{"product_id":"blood-sweat-and-pixels-the-triumphant-turbulent-stories-behind-how-video-games-are-made-isbn-9780062651235","title":"Blood, Sweat, and Pixels: The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNATIONAL BESTSELLER\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e“The stories in this book make for a fascinating and remarkably complete pantheon of just about every common despair and every joy related to game development.” — Rami Ismail, cofounder of Vlambeer and developer of Nuclear Throne\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDeveloping video games—hero's journey or fool's errand? The creative and technical logistics that go into building today's hottest games can be more harrowing and complex than the games themselves, often seeming like an endless maze or a bottomless abyss. In \u003ci\u003eBlood, Sweat, and Pixels, \u003c\/i\u003eJason Schreier takes readers on a fascinating odyssey behind the scenes of video game development, where the creator may be a team of 600 overworked underdogs or a solitary geek genius. Exploring the artistic challenges, technical impossibilities, marketplace demands, and Donkey Kong-sized monkey wrenches thrown into the works by corporate, \u003ci\u003eBlood, Sweat, and Pixels\u003c\/i\u003e reveals how bringing any game to completion is more than Sisyphean—it's nothing short of miraculous.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTaking some of the most popular, bestselling recent games, Schreier immerses readers in the hellfire of the development process, whether it's RPG studio Bioware's challenge to beat an impossible schedule and overcome countless technical nightmares to build \u003ci\u003eDragon Age: Inquisition\u003c\/i\u003e; indie developer Eric Barone's single-handed efforts to grow country-life RPG \u003ci\u003eStardew Valley \u003c\/i\u003efrom one man's vision into a multi-million-dollar franchise; or Bungie spinning out from their corporate overlords at Microsoft to create \u003ci\u003eDestiny\u003c\/i\u003e, a brand new universe that they hoped would become as iconic as \u003ci\u003eStar Wars\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eLord of the Rings\u003c\/i\u003e—even as it nearly ripped their studio apart.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDocumenting the round-the-clock crunches, buggy-eyed burnout, and last-minute saves, \u003ci\u003eBlood, Sweat, and Pixels\u003c\/i\u003e is a journey through development hell—and ultimately a tribute to the dedicated diehards and unsung heroes of the video game industry who scale mountains of obstacles in their quests to create the best games imaginable.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGo behind the screens for an inside look at how some of the most popular and acclaimed games of our time were made:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eAAA Studios Under Pressure:\u003c\/b\u003e Discover how Naughty Dog rebooted \u003ci\u003eUncharted 4\u003c\/i\u003e, how BioWare overcame countless technical nightmares on \u003ci\u003eDragon Age: Inquisition\u003c\/i\u003e, and why Bungie struggled to launch \u003ci\u003eDestiny\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe Solo Developer:\u003c\/b\u003e Follow the five-year, single-handed effort of Eric Barone to create \u003ci\u003eStardew Valley\u003c\/i\u003e, the indie farming RPG that became a multi-million-dollar phenomenon.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe Kickstarter Revolution:\u003c\/b\u003e Learn how a successful crowdfunding campaign for \u003ci\u003ePillars of Eternity\u003c\/i\u003e saved developer Obsidian Entertainment from the brink of collapse.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePost-Launch Redemption:\u003c\/b\u003e Witness the turbulent launches and subsequent reinventions of games like \u003ci\u003eDiablo III\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Witcher 3\u003c\/i\u003e, proving that for some games, shipping is just the beginning.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e | \u003cp\u003eThe creative and technical logistics that go into building today’s hottest games can be more fraught with challenges and complex than the games themselves, often seeming like an endless maze or a bottomless abyss. In \u003cem\u003eBlood, Sweat, and Pixels\u003c\/em\u003e, Jason Schreier takes readers on a fascinating odyssey behind the scenes of video game development, where the creator may be a team of six hundred overworked underdogs or a solitary geek genius. Exploring the artistic challenges, technical impossibilities, marketplace demands, and Donkey Kong–sized monkey wrenches thrown into the works by corporate, \u003cem\u003eBlood, Sweat, and Pixels\u003c\/em\u003e reveals how bringing any game to completion is more than Sisyphean—it’s nothing short of miraculous.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eExamining some of the bestselling games and most infamous failures, Schreier immerses readers in the hellfire of the development process, whether it’s RPG studio BioWare’s challenge to beat an impossible schedule and overcome countless technical nightmares to build \u003cem\u003eDragon Age: Inquisition\u003c\/em\u003e; indie developer Eric Barone’s single-handed efforts to grow country-life RPG \u003cem\u003eStardew Valley\u003c\/em\u003e  from one man’s vision into a multimillion-dollar franchise; or Bungie employees spinning out from their corporate overlords at Microsoft to create \u003cem\u003eDestiny\u003c\/em\u003e, a brand-new universe that they hoped would become as iconic as \u003cem\u003eStar Wars\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eLord of the Rings\u003c\/em\u003e—even as it nearly ripped their studio apart.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBlood, Sweat, and Pixels\u003c\/em\u003e is a journey through development hell—and ultimately a tribute to the dedicated diehards and unsung heroes who scale mountains of obstacles in their quests to create the best games imaginable.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“A meticulously researched, well-written, and painful at times account of many developers’ and studios’ highs and lows. May need to make it required reading for the developers at my studio.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCliff Bleszinski, creator of Gears of War and founder of Boss Key Productions\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“The stories in this book make for a fascinating and remarkably complete pantheon of just about every common despair and every joy related to game development.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eRami Ismail, cofounder of Vlambeer and developer of Nuclear Throne\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Jason Schreier brilliantly exposes the truth about how video games are made. Brutal, honest, yet ultimately uplifting; I’ve been gaming for thirty years, yet I was surprised by every page. Turns out what I didn’t know about my favorite hobby could fill a book. This book! Can’t recommend it enough to any serious fan of this generation’s greatest new art form.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAdam Conover, executive producer and host of truTV’s Adam Ruins Everything\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“One of the most insightful pieces of text I’ve ever read… It’s a well-written tale of real sacrifice, struggles, and more, it’s almost inspiring despite how sad it can be at times.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eGameZone\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Blood, Sweat, and Pixels is the instruction manual to the game industry I never realized I needed.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eGameCritics.com\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Schreier creates a compellingly warts-and-all portrait of a profession that so many who grew up playing games idolized.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWired\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Lively writing… For fans of video games, \u003cem\u003eBlood, Sweat, and Pixels \u003c\/em\u003eis a must read, but anyone interested in stories about the hard process of making art is also sure to enjoy it.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eShelf Awareness\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Making video games is one of most transformative, exciting things I’ve done in my two decades as a freelance writer. Making video games is also an excruciating journey into Hellmouth itself. Jason Schreier’s wonderful book captures both the excitement and the hell. Here, at long last, is a gripping, intelligent glimpse behind a thick (and needlessly secretive) creative curtain.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTom Bissell, author of Extra Lives and Apostle, and writer on the Gears of War, Uncharted, and Battlefield franchises\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“...his enthusiasm is contagious; even if you’ve never played one of these games, you’ll be riveted by the account of how they came to be.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Schreier covers the notoriously secretive gaming industry… and he knows it well… He also clearly respects [the] developers and their achievements, and treats their rueful tales of selfless struggle with an admiring deference…a useful survey of the landscape of game production at this cultural moment.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eGQ\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Necessary to read… by the end, my only complaint about \u003cem\u003eBlood, Sweat, and Pixels \u003c\/em\u003eis that there wasn’t more to read.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eForbes.com\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Schreier sets each scene with admirable prowess, giving the reader just enough information to feel the weight of each story. For anyone who has ever wondered how some of the most successful games are made, this book is a real eye-opener… At its heart, Blood, Sweat, and Pixels is an ode to the people who put every fiber of their being into making memorable experiences for gamers all over the world.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eFiction Southeast\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper Paperbacks","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44888453906661,"sku":"NP9780062651235","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780062651235.jpg?v=1730229117","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/blood-sweat-and-pixels-the-triumphant-turbulent-stories-behind-how-video-games-are-made-isbn-9780062651235","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}