'Sid Meier's Memoir!: A Life in Computer Games' by Sid Meier's

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Why I'm Reading It

I've been playing Sid Meier's video games longer than I realized. And I'm a sucker for any good creator story.

My Thoughts, Critique, Review

Far more interesting, entertaining, and philosophical than I expected. I enjoyed when he recounts tales of creating game mechanisms we now take for granted. I'd recommend this to anyone who loves video games or enjoys the process of development and creation.

Publisher's Description

Over his four-decade career, Sid Meier has produced some of the world's most popular video games, including Sid Meier's Civilization, which has sold more than 51 million units worldwide and accumulated more than one billion hours of play. Sid Meier's Memoir! is the story of an obsessive young computer enthusiast who helped launch a multibillion-dollar industry. Writing with warmth and ironic humor, Meier describes the genesis of his influential studio, MicroProse, founded in 1982 after a trip to a Las Vegas arcade, and recounts the development of landmark games, from vintage classics like Pirates! and Railroad Tycoon, to Civilization and beyond.

Articulating his philosophy that a video game should be "a series of interesting decisions," Meier also shares his perspective on the history of the industry, the psychology of gamers, and fascinating insights into the creative process, including his rules of good game design.