Overview

A year inside the fierce rivalries and big business of competitive videogaming A technology-fueled spin on a classic sports tale, Game Boys profiles ""cyber-athletes"" who compete for dominance in the professional gaming circuit, a world populated with rivalries, big egos, corporate sponsorships, and large cash prizes. Michael Kane's pioneering account of the lifestyle and business of gaming takes readers to the heart of ""e-sports,"" what many consider the successor in sports entertainment to the X-games and competitive poker. Following the top teams-3D and CompLexity, a rivalry as bitter as the Yankees versus the Red Sox-Kane profiles the star players as they cheat, strategize, sign with rival teams, and get berated by sideline-pacing coaches. Are gamers really the athletes of tomorrow? They act like they are. A lively tour of the quirks and dramas of a subculture on the cusp of big things, Game Boys is a tale of sports glory and a glimpse into the lucrative business of gaming.

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9780452295445

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Reviews

From Booklist: Readers of a certain generation are surely thinking, video games hit the big time? Get serious. But their children or grandchildren know what the author is talking about. Todayas video games can be as exciting as movies; they can require as much skill as more traditional sports; and they are very big business. The author follows two video-gaming teams, Team 3D and CompLexity, as they battle for supremacy in the Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL), which was formed in 1997. For a sport that many consider to be marginal (if a sport at all), gaming is highly competitive and full of players who are just as idiosyncratic, determined, and flashy as any other pro athlete. Kane does a nice job of catching us up in the excitementano easy task, as we are reading a book about people who play a game on a computer screen. Like any good sports book, this one is about the game and the personalities in equal measure. a Game Boys made me actually want to sit down and watch people play video games against each other. And cheer. And boo. I can't think of a stronger endorsement than that.a -Will Leitch, author of God Save The Fan and editor of Deadspin.com. aAs someone who never was able to quite handle the leap from Pac-Man to Ms. Pac- Man, I am indebted to Michael Kane for writing Game Boys and explaining how far video gaming has come in the years since . . . and just how far it might go. He'll be the first person I consult when I'm assigned to cover the World Series of Counter-Strike.a - Jim Caple, ESPN.com senior writer and author of The Devil Wears Pinstripes Competitive videogaming is ready for prime time. In this excellent book, Michael Kanemasterfully draws on the emotion, excitement and backstage drama that helped e- sports hit the major leagues. Whether you play video games or not, Kane will convince you they could be the main event of the 21st century. A fascinating read. -Matt Mason, author of The Pirate's Dilemma: How Youth Culture is Reinventing Capitalism a Game Boys is a fascinating, rail-gun ride through the world of competitive gaming. With electric prose and engaging authority, Kane skillfully captures all the drama, angst and geekery that drove a niche of passionate gamers to forge a subculture, command the respect of corporations and claw their way into the big time.a -Aaron Ruby, co-author of Smartbomb: The Quest for Art, Entertainment, and Big Bucks in the Videogame Revolution

From Booklist: <br> Readers of a certain generation are surely thinking, video games hit the big time? Get serious. But their children or grandchildren know what the author is talking about. Todayas video games can be as exciting as movies; they can require as much skill as more traditional sports; and they are very big business. The author follows two video-gaming teams, Team 3D and CompLexity, as they battle for supremacy in the Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL), which was formed in 1997. For a sport that many consider to be marginal (if a sport at all), gaming is highly competitive and full of players who are just as idiosyncratic, determined, and flashy as any other pro athlete. Kane does a nice job of catching us up in the excitementano easy task, as we are reading a book about people who play a game on a computer screen. Like any good sports book, this one is about the game and the personalities in equal measure. <br> a Game Boys made me actually want to sit down and watch people play video games against each other. And cheer. And boo. I can't think of a stronger endorsement than that.a<br> -Will Leitch, author of God Save The Fan and editor of Deadspin.com. <br> aAs someone who never was able to quite handle the leap from Pac-Man to Ms. Pac- Man, I am indebted to Michael Kane for writing Game Boys and explaining how far video gaming has come in the years since . . . and just how far it might go. He'll be the first person I consult when I'm assigned to cover the World Series of Counter-Strike.a<br> - Jim Caple, ESPN.com senior writer and author of The Devil Wears Pinstripes <br> Competitive videogaming is ready for prime time. In this excellent book, Michael Kanemasterfully draws on the emotion, excitement and backstage drama that helped e- sports hit the major leagues. Whether you play video games or not, Kane will convince you they could be the main event of the 21st century. A fascinating read. <br> -Matt Mason, author of The Pirate's Dilemma: How Youth Culture is Reinventing Capitalism <br> a Game Boys is a fascinating, rail-gun ride through the world of competitive gaming. With electric prose and engaging authority, Kane skillfully captures all the drama, angst and geekery that drove a niche of passionate gamers to forge a subculture, command the respect of corporations and claw their way into the big time.a<br> -Aaron Ruby, co-author of Smartbomb: The Quest for Art, Entertainment, and Big Bucks in the Videogame Revolution

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