5 comments about Xenosaga Official Strategy Guide.

1. As far as strategy guides go, I'm more concerned with how its going to get me through the game, and also if it can get me through the game with ease. That's the MAIN point of a guide is to get you through the game. The Xenosaga Official Strategy Guide does this with ease. There are a couple of gripes present but otherwise very nice.

   The first thing I noticed about the guide were the first about 60 pages of the guide are dedicated to a few of the miscellaneous things. The game basics and such. This may not seem like much but the guide explains the basics of the game a lot more clearly than the instruction booklet does.

   Character profiles are great. They tell you when characters learn techs in an easy to use chart and they also give a small bio for them without spoiling what their main role is in the quest!

   An weapon/armor/item list is availible. Easy to use table that tells you what you should buy and what you probably shouldn't. We all know that in Xenosaga you could spend quite a bit of money and you don't get much. This guide will help you save your money.

   A.G.W.S data for them all. This also suggest what you should and shouldn't buy for them, as well as who should pilot them and what attacks you should focus on using.

   The walkthrough was perhaps the most helpful part of this guide. This is where a couple of my small gripes come in but believe me they're very small. The walkthrough is easy to use and here's a nice thing to do in using this guide, while a movie scene from the game is playing take the time to read the guide. You'll notice that a lot of the info is extremely helpful.

   Most noticeable are the boss strategies. These are VERY helpful strategies but this is where my first gripe with the guide comes in. The boss strategies are extremely helpful on offense. It's great to know what you can do to the boss but it would also be nice if they told me what the boss could do to me in return. Other than that these strategies are unbeatable.

   Before you begin each section you'll see a list of enemies, maps with a very handy key, and a step-by-step objective and items list. VERY helpful walkthrough.

   My second gripe is minor depending on how you use the guide. The screenshots aren't always clear. Some are rather fuzzy (the smaller ones). It's also nice that with each new area you come to there are mini-bios for the characters who you'll meet there. So the guide is very imformative. The best part? The guide has NO spoilers to the amazing story that unfolds!

   Now for those mini-games, side-quests and secrets. The guide will help you to understand the mini-games and play them to success. If you're like me you don't play mini-games much. The guide also covers just about every secret and sidequests there is, again it doesn't spoil the plot.

   Clearly this is an extremely helpful guide. You'll love the guide. It's great to use for the game. Just remember that you won't know what to expect from EVERY boss (there's one that can kill you in one hit and the guide WON'T point it out).




2. I recommend this strategy guide to those who plan on playing the game. It is true that you can beat the game without a guide. However, the game has plenty of side quests and important (but optional) items to collect that the chances of you finding them all is very unlikely without some sort of guide.

   Also, the characters in the game are highly customizable. Meaning, you can manipulate their attributes to your preference. The problem is that the process for doing that is not readily obvious. And there are many ways to go about doing so. Some "bonus" items will be impossible to obtain accidentally, and some require that you make certain decisions, in the right order, in the right place, at the proper time. This strategy guide will help you get the most out of the game.

   My only minor complaint is that the quality of the paper used in the cover could have been better. And that criticism also apply to most of the newer game guides out there. I prefer the covers to be made of heavier weight material, for example. I am picky, perhaps, because I collect these guides.




3. I think everything to know about xenosaga episode 1 is in this guide. I'm just about ready for episode 2 and I'll get the guide for that too.



4. Very good guide with little flaws! The only thing that the guide missed was that it did not inform you to protect yourself from "instant KO" from the Demon enemy inside Proto Merkabah! Other than that it was great. Good boss strategies, good pictures/ illustrations and directions if you get lost on where to go. very accurate and complete lists of all items/abilities/accessories. This guide explains the basics of the game very thoroughly also so it is useful in that sense and if you bought the game used like I did or if you rent games, in which my copy did not have the instruction manual, you can get all the necessary info from this guide! So, I definitely recommend this guide to anyone who wants to get the most from this great game! Also, guide gives good explanation and rewards from the games side quests and games.



5. The best guides the buy are by Brady Games...they are the most helpful when stuck in a game...they stend to include lots of picures unlike some of the other guides.

5 comments about The Making of Second Life: Notes from the New World.

1. Not only is this book a good introduction to and history of Second Life, the popular 3-D online community and "virtual world," it's a solid cultural anthropology. Au's outlining of themes such as bebop reality, mirrored flourishing, and impression society are thoughtful, as well as thought provoking. This book has changed how I think about the virtual world, which has had more impact on the world and people's lives than I realized. Now I just need to spend more time there.



2. Wagner James Au, as both journalist and end-user, is privy to two intertwining histories: that of the California startup Linden Lab and the rapidly expanding online virtual world of Second Life. His "The Making of Second Life: Notes from the New World" is a largely anecdotal account of these two histories. Whether by eye witness or a careful, thorough reading of Second Life's periphery blogosphere, Au does a nice job of synopsizing key moments in the evolution of Linden Lab and Second Life. He also qualifies his reporting by theorizing characteristics of human behavior in avatar form, i.e. his concept of Mirrored Flourishing where the user improves his or her physical world standing through interaction with virtual worlds. "The Making of Second Life" would benefit from closer reliance on empirical social science statistics and surveys---rather than largely anecdotal observations---for drawing conclusions about behavior in virtual world. However, despite this aside, Au's work is rife with rich, colorful accounts of the larger-than-life personalities and events in Second Life. It is an invaluable primer for anyone interested in Second Life history from an author who has been there since its inception.



3. It can be hard to justify buying a book about a place as fluid and temporal as Second Life. In a world with a constantly-shifting, user-created landscape, what could one write that will be of any use in the next few years?
   
   Given this challenge, Wagner James Au crafts an excellent book about the history and nature of Second Life. Leveraging his status as a former employee and virtual embedded journalist, Au shares with the reader his well-researched subjective viewpoint into a world of fluid forms and fluid personalities. Touching on such topics as the economy, socialization, politics, the nature of self, and the interaction between the real world and the artificial one, the book weaves a narrative that is one part company history, one part personal experience, and one part industry commentary.
   
   While the book overall is an interesting read, I found myself having to swallow some significant typos and informational errors. This is a pet peeve of mine, and I feel the book really could have used a second editorial pass and some fact-checking (for instance, the 3D embedded content viewer inDuality ([...]) is made by Pelican Crossing, not Penguin Crossing). Print is not the web, and sadly, once one publishes an edition of a book with this many errors, it's published forever.
   
   But if you have a tolerance for typos and a willingness to do your own fact-checking (which will be necessary anyway, given the changeable nature of the subject matter), this book is a good read and can serve as a starting point for further forays into the field of 3D interactive worlds, and Second Life specifically.



4. The Making of Second Life is THE book you want to read before any other book about Second Life. Whether you are a 'Second Lifer' or just a curious review reader without any Second Life experience- this book is a must read for anyone even remotely interested in simulated 3d experiences of any kind or even ways of transcending the human embodiment into flesh. It will give you a great insight into what Second Life is (do NOT assume upon the name!), and how Second Life became what it is today. From the conception of the idea, formation of Linden Lab, first residents experiences, romance, protests, war...a fantastic and upbeat read that doesn't ever stray away into 'too much geek talk' or leave you with questions unanswered. Wagner James Au (virtually responsive to the name Hamlet Au) has made a great contribution to the history of human virtuality by writing this book. Thank you.



5. A very comfortably understandable read, even for the non-technarati. As a very involved resident of Second Life I very much enjoyed this insider look at the beginnings and build up of what has become Second Life. It goes over the people involved, the expectations of the software platform and it's users, and obstacles, and the often unexpected outcomes that overturned a lot of preconceived notions of what people thought was going to happen. Because Second Life is always changing, there is some dated information, but a nice added chapter to bring people up to date on the most recent events and changes. I enjoyed the read, and would recommend this to anyone really interested in Second Life. I've already loaned it to friends who use Second Life and have gotten favorable responses. As a hard back book it's a bit pricey. So a note to the author/publisher: Hey! Fancy putting a digital publication for sale inside of SL? For a less weighty fee? Right now I'm sending my hardback copy to a few SL active friends who might not otherwise get a look at it.

4 comments about This Gaming Life: Travels in Three Cities.

1. I received an advanced reading copy of this book through LibraryThing recently. While I am most definitely NOT a gamer (except for the occasional game of Cake Mania 2), I was looking forward to reading this book since both of my sons are gamers. In fact, I would classify my older son as a hard-core gamer. I have always wanted someone to explain to me what was so wonderful about these games, and I was hoping this book would enlighten me. Well, it didn't satisfy my curiosity very much. The conclusion that the author comes to is that basically, games are there to alleviate boredom, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. In the first part of the book, I detected a very defensive attitude, as if Rossignol wanted to justify his life's passion with gaming. Towards the end of the book, there is some discussion about some practical applications of games, including education and the defense industry; I was hoping to see more of this. I learned a great deal about the gaming culture in South Korea, which I actually found interesting. I also learned way more about the game EVE than I ever, ever wanted to know. I understand that there are some social aspects to these games and that it takes a certain level of intelligence to play them, but I still don't get it! While I did learn some things in this book, for the uninitiated gamer, it was tedious reading at times.



2. Right from the start, you can tell that Jim is a talented writer who succeeds in vividly describing the settings and the people he encounters in his travels to the three major cities in the book (London, Seoul, and Reykjavik). The stories he tells serve to illustrate his points and provide a vivid backdrop for his personal quest to better understand the hobby, passion, or obsession that we call gaming, a major theme of the text.
   
   While the book is written in a way that's meant to initiate the non-gamer into the world of gaming, I think that it's gamers themselves (and particularly those of us who dissect, analyze, think, and write about games) who will most benefit from considering the issues he examines and asking ourselves the questions he raises. The most compelling question that the book tackles, in my opinion, is whether or not we're wasting our time with the thousands upon thousands of hours that we sink into gaming. It's certainly a question I've asked myself on numerous occasions.
   
   The book is an odd mix of travel narrative, journal, and philosophical examination on the purpose of gaming (which it readily admits to being, if you glance at the inside cover). While the individual personal examples and discussions of gaming sub-culture are well-written, the parts I enjoyed the most were the sections towards the end of each chapter and the book's concluding chapter, "The Window," wherein Rossignol ties everything together and discusses the relevance of the medium from a number of different angles.
   
   There are times when the book seems like it's trying to pull in too many directions at once or tackle too many topics in rapid succession, and much of the discussion of EVE Online in the later chapters seems unnecessarily detailed and ponderous. Even for someone like me, who lives and breathes this stuff, there's only so much I care to read about the intricacies of one specific, complicated game whose purpose in the text is to illustrate a larger point about player creativity.
   
   Still, This Gaming Life is well worth reading for anyone interested in what it means to be a gamer and what purpose gaming might have in both a personal and larger social context. The international examples provide some much-needed multicultural perspective on the phenomenon of the universal attraction of electronic entertainment, the personal stories give insight and encouragement for those interested in striking out into the games industry themselves, and the philosophical meanderings of a traveling lifelong gamer scratch the surface of issues that could easily be spun off into entire books or academic dissertations in their own right. If you're serious about games and the culture of gaming, the read is worth the price of admission.



3. This book is a basic overview of different aspects of gaming. It discusses some cultural differences in the way Westerners game vs. those from the East (with the possible general exception of Japan). It is interesting to note the difference not only in game style preferences, but the way gamers are perceived in Western vs. South Korean culture, specifically.
   
   The author also examines what he calls emergent gaming. These are methods of gaming and actions within the game that the designers did not anticipate. He goes on, at length, about the evolution of EVE Online and how it is the players that have largely driven that change rather than developers. He also waxes philosophical when it comes to what games mean in a larger context. Are games merely a waste of time and energy better spent on other endeavors or do they ultimately represent something else? This discussion is not very deep, but he does give reference to some other works that delve deeper into this debate.
   
   Besides the few annoying grammatical errors, the tone is kept fairly light, yet you can tell Jim Rossignol is passionate about his current chosen focus in life. There is some good information here, but it really is best for someone who is looking for a PC-gaming biased overview of what gaming has been, is in its current state, and could possibly be. Console gaming is touched upon, but not discussed in any great detail. Those looking for minute detail and insights into the gaming industry won't find them here. But he does point the way to others who discuss his more philosophical points at length. This Gaming Life is certainly worth a read if you're interested in gaming no matter what level you wish to explore, unless you've already delved into this field.



4. Rossignol has crafted a nice little book that exudes the feel of a series of expanded magazine articles. The stories he tells of his travels related to gaming and how these stories address his larger theses and sub-theses are engaging and insightful. Even though many "gamers" of today's ilk think more of the living room console when they consider their beloved activity, This Gaming Life centers on PC gaming. This is a fair enough choice as these are the experiences Rossignol has the largest revelations about and they do drive the points home.
   
   The way the book is promoted makes one think that it will be an autobiographical look at one person's adventures with games, but really the personal tales are just a nice starting point for his larger arguments. The book is well written and enjoyable. It is quite an easy read and its short length keeps it from really losing any punch as you continue through it.
   
   The only quibbles I have with the book are largely technical ones. As the book progresses and it begins to refer to its own previous sections, the choice was made to place parenthetical references back to those sections. Although this doesn't sound like a big issue, it is quite the distraction and somewhat insulting. An additional technical gripe is the misuse of the phrase "begs the question." This is a common mistake, but it shouldn't show up in a book from a professional writer, reviewed by professional editors. It just looks sloppy and detracts from Rossignol's authority. The concluding bits of the book are a tad meandering and don't really tie together the previous sections that were overall well thought out and almost poignant.
   
   All in all, this is a good read for anyone who enjoys gaming or tech and pondering the effect they have on our lives. There isn't an "inside baseball" feel to the book that should scare off non-gamers, but it is still unlikely that many who aren't gamers will pick it up and read it. This is another book, like Chris Kohler's Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life, that is working to create a discourse on games beyond screenshots and history lessons. This Gaming Life is a fun step in the right direction.

5 comments about ARCADE FEVER The Fan's Guide to The Golden Age of Video Games.

1. This book falls into the trap that many such books do which is basically that it's written from an extremely biased "I remember this sweet game..." breathless style.
   
   Don't get me wrong, I too am a fan of arcade games and I'm sure it'd be difficult for me to keep from interjecting my personal anecdotes into the narrative, but I was hoping that this book would contain a little more in depth information regarding the machines. As it is this book has some decent (but not great) pictures and some anecdotal memories of the arcade era of the early 80s.
   
   If like me you can't resist any book on this subject, then by all means pick it up and support the author. However if you are looking for the definitive encyclopedic retelling of arcade history this book is not it.



2. This book is more a photo album of memories for the author, than it is a true historical look at the games of the arcade era.
   
   "Arcade Fever" provides a nice visual layout with plenty of colorful photos and MAME screen shots, but the author's historical recounting of each arcade game remains tainted with his personal biases, jokes, and at times, factual errors.
   
   For some, the book may capture the flavor of the early 1980s thanks to the excited ramblings of the author...but most readers can do that for themselves. Tip: when it comes to Encyclopedic-style books, careful research and factual information are critical components. Pretty pictures are a bonus.



3. This is an excellent picture book showing all the classic arcade games and giving you some neat and interesting side notes about each game.
   
   LOTS and LOTS of pictures...its mostly a picture book with captions...and this is what I wanted...
   
   DEFFINATELY a must if you are an ARCADE FAN.



4. I didn't realize how many memories of old video games I had! I bought this book for my husband's birthday as more of a "filler" present than a serious gift. It turned out to be his favorite! He's not a huge reader but he reads some of this book every day. He's read a lot of it out loud to me & it seems good. There are some great pictures in it, too! He's totally serious about his 80's video games & this book gives him lots of little facts he didn't know before & stirs up a million good memories. It's written in a more casual way that's easy & pleasant to follow.



5. I found this book very fun to read for the price I paid for it. There were several classic arcade games mentioned in the book, each described in enthusiastic detail. The author was very biased about the games that were chosen, but I don't think that it detracted from any of the nostalgicness. I couldn't help but smile at every page I turned to. There were many "Oh I remember this!" moments as I read. It has also become a conversational piece wherever I lay it down.
   
   I have only two complaints:
   1.)It would have been nice to have more arcade games to reminisce over.
   2.)Some arcade games mentioned never showed the pictures of the actual cabinets. Of those, screenshots of the games were given, but I wanted to see the cabinet art work more than screenshots of the games.
   
   Overall, a great read and a great conversational piece to add to your rec room or classroom (if you are a teacher like me).

5 comments about Myst III: Exile: Prima's Official Strategy Guide.

1. Don't even waste your time getting this hint guide. The online/unofficial guides much more accurate and are always being updated



2. Won't you pleeease help me-....this book will get
   you going again!
   I was stuck in the game and so frustrated.
   Bought this... on Amazon and am enjoying the
   journey again.



3. My kids and I had to rely once or twice on cheats. The puzzles are not so hard - but there are some problems with not doing things in the "right" order in Exile. Online free sites provided the answers. The walkthroughs, like the one in this book, are empty and utterly spoil the game. Don't buy this book.



4. This book SAVED ME!!!! i am a BIG myst etc. fan. I think the puzzles in exile are harder than in riven or myst, so i was STUCK IN J'NANIN!!!! luckily, my dad bought this book! so I was saved. it's actually a very interesting book to read, weather you're on exile or not.



5. Came within a week after ordering in perfect condition.

5 comments about Final Fantasy Anthology Official Strategy Guide (Brady Games).

1. It really doesnt get better than this folks. This book has it ALL. There is absolutly nothing you could possibly want that isn't presented in this magnificent tome. In fact, you could go through the whole game plot and all just by reading the book! It is CHOCK FULL of pictures and is made of nice durable material with a semi-hard cover. ...



2. Although FFA was superbly done, this guide leaves...something to be desired. There wasn't much space devoted to character stats, and the mpas could have been presented in a better way. Overall, though, this guide will get you thourgh FFA, without giving away ALL of the plot, and giving you many of the secrets needed for mini-games, etc. A must buy for a FF fan, but not for many other people.



3. This is an essential guide for the Anthology. It covers weapons, armor, accessories, and abilities well. A few reservations, though: 1) There is no extensive list of where to get Blue Magic spells for FFV (you'll find hints scattered throughout the wlkthrough); 2) There is no clarification of which classes can equip a certain item for FFV. Otherwise, you cannot ask for a better guide.



4. This is a remarkable book with hints and tips on how to beat bosses, get secret items, and completely beat both 5 & 6. I would recommend you first try to beat it yourself before buying this book. If you still have trouble getting the best out of these games then go right ahead and buy it. If you still are stumped after looking at the book then I would give up and play another game.



5. My girlfriend got me this guide for Christmas the year the game came out. I wasnt to sure how well it would help me, mainly because Cassady had to cram two games into one book. Well, he managed to do it, and to do a hell of a job with it. Each game has step by step walkthroughs that are a great help and helps you with tons of secrets. This is a very good guide.

No comments about Quests: Design, Theory, and History in Games and Narratives.

4 comments about Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker Official Strategy Guide (Bradygames Strategy Guides).

1. 4.5 out of 5. Only one item missing from this book. An extensive synthesis chart/outline. I have found that the popular monsters show what combos make them but as for the more complex, it is just not there.



2. whether your a true dragon questor or just a joker you will all find something great to help you out in this comprehensive guide with full detailed maps on every inch of the game complete baddies lists and a great breeding guide so you can make those "s" class monsters for yourself this guide has it all and most would be lost without it, the guide has helped me through many aspects of the game and helped me finnaly get that elusive monster ive been trying to get.. it will also give you great in depth guides on who you will meet on your travels (other scouters) and what type of monsters they have with them
   
   guide tells you everything about items aswel and a whole section devoted to where to find the seeds to give yourself a good little boosti really do reccomend such a product and couldnt be happier with it guaranteed great buy



3. Dragon Quest Monsters is a gift for my son and he enjoys it a lot.



4. While there is some great information in this strategy guide, for the most part it just seems rushed. It's like Brady Games got notice that the guide had to be written and they had one week to write it.
   
   The most remarkable thing about this guide is the sheer amount of non-information. DQM is a very in-depth game, but I had to go online to get answers to most of my questions.
   
   The monster list is good, as well as the skills guide, but the rest of it is more about pictures and less about information. I write publishable material for a living, and I was astounded to see some big editorial no-no's (such as no introductory text for some new topics).
   
   Brady Games can put some great strategy guides together - I have MANY of them. But DQM Joker is not one of them.

No comments about Midnight Club: Los Angeles Signature Series Guide.

1 comments about Hitman: Blood Money (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. For those of you that have this game, buy this strategy guide. You will be able to use the tips and tricks to beat the villians in the game, and avoid those that would give you a dirt nap. It is not very thick in pages, but the info is very valuable and there are a lot of pictures for you to follow with the words, so you won't get lost.