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Jason Schreier's next book, PRESS RESET: Ruin and Recovery in the Video Game Industry, coming coming May 11, 2021

Deleted member 18944

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Morrigan said:
It's funny because his first book is actually really agenda-free, there's almost no editorializing. It's just interviews and descriptions of what went down in those various cases based on the testimonies.
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haha i was being facetious with that line, i've read and quoted the book here quite a bit! :D

More deets:

This is a book about what happens when video game studios shut down. More specifically, it's a book about what happens *to human beings* when video game studios shut down. We'll zoom out and tell the stories behind companies including Irrational Games (BioShock), Visceral Games (Dead Space), and 38 Studios (Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning) by tracking some of the people who were actually affected by these closures. What did they go through? How did they move forward? What's it like to work in an industry that can feel so damn volatile?



The book tells a lot of people's stories. Some of them burnt out and quit the video game industry. Others moved across the country for new jobs or used the opportunity to follow their dreams of independence, making games like The Flame in the Flood, The Blackout Club, and Enter The Gungeon. The book also explores some solutions to the video game industry's volatility problem and tries to figure out how some of these issues can be fixed.



One of the best parts about writing a book is having a built-in excuse to go around asking smart people questions, and I spent three years doing that for PRESS RESET. All of the stories in this book are based on firsthand interviews with people involved (and a big thank you to them for taking the time). If you liked Blood, Sweat, and Pixels, I think you'll like PRESS RESET. If you didn't like Blood, Sweat, and Pixels, idk, I think you'll still like PRESS RESET. The stories in here are wild, shocking, heartbreaking, lovely, and sometimes even hopeful.



Sound cool? If you think you'll want to read the book, please do pre-order it. Pre-orders can make a huge difference when it comes to getting visibility and promotion. They help us get attention from booksellers, help boost our internet algorithms, and help us get on cool lists. Plus I'll be your best friend.
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Announcing my next book... PRESS RESET: Ruin and Recovery in the Video Game Industry (tinyletter.com)
 

Deleted member 31333

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He's a good writer and I liked his first book but I can't support him anymore after the way he treated Jeff Cannata. Solid pass for me.
 

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Just literally bought the first one on Amazon so looking forward to reading It.

Re the new one, is it normal in the publishing world to announce a new book release 7 months in advance?
 
Cantaim

Cantaim

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Oct 25, 2017
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The Stussining
Really excited for this Blood, Sweat, and Pixels was a fun read and an interesting glimpse into the video game industry. Now to decide if I wanna pre order the book or just pick it up day 1 haha
 
Plidex

Plidex

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Oct 30, 2017
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I bought Blood, Sweat, and Pixels last month, I haven't had the time to read it yet but I look forward to buying his new book too.
 
Cruxist

Cruxist

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Oct 27, 2017
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Personally would've gone with "Press Sneak Pal," but whatever. ;)

Pumped to read this. Too often after a studio closure we see those tweets from colleagues talking about the great talent that just lost their jobs and pleas to hire them. I'm excited (and somewhat dreading) reading about what really happens next.
 
Kyuuji

Kyuuji

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Nov 8, 2017
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Congratulations to Jason! Will be picking it up for sure. His first was an interesting insight into game development and the stresses and complexities within. Will be great to get a better understanding around what happens when studios close.
 
Lemony1984

Lemony1984

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Jul 7, 2020
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Nice one. Actually only got around to reading BSP a few weeks ago and loved it. Day 1 for sure for this book.
 
Filipus

Filipus

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Dec 7, 2017
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jschreier Congratulations! Going to pre-order right now.
Do you already have plans for a third book or are you taking a break for a while?
 
Fat4all

Fat4all

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cant wait to pick this up, the first book painted such a clear picture of game development on a near moment-to-moment level and what they went through on that grind
 
IIFloodyII

IIFloodyII

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Oct 26, 2017
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Always wanted to read more on what went down at Irrational Games, still remember just being completely surprised when all the layoffs happened. Though I expect it to be pretty brutal.
 
Yabberwocky

Yabberwocky

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Oct 27, 2017
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Great news! I thought Blood, Sweat, and Pixels was fantastic, and Schreier did a really impressive job of turning what could have just been dry interviews into engaging, cohesive stories of each game's development process.
 
JustinH

JustinH

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Oct 27, 2017
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I already pre-ordered a copy because he told me to in the email I got, lol.

I preordered the paperback version, but I might end up just buying the kindle version when it actually comes out, like how I read Blood, Sweat, and Pixels.
 

Sneaky Gato

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Oct 27, 2017
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I'm curious what it will have to say on how rise of all consuming single shot AAA projects alongside the death of AA and A projects at studios has played into this. Which one is the cause? The need for all studio man power preventing the constant development of smaller projects or those smaller projects no longer seeing the sort of RoI that the larger projects have? And the effect of studio resources being dedicated on a single large project instead of a being spread about smaller project in various states of development leading to these layoff cycles.
 
jschreier

jschreier

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Oct 25, 2017
1,082
Sparks said:
Congrats!

Although I don't think I can handle reading this right now haha. But I shall one day...
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It's a bleak read and will undoubtedly be even bleaker for game developers, yeah. But it's also an optimistic book, and it presents some ways that the industry can change, including some that are being actively explored right now. I don't think people will leave it feeling miserable or anything. (Unless they were part of a game studio shutdown - then it might bring back some awful memories.)
 
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