WTF Is Wrong With Video Games

The first two chapters, which had been published on various game sites, were interesting, insightful, and made me think about games in a new light. The rest of the book however, was unrelated, badly-written rant in which the author makes many sweeping claims without citing sources and without thought for any exceptions that might exist. I wish the rest of the book had continued in the same vein as the beginning.

Towards the end of the book, there's this personal story about living with Bipolar Disorder and how that intersects with a life working in games and games culture, and it's a really interesting insight into the self-perpetuating status quo and its effects on people. It made me realise that there totally was a book that I really liked within this, but unfortunately the one released wasn't for me.

It's probably a great quick read for people who aren't as familiar with alternative games spaces, who want a primer on why Western AAA games are all the same. However in not engaging in any other spheres, which to be fair the book does say up front, the whole thing falls down. I don't think there's much point tearing down the bad parts of an industry without at the same time highlighting the very real positive work being done by alternative - often marginalised - creators.