5 comments about The Demon Soul (Warcraft: War of the Ancients, Book 2).

1. Loved the whole triology... even my girlfriend who hates WOW, read these and liked them, that is a rating by itself. A must if you like the genre.



2. This book is a little slower than the rest. It has a lot to offer on the mythos and back story of warcraft, but it is very slow for this genre of book.
   
   I almost didn't read the third book after reading this one. But you have to remember that this is the "second act" of a play. This is setting up the final conclusion you get in the third book.
   
   The third book brings a lot of closure to the story, and a lot more of the lore of warcraft. I enjoyed the three as a set. If you like the warcraft books, grind your way through this to get to the third book. Afterall, not all of the lvl 1-60 is fun either is it? You do have to grind from time to time. :)



3. This book continues on from the earlier book, The well of eternity, i was so wrapped up in the story of the first book this was not a let down at all. I weas turning page after page so unravel the story. i can admit some sections began to repeat themselves slightly but i did indeed finsh this book within a week.
   
   A fantastic read and continuation of the war of the ancients series.
   
   4/5



4. As the second volume of the trilogy, it is an excellent continuation of the history of Warcraft and explains a lot about why things are the way they are in the game. Highly recommended



5. This was the best trilogy I've ever read. I actually enjoyed these books more than I enjoyed LOTR. Got the first book with my collector's edition of World of Warcraft a long time ago and after reading that I had to buy the 2nd and third. If you like Warcraft at all, you will love these books. If you don't like Warcraft at all, you may still enjoy them.

5 comments about The Sundering (Warcraft: War of the Ancients Trilogy, Book 3).

1. This book just goes to show you that the third book in a series written based on a Blizzard franchise is always the best one. A maxim I have found to be true. I digress. The Sundering takes place a short time after the events of The Demon Soul. The night elves find themselves in constant battle against the Burning Legion. One of the night elves' most relied upon sorcerers has defected to the side of the Legion and their situation looks grim. The book is packed tight with all sorts of depictions of grisly combat and quite remarkable detail. Richard A. Knaak definitely shows himself as one of the masters of writing massive battles (especially the final battles). This was one of the few books I actually sacrificed sleep for just to find out what was going to happen next. That is how addictive Knaak's writing style is. I also like the way he killed off several of his characters, the way he did it was neat. If you are a fan of the Warcraft series of games, you definitely need to read this book, if not the entire trilogy. This book is tied with Empire of Blood as the best final book in a trilogy.



2. This trilogy has captivated me from beginning to end. The battles were especially heart pounding. Excellent work. The first two were good, but this one blew me away. Lost too much sleep because of it.
   
   **A book I would also recommend is The Unsuspecting Mage by Brian S. Pratt. This, the first installment of The Morcyth Saga is a great beginning for a new author. Battles, magic, gods, secret passages and intrigue, all the elements of a classic epic fantasy! Any fantasy reader will enjoy it



3. Definetly get books 1 and 2 before geting this one. If you are new to warcraft universe the triology does a good job of explaining who and what things are ... for the ppl allready into warcraft lore let me tell you, you will not get enough sleep until you are done with all 3 books (and you will want more).



4. This is what can only be described as a fantastic final chapter in the war of the ancients series. This book was so fantastic i was immersed into the warcraft universe so much everything else meant nothing. The characters are so well portrayed and the events that take place are spectacular. Richard knakk really sets the pace and the scene with his writing in this book.
   
   The end was sudden and tragic however like every good fairy tale we are left with hope and purpose.
   
   Brilliant
   
   5/5



5. This is the third part of the trilogy and wraps things up nicely, while leeting you know what is to come. It explains a lot about the game and the relationship of the characters.

4 comments about Game Development Essentials: Game Project Management: Game Project Management (Game Development Essentials).

1. The book is great for an introductory course on game development and has a lot of info about how a game was (it talks a lot about the past and how it was done bofore) and how it is now developed, from the early stages up to the final ones. It covers many aspects that a project manager needs to know that are specific for the gaming industry, so it is great to get the "big picture" of the gaming industry... but it lacks some depth in some aspects that are covered "very quick", that's why i substract a star. It also has a lot of nice "tips" from great game developers, that's a nice plus.



2. I'm currently a student at the University of Baltimore, and our teacher required this book as our main text, its a very nice book. The information is laid out to make sense. Each chapter starts by telling you what the main points of the chapter is, so you can jump right into the section that you specifically want. Its also not a big book, its thin but filled with great information. Its also very light to read, it has pictures, and small paragraphs, and in each section there is one page paragraph or two written by those who are in the industry, giving advise from their real world experience about the particular topic the chapter is on.
   I never thought I would ever say this, but my summary homework for this book is actually fun to do. =)
   Enjoy.



3. My second review...YAY....:D. Anyway, i bought this book for my Intro to game development class and it did pay off. I was reading though it and it really gives you an idea of what all types of games there are, who made them, and in depth explanation of them. Really good book for learning about games and game management.
   
   Now to shipping....:D
   Amazon has probably one of the fastest shipping out of all the companies that i have visited. And also for the money, they are good. So don't be afraid of buying from them. They really a good company!



4. This is a good overview for people who are familiar with project management but haven't worked in the Computer Game Industry before. The focus is on console games, but the book does references the MMO industry as well.

2 comments about Fans, Bloggers, and Gamers: Media Consumers in a Digital Age.

1. Henry Jenkins provides an excellent step away from our normal expectations of media philosophers. Coming in between the doom-and-gloom media affect tradition and the corporate schlock Jenkins writes (and speaks!) for the fans.
   
   The book is a collection of articles set in three chapters: In the first, Jenkins lets us into the world of fandom (if you aren't there already) and more specifically his early focus- that of science fan-fiction. The second chapter, Going Digital, co-incides with his other 2006 book "Convergence Culture" in its mapping the flow of information and analyis of everyday Americans' change in their day-to-day. Finally, Columbine and Beyond (my favorite) looks at, esentially, the fear our elders have of new media and youth culture.



2. This was a case of looking at the title rather then the book. I picked it up thinking it would be about games and blogging. It does talk about it but more in a study of participatory culture.
   
   The book is a compendium of Professor Jenkins articles through the years.
   
   It's not bad if you are studying this topic.
   
   The first chapter I didn't care about and in fact skipped it. But I should say that is me as I really don't care to read excerpts of an interview. In this case it was Matt Hill interviewing Jenkins.
   
   There were articles about the culture of Star Trek and the efforts of the Gay community to get a gay character on the show. Interesting if you hadn't heard about it but I had known about the effort and even remember some of the shows mentioned.
   
   There are articles about violence and video games especially after the Columbine affair. Jenkins made some rather valid points about the perception of violence and the fact that often overlooked is the amount of teenagers that play video games versus those that actually commit violence. The fact that the violence in Saving Private Ryan is ok but the fantasy sequence in Basketball Diaries is not. The notorious Grand Theft Auto 3 is mentioned as well. I found it interesting that he was ambushed by Phil Donahue in the manner of Fox News. As Jenkins mentioned Phil turned to the Dark Side of broadcasting.
   
   The final chapter involved and analysis of Buffy the Vampire Slayer between Jenkins and his son. It bored me but that is because this was not something I was expecting to read.
   
   Overall, it's not a bad book if you are into this type of study. It really didn't interest me overall. But, as I mentioned I was not expecting to read this type of topic.

5 comments about The Video Poker Edge: How to Play Smart and Bet Right.

1. An excellent treatment on Video Poker. Gives, as all these guides do, a quick overview of what is involved in playing Video Poker. Then she delves into the deeper aspects of choice of game which is based on the printed paytable and its implied "expected return" and volatility level. You see some games while having very attractive payoffs for those very rare hands, require a substantially higher bankroll to play with a reasonable expectation of achieving the theoretical long-term payoff while others with lower payoffs (but more frequent) require less bankroll. Lots of tables are included containing all the really essential stuff sought after by the serious Video Poker player. Now if you are NOT a serious player, this book can still be a valuable investment because there are removable strategy cards at the end of the book covering all the most common machines. Those alone were worth the price of admission.



2. This book doesn't provide much in strategy that you can't find on the net or elsewhere. I was looking for some well formated strategy charts for non-full pay games, and this book was not good for that need.
   
   One positive section was the discussion of VLTs in many racinos and bars in several states (e.g. bars in Louisiana). VLTs are not VP machines based on random number generators.
   
   The strategy cards are terrible and I think my copy was missing a page (there was a tear showing a previous perforation). If you play VP in large casinos on the strip, you won't be playing full pay games.



3. Excellent, understandable and I'd rec. to any one looking for a 'how to' on video poker



4. This is a very well written book for beginners. Other authors on this subject introduce their books as suitable for a beginner in the first few chapters but the following chapters are difficult for the novice to read and understand. Linda Boyd, perhaps because she is an educator, writes clearly and fully introduces new vocabulary before using new terms in her explanations.



5. I was looking for a book on video poker that covered most of the recent games and optimal strategy for those games. The book does just that, and more....

5 comments about Metroid Prime 3: Corruption: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides) (Prima Official Game Guides) (Prima Official Game Guides).

1. All the Metroid games are great and this is the best out of all of them.
   I have really enjoyed it. The control with the Wii controllers makes it even better.



2. I haven't got in the need to use this guide as much as I thought, which is good, but in some parts of the game it was really useful. The presentation is amazing and the art in it is worth the price of the guide.



3. Its a really complete step by step guide including ALL screens of the full path to get this game finished with all possible credits. It's AMAZING. No way to get lost in this game using this book. It's like a person who has already finished that game showing you all the solutions for this puzzle.



4. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption was a fantastic Wii title. It contained a wonderful universe to explore and an innovative control scheme that feels comfortable. The bar was raised a little higher for the author of the strategy game. I'm pleased to see that David Knight met the bar, and exceeded.
   
   PROS
   
   + It has an outstanding overall appearance and design.
   + It is thorough and presents an easy strategy to collect 100% on.
   + The boss strategies are thorough.
   + It contains all item locations
   + The maps are beautiful, have great keys and are easy to follow.
   
   CONS
   
   - The appendices don't contain enough information, and are tad bit confusing.
   - The scan appendix has the scans in order of appearance, but not in the same order the game has them in (alphabetical) making you do a bit more searching.
   - Not enough little tricks and tips, and no Hyper difficulty tips.
   
   APPEARANCE - A
   
   The guide itself looks fantastic. The cover has a wonderful shine and texture. The overall design of the guide is beautiful, and matches the game very well. The maps also look wonderful.
   
   STRATEGY - A-
   
   The strategy is wonderful and actually tells you how to obtain 100% through the game. The Notes and Item boxes are great, and it divides each section for you to follow easily. The boss strategies are great, but they don't really have the small tricks and tips that make them so much easier. There aren't any tips for Hyper difficulty.
   
   APPENDICES, CONTROLS AND CONTENTS - B
   
   The table of contents are clear and well divided. The controls are thorough and teach well. The real problem lies in the Appendix section. It is a good appendix, but it's also confusing. The order of the scans are out of order from the in-game's list of scans. If you are missing scans in the game, you have to actually read through your scans and find the one you are missing. The Pickups section also has all of the different pickup types compiled together. It would be nicer if the Energy Tanks, Missile Expansions and Energy Cells were in separate lists. It is still a nice deep appendix through.
   
   OVERALL - A-
   
   This is one of the best game guides I own. I'm a bit harsh sometimes when it comes to reviews, so an A- is a great rating. It is highly recommended that you get this guide if you own the game. Even if you've beaten the game, and know it inside and out, the guide is still a blast to look through.



5. Hey you metroid heads this is the guide for you. If you are stomped, and can't find your way to defeat the challenges within. Seek help from the GUIDE. I love it for 2 reasons. It gets my son to read and solve his gaming problems all at once, so in my mind that is a win, win. Two thumbs and 5 stars. Keep making these guides they are great. :-D

5 comments about Viva Pinata: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides).

1. I don't usually get game guides because they spoil the fun, but sometimes you just want to know what kind of fertalizer to use, and this one tells you everything. It's a good reference for those who don't want to take notes on a game that is purely for fun.



2. One can get quite far in the game by just paying attention, experimenting and luck; however, sometimes it's nice to have a reference when you want to attract a particular Pinata or produce a particular variation. While a lot of this information is freely available on the web, I find having a book to flip through, more practical while playing the game.



3. I will keep this review short and sweet. Many have covered the basics.
   
   Viva Pinata is not new. My son has been playing it for a while now and the progress has been steady, but slow. I felt that he is starting to loose interest or at least, I'm starting to feel useless.
   So i decided to get this guide. The first ever guide i get for any game (I'm 36 and i've been gaming since i was 6).
   
   Man did it change his life. I was blown away by how much of this game is revealed, new challenged uncovered and objectives to look forward to.
   
   And Unlike the reviewer who thought this came out late. I think all Strategy Guides should come out a year or more post game release. It will add so much more replay value, renew interest in a game, almost removing a shroud. Interest in a game would be prolonged...
   
   And, as a bonus, my kid is actually forcing himself to read through the book, page by page.
   
   That alone is worth 5*s



4. But found that this game is fun for all ages. It has it's childish moments, it's bright colors, cute little pinatas running around and funny noises; but there really is no substitute to the kind of gaming enjoyment this game will provide. It's kind of a SIMS crossed with the original cartoon. You control the pets, take care of them and protect them from the bad pinatas in hopes of creating secret pets and luring newer and better pets in to your gardens. The features and pretty abundant and all add to the variety of game play allowed. I wouldn't feel bad recommending this game to my friends or allowing my 5 year old child to play.
   
   The only thing I would like to warn the parents about that may be thinking about giving this to their kids is the pets are able to reproduce and create little pinatas that are delivered as eggs to the loving parent pinatas. Basically two pinatas are looking for love, you get them together, play a mini game. Upon successful completion of the mini game the pinatas do a dance...literally. A cut scene shows the pinatas do a variety of world dances to the appropriate music. I only mention this because I don't want parents complaining that no one warned them that the game may cause little Timmy or Janie to ask questions about where babies come from. Regardless of that, I'd recommend this game for all ages.



5. As far as game guides go this is one of the most complete I have encountered. It makes a great book to have handy when you are sitting there and playing. It's not laid out as a walkthrough, but rather as an encyclopedia of sorts. Because Viva Piñata is so open-ended, it makes this layout the best method. You can easily glance through the book and if you see a piñata you like, you can see all the prerequisites that go into attracting it and getting them to stay, plus any of the extra color variations of them you can obtain. The book also makes it a whole lot easier to go buy items when you can look right in the book and know the cost and variations before you even head to the village to shop. Some guide books can ruin the experience of a game by providing you every step that you should be taking, this book on the other hand becomes that ultimate game manual that you never had. So grab yourself the Piñata bible and go out there and get gardening!

5 comments about Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Collector's Edition (Revised): Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides).

1. I would like to review this product, but I can't because I don't own it yet. I ordered it almost 6 months ago from Amazon using super saver shipping. I keep getting delay notifications from Amazon stating: "We're still trying to obtain the following item[s] you ordered". But everytime I've viewed the item on the web page it states: "In Stock. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.". Maybe if you pay for shipping you'll actually get it.



2. It looks like I will never have to look anything up on the internet for this game. as for everyone complaning there is no index they must not have looked through it good enough. if you check the very last page there is a content page with page numbers for each task, equipment, moves and abilities, characters, enemies, bosses, overworld maps, enviromental effects, weapons,dungeon and the legendary checklist. though even if it did not its nothing to cry about b/c the guides so straight forward that you should not even need any help.sure there is alot of content and going through it all is exausting but its better to be exausted then to be lost and miss something. XD



3. This guide tells you everything you need to know to beat the game and the artwork is beautiful. Best guide for this game available.



4. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Guide Collector's Edition is a very well written and well made. This guide is very very good.



5. A must have for the Zelda Twilight Princess. You'll get a complete walk through of all the ins and outs of the game and shows all hidden compartments.

5 comments about RuneScape: The Official Handbook.

1. A very good introductory guide to the game for new players. As well it contains a lot of tips to those who are still acquiring new skills, and haven't completed all the quests.
   
   While experienced players may not find much in this guide that they do not know, it is an attractive book which fans of the game would appreciate. Being able to hold and look at the maps on paper alone will prove an attractive enough feature for some players.
   
   There are still parts of this guide which may prove entertaining reading, and the locations and map might still prove use at times, even to the most accomplished players.
   
   I gave the guide as a gift to my nieces and nephews; and for them I think the clearly laid-out sections on Online Safety Guide, the Rules of RuneScape and Basic tips for beginners are written in language they can understand. Given the importance of Online Safety and the necessity of acting as responsible player as part of a much wider community those sections are crucial to anyone fresh off Tutorial Island.
   
   As a gift it makes and excellent way to pass on the love of the game which avid RuneScape players may wish to give to new players.
   
   Regards, Fey Warrior



2. I knew everything in it, but the maps and stuff helped, also it helps with the skills and all that stuff. So, if I were a like, "i love" runescape (which im not) i would totally get this. Still if you really have trouble doing some stuff you get it.



3. Allow me to say, if you have already purchased this book then I'm sorry. The book poorly attempts to explain RuneScape and tries to teach players how to play, but the author failed to realize one thing: The game updates every week.
   
   The rules and monsters mentioned in the book are obsolete; the pictures are no longer relevant since runescape is constantly updating the graphics; the rules are ever changing; and the book is for 9-12 year olds when the rules clearly state that the game is for 13+? The author should go back to tutorial island and learn that you should never make a guide book about a constantly changing game.
   
   I'd only recommend this book if it's on the shelf of your supermarket checkout line and you need something to read; of course don't actually buy the book.



4. Bought this book for my grandson who nearly wore out the library copy. Could provide even more detail but good for new players. Not an advanced book.



5. My boys love their RuneScape game and had to have this book! They seem to use it and think it's great.

1 comments about Diablo Archive.

1. This is the best Kindle deal out there for the Diablo book series. The first original 4 Diablo books in one package. Exciting fantasy fiction novels from three different authors.