripped out of GTA:III in the wake 9/11. Rumour has long had it that there were missions also ripped out of that game (though if you're hoping to find some sort of answer to that question, do not bother with this book as it's not even hinted at), and the changes were made after the game had been finalized. Yet for some reason, R* claims that the sex mini-game in San Andreas could afford to be "wrapped" but not deleted before GTA:SA was even finalized, as it would have had other game-related repercussions. Even a decent critical review of the same tired old story would have probed this even more.
Overall this book is there. It exists, and probably could have been published by R* to create new controversy. But it's not what this GTA Gamer wanted to see and is a wild disappointment if you're looking for something beyond what is found in game-website archives across the internet.
May 18, 2017
I figured I'd give this a try because I read Kushner's Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture a few years ago and loved it, even though I have never played Doom and don't have any interest whatsoever in ever playing Doom. I've actually played several GTA games, and enjoyed them somewhat, so I dunno, I thought I might actually like this book more just because I'm far more familiar with the games. Buuuuuut, no.
First of all, Sam and Dan Houser are just not anywhere near as interesting as John Romero and John Carmack, especially since it seems that Kushner completely forgot about Dan's existence for about 90% of the book. Part of what I loved about the Doom book is the way he talked about the Johns' personal lives and the ways they worked together, as well as details about the technical aspects of game creation. There was none of that here. As far as I gleaned from this book, Sam Houser didn't have any sort of a personal life at all, Dan...showed up at parties (?), and the games were basically created by Sam saying, "I know! Let's make this game even more shocking than the last one!" and then cracking the whip at all his fanboy minions and voila! GTA! We get way more personal information about Jack Thompson and his crusade against violent video games, and I found him thoroughly unlikable, but by the end of the book I was almost rooting for him because I was just so bored with Sam and his dumb cheeseball eating contests.
Also, the narrator, for the life of him, could not pronounce SEGA correctly.
I guess, maybe only read this if you're a GTA superfan? Although, there seem to be plenty of those giving this book not great reviews too, so...
First of all, Sam and Dan Houser are just not anywhere near as interesting as John Romero and John Carmack, especially since it seems that Kushner completely forgot about Dan's existence for about 90% of the book. Part of what I loved about the Doom book is the way he talked about the Johns' personal lives and the ways they worked together, as well as details about the technical aspects of game creation. There was none of that here. As far as I gleaned from this book, Sam Houser didn't have any sort of a personal life at all, Dan...showed up at parties (?), and the games were basically created by Sam saying, "I know! Let's make this game even more shocking than the last one!" and then cracking the whip at all his fanboy minions and voila! GTA! We get way more personal information about Jack Thompson and his crusade against violent video games, and I found him thoroughly unlikable, but by the end of the book I was almost rooting for him because I was just so bored with Sam and his dumb cheeseball eating contests.
Also, the narrator, for the life of him, could not pronounce SEGA correctly.
I guess, maybe only read this if you're a GTA superfan? Although, there seem to be plenty of those giving this book not great reviews too, so...
October 19, 2018
I got this book in the form of an audiobook from Humble Bundle a while ago. It's a collection of essays by David Kushner about tech issues. A lot of it revolves around people who have some sort of connection to Anonymous. Some of these articles - like the one about Anonymous and Steubenbille and the wheelchair riding guy who was turning on webcams - I read back when they were first published. The essays are roughly in chronological order and I thought it was interesting to see how the intersection of technology, crime, and life changed throughout the years. There were also a few stories that had overlap with each other and that was also interesting to see. There was one essay - the one about the Caucasian guy who ended up in the Triads - that I'd love to see made into a a "based on a true story" movie.
Overall, it was an enjoyable collection of essays and I recommend it to anyone who has an interest in "hacking" in the more colloquial sense of breaking into computing devices.
Overall, it was an enjoyable collection of essays and I recommend it to anyone who has an interest in "hacking" in the more colloquial sense of breaking into computing devices.
August 24, 2017
This is a collection of mostly unrelated articles. Several of them are just stories about criminals that don't appear to have anything to do with hacking or even computers. The articles have not been updated from the original versions, so several seemed out-of-date to me.
Aimed at a general audience and at times sensationalized, e.g. "Information on coding is just a few clicks from sites on criminal hacking."
The articles on geohot and Justin Frankel were interesting, though surely Frankel doesn't qualify as "most dangerous geek."
Aimed at a general audience and at times sensationalized, e.g. "Information on coding is just a few clicks from sites on criminal hacking."
The articles on geohot and Justin Frankel were interesting, though surely Frankel doesn't qualify as "most dangerous geek."
February 3, 2022
I'm really not sure how much I liked this book and how to rate it. Three or four stars? Depends.
On the one hand, I had a few issues with it. I find that more and more I prefer books that don't contain reconstructed dialogue at all, and mention sources of specific claims. Right at the beginning of the book, the foreword explained the necessary context and set expectations, so I'm not saying it's misleading.
But especially if the book contains vulgar or outrageous statements or suspicious claims, I'd like to know if they're there because a person said/believed them, or the author is extrapolating based on interactions with the person, or the author is just making jokes/being crass.
Furthermore, I think on some level I liked the book because in comparison with Masters of Doom, the protagonists an their interactions were far more interesting or likable. And maybe the narrative distance was better? Not sure if that's the case. But with the two Johns it felt like I'm in the room with them, watching them work and bicker. With the two Hausers it felt like I'm being told how a conceited man thinks he's better than everyone, from afar.
I acknowledge that this might be outside the author's control to an extent, but it does influence how much the book is enjoyed.
On the other hand, the book did provide tons of cultural context and influences on the society at the time in general, and on the creators (or at least bosses) behind the games. Since I don't know much about the history of music, and I know even less about movies and actors, this was appreciated. I have jotted some of them down to listen to later, or in the case of movies - added them to my ever-growing to-watch list, probably to never watch them again.
I wish the book talked more prominently about the issues related to crunch - most of the time it was just mentioned in passing, as something that is just a part of the game dev process. On the other hand, the author _did_ point them out in the epilogue. And in 2012 when the book came out, these issues weren't that visible and publicly discussed as they are now, so I think it can be forgiven.
On the one hand, I had a few issues with it. I find that more and more I prefer books that don't contain reconstructed dialogue at all, and mention sources of specific claims. Right at the beginning of the book, the foreword explained the necessary context and set expectations, so I'm not saying it's misleading.
But especially if the book contains vulgar or outrageous statements or suspicious claims, I'd like to know if they're there because a person said/believed them, or the author is extrapolating based on interactions with the person, or the author is just making jokes/being crass.
Furthermore, I think on some level I liked the book because in comparison with Masters of Doom, the protagonists an their interactions were far more interesting or likable. And maybe the narrative distance was better? Not sure if that's the case. But with the two Johns it felt like I'm in the room with them, watching them work and bicker. With the two Hausers it felt like I'm being told how a conceited man thinks he's better than everyone, from afar.
I acknowledge that this might be outside the author's control to an extent, but it does influence how much the book is enjoyed.
On the other hand, the book did provide tons of cultural context and influences on the society at the time in general, and on the creators (or at least bosses) behind the games. Since I don't know much about the history of music, and I know even less about movies and actors, this was appreciated. I have jotted some of them down to listen to later, or in the case of movies - added them to my ever-growing to-watch list, probably to never watch them again.
I wish the book talked more prominently about the issues related to crunch - most of the time it was just mentioned in passing, as something that is just a part of the game dev process. On the other hand, the author _did_ point them out in the epilogue. And in 2012 when the book came out, these issues weren't that visible and publicly discussed as they are now, so I think it can be forgiven.
May 11, 2023
Disclaimer time: I have never been a GTA fan. I've played the hell out of the demo of the first game and I absolutely loved it with it's adorable top-down view (then again, I was young and foolish back then) but found the other parts I've played (GTA 3 and 5) quite boring with terrible controls (but then again I've always hated driving games).
This book took way too long before it became good, providing way too much backstory about the whole lives of the creators of the games. Halfway through it became much more interesting as it basically became a book about CoffeGate scandal (for those not in the know, a scandal regarding sex scenes that were datamined from GTA 3). We meet some pretty colourful characters here, including the infamous Jack Thompson, Hillary Clinton and Supreme Court Judge Scalia (knowing how conservative he was, I'm surprised he was so lenient towards video games) along with the whole angle about the war for banning violent video games.
What is more, as much as I still am not interested in playing the series, I have nothing but deepest respect to the amount of research that went into portraying New York City (sorry, Liberty City) in GTA 4, along with taking detailed footage of the main city districts and even recording how the sky changes over time to give an authentic feel to the passage of time. However I'm still disappointed that GTA 2 got almost no mention in this book. Yes, I know it was a failure and is considered to be the Red-haired Stepchild of the franchise but it is why I really hoped to learn more about its production.
This book took way too long before it became good, providing way too much backstory about the whole lives of the creators of the games. Halfway through it became much more interesting as it basically became a book about CoffeGate scandal (for those not in the know, a scandal regarding sex scenes that were datamined from GTA 3). We meet some pretty colourful characters here, including the infamous Jack Thompson, Hillary Clinton and Supreme Court Judge Scalia (knowing how conservative he was, I'm surprised he was so lenient towards video games) along with the whole angle about the war for banning violent video games.
What is more, as much as I still am not interested in playing the series, I have nothing but deepest respect to the amount of research that went into portraying New York City (sorry, Liberty City) in GTA 4, along with taking detailed footage of the main city districts and even recording how the sky changes over time to give an authentic feel to the passage of time. However I'm still disappointed that GTA 2 got almost no mention in this book. Yes, I know it was a failure and is considered to be the Red-haired Stepchild of the franchise but it is why I really hoped to learn more about its production.
April 29, 2012
I always like reading about how things are made: movies, products, and video games. Jacked was especially tantalizing because I didn't really know much about Sam Houser, the chief behind Rockstar Games. This book has the full scoop on Houser, David Jones (from DMA who also created Crackdown), and other early staff members. One of the most devious and ingenious moments is how a veteran marketing executive uses politicians, upset over the violent game content, to market the very first Grand Theft Auto. When Houser moves his operation to New York City, it coincides with the development of GTA III, also set in New York. The development behind GTA III, Vice City, San Andreas is covered, along with the details on how the "Hot Coffee" mod code was left buried in the final release and how a hacker uncovered it. This scandal nearly brought down Take Two and Rockstar. Equal attention is given to some kids who may have been influenced by GTA to snipe at cars on a Tennessee highway. Jack Thompson's crusade against violent video games is also well detailed, and if you wondered why he hasn't been active lately, that is explained here too.
A few things I didn't like. At times this book felt like a compilation of magazine articles. I wish Kushner had included more details of the last GTA game, which was 100 times more immersive than any open world game to date. Kusher starts off chapters with a cute POV line bringing the readers attention into a scene like a video game, which mostly fell flat for me.
All in all, if you are a video game or Rockstar fan, this book is a must read.
A few things I didn't like. At times this book felt like a compilation of magazine articles. I wish Kushner had included more details of the last GTA game, which was 100 times more immersive than any open world game to date. Kusher starts off chapters with a cute POV line bringing the readers attention into a scene like a video game, which mostly fell flat for me.
All in all, if you are a video game or Rockstar fan, this book is a must read.
May 14, 2013
I happened on this book by accident, on a stroll through the library aisles. I've been a fan of Rockstar Games' work for over decade, between the Grand Theft Auto series and Red Dead Redemption. And I still can't believe someone actually wrote a book about them.
But here it is, and man is it a page-turner.
Kushner makes the story not just about the games, but takes it all the way back to the beginnings of its captain-on-the-bridge, Sam Houser. He charts the company's course from its fledgling start in New York City, its meteoric rise, and the pitfalls along the way. Kushner even goes so far as to (almost) humanize the cartoonish Jack Thompson, the right-wing moral crusader who waged war with the video game industry (and Rockstar, in particular). The biggest surprise in the book was the extensive coverage of the "Hot Coffee" scandal. I'd known something of said brouhaha, and that it was bad for the company, but just how bad was a bit of a shock.
I think that's what really grabbed me about this book: that it wasn't just a fluff piece written by a fan, but something that puts everything - good and bad - under examination.
What was also a thoroughly elating surprise is how much was devoted to the making of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Sure it was notable in the company's history, but I didn't expect Kushner to go into so much detail: Burt Reynolds being a dick to work with; sending 30 Scots onto Miami Beach with cameras for research; the reason the game's '80s setting was tackled to begin with. I admit personal bias here that this is my all-time favorite game, but it was still scintillating reading.
Fascinating book.
But here it is, and man is it a page-turner.
Kushner makes the story not just about the games, but takes it all the way back to the beginnings of its captain-on-the-bridge, Sam Houser. He charts the company's course from its fledgling start in New York City, its meteoric rise, and the pitfalls along the way. Kushner even goes so far as to (almost) humanize the cartoonish Jack Thompson, the right-wing moral crusader who waged war with the video game industry (and Rockstar, in particular). The biggest surprise in the book was the extensive coverage of the "Hot Coffee" scandal. I'd known something of said brouhaha, and that it was bad for the company, but just how bad was a bit of a shock.
I think that's what really grabbed me about this book: that it wasn't just a fluff piece written by a fan, but something that puts everything - good and bad - under examination.
What was also a thoroughly elating surprise is how much was devoted to the making of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Sure it was notable in the company's history, but I didn't expect Kushner to go into so much detail: Burt Reynolds being a dick to work with; sending 30 Scots onto Miami Beach with cameras for research; the reason the game's '80s setting was tackled to begin with. I admit personal bias here that this is my all-time favorite game, but it was still scintillating reading.
Fascinating book.
September 17, 2012
Book was OK. Seemed to be trying to be a company history in the vein of 'The Accidental Billionaires' but I guess I wasn't quite as intrigued once I got into it and, I could be wrong but, I don't see Aaron Sorkin and David Fincher knocking on author, David Kushner's door looking to turn this into a movie any time soon.
Rockstar Games and the GTA franchise were undoubtedly major cultural touchstones of the first decade of the 21st century but to keep it 100: the company was run by a bunch of privileged and entitled British prep school wannabes who idolized American pop culture like the Def Jam record label (or more specifically Rick Rubin's Def Jam like Russell Simmons didn't exist! :/), cribbed most of their best marketing ideas from the music industry, fetishized sex & violence and traded in stereotypes and sensationalism about cultures and lifestyles they knew nothing about in their games beyond their experiences of them via gangster & action movies and hip hop music. And frankly, apparently most of their games weren't, until way into their life cycle as a company, even that great.
Overall, an interesting read but I wonder if Sam Houser et al. have any real chops and can repeat their success. The ending of the book suggests not.
Rockstar Games and the GTA franchise were undoubtedly major cultural touchstones of the first decade of the 21st century but to keep it 100: the company was run by a bunch of privileged and entitled British prep school wannabes who idolized American pop culture like the Def Jam record label (or more specifically Rick Rubin's Def Jam like Russell Simmons didn't exist! :/), cribbed most of their best marketing ideas from the music industry, fetishized sex & violence and traded in stereotypes and sensationalism about cultures and lifestyles they knew nothing about in their games beyond their experiences of them via gangster & action movies and hip hop music. And frankly, apparently most of their games weren't, until way into their life cycle as a company, even that great.
Overall, an interesting read but I wonder if Sam Houser et al. have any real chops and can repeat their success. The ending of the book suggests not.
January 17, 2021
Pretty dull and boring stories, and for me personally, very annoying writing style as if the author was paid by number of words, and not by the quality of storytelling.
December 8, 2019
Насколько хороши здесь главы про Hot Coffee, настолько же плохо все остальное. Кушнер явно любит писать про судебные тяжбы и безумных сенаторов, так что примерно треть книги посвящена разборкам вокруг того злосчастного мода. С одной стороны – люди из Rockstar, которые поначалу бравируют “мы перевернем игру и раздвинем границы!”, а потом прячут голову в песок и нагло врут. С другой – политики-дилетанты и поехавший адвокат Томпсон. С третьей – журналисты, которые облизывают этого Томпсона со всех сторон, потому что он приносит клики и трафик. С четвертой – тупые дети, которые совершают преступления и потом говорят, что виновата игра. Победителей в итоге не оказывается, и слава богу: все четыре участника конфликта мне одинаково отвратительны, и кульминация книги для меня – это речь Дага Левенштейна в предпоследней главе, где он обличает весь этот парад человеческой мерзости.
Эта книга должна была быть про Hot Coffee – если не целиком, то хотя бы кончаться на нем. Его история интересна не только сама по себе – это целая веха в процессе становления видеоигр как индустрии. Подобная ситуация немыслима ни в каком другом культурном медиуме – идеальный сюжет для “Крови, пота и пикселей”, если бы та была хорошей книгой.
Всеми остальными главами, увы, можно чай заваривать. Очень похоже, что Кушнеру фатально не хватало материала: видимо, Rockstar отказалась отвечать на интересные вопросы. Джек Томпсон, в свою очередь, рассказал вообще все, так что книга получилась не столько об играх серии GTA, сколько о провалившихся попытках их запретить. Не знаю, понравится ли вам это.
Jacked – это большой шаг назад по сравнению с Masters of Doom, в том числе и в плане литературного мастерства. Здесь нет персонажей, кроме Томпсона; иногда, разве что, предпринимаются очень вялые попытки сделать главным героем Сэма Хаузера. Здесь нет концовки – да, в жизни концовок не бывает, но Masters of Doom в свое время закончилась на удивление складно. Здесь нет рифм, рефлексии, контекста: закончив главу о той или иной игре, автор забывает о ней навсегда и больше ни разу о ней не вспоминает.
Но последнее даже хорошо: можно начать читать с середины и почти ничего не потерять. Именно этим я и призываю вас заняться: купите эту книгу, прочитайте главы с 18 по 24 и смело думайте, что остальных не существует.
4/10
Эта книга должна была быть про Hot Coffee – если не целиком, то хотя бы кончаться на нем. Его история интересна не только сама по себе – это целая веха в процессе становления видеоигр как индустрии. Подобная ситуация немыслима ни в каком другом культурном медиуме – идеальный сюжет для “Крови, пота и пикселей”, если бы та была хорошей книгой.
Всеми остальными главами, увы, можно чай заваривать. Очень похоже, что Кушнеру фатально не хватало материала: видимо, Rockstar отказалась отвечать на интересные вопросы. Джек Томпсон, в свою очередь, рассказал вообще все, так что книга получилась не столько об играх серии GTA, сколько о провалившихся попытках их запретить. Не знаю, понравится ли вам это.
Jacked – это большой шаг назад по сравнению с Masters of Doom, в том числе и в плане литературного мастерства. Здесь нет персонажей, кроме Томпсона; иногда, разве что, предпринимаются очень вялые попытки сделать главным героем Сэма Хаузера. Здесь нет концовки – да, в жизни концовок не бывает, но Masters of Doom в свое время закончилась на удивление складно. Здесь нет рифм, рефлексии, контекста: закончив главу о той или иной игре, автор забывает о ней навсегда и больше ни разу о ней не вспоминает.
Но последнее даже хорошо: можно начать читать с середины и почти ничего не потерять. Именно этим я и призываю вас заняться: купите эту книгу, прочитайте главы с 18 по 24 и смело думайте, что остальных не существует.
4/10
May 19, 2018
great book on history of GTA game and is creators
history of GTA game and Rockstar and its founders. The book is pretty long for a business book and it is more entertaining and history. appreciate insights into important events
history of GTA game and Rockstar and its founders. The book is pretty long for a business book and it is more entertaining and history. appreciate insights into important events
March 24, 2024
Ensin: kannattaa varmaan lukea alkukielellä. Suomennos on surkea.
Itse kirja on liian fanituote. Se kertoo enimmäkseen pelijulkaisija-Rockstarista, ei GTA:n kehittäjistä DMA:sta (myöh. Rockstar North) eikä kehitysprosessista. Paljon sivuja käytetään vääntöön Jack Thompsonin kanssa. Olihan se Hot Coffee merkittävä ilmeisesti USAssa, mutta bäk in tö dei täältä katsottuna lähinnä hymyilytti (aika kökkö se kyllä oli). Rockstaria ei haasteta vaikka pelikehityksessä olisi paljon paiseita puhkottavana.
Itse kirja on liian fanituote. Se kertoo enimmäkseen pelijulkaisija-Rockstarista, ei GTA:n kehittäjistä DMA:sta (myöh. Rockstar North) eikä kehitysprosessista. Paljon sivuja käytetään vääntöön Jack Thompsonin kanssa. Olihan se Hot Coffee merkittävä ilmeisesti USAssa, mutta bäk in tö dei täältä katsottuna lähinnä hymyilytti (aika kökkö se kyllä oli). Rockstaria ei haasteta vaikka pelikehityksessä olisi paljon paiseita puhkottavana.
May 16, 2025
Valottaa hyvin GTA:n lähtökohtia ja Rockstar Gamesin muotoitumista. Aika paljon kirjassa vellotaan oikeustaisteluissa etenkin Hot Coffee -skandaalin osalta. Kirja on viihdyttävästi kirjoitettu ja tekstiin sekoitetaan videopelisanastoa, joka suomennettuna on hieman hupaisaa ja kankeaa.
April 20, 2019
Enjoyable story if you are a fan, like gaming or are interested in the business of entertainment.
September 6, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ enjoyed this so much! Didn’t want to put it down.
As someone who knows of the GTA games, played a bit online but didn’t play anything before GTA 5 - I found it very informative of how it all started. The Hot Coffee stuff was wild, I had no idea about this. I’m now going back to play 3, Vice City and San Andreas. Excellent read
As someone who knows of the GTA games, played a bit online but didn’t play anything before GTA 5 - I found it very informative of how it all started. The Hot Coffee stuff was wild, I had no idea about this. I’m now going back to play 3, Vice City and San Andreas. Excellent read
November 6, 2019
Very fun read, especially once I recalled I was at that E3 with the G.O.D. lot, and partied there for a bit.
February 16, 2019
Хорошая книга, которая понравится всем, кто любит GTA и кому интересно, как она разрабатывалась. При условии, если человек этого ранее не знал. Если знал, то ему, ВОЗМОЖНО, будет интересно прочитать про попытки Джека Томпсона засудить всех на свете, однако это самые слабые эпизоды книги, несмотря на эксклюзивную информацию из первых уст.
January 18, 2021
Interesting that democrats (in particular Al Gore and Hillary Clinton) were more eager to prohibit violent video games than republicans.
January 17, 2021
Took me until halfway into this to get that the title gag was not only a reference to carjacking, but infamous slimeball dickwad Jack Thompson, who once idly threatened me with a libel suit. What a prick.
June 7, 2015
Good read if you have any interest in the video game market - specifically to Rockstar Games and the Grand Theft Auto series. The idea of the story being central to "it" can be applied beyond games to just about any content production outlet these days.
Fair coverage given to both the gamer & games as cinema side of the equation as well as Jack Thompson's campaign against violent games and youth. But in the end Thompson's campaign did more to unify the game companies and ratings boards to do a better job of policing themselves.
Coverage of the social "laws" by country in the run up to Grand Theft Auto - San Andreas was pretty interesting. Didn't realize how prudish "we" are compared to other countries.
Granted, I know this wasn't an official on-the-record history, but the flow was clunky at times. Too much detail in sideline stories, and slim narrative of some parts that could have been expanded upon...especially towards the end of the book.
Fair coverage given to both the gamer & games as cinema side of the equation as well as Jack Thompson's campaign against violent games and youth. But in the end Thompson's campaign did more to unify the game companies and ratings boards to do a better job of policing themselves.
Coverage of the social "laws" by country in the run up to Grand Theft Auto - San Andreas was pretty interesting. Didn't realize how prudish "we" are compared to other countries.
Granted, I know this wasn't an official on-the-record history, but the flow was clunky at times. Too much detail in sideline stories, and slim narrative of some parts that could have been expanded upon...especially towards the end of the book.
June 14, 2012
Tra prostitute, vecchine spalmate e avvocati impazziti, la serie GTA ha senza dubbio segnato l'industria dei videogiochi degli ultimi anni. Spinti anche dal cattivo gusto e dalla smaniosa voglia di scandalizzare, quelli di Rockstar hanno, piú di chiunque altro, sdoganato i videogiochi dal mondo degli idraulici per bambini. Eppure questo libro, che della storia della saga tenta di farne un romanzo epico, non funziona. Perché gli eroi di Doom brillavano proprio perché non si cercava di dipingerli come tali, mentre stavolta l'autore si lascia troppo spesso trascinare dalla voglia di arricchire e colorare gli eventi. Sbrigativa, imprecisa e non sempre confortata dalla presenza di aneddoti interessanti, la storia criminale di GTA é tempo rubato al videogioco.
January 25, 2024
Ես չգիտեմ մարդ, ով GTA խաղացած չլինի ու սա իրոք չտեսնված արդյունք է, երբ խաղը հայտնվում է Գիննեսի գրքում։ Ընդհանուր հետաքրքիր գիրք էր, չնայած ամենաշատ վաճառված ու սիրված խաղի մասին ավելի շատ մարքեթինգային թեմայի էի սպասում, բայց մի քիչ այլ էր։ Գրքի մեծ մասը պայքարն էր օրենքի ու հիմնադիրների միջև, իսկ բուն մարքեթինգին մի գլուխ էր հատկացված, որի համար 4 եմ դրել։ Մի օր կկիսվեմ ֆբ-ում դրա մասին։
February 20, 2014
This is a crazy story. The crazy story of the definitive entertainment product of our times. Long live GTA, and long live the freedom to create art that is divisive, provocative and fun. Just goddamn fun.
September 7, 2015
Not at fun as Masters of Doom
A good read overall. If you like video game history this is a good one. However, I think the side stories found in Masters of Doom were more interesting.
A good read overall. If you like video game history this is a good one. However, I think the side stories found in Masters of Doom were more interesting.
April 17, 2020
Перевод норм (привет, Мишаня), книга всё ещё meh
Displaying 1 - 30 of 200 reviews