Features
- Cover Type: Paperback with 404 pages
- Published by: Lulu Press May 17, 2006
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 0977784215
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-0977784219
-
Book Dimensions:
8.9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
- Weighs: 1.4 pounds
Product Review
"An engaging and revealing tale." --
Christian Svensson, Next Generation (next-gen.biz)"Probably the best book on the topic of the video game industry in a while." --
Chris Espiritu, uberfunction.com"This is riveting journalism from an unbiased source. Takahashi provides a rare peek behind-the-scenes of the rollercoaster video games business." --
CliffyB, Epic Games"You could argue that no one outside of
Microsoft knows more about its Xbox game business than Dean Takahashi." --
Rob Wright, TwitchGuru.com
Product Description
"The Xbox 360 Uncloaked" is the result of more than a hundred interviews, many at the highest levels of
Microsoft, as well as countless months of independent investigative reporting. With unprecedented access,
San Jose Mercury News Technology and Gaming Writer Dean Takahashi goes beyond the official story to reveal a true insider's look at the creation of the XBox 360 and
Microsoft's multi-billion dollar gamble to become a leading force in the global video game industry. Sony, Nintendo, Electronic Arts, the entire
Microsoft Xbox 360 team, and the industry's most celebrated game developers -- all of the major players are included in this captivating book.
Reader ReviewsDean Takahashi is a reporter for the San Jose Mercury News. While I applaud his efforts to do the research and leg work to uncover the history, back story and technical details of the Xbox 360, this book just simply is not well written. Dean does a nice job in news reporting related to the tech industry and gaming in general but he is no novelist. This book is obviously not a novel either but you might expect it to be at least a story...In my opinion, it is not- it is a collection of observations loosely tied together, and even then, it is flawed. As other reviewers have noted, you will find yourself reading the same information, names, and sometimes even quotes in multiple places throughout the book, making it harder to follow his line of thinking clearly. Oftentimes, there is also a bit much of the delineation of who worked for who and who quit the Xbox team when, etc. that does not really lead the reader anywhere or add much to the story. To me, this book feels similar to the previous Xbox book written by Dean in that way- some great tidbits but overall, barely worth reading because of how painful it is to get through it. I've never had this situation happen to me before where I seriously wanted to learn the history and background of building this console, the process that was followed, etc. but was simply not motivated to continue reading the book because of its flaws. If you are used to reading more professional novels or magazine writing by mainstream writers, you may be frustrated by the common grammatical errors, editorial errors, proofreading mistakes, etc. that pop up in every chapter. They aren't a big deal and you know what he is trying to say but when you pay for a book (that isn't all that cheap, by the way) you expect more. At least I do. In summary, since I am an IT professional and an avid Xbox and Xbox 360 gamer, I kind of forced my way through the book to learn. You have to take a different approach to reading it, kind of ignoring errors, focusing on the highlights and not trying to tie everything together seamlessly, very differently than you would likely read any other book. If you feel this story is worthwhile enough to put up with these flaws, go for it. Otherwise, you may be disappointed.
Search for books at
