{"title":"XBox","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"spelunky-by-derek-yu","title":"Spelunky by Derek Yu","description":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRelease Date: March 29, 2016\u003cbr\u003e222 pages\u003cbr\u003eISBN 13: 978­-1-­940535­-11-­1\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhen Derek Yu released \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eSpelunky\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e for free in 2008, his roguelike-inspired platformer took the indie game community by storm with its combination of classic platform mechanics, extreme difficulty, and random level generation. \u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFour years later\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eSpelunky\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e's HD remake went on to become PC Gamer's Game of the Year and earn perfect scores from Polygon and Eurogamer. But how is a \"perfect\" game made? \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSpelunky\u003c\/i\u003e is Boss Fight's first autobiographical book: the story of a game's creation as told by its creator. Using his own game as a vehicle, Derek Yu discusses such wide-ranging topics as randomization, challenge, indifferent game worlds, player feedback, development team dynamics, and what's required to actually finish a game. Grab some ropes, a mattock, and your favorite pug—this book is going to dig deep.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.derekyu.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDerek Yu\u003c\/a\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003eis the creator of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eSpelunky\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, co-creator of the game \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eAquaria\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, and editor-in-chief of The Independent Gaming Source, an indie game development community and news site.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e*\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e  \u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"Maybe the best primer on game design ever written.\" - Zach Gage\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"Seriously, if you have any interest in game design or development, get this book.\" - Rami Ismail\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e“Quite possibly the best book about game design ever written.” - Chris Furniss\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSpelunky\u003c\/em\u003e might be our Understanding Comics.\" - Adam Saltsman\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"Derek Yu's book is my favorite writing on game design - maybe making ANY art - ever.\" - \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/adamconover\/status\/894712510409883648\" title=\"Adam Conover Quote Spelunky by Derek Yu\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAdam Conover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"A fascinating tour of [Spelunky's] inner workings. \u003c\/span\u003e[...] Coming from a developer who’s crafted one of the most intriguing, influential releases of the last decade, [the book is an] insightful look at how something so obsession-worthy comes together.\" - \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.avclub.com\/article\/what-are-you-reading-november-246001\" title=\"Matt Gerardi reviews Spelunky by Derek Yu in The Onion AV Club\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eA.V. Club\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"I have disliked every [game design] book I've that attempts to be instructional. Derek Yu's \u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSpelunky\u003c\/em\u003e is anecdotal, but full of wonder.\" - Ken Wong, lead designer of Monument Valley\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"Well-written and humble throughout, the book humanizes a game that many developers and fans see as an unreachable pinnacle of minimalist design brilliance.\" - \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/our-video-game-book-holiday-gift-guide-2016-401016.phtml\" title=\"Destructoid Holiday Gift Guide 2016 by Jonathan Holmes featuring Spelunky by Derek Yu\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDestructoid\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"Here everything is weaved in nicely, and I very much appreciate the touch of style and grace in this book.\" 8.5\/10 - \u003ca title=\"Cameron Kunzelman reviews Spelunky by Derek Yu for Paste Games\" href=\"http:\/\/www.pastemagazine.com\/articles\/2016\/04\/spelunky-by-derek-yu-review.html\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ePaste\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"If you’re anything like me, and you set \u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSpelunky\u003c\/em\u003e aside before delving into its considerable depths, this book is a superb enticement to return, better equipped and more knowledgeable, in search of still greater secrets.\" - \u003ca title=\"Nate Ewert-Krocker reviews Spelunky by Derek Yu in ZAM\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20161220144457\/https:\/\/www.zam.com\/article\/289\/spelunky-review\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eZAM\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"It’s a great book for the fans of the game, as well as aspiring game developers.\" - \u003ca title=\"Digital Trends includes Spelunky by Derek Yu in the list  Set down your controller and read these 15 great books about video games\" href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/best-books-about-games\/\"\u003eDigital Trends\u003c\/a\u003e, including the book on its \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/best-books-about-games\" title=\"Digital Trends - Ten Books Any Gamer Will Love\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eTen Books Any Gamer Will Love\u003c\/a\u003e list\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"\u003cspan class=\"css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe way Derek Yu communicates his struggles, joys, failures, and victories over the course of this book is truly an inspiration itself. This is a wonderful book.\" - \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolink.com\/2022\/12\/22\/spelunky-by-derek-yu-book-review\/\" title=\"Jason Capp reviews Spelunky by Derek Yu for Nintendo Link\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eNintendo Link \u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eExcerpt:\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/kotaku.com\/how-spelunky-went-from-pixel-game-to-console-classic-1766257956\" title=\"Excerpt of Spelunky by Derek Yu in Kotaku\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eKotaku\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.gamedeveloper.com\/design\/how-i-spelunky-i-got-its-procedural-hook-actually-got-finished\" title=\"Simon Carless discusses and excerpts Spelunky by Derek Yu in Game Developer\"\u003eGame Developer\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eInterview: \u003ca title=\"Shaun Prescott interviews Derek Yu about Spelunky in PC Gamer\" href=\"http:\/\/www.pcgamer.com\/derek-yu-on-the-state-of-indie-and-his-new-book-about-spelunky\/#page-2\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ePC Gamer\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMore Reviews: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/26152638-spelunky\" title=\"Goodreads page for Shadow of the Colossus by Nick Suttner\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGoodreads\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":1048260092,"sku":"1001","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":16501016645,"sku":"1003","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback + eBook","offer_id":16501024837,"sku":"1004","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Scuffed\/Dented Paperback","offer_id":37098825941162,"sku":"1005","price":9.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/BFB_Covers_with_Color_Background_28.png?v=1721357791"},{"product_id":"katamari-damacy-by-l-e-hall","title":"Katamari Damacy by L. E. Hall","description":"\u003cp\u003eRelease Date: October 16, 2018\u003cbr\u003e160 pages\u003cbr\u003eISBN 13: 978-1-940535-17-3\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe universe falls into chaos. The moon and the stars vanish from the night sky. The son of a fickle deity must restore balance to the cosmos… by pushing a sticky ball around and picking up every toothpick, tree, and skyscraper in its path. A plotline this wild could only describe “nah… nah nah nah nah nah nah nah” \u003cem\u003eKatamari Damacy\u003c\/em\u003e, the irresistible little cult game turned cultural juggernaut.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eBut the 2004 release of \u003cem\u003eKatamari\u003c\/em\u003e almost didn’t get the ball rolling. Reviewers worldwide weren’t sure how to classify it and initial sales numbers were low. Those who actually played it, though, were won over by its novel gameplay, goofy surrealism, and catchy soundtrack. Pushed into the mainstream by its passionate fans, \u003cem\u003eKatamari\u003c\/em\u003e remains one of the best video game examples of pure anarchic fun.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eBased on new interviews with \u003cem\u003eKatamari\u003c\/em\u003e creator Keita Takahashi himself, game designer and writer L. E. Hall explores the unlikely story of the game's development, its unexpected success, and its lasting cultural impact. Along the way, she uncovers \u003cem\u003eKatamari\u003c\/em\u003e’s deep roots in Japanese culture, in contemporary art, and in the transformative power of play itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.lauraehall.com\/\" title=\"L. E. Hall website\"\u003eL. E. Hall\u003c\/a\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003eis an artist, writer, puzzle-maker, and immersive environment \u0026amp; narrative designer living in Portland, Oregon. Her work focuses on the intersections between arts, culture, and technology, especially in gaming.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e*\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"I have not read this Katamari book, and also I don't remember 100% what I told to L. E. Hall in the interviews. But I would recommend this book irresponsibly.\" - Keita Takahashi, creator of Katamari\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A really great documentation of Katamari Damacy. Fans of the game or fans of the game’s creator should absolutely buy the book from Boss Fight Books and read it.\" - \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/calebjross.com\/katamari-damacy-by-l-e-hall-a-boss-fight-books-review\/\" title=\"Caleb J Ross review of Katamari Damacy by L. E. Hall\"\u003eCaleb J. Ross\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A perfect pairing of author with subject matter. Who better to write about the celebration of play for play's sake that is Katamari Damacy than someone whose work as a designer of puzzles and escape rooms also represents a championing of the need for play in all of our lives?\" - Carolyn Petit\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A neat, well-researched peek into the workings of a Japanese video game company. [...] if you dig quirky video games and\/or how they can be viewed as capital-A Art, \u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eKatamari Damacy\u003c\/i\u003e is well worth a read.\" \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e- \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dialhforhouston.wordpress.com\/2018\/11\/19\/book-review-l-e-halls-katamari-damacy\/\" title=\"Dial H for Houston review of Katamari Damacy by L. E. Hall\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eDial H for Houston\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"I’ve only played a few minutes of Katamari, but L.E. Hall’s book made me want to revisit it. But even if I \u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003edon’t\u003c\/em\u003e, I’m freshly sold on how it was conceived, from the ground up, to be something that brings one joy, and I felt that joy just \u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ereading\u003c\/em\u003e about it.\" 4\/5 - \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/vaguely-offensive.com\/boss-fight-books-katamari-damacy-17-l-e-hall\/\" title=\"Review of Katamari Damacy by L. E. Hall on Vaguely Offensive\"\u003eVaguely Offensive\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Great read that makes me love the game even more.\" - Adam Hartling\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e8\/10 - \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20240412235545\/https:\/\/the-pixels.com\/2019\/08\/21\/katamari-damacy-by-l-e-hall-boss-fight-books\/\" title=\"The Pixels review of Katamari Damacy by L. E. Hall\"\u003eThe Pixels\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExcerpt:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/katamari-damacys-creator-had-to-move-mountains-to-get-h-1829795785\" title=\"Kotaku Excerpt of Katamari Damacy by L. E. Hall\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKotaku\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore Reviews: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/34262288-katamari-damacy\" title=\"Goodreads Reviews of Katamari Damacy by L. E. Hall\"\u003eGoodreads\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":26255739024,"sku":"1801","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":26256019536,"sku":"1803","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback + eBook","offer_id":26256019600,"sku":"1804","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Scuffed\/Dented Paperback","offer_id":37098818896042,"sku":"1805","price":9.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/BFB_Covers_with_Color_Background_8.png?v=1721336330"},{"product_id":"shovel-knight-by-david-l-craddock","title":"Shovel Knight by David L. Craddock","description":"\u003cp\u003eRelease Date: October 16, 2018\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e224 pages\u003cbr\u003eISBN 13: 978-1-940535-19-7\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2014, Yacht Club Games released its very first game, \u003cem\u003eShovel Knight\u003c\/em\u003e, a joyful 2D platformer that wears its NES influences on its sleeve. This unlikely pastiche of 8-bit inspirations manages to emulate the look, feel, and even the technical limitations of nostalgic titles like \u003cem\u003eMega Man\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eZelda II\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eCastlevania III\u003c\/em\u003e—imbued with a contemporary sense of humor and self-awareness. But how is a fundamentally retro game created in the modern era? And what do the games of the past have to teach today's game designers? \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBased on extensive original interviews with the Yacht Club Games team, writer David L. Craddock unearths the story of a fledgling group of game developers who worked so well together at WayForward Games that they decided to start their own studio. From the high highs of Shovel Knight's groundbreaking Kickstarter to the low lows of its unexpectedly lengthy development, Boss Fight presents a new master class in how a great game gets made. Get ready to steel your shovel and dig into this fascinating oral history. For Shovelry!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/davidlcraddock.com\/\" data-external=\"true\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDavid L. Craddock\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003elives with his wife and business partner in Ohio. He is the author of Stay Awhile and Listen, a three-part series that chronicles the history of World of WarCraft developer Blizzard Entertainment and Diablo\/Diablo II developer Blizzard North; Break Out: How the Apple II Launched the PC Gaming Revolution by Schiffer Publishing; and HERITAGE, a young adult fantasy novel\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003ci\u003eConnect with David on\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/davidlcraddock\" data-external=\"true\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eTwitter\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003eor\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/facebook.com\/davidlcraddock\" data-external=\"true\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eFacebook\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e*\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Even if you’ve never played the brilliant 2D side-scroller Shovel Knight or you’ve any interest in the hidden workings of game development, you’ll be gripped by the story of how it became one of the most acclaimed indie games of the decade.\" - \u003ca title=\"The Guardian Praises Shovel Knight by David L Craddock\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/games\/2018\/dec\/19\/six-of-2018s-best-new-books-about-video-games\"\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"I couldn’t put it down. If you are a fan of Shovel Knight or indie game development you should read it.\" -\u003c\/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/indiegamerteam.com\/2018\/10\/22\/shovel-knight-boss-fight-books\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIndie Gamer Team\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Through storytelling and interviews, David Craddock chronicles the ups and downs of development while sharing insight into the developer's approach to design. A compelling read that will satisfy both fans and developers alike.\" - Justin Ma, co-creator, \u003cem\u003eFTL: Faster Than Light\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"In his colorful, well-crafted book, Craddock paints a portrait of a development team that feels more like a family as they progress on their epic quest to design and fund their scrappy retro game—nearly going broke in the process. In the end, we're treated to a riveting portrayal of the challenges facing today's indie developers, brave underdogs like Shovel Knight himself.\" - Alyse Knorr, author, \u003cem\u003eSuper Mario Bros. 3\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExcerpt: \u003ca title=\"Excerpt of Shovel Knight by David L Craddock\" href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/how-shovel-knights-developers-modernized-nes-game-desig-1829767941\"\u003eKotaku\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore Reviews:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca title=\"Goodreads Reviews of Shovel Knight by David L Craddock\" href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/36597601-shovel-knight\"\u003eGoodreads\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":40822844240,"sku":"2001","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":40822844304,"sku":"2003","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback + eBook","offer_id":40822844368,"sku":"2004","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Scuffed\/Dented Paperback","offer_id":31336311521393,"sku":"2005","price":9.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/BFB_Covers_with_Color_Background_17.png?v=1721339654"},{"product_id":"star-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic-by-alex-kane","title":"Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic by Alex Kane","description":"\u003cp\u003eRelease Date: April 9, 2019\u003cbr\u003e128 pages\u003cbr\u003eISBN 13: 978-1-940535-21-0\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSet an even longer time ago in a galaxy far, far away, BioWare's 2003 \u003cem\u003eStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic\u003c\/em\u003e wowed players with its compelling characters, lightsaber customization, complex morality choices, and one of the greatest plot twists in both video game and Star Wars history. But even for veteran studios like LucasArts and BioWare, the responsibility of making both a great game and a lasting contribution to the Star Wars canon was no easy task.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFeaturing extensive new interviews with a host of \u003cem\u003eKotOR\u003c\/em\u003e's producers, writers, designers, and actors, journalist Alex Kane weaves together an epic oral history of this classic game, from its roots in tabletop role-playing and comic books, to its continued influence on big-screen Star Wars films. Whether you align with the light or the dark side, you're invited to dive into this in-depth journey through one of the most beloved Star Wars titles of all time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/alexjkane\" data-external=\"true\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAlex Kane\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is a journalist based in west-central Illinois. He has written for Polygon, the website of Rolling Stone, StarWars.com, Variety, and other publications. This is his first book.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e*\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Alex Kane has written a fine book about how one the best video games ever made was created. Darth Revan, HK-47, the lost planet of Sleheyron, a charming story about Ed Asner—it’s everything you’ve always wanted to know about a truly fascinating game.” - Tom Bissell, author of \u003cem\u003eThe Disaster Artist\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Vigorously researched, accessibly written, and—most importantly—total fun from start to finish.” - Blake J. Harris, author of \u003cem\u003eConsole Wars\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Alex Kane’s book reveals the amazing story behind one of the greatest Star Wars games of all time, and how its creation was an adventure all its own, just like the films by which they were inspired.” - Walt Williams, writer of Star Wars Battlefront II\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is one of the most significant Star Wars games ever made—one whose reach continues to influence both fans and Star Wars creators to this day. Through his interviews with many of the key creators behind the game, Alex weaves together the compelling tale of its creation. The stories told are frequently as fascinating as the game’s own narrative.” - Michael Dailey, Lucasfilm Games\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“Bloody excellent.” - Josh West\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\"Boss Fight’s new book by Alex Kane dives into this story with gusto, touching on deep reveals series fans will love, while keeping it digestible to more casual readers. Even if you don’t know the difference between a wamprat and a gizka, there’s a touchingly human tale inside.\" - \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/unwinnable.com\/2019\/04\/23\/boss-fight-vs-kotor\/\" title=\"Elijah Beahm reviews KotOR by Alex Kane for Unwinnable\"\u003eUnwinnable\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\"\u003c\/span\u003eIf you enjoy the nitty gritty details of game development, this is the perfect book for you. [...] Books like this give me a true appreciation for the entire process of video game creation. I think I’m going to have to find more Boss Fight Books to read.\" - \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190511141354\/https:\/\/logannobleauthor.com\/2019\/04\/10\/book-review-star-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic-by-alex-kane\/\" title=\"Logan Noble reviews KotOR by Alex Kane for his blog\"\u003eLogan Noble\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Kane’s writing style is crisp and professional, letting his interview subjects (including key designers, directors, producers, artists, and voice actors) speak for themselves. [...] If you are at all interested in how games are made, the stories here will fascinate you.\" - \u003ca title=\"Jonathan Logan reviews KotOR by Alex Kane for RPGFan\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rpgfan.com\/feature\/rpgfan-chapters-review-boss-fight-books-star-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic\/\"\u003eRPGFan\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Star Wars aside, this book gives an eye-opening account of the game industry and the developmental decisions behind one of the most well-loved games ever. The book is easy to pick up and read and I thoroughly enjoyed reading each page. The only criticism I have is that I was finding it so interesting that I was disappointed when I finished reading the final page. I wanted more!\" - \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/ancientgamer.wordpress.com\/2019\/04\/29\/star-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic-by-alex-kane-book-review\/\" title=\"Ancient Gamer reviews KotOR by Alex Kane\"\u003eAncient Gamer\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"I could listen to these guys talk all day long about their time in the sun; they are still that passionate about it. It dawned on me, someone who has been playing the game since its release, that these creators are just as fascinating as the game itself. And in many ways, Alex treats both the game AND the creators with an equal amount of reverence, tactfully stopping short of hero-worship in both cases.\" - \u003ca title=\"Steve at TheForce.net reviews KotOR by Alex Kane\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theforce.net\/story\/front\/Star_Wars_Knights_Of_The_Old_Republic_Book_Review_183563.asp\"\u003eTheForce.net\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Kane provides an awesome in-depth coverage of the developmental process, and also shares some great Easter Eggs about Star Wars. [...] I’d definitely recommend this book if you’re interested in Star Wars or video games in general.\" - \u003ca href=\"Katie%20Rentschler\" title=\"Katie Rentschler reviews KotOR by Alex Kane for Superman on Film\"\u003eSuperman on Film\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"There’s a little bit of something for everyone within these pages whether you’re more of a Star Wars person or more of a BioWare person. [...] Come for the game’s history, stay for the HK-47 tidbits, meatbags.\" - \u003ca title=\"Tosche Station review of KotOR by Alex Kane\" href=\"https:\/\/toschestation.net\/review-star-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic\/\"\u003eTosche Station\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=MRrRikIhEZc\u0026amp;feature=emb_title\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCaleb J Ross video review\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eExcerpt: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/2019\/4\/9\/18295166\/star-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic-cut-planet-development-bioware\"\u003ePolygon\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCoverage: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/games\/star-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic-facts\/\"\u003eDen of Geek\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInterview: \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.port-haven.com\/articles\/forging-the-old-republic-an-interview-with-alex-kane\/\" title=\"Port Haven interviews Alex Kane about KotOR\"\u003ePort Haven\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=sixB7-_MqPU\"\u003eMAHO! Studio\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CRCJNxQgQSg\"\u003eOld Republic Podcast\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca title=\"365 Star Wars interviews Alex Kane\" href=\"https:\/\/365starwars.com\/2019\/03\/21\/interview-alex-kane-and-the-making-of-knights-of-the-old-republic\/\"\u003e365 Star Wars\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore Reviews:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca title=\"Goodreads Reviews of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic\" href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/36523485-star-wars\"\u003eGoodreads\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":40823423952,"sku":"2201","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":40823424016,"sku":"2203","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback + eBook","offer_id":40823424080,"sku":"2204","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Scuffed\/Dented Paperback","offer_id":37098825973930,"sku":"2205","price":9.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/BFB_Covers_with_Color_Background_10.png?v=1721336625"},{"product_id":"red-dead-redemption-by-matt-margini","title":"Red Dead Redemption by Matt Margini","description":"\u003cdiv\u003eRelease Date: July 7, 2020\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e224 pages\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eISBN:\u003cspan\u003e 978-1-940535-24-1 \u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cbr\u003eFirst garnering both dismissal and intrigue as “Grand Theft Horse,” Rockstar Games’ 2010 action-adventure \u003cem\u003eRed Dead Redemption\u003c\/em\u003e was met on its release with critical acclaim for its open-world gameplay, its immersive environments, and its authenticity to the experience of the Wild West. Well, the simulated Wild West, that is.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBoss Fight invites you to find out how the West was created, sold, and marketed to readers, moviegoers, and gamers as a space where “freedom” and “progress” duel for control of the dry, punishing frontier. Join writer and scholar Matt Margini as he journeys across the broad and expansive genre known as the Western, tracing the lineage of the familiar self-sufficient loner cowboy from prototypes like Buffalo Bill, through golden age icons like John Wayne and antiheroes like Clint Eastwood’s “Man with No Name,” up to \u003cem\u003eRed Dead\u003c\/em\u003e’s John Marston.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith a critical reading of \u003cem\u003eRed Dead\u003c\/em\u003e’s narrative, setting, and gameplay through the lens of the rich and ever-shifting genre of the Western, Margini reveals its connections to a long legacy of mythmaking that has colored not only the stories we love to consume, but the histories we tell about America.\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/muckrack.com\/matt-margini\/articles\" title=\"Matt Margini Muckrack Page\"\u003eMatt Margini\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e is a writer whose essays on games, books, and movies have appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Los Angeles Review of Books, Kill Screen, and Public Books, where he serves as video game editor. In 2018, he earned a PhD in English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University. He currently lives in Miami, FL, with his wife, Christina, and two sons, Raymond and Nicholas. This is his first book.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e*\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“In this extraordinary book, Margini shows how the fusion of the myth of the West with open-world design created the ultimate modern game.” - Michael Clune, author of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eGAMELIFE\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e‘A deeply thoughtful and provocative contemplation, equally celebratory and interrogative, of a work that drew from American cinema’s idea of America’s past, even as it redrew video gaming’s future.’ - Simon Parkin, New Yorker contributor and author of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eDeath by Videogames\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“Insightful.” - Javy Gwaltney \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“It’s quite arresting in its attempt to explain the mythology behind the west, and how the game channels that to make it what it is, a eulogy to the genre. Treats the material with a respect that I did not expect a video game to get. Great read!” - Ujjwal Mohindra \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“An essential read for anyone who’s really gotten into the game, and also for any fans of the Western who are interested in reading about how the genre can be interpreted through 21st century media.”- \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dialhforhouston.wordpress.com\/2020\/07\/01\/book-review-matt-marginis-red-dead-redemption\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eDial H for Houston\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“Broadly but sharply observed, looking at the game as the product of not just its own medium and the Western films and novels it pulls from, but as a work twisted up in the history of America, past and present, and a reflection on how videogames relate that history. The final chapter, dealing directly with history as its subject, is likely the best I've ever read on how the past is related through games. Essential reading for anyone interested in that topic, especially.” - Reid McCarter\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“Lots of deep thought on the history of the Western and American Frontier and how RDR fits in.” - Simon Carless\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\"Takes a seemingly benign topic and uses it as a catalyst to explore something much greater.” - \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zDhx91GLKf8\u0026amp;feature=youtu.be\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eCaleb J Ross video review\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eExcerpt: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/red-dead-redemptions-untamable-frontier-makes-it-the-ul-1844152406\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eKotaku\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore Reviews:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/53308302-red-dead-redemption\" title=\"Goodreads Reviews of Red Dead Redemption\"\u003eGoodreads\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":31806591762545,"sku":"2501","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":31806591795313,"sku":"2503","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback + eBook","offer_id":31806591828081,"sku":"2504","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Scuffed\/Dented Paperback","offer_id":37098821517482,"sku":"2505","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/BFB_Covers_with_Color_Background_9.png?v=1721336486"},{"product_id":"day-of-the-tentacle-by-bob-mackey","title":"Day of the Tentacle by Bob Mackey","description":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eRelease Date: October 9, 2023\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-940535-33-3\u003cbr\u003eForeword by Larry Ahern\u003cbr\u003eAfterword by Tim Schafer\u003cbr\u003e160 pages \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eSix years after helping the Edison family defeat the designs of a malevolent meteor in \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eManiac Mansion\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e, college student and classic nerd Bernard Bernoulli once again finds himself at the front door of the infamous mansion. With two weird friends, Hoagie and Laverne, Bernard must stop the evil Purple Tentacle from conquering the world—by freezing hamsters, pushing old ladies down the stairs, abusing Swiss bank accounts, and ever so slightly changing some of the most significant moments in American history.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eDave Grossman and Tim Schafer’s 1993 time-trotting point-and-click adventure game \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eDay of the Tentacle\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e brought LucasArts' game design to a new standard of excellence with smart puzzles, hilarious characters, and an animation style that harkened back to classic Warner Bros. cartoons. And somehow, they fit it all on a fat stack of floppy disks!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIn this definitive oral history as told by the game’s designers, musicians, and artists, writer Bob Mackey tells the inside story of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eDay of the Tentacle\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e’s lightning-in-a-bottle production, and reveals how two first-time directors boiled down the lessons of past adventure games into a tight and satisfying experience, how their team grappled with evolving technology to achieve the coveted status of \"multimedia\" at the dawn of the CD-ROM age, and how a remastered edition brought \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eTentacle \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eto a new generation of fans.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/123029070-day-of-the-tentacle\" title=\"Day of the Tentacle by Bob Mackey Goodreads Page\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBob Mackey\u003c\/strong\u003e is a writer, podcaster, and video game historian, and has been the co-host of the classic gaming podcast, Retronauts, since 2011. He's also the co-host and co-creator of the Talking Simpsons and What a Cartoon podcasts, and transitioned to being a full-time podcaster after video game websites simply stopped existing. You can find him in Vancouver, BC with his wife and parrot, though often not at the same time. This is his first book.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e*\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Bob did an excellent job. [...] It shines a light on a game I had previously passed over and shared the game’s history with me.\" - \u003ca title=\"Paul Werkema review of Day of the Tentacle by Bob Mackey\" href=\"https:\/\/paulwerkema.com\/2023\/11\/15\/a-review-of-day-of-the-tentacle-by-bob-mackey\/\"\u003ePaul Werkema\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cspan class=\"Formatted\"\u003eMackey's passion and thorough research emanate from every chapter of this book. It's a quick, entertaining, and insightful read for fans of Day of the Tentacle, for fans of all adventure games, and for fans of how great games are made.\u003c\/span\u003e\" - David L. Craddock, author of \u003cem\u003eShovel Knight\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eInterviews\/Podcasts: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=nR4nvmczpVo\" title=\"Bob Mackey on Matt Chat\"\u003eMatt Chat\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?sa=t\u0026amp;source=web\u0026amp;rct=j\u0026amp;opi=89978449\u0026amp;url=http:\/\/retronauts.com\/article\/2184\/retronauts-episode-579-writing-about-video-game-history\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwirj6rk0aiNAxXjLUQIHaDYOI84HhAWegQIIhAB\u0026amp;usg=AOvVaw1uy6NCFywB2MItTDEjIFXv\" title=\"Bob Mackey on Retronauts Episode 579: Writing About Video Game History\"\u003eRetronauts\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMore Reviews: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/123029070-day-of-the-tentacle\" title=\"Day of the Tentacle by Bob Mackey Goodreads Page\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eGoodreads\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":45058700640426,"sku":"3501","price":15.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":45058700673194,"sku":"3503","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback + eBook","offer_id":45058700705962,"sku":"3504","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/BFB_Covers_with_Color_Background.png?v=1721333959"},{"product_id":"untitled-goose-game-by-james-oconnor","title":"Untitled Goose Game by James O'Connor","description":"\u003cp\u003eRelease Date: January 28, 2025\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eISBN: 978-1-940535-36-4\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e200 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's a beautiful day in the village, and you are a horrible goose, ready to wreak charming havoc on the weary locals. You'll ruin their gardens, invade their pub, and terrorize their children. \u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003eWhat kind of scoundrels would make such a devious game?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBefore the critical acclaim, the tweets from celebrities, the major awards, the memes, the fan art, and the legion of players, \u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003eUntitled Goose Game\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/em\u003ewas just the goofy dream of House House, four friends in Melbourne, Australia. What began with a photo of a goose and the joking caption \"Let's make a game about this\" transformed into one of the wittiest and most stylish games of its generation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough interviews with the creators and their co-conspirators, journalist and developer James O'Connor tells the story of how this indie megahit came to be, revealing how the team succeeded by evolving their friendship into an art practice, contributing to the wider Australian game development scene, trusting their own good taste, and never, ever naming their game. \u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003eHonk!!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Jickle\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"bold\"\u003eJames O'Connor\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003e has been writing about games for most of his adult life. His work has been featured on IGN, GameSpot, Edge, and beloved Australian magazine institutions Hyper and PC PowerPlay. He has also worked as an academic, teacher, game developer, and in a handful of other roles around games. In 2023, he won the Best Game Reviewer award at the Samsung IT Journalism Awards, and he recently served as the narrative lead on mobile game Power Rangers: Mighty Force. He lives in Adelaide with his partner and their two cats. This is his first book.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003e*\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003eInterview: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/q-and-a\/546855\/untitled-goose-game-book-interview\"\u003ePolygon\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003e, \u003ca title=\"At 3rd Phase Stephen Farrelly interviews James O'Connor about his book Untitled Goose Game\" href=\"https:\/\/3rd-phase-boss.com\/blogs\/pop-culture\/untitled-goose-game-book-interview-with-author-james-oconnor\"\u003e3rd Phase\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003ePodcast: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/newbooksnetwork.com\/untitled-goose-game\" title=\"Untitled Goose Game author James O'Connor appears on Game Studies podcast\"\u003eGame Studies\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003eReviews: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.oldschoolgamermagazine.com\/a-review-of-untitled-goose-game-from-boss-fight-books\/\" title=\"Old School Gamer magazine reviews Untitled Goose Game by James O'Connor\"\u003eOld School Gamer\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/218134902-untitled-goose-game\"\u003eGoodreads\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":46347458511018,"sku":"3801","price":15.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":46347458543786,"sku":"3803","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback + eBook","offer_id":46347458576554,"sku":"3804","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/UGG-Mockup3DCover.png?v=1731350433"},{"product_id":"outer-wilds-by-tommy-wallach","title":"Outer Wilds by Tommy Wallach","description":"\u003cp\u003eRelease Date: May 20, 2025\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-940535-37-1\u003cbr\u003e192 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaybe it's happened to you too. You're talking to a friend about your favorite games, and their voice suddenly drops to a whisper. \"Have you played... \u003cem\u003eOuter Wilds\u003c\/em\u003e?\" When you ask what makes the game so special, their only response is a smile and a promise: \"Go play it. You'll see.\" After enough of these cryptic conversations, you finally try the game—and suddenly you're the one praising \u003cem\u003eOuter Wilds\u003c\/em\u003e to anyone who will listen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this volume, novelist and escape room designer Tommy Wallach explains how a project that began as a USC student's master's thesis ended up winning \"Game of the Year\" from \u003cem\u003eGiant Bomb\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003ePolygon\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eEurogamer\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/em\u003e. Along the way, he'll discuss how \u003cem\u003eOuter Wilds\u003c\/em\u003e uses theme to reconcile the age-old battle between narrative and gameplay; how its unique form of knowledge-based gating spurs player curiosity; how it offers up true mystery without resorting to videogame-y puzzles; and how its spectacular DLC, E\u003cem\u003echoes of the Eye\u003c\/em\u003e, remains true to the spirit of the base game while transforming its tone completely.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tommywallach.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"bold\"\u003eTommy Wallach\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003e is the author of five young adult novels, including We All Looked Up, which spent over six months on the New York Times bestseller list. As a screenwriter, he's sold numerous projects, including the thriller Delilah (Screen Gems) and a limited series about the JonBenet Ramsey case (Paramount+). He was signed to Decca\/Universal as a singer-songwriter, and his original musical Vicky \u0026amp; Frank was recently optioned by eight-time Tony Award winning producer Joey Parnes. Tommy is the co-owner of Hatch Escapes, creators of the tabletop game Mother of Frankenstein and the escape rooms Lab Rat, ranked the eighth best room in the world in 2018, and The Ladder, which the LA Times described as \"redefining the medium.\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003e*\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003e\"Highly recommended and enjoyable.\" - Darren Hupke in\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/posts\/book-review-by-135792737\" title=\"Darren Hupke reviews Outer Wilds by Tommy Wallach for Pixels and Polygons\"\u003e Pixels and Polygons\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003eReviews: \u003ca title=\"Goodreads page for Outer Wilds by Tommy Wallach\" href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/219148634-outer-wilds\"\u003eGoodreads\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":46567813382314,"sku":"3901","price":15.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":46567813415082,"sku":"3903","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback + eBook","offer_id":46567813447850,"sku":"3904","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/OuterWilds-Mockup3DCover.png?v=1740010423"},{"product_id":"dance-dance-revolution-by-jessica-doyle-and-jordan-ferguson","title":"Dance Dance Revolution by Jessica Doyle and Jordan Ferguson","description":"\u003cp\u003eRelease Date: June 24, 2025\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-940535-38-8\u003cbr\u003e192 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn September 26, 1998, a video game made its debut in Japanese arcades. It was over seven feet tall and weighed just over 900 pounds. It had no characters, no story, no quests to fulfill or bosses to beat. What it had was a metal platform on which you were supposed to stand, put your feet into the right place at the right time, and dance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJoin two music critics, long-ago players, and Sota Fujimori fans as they take you on the astonishing journey through the artists, influences, and innovators of\u003cem\u003e Dance Dance Revolution\u003c\/em\u003e, a game two and a half decades in the making and still going -- in homes, arcades, and expos.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom its unexpected appearance to its social heyday to its reappearance in the American market, \u003cem\u003eDDR \u003c\/em\u003ehas taken many forms -- not all of them sanctioned by Konami. It has spawned community, creativity, competition, lawsuits, 1,000+ songs that range from wacky to tacky to beautiful, and yes, a lot of dancing. While we were all leaning on the back bar, working up a sweat, \u003cem\u003eDDR \u003c\/em\u003emanaged to change the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJessica Doyle\u003c\/strong\u003e has a Ph.D. in city planning and a love for writing about the connections between pop music, globalization, and the built environment. She cares for her family in the Atlanta suburbs.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJordan Ferguson \u003c\/strong\u003eis the author of J Dilla’s Donuts, #93 in the 33 1\/3 series of record guides, and co-host of the Geekdown, a podcast about fandoms. He lives and works in Toronto, Canada. Find him online @jordan_ferguson.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e*\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\"This was a fascinating book [...] about a series of games, and of the fans trying to keep the game alive.\" - Paul Werkema, Video Game Book Club\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePodcast: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/newbooksnetwork.com\/dance-dance-revolution\" title=\"Jessica Doyle and Jordan Ferguson discuss Dance Dance Revolution on Game Studies podcast hosted by Rudolf Thomas Inderst\"\u003eGame Studies\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReviews: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.oldschoolgamermagazine.com\/a-review-of-dance-dance-revolution-from-boss-fight-books\/\" title=\"Review of Dance Dance Revolution by Jessica Doyle and Jordan Ferguson in Old School Gamer\"\u003eOld School Gamer\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/219148771-dance-dance-revolution\" title=\"Goodreads page for Dance Dance Revolution by Jessica Doyle and Jordan Ferguson\"\u003eGoodreads\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":46567987413162,"sku":"4001","price":15.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":46567987445930,"sku":"4003","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback + eBook","offer_id":46567987478698,"sku":"4004","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/DDR-Mockup3DCover.png?v=1740015748"},{"product_id":"life-is-strange-by-kaitlin-tremblay","title":"Life is Strange by Kaitlin Tremblay","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003ePaperback and Ebook Available Now\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-940535-40-1\u003cbr\u003e144 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" id=\"docs-internal-guid-ef4508af-7fff-b54c-d4f3-5ce8c5b40cec\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDespite its time travel mechanics, high stakes, and pulpy murder plot, Don’t Nod Entertainment’s 2015 adventure game \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eLife is Strange\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e stood out from most video games with its unapologetic emphasis on queer romance and friendships.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eYet for all the game’s specificity, players around the world found something of themselves in its protagonist, Max Caulfield, a perceptive yet insecure teen photographer who discovers she has the ability to rewind time itself.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eNarrative designer Kaitlin Tremblay offers an intimate close reading of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eLife is Strange\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003ethrough the lenses of personal history, YA fantasy, identity formation, grief, and most of all, choice. If Max is “the sum of all the possible choices that she could make,” as Tremblay writes, then every decision we players make says something about who we are—and who we want to be.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKaitlin Tremblay \u003c\/strong\u003eis a writer and narrative designer. Currently a narrative director at Soft Rains on Ambrosia Sky, their previous game credits include A Mortician's Tale, Watch Dogs Legion, and Grindstone. They are the author of two other books on video games: Collaborative Worldbuilding for Video Games (CRC Press, 2023) and Ain't No Place for a Hero: Borderlands (ECW Press, 2017). Their full work can be found on their \u003ca title=\"Kaitlin Tremblay's website\" href=\"www.thatmonstergames.com\"\u003ewebsite\u003c\/a\u003e. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":47990129328298,"sku":"4201","price":15.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":47990129361066,"sku":"4203","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/BFB_Covers_with_Color_Background_1_e7da0c37-9827-4234-97a3-544706d70517.png?v=1752540453"},{"product_id":"dragon-age-ii-by-charlotte-reber","title":"Dragon Age II by Charlotte Reber","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003eEbook and Paperback Available Now\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-940535-41-8\u003cbr\u003e212 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" id=\"docs-internal-guid-90557326-7fff-f5c9-41f0-17c1b275103a\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eRushed through development in just a year to capitalize on the runaway success of its predecessor, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDragon Age II\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e's writing team had only a few months to write an entire game before handing it off to voice acting and development. The result was an often ramshackle sequel featuring a smaller world, fewer companions, and repetitive quests—as well as some of the best characters, dialogue, and storytelling Bioware has ever put to screen.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBased on new interviews with \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDA2\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e writers David Gaider, Jennifer Hepler, Lukas Kristjanson, as well as editor Karin Weekes, author Charlotte Reber tells the wild behind-the-scenes story of how a team at the top of their game made the best of an impossible assignment to create the series’s first fully voiced protagonist, its charmingly unreliable narrator, and a crew of unforgettable party members to bother, befriend, and romance. From \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDA2\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e’s inception to its mishandled marketing campaign to its volatile reactions from players, Reber’s book raises a mug of ale to the game that was—and the game that might have been.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCharlotte Reber\u003c\/strong\u003e is a fiction writer and gamer with a fascination for telling stories and playing games in unusual ways. She has a handful of degrees in creative writing and children's literature from Wellesley College and Simmons University, and lives in Vermont with her family, several cats, and a suspiciously low number of dragons.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":47990152855722,"sku":"4301","price":15.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":47990152888490,"sku":"4303","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/BFBCoverswithColorBackground.png?v=1753050085"},{"product_id":"age-of-empires-by-richard-moss","title":"Age of Empires by Richard Moss (Pre-Order on Kickstarter)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.kickstarter.com\/projects\/gabedurham\/age-of-empires-how-ensemble-studios-made-history\" title=\"Age of Empires by Richard Moss Kickstarter page\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePreorder Now on Kickstarter\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-940535-42-5\u003cbr\u003e208 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e“Tony came in one day, out of the blue, and said to everybody in the room, ‘Hey, would any of you rather be programming games than databases?’”\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUpon its release in 1997, the real-time strategy game \u003ci\u003eAge of Empires \u003c\/i\u003eturned heads with its varied campaigns, competitive online play, “Hollywood” approach to history, and its bright and colorful aesthetic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHelmed by brothers Tony and Rick Goodman, \u003ci\u003eAge of Empires\u003c\/i\u003e was a game about bringing thousands of years of human history to life—and making it fun and accessible. Over the course of its three-year development, the game shifted from an ancient-world twist on \u003ci\u003eSimCity\u003c\/i\u003e to a historical real-time strategy game, but through all its iterations \u003ci\u003eAge\u003c\/i\u003e never strayed from that core vision.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased on interviews with 29 former Ensemble and Microsoft executives and staff, documentarian Richard Moss tells the story of how a scrappy team of first-time developers partnered with the biggest tech company in the world on a game that would test the brothers’ relationship like nothing before.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAvailable in \u003cstrong\u003eebook\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003epaperback\u003c\/strong\u003e, and \u003cstrong\u003edeluxe hardcover\u003c\/strong\u003e formats.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.kickstarter.com\/projects\/gabedurham\/age-of-empires-how-ensemble-studios-made-history\" title=\"Age of Empires by Richard Moss Kickstarter page\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNow Funding on Kickstarter\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48566237233322,"sku":"4401","price":15.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":48566237266090,"sku":"4403","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/BFBCoverswithColorBackground_13.png?v=1774898253"}],"url":"https:\/\/bossfightbooks.com\/collections\/xbox.oembed","provider":"Boss Fight Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}