Press Reset. How the Gaming Industry Destroys Careers and Gives a Second Chance

Just yesterday you were working on an amazing game that the whole team believed in. And today you are packing up your belongings from the office and find yourself unemployed. What happened? The answer from Bloomberg News game reviewer and the author of this book, Jason Schreier, is chillingly simple – there is no place for fairy tales in the modern game development industry. Every year, dozens of game studios close around the world, developers lose their jobs, and hundreds of games will never see a release. And this is not just about amateur projects of enthusiasts, but about brilliant teams that gave the world BioShock Infinite, Epic Mickey, Dead Space, and other hits. The modern gaming industry is ruthless even to the biggest talents; it is a world where there are no guarantees. "Press Reset" is an investigation based on unique interviews. You will find yourself in the very center of events and learn about the last hours of Irrational Games, 2K Marin, Visceral, and other studios, as well as the fates of the people who experienced this firsthand.
Inside: real stories from developers of Irrational Games, 2K Marin, Visceral, and other studios whose collapse was a shock for their employees. You are a game developer and your dream is to create games that millions of gamers will play. But the real world is not a fairy tale. Studios are closing, lovingly crafted projects are sent to the trash bin, and people are left without jobs. - Jason Schreier will again take you behind the scenes of the video game industry to tell how the most famous studios of the last decade fell apart. - You will find out why the success of BioShock Infinite, Epic Mickey, or Dead Space did not help their creators stay afloat. - You will face a unique investigation into the reasons for the industry's collapse and the search for answers to the question of whether it deserves a second chance. "In his first book, Schreier compellingly explains that the release of each game is a true miracle. After reading the second one, it seems a miracle that this industry still has many talented people with bright eyes — how ruthless and depressive it can sometimes be." — Vadim Yelistratov, Editor-in-Chief of DTF "The gaming industry has reached unprecedented heights in recent years. In the heat of enthusiasm, it is easy to forget (or not want to remember) about the dark side of the gaming business: failures, overwork, mass layoffs, bankruptcies. "Press Reset" vividly and in detail reminds us that making games, while a dream job, is still a job — extremely hard and often thankless." — Anton Gorodetsky, Head of the video game media project PLAYER ONE (MY.GAMES)