Description
Book SynopsisOne Up offers a pioneering empirical analysis of strategy in the video games industry to explain how it has gone from the fringe to the mainstream. Drawing on years of practical and academic experience in the interactive entertainment field, Joost van Dreunen analyzes how business model innovation has made the video game industry what it is today.
Trade ReviewOne Up is by far the best book I’ve read about the business of video games. It’s at once analytical, instructional, and highly readable. It should be required reading for anyone interested in the interplay of creativity, innovation, and business strategy in interactive entertainment. -- Ben Feder, president, international partnerships (North America), Tencent Games
Joost van Dreunen’s
One Up reflects his many years of experience and makes interesting observations about the games business, offering his unique perspective as a consultant and an academic. His positioning at the intersection between creators, manufacturers, business executives, investors, and financial analysts makes his book a must-read for anyone interested in learning more about the games business. -- Michael Pachter, managing director and equity research analyst, Wedbush Securities
The essential book for understanding the changing landscape of the game industry, as it has moved from physical goods to downloads to continually evolving games-as-a-service. -- Jesper Juul, author of
Handmade Pixels: Independent Video Games and the Quest for AuthenticityIn
One Up, Joost van Dreunen illustrates how business and strategy decisions can make or break the success of a game or platform. He breaks down the complex, rapidly changing business of video games in a way that will enlighten and entertain industry veterans, investors, and noobs alike. -- Ashley McEnery, business operations, Discord
There were no good books about the video games business, until now.
One Up is required reading for anyone who wants to understand how video games went from a toy in the basement to the most dynamic sector of the global entertainment industry. -- Ben Decker, head of gaming services marketing, Microsoft
It is almost impossible to predict the future perfectly, but it is essential to be open to new opportunities.
One Up provides the historical context for our creative business and how we seek to capture the cultural zeitgeist for fun, for profit, or simply to share our creative universe with others. Joost van Dreunen highlights how an ability to identify an emerging gaming trend provides an insurmountable advantage that requires its own flawless execution to achieve critical mass and mainstream awareness. -- Solomon Foshko, director of strategic intelligence and new product analytics, Wargaming
This definitive guide covers key historical topics in the gaming industry, providing a basis for understanding where it is today and where it is going tomorrow. Whether you are a new apprentice, a seasoned executive, or creator, this book can broaden your horizons for our exciting field. -- Jay Chi, founder, Makers Fund
One Up cleverly draws on a very unique set of insights from industry data and academic research and confronts (and subsequently dispels) many industry myths head on. It is a pleasure to read and a valuable contribution not only to the field of game production studies but also to popular discussions about the industry. -- David B. Nieborg, University of Toronto
Essential reading for those who want to teach or become employed in the production of video games. * Choice *
Table of ContentsPreface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part I. Games as a Product1. Digitalization of Interactive Entertainment
2. Games Industry Basics
3. Empire on the Edge of the Volcano
Part II. Games as a Service4. Everyone IS a Gamer Now
5. Myth of the Mobile Millionaire
6. Greatly Exaggerated Death of the Console
7. Glorious Return of PC Gaming
Part III. Games as Media8. Epic Quest for Intellectual Property
9. Watching Other People Play Video Games, and Why
10. Next-Gen Revenue Models
Conclusion
Appendix: Empirical Procedures
Notes
Bibliography
Index
