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Indie Gaming: Finding Entrepreneurial Success in Video Games
"Indie Gaming provides insights and a depth of knowledge that you would only expect from an industry veteran." -- David Helgason, Co-Founder of Unity Technologies
The video game industry is poised to change in a significant way. Indie game entrepreneurs are the key to unlocking a future that will redefine how video games are an art form, an entertainment medium, and a business. Video games are a $100 billion business that will soar to new heights when independent game developers recognize their entrepreneurial roots and hone their skills. After countless interviews with innovators and entrepreneurs at the forefront of the industry, Brian Bies has refined years of industry experience to provide readers with an easy-to-read understanding about how to be an effective entrepreneur in the video game industry. This book highlights essential strategies and tactics necessary to succeed in video games.
The next sandbox for future entrepreneurs to disrupt is an industry that is at the intersection of entertainment and technology. Indie Gaming will show you how entrepreneurship is the next noteworthy event to overtake the video game industry. And what you can do to get in on the ground floor.
The video game industry is poised to change in a significant way. Indie game entrepreneurs are the key to unlocking a future that will redefine how video games are an art form, an entertainment medium, and a business. Video games are a $100 billion business that will soar to new heights when independent game developers recognize their entrepreneurial roots and hone their skills. After countless interviews with innovators and entrepreneurs at the forefront of the industry, Brian Bies has refined years of industry experience to provide readers with an easy-to-read understanding about how to be an effective entrepreneur in the video game industry. This book highlights essential strategies and tactics necessary to succeed in video games.
The next sandbox for future entrepreneurs to disrupt is an industry that is at the intersection of entertainment and technology. Indie Gaming will show you how entrepreneurship is the next noteworthy event to overtake the video game industry. And what you can do to get in on the ground floor.
208 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 25, 2017
37 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 27, 2017
A rather poorly written book with absolutely no content whatsoever. It manages to fill a book by mentioning the word "entrepreneur" every other sentence without ever going into any applicable business practices.
For a book called "indie gaming", it speaks an awful lot about AAA companies, their leaders and their practices. What little it covers about actual indies, it speaks vaguely about the few huge hits of the market, like Notch with minecraft or Jonathan Blow with Braid (not that we shouldn't talk about "unicorns", but rather than their reality is quite likely to be _very_ different from yours and mine). It also starts off wit a history class of video games in general, hich while not bad isn't the reason I picked up a book about "entrepreneurial success".
One of the worst offenders in this book besides its lack of content is that it repeats itself over and over again. "Game devs are entrepreneurs", "these indies don't think of themselves as entrepreneurs, but let me tell you why they are", "you have to adopt the entrepreneur mindset", "did I tell you you were an ENTREPRENEUR in the last 10 sentences?". Not only that, but some quotes and interviews can actually be found in 3 if not 4 chapters of the same book. You seen that quote of Peter Molyneux? How would you like to read it again 4 times?
Overall it comes off as an author that likes to hear himself talk about nothing, with apparently little if no experience to speak of, a bunch of quotes from the biggest players of the industry, and absolutely no applicable content. This book will not help you "find entrepreneurial success in video games"
For a book called "indie gaming", it speaks an awful lot about AAA companies, their leaders and their practices. What little it covers about actual indies, it speaks vaguely about the few huge hits of the market, like Notch with minecraft or Jonathan Blow with Braid (not that we shouldn't talk about "unicorns", but rather than their reality is quite likely to be _very_ different from yours and mine). It also starts off wit a history class of video games in general, hich while not bad isn't the reason I picked up a book about "entrepreneurial success".
One of the worst offenders in this book besides its lack of content is that it repeats itself over and over again. "Game devs are entrepreneurs", "these indies don't think of themselves as entrepreneurs, but let me tell you why they are", "you have to adopt the entrepreneur mindset", "did I tell you you were an ENTREPRENEUR in the last 10 sentences?". Not only that, but some quotes and interviews can actually be found in 3 if not 4 chapters of the same book. You seen that quote of Peter Molyneux? How would you like to read it again 4 times?
Overall it comes off as an author that likes to hear himself talk about nothing, with apparently little if no experience to speak of, a bunch of quotes from the biggest players of the industry, and absolutely no applicable content. This book will not help you "find entrepreneurial success in video games"
May 14, 2017
Lacking in substance and execution
The most valuable thing this book tries to offer--highlighting pioneers of the game industry and guiding the reader through a study of their success--has been done infinitely better elsewhere. Books like Gamers at Work and Online Game Pioneers at Work come to mind, in which the author has the good sense to get out of the way and let a series of noteworthy interviewees tell the story. I wasn't able to find any reason to hold the author of this book credible or qualified to connect the dots for the developers out there fending for themselves.
Furthermore, as an independent developer myself as well as a recent industry journalist, I take issue with the idea that most indie devs don't understand their entrepreneurial responsibilities. It might be something to highlight the unique nature of the indie dev's role as a startup leader, or to pin down the various reasons the traditional entrepreneur's playbook actually has to be *thrown out* when competing in the indie space, but to simply focus on preaching that indies are entrepreneurs seems to communicate a lack of awareness and familiarity with the target audience.
And I'm sorry, this doesn't read like something that was professionally edited. Grammar errors and poor phrasing take a lot of the fun out of reading this. Out of curiosity I checked one of the first quotes I saw and it was incorrectly attributed.
I care about my fellow indies and I think they should be taken more seriously than this.
The most valuable thing this book tries to offer--highlighting pioneers of the game industry and guiding the reader through a study of their success--has been done infinitely better elsewhere. Books like Gamers at Work and Online Game Pioneers at Work come to mind, in which the author has the good sense to get out of the way and let a series of noteworthy interviewees tell the story. I wasn't able to find any reason to hold the author of this book credible or qualified to connect the dots for the developers out there fending for themselves.
Furthermore, as an independent developer myself as well as a recent industry journalist, I take issue with the idea that most indie devs don't understand their entrepreneurial responsibilities. It might be something to highlight the unique nature of the indie dev's role as a startup leader, or to pin down the various reasons the traditional entrepreneur's playbook actually has to be *thrown out* when competing in the indie space, but to simply focus on preaching that indies are entrepreneurs seems to communicate a lack of awareness and familiarity with the target audience.
And I'm sorry, this doesn't read like something that was professionally edited. Grammar errors and poor phrasing take a lot of the fun out of reading this. Out of curiosity I checked one of the first quotes I saw and it was incorrectly attributed.
I care about my fellow indies and I think they should be taken more seriously than this.
January 21, 2018
It just feel short...
I appreciated Bies’ call for diversity and the importance of intersectionality for the success of video games but overall his book, for me, was just poorly written. Although his points were inspirational they became rather redundant quickly. At some point he said the same thing within a paragraphs length of one another. I also had an issue with the outline breakdown of what each chapter was about and the chapter take aways. It read like a grade school textbook rather than a book on business. I think if there were edits to some the superfluous information and anecdotes the overall message of the book would shine more!
I appreciated Bies’ call for diversity and the importance of intersectionality for the success of video games but overall his book, for me, was just poorly written. Although his points were inspirational they became rather redundant quickly. At some point he said the same thing within a paragraphs length of one another. I also had an issue with the outline breakdown of what each chapter was about and the chapter take aways. It read like a grade school textbook rather than a book on business. I think if there were edits to some the superfluous information and anecdotes the overall message of the book would shine more!
May 3, 2019
Good Overall Look At The Field
I liked the approach the author took. You will not learn about how to make a game, but you will learn what it takes to be an entrepreneurial indie game developer. You will learn from others what it takes to make it.
I liked the approach the author took. You will not learn about how to make a game, but you will learn what it takes to be an entrepreneurial indie game developer. You will learn from others what it takes to make it.
October 8, 2018
A good solid read!
A overall good book on video gaming and creation, I enjoyed it greatly! Felt like I was reading a good comic book novel fast and high pace to the point!
A overall good book on video gaming and creation, I enjoyed it greatly! Felt like I was reading a good comic book novel fast and high pace to the point!
December 31, 2018
Very well written
I liked mostly all the topics that the writer wrote. The only thing that I didn't like was he was rooting for Sarkeesian. There is a reason why we do no like her.
I liked mostly all the topics that the writer wrote. The only thing that I didn't like was he was rooting for Sarkeesian. There is a reason why we do no like her.
December 25, 2019
Bad book
He tell some stuff stories for selling book.
Not buy, waste money.
I wish I don't buy this book.
Waste money and time for reading.
He tell some stuff stories for selling book.
Not buy, waste money.
I wish I don't buy this book.
Waste money and time for reading.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews