For nearly four decades, video games have captured the imaginations and drawn the ire of people around the world. Actors play them. Rappers promote them. Politicians want to control them. Even baseball legends make them. Video games are a cultural crossroads where business, entertainment, and technology converge. Sales of video games, hardware, and accessories reach upwards of $20 billion every year in the United States alone, and more than two-thirds of American households include video games in their daily lives. In a world that seems to be overflowing with fortune and success, the vicious truth of this booming industry is easily forgotten: failure is tradition. There are a few businesses that have withstood the test of time, but most startups exit as quickly as they enter the scene. Many firms are outpaced by the explosive worldwide growth and economic realities of the sector. In this groundbreaking anthology, successful founders of entertainment software companies reflect on the challenges and how they survived. Gamers at Work: * Explores the formation of entertainment software companies from the perspectives of successful founders who played the odds * Provides insight into why experienced professionals sacrifice the comfort of gainful employment for the uncertainty and risk of the startup * Shares the experiences and lessons that shape the lives, decisions, and struggles of entrepreneurs in this volatile business What you'll learn * Lead and execute strategy as an entrepreneur * Develop meaningful, long-term business relationships * Recognize strategic opportunities and threats * Take the next step without compromising principles * Balance dreams with practical considerations * Avoid the pitfalls that can trigger disaster * Learn from mistakes and make informed course corrections * Enter with style and exit with grace Who this book is for * Software professionals or managers, usually working in the video games industry * Game developers interested in starting an independent studio * Gamers who are interested in the history of games and game studios Table of Contents1. Trip Hawkins — Electronic Arts, 3DO, Digital Chocolate 2. Nolan Bushnell — Atari 3. Wild Bill Stealey — MicroProse Software 4. Tony Goodman — Ensemble Studios 5. Feargus Urquhart — Obsidian Entertainment 6. Tim Cain — Troika Games 7. Warren Spector — Junction Point Studios 8. Doug & Gary Carlston — Broderbund Software 9. Don Daglow — Stormfront Studios 10. John Smedley — Verant Interactive 11. Ken Williams — Sierra On-Line 12. Lorne Lanning — Oddworld Inhabitants 13. Chris Ulm — Malibu Comics, High Moon Studios, Appy Entertainment 14. Tobi Saulnier — 1st Playable Productions 15. Christopher Weaver — Bethesda Softworks 16. Jason Rubin — Naughty Dog 17. Ted Price — Insomniac Games