Recently released, Smartbomb is a more contemporary look at the video game industry and some of the prominent figures behind its success. While I wouldn’t say Smartbomb is a dud, it does fizzle instead of explode, IMO.

Firstly, I found the compartmentalized nature of the chapters to be somewhat off-putting. Each chapter is like an extended magazine-like article (one on Will Wright’s genius, one for Miyamoto san as toy maker, one on CliffyB’s quest for stardom, etc). We do see some “characters” pop up across chapters - mainly in reference to their appearances at GDC and E3. As such, there’s a lack of overarching premise/hypothesis. Rather, it ends up being a really well written and researched recounting of the game industry’s rise in cultural significance over the past few years. Which, of course, is not a bad thing in and of itself.

In part, my disappointed is likely due to the fact that “I was there” for so much of what is covered in the book. And, quite literally, I mean I was there… I suppose I was looking for some greater level of examination. Alas, I’m guessing that industry veterans are not really the target audience for the book. So, for those who were not “there” the book should be an enjoyable and insightful read.

FYI, Next-Gen has a nice review and is running chapter excerpts from the book…