The programmers behind your favourite video games and why their stories matter
Patrick Hickey Jnr interviewed more than 30 developers responsible for some of the most famous, and infamous, video games ever made for a new book that reveals the passion, politics and struggle that shaped each title
Games are more than just fun and games, Patrick Hickey Jnr will tell you.
For The Minds Behind the Games, the journalism professor and gaming reporter interviewed more than 30 developers behind classic video games that shaped the industry.
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From Mortal Kombat to E.T., the book covers games that were financial successes as well as those that were critical failures. At the same time, it offers personal accounts of video game development that reveal the struggles that go into creating the final product.
We talked to Hickey about what he learned about the development of games from writing this book and picked his brain on the industry’s past, present and future.
Why did you decide to write a book about video games from the programmers’ perspective?
I thought that there were too many video game books that were written from the point of view of a researcher. But none of these books featured direct quotations from the creator. They’re not as in-depth and behind the scenes as I think hardcore gamers would like them to be or even a casual reader that knows nothing about the video game industry.