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"The Untold History of Japanese Video Game Developers", HG101 bookstarter (£50k goal)

M

MurderSlim

Neo Member
Really glad this made it! Backed this one about a month ago but in the last couple of weeks didn't think it was going to make it.

Now the waiting begins!
 
GhaleonQ

GhaleonQ

Member
Stephen Stills said:
I think my £33 just pushed this over the edge. If everyone wants to gather round and thank me, that would be great.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUklKuCqzgs

BOTEC said:
W00t. Now the hard part begins, writing an interesting book.
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I'd obviously love the best of both worlds, but I hope he errs on the side of utilitarian prose and information, like a magazine feature or book subarticle. The extended attention to games should be relegated online or in a different book. I want developer details, contextualization, and storytelling, period!
 
B

BOTEC

Member
GhaleonQ said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUklKuCqzgs



I'd obviously love the best of both worlds, but I hope he errs on the side of utilitarian prose and information, like a magazine feature or book subarticle. The extended attention to games should be relegated online or in a different book. I want developer details, contextualization, and storytelling, period!
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Oh, I'm sure John will do a fine job presenting and relaying the information he gathers. I was just wondering what will happen if he gets all these guys together in a room, and they tell him boring stories. The portion of the funds collected needs to be allocated for booze.
 
B

bishopcruz

Member
BOTEC said:
Oh, I'm sure John will do a fine job presenting and relaying the information he gathers. I was just wondering what will happen if he gets all these guys together in a room, and they tell him boring stories. The portion of the funds collected needs to be allocated for booze.
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It's business related socialization in Japan. I guarantee booze will be involved.
 
L

Loona

Member
bishopcruz said:
It's business related socialization in Japan. I guarantee booze will be involved.
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I just hope the booze won't do a number on their memories, some of the stuff to be covered was decades ago and if the book's considered a necessity, I guess some of the things don't get asked that often to keep it all fresh in their minds...
 
D

Dragoon En Regalia

Member
Some interviews subjects (Roy Ozaki) are likely to say some surprising things about the industry, so that's got me interested. John's keeping the interviews front and center, so I gather he's got ways to keep his people talking.

Awesome that it's been funded!
 
B

BOTEC

Member
Loona said:
I just hope the booze won't do a number on their memories, some of the stuff to be covered was decades ago and if the book's considered a necessity, I guess some of the things don't get asked that often to keep it all fresh in their minds...
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Nah, they're all professional alcoholics. Like bishopcruz says, it's standard operating procedure. I just hope John will honor that tradition. Man, this is gonna be good.
 
C

Celine

Member
Glad the project is being funded.

Wish all the best to John ( in my own interest :) )

EDIT:
Also if he can intervew someone from Hudson Soft I hope he pester them with questions about PC Engine (and maybe PC-FX too).
 
D

Dragoon En Regalia

Member
I'm glad I waited to up my pledge to the Platinum tier. Outside of Terada and Amano, Yoneda's a great choice for a rare front cover.

He really needs to get in contact with employees from ZOOM, Artdink, System Sacom, and Exact. They were real cornerstone developers for Japanese PCs back in the day, and I imagine they'll have a lot to tell both about themselves and the working climate then.
 
B

bishopcruz

Member
Dragoon En Regalia said:
I'm glad I waited to up my pledge to the Platinum tier. Outside of Terada and Amano, Yoneda's a great choice for a rare front cover.

He really needs to get in contact with employees from ZOOM, Artdink, System Sacom, and Exact. They were real cornerstone developers for Japanese PCs back in the day, and I imagine they'll have a lot to tell both about themselves and the working climate then.
Click to expand...

I'm thinking about asking the Falcom guys something about how gaming evolved away from PCs and why. But I have a few months to figure it out.
 
F

Fabrik

Banned
Awesome project and nice this got funded but I'm not paying for a guy's trip to Japan and "highly skilled" Japanese interpreters. I'm sure there were cheaper alternatives. What Japanese student wouldn't go to Japan if every costs were paid?
 
B

bishopcruz

Member
Dragoon En Regalia said:
He's not kidding: he hired (or is going to hire) one of Al Gore's former interpreters. Quality control matters for a book full of interviews.
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I would have tried to get some of the 8-4 guys, but having a good interpreter is absolutely key in a book like this. Interpreters are not cheap, at all.
 
B

bishopcruz

Member
I was annoyed that he announced the Platinum tier after I had already pledged for the ask a question tier. Then I read that I could upgrade as part of it and all was right with the world. Art by the Hitoshi Yoneda! As a Sega and Falcom fan I am beyond psyched!
 
T

tehrik-e-insaaf

Member
bishopcruz said:
I was annoyed that he announced the Platinum tier after I had already pledged for the ask a question tier. Then I read that I could upgrade as part of it and all was right with the world. Art by the Hitoshi Yoneda! As a Sega and Falcom fan I am beyond psyched!
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Sigh noticed this too. I really wanted the Platinum+DVD, but now just settled for Platinum+Digital at 85 bucks.

Maybe someone will eventually upload the DVD to YouTube or they will release the content as a digital download.
 
R

randomkid

Member
I just wanna pledge 15 bucks to read it but if the PDF is really gonna show up a month after it's up on Amazon I'll probably be able to get the print copy for the same price around then thanks to discounts.
 
G

Graalwanderer

Member
tehrik-e-insaaf said:
Sigh noticed this too. I really wanted the Platinum+DVD, but now just settled for Platinum+Digital at 85 bucks.

Maybe someone will eventually upload the DVD to YouTube or they will release the content as a digital download.
Click to expand...

John wrote that the DVD will be sold separately at hg101, so hopefully there will no problem buying it next year. I want the platinum & DVD, but I'm going with the platinum & digital and then I'll buy the DVD separately.
 
IrishNinja

IrishNinja

Member
sixteen-bit said:
Congrats on getting funded. I hope this is better written than Sega Arcade Classics vol.1
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what was wrong with that, exactly? HG101 takes shit for some articles/entries but i don't see the specifics here

PS speaking of, much love to Stumps for getting HG101 unbanned here at GAF! think ima let em know on twitter just in case
 
cj_iwakura

cj_iwakura

Member
IrishNinja said:
what was wrong with that, exactly? HG101 takes shit for some articles/entries but i don't see the specifics here

PS speaking of, much love to Stumps for getting HG101 unbanned here at GAF! think ima let em know on twitter just in case
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Really? Awesome, so rehosting won't be necessary anymore. :D I use a ton of images from there for reference.
 
A

Acosta

Member
Backed, just normal edition. The platinum was tempting (and I could have backed for it yesterday), but I have put wayy too much money already on KS this month with the extra mile I made for Armikrog and the CE of Massive Chalice. Normal edition will suffice.
 
S

sixteen-bit

Member
IrishNinja said:
what was wrong with that, exactly? HG101 takes shit for some articles/entries but i don't see the specifics here

PS speaking of, much love to Stumps for getting HG101 unbanned here at GAF! think ima let em know on twitter just in case
Click to expand...

maybe I should clarify; I was hoping for historical facts about the games instead of objective reviews. I didn't know what I was in for.
 
D

Dragoon En Regalia

Member
I imagine he'll keep information on games limited to pre-interview sections and their respective guest-editor sections. Most of the book's going to be interviews anyway, so they'll be talking about making the games anyway.
 
L

LiK

Member
gone Platinum. also noticed in the update that backer names is strictly for the first tier backers. i can understand his reasoning. still odd to me but whatever works for him.
 
smbu2000

smbu2000

Member
I'm in for the Platinum (+ digital) version. Looks like there are only a few slots for that one left. The Platinum DVD is gone, but you can always buy the DVD separetely later.

Looking forward to that once it's finished. Platinum cover should be nice!
 
IrishNinja

IrishNinja

Member
backed for gold cover - i'm sure i'll be jelly of bishop's yoneda cover, but i liked what i got with Sega Arcade Classics one too. can't wait!
 
V

Voror

Member
Got one of the last Platinum slots. That cover felt a bit too tempting in the end. I wish him the best of luck as this project sounds fascinating.
 
I

Izcarielo

Banned
holy sh*t, I just discovered this kickstarter project and now it just finished!
I just want to have the digital version, so do you know if there's any possibility for me to buy that? Can i still pledge from Paypal or something like that?
 
L

LiK

Member
Izcarielo said:
holy sh*t, I just discovered this kickstarter project and now it just finished!
I just want to have the digital version, so do you know if there's any possibility for me to buy that? Can i still pledge from Paypal or something like that?
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well, you can buy it from Amazon when the book is actually out. You missed out on the KS editions of the book only.
 
B

bishopcruz

Member
So glad this got funded, it was touch and go in the middle, but it rocked it towards the end. 70k, much more than I thought. Falcom and Telenet goodness incoming I hope. I can't wait to get his final list and schedule.

The Platinum covers went quick. I'm amazed because it seemed like there were a ton left, and then in the blink of an eye they were gone.
 
I

Izcarielo

Banned
LiK said:
well, you can buy it from Amazon when the book is actually out. You missed out on the KS editions of the book only.
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Yeah but as i said i dont want the retail copy, just the digital one (i dont have enough space in my room for books lol)
"After the Kickstarter is finished, and the book is ready to be published through retail channels, a digital copy will not be made available. So this is your only chance to get one, if you do not want a print copy."
This is what worries me: he said that the digital copy wont be available outside the KS campaing :(
 
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