3 comments about The Rough Guide to the PSP 1 (Rough Guide Reference).

1. I bought my PSP a while ago and love it, but never explored beyond the basics. I've bought a couple other Rough Guides in the past and liked them, so I thought I'd check this one out, and I highly recommend it. It feels like I have a whole new PSP. I spent all day yesterday loading movies and music onto my PSP, and now know how to really use it for wireless web browsing. Lots of stuff. If you have a PSP, check it out.



2. I am new to the PSP and was looking for a guide which goes beyond the instruction manual which comes with the unit. The Rough Guide to the PSP fits the bill, it is a great reference guide and explains how to use the PSP in a easy to understand way, it also goes beyond the basic operation of the PSP. The authors give plenty of ideas of where to get additional inforamtion, I can highly recommend this book.



3. As a newbie to PSP - this was a definite MUST HAVE - really shows you what the PSP is capable of, and how to do it. Clear, concise, easy to understand. I feel like this $$ was well spent.

No comments about Haze: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides) (Prima Official Game Guides).

No comments about Sudeki (Prima Official Game Guide).

5 comments about Opening the Xbox: Inside Microsoft's Plan to Unleash an Entertainment Revolution.

1. Thought the book talked about the technical aspects of the XBOX.
   It did not! It gave a boring historical time line of how the idea of the xbox started and nothing more. Alot of words about nothing of interest. No pictures or diagrams of the XBOX, in or out. It explained nothing at all about how it worked!
   If you like history buy the book, but if you want information, look elsewhere.



2. The video game industry is quickly become a monster of a market into today's economy. This book is a good introduction to the internal organizational politics that occurs. I believe the author has used several themes to highlight the story of how Microsoft created the Xbox.

   1. Innovation. This is always a topic for business stories. The book does an excellent job on describing the (almost) day to day activities that an internal, subversive group within Microsoft that hatched the idea for a game console.

   2. Corporate culture. Microsoft has been accused of having a insular culture that prohibits risk-taking activities. I think in the Windows Operating System group this might be true. But Microsoft's game console strategy was one of new entrant. Sony, Sega, and Nintendo were the heavyweights. It was interesting to read how Microsoft approached the market by listening to game developers and gamers needs. They outlined a strategy that highlighted several competitive elements that the other, more entrench firms ignored.

   3. Overview of Game Culture. The author is a well-known journalist that has been covering the game industry for years. There are some great insights on the industry's perks and unique charactistics. The Japanese game culture is much more highly developed vs. the American. The demographics are very selected in the US -- 18 to 26 males. Microsoft, as part of its initial console strategy, aimed to enlarge this demographic to include woman and older men.

   Yet I have several misgivings about this book.

   1. There aren't any reproduced internal memos, white papers, or notes that made up the effort to create the console. We are only shown photos of Microsoft employees. It would have been nice to see actual artifacts.

   2. The reading sometimes is too easy. The author, of course, is a journalist. It is by far an unscholarly text.




3. What the book is:

   An interesting look at how projects evolve inside a company like Microsoft and how that evolution effects subsequent strategy. It makes an interesting point of comparison for similar projects in other companies.

   A good look at how Microsoft is responding to the question of games and the gaming industry.

   What the book is not:

   Particularly well-written, at least in my opinion. The writing felt clunky, too much like an extended magazine article and not enough like a book.

   Well documented. I expected more than interviews and anecdotal evidence.




4. This was a good book for those interested in Microsofts entry into the game console market. I thought it was well written and easy to get through. It helped me understand how Micrsoft does things, and it is not a pretty picture. After reading the book, I was left with the impression that Microsoft is spending billions of dollars to get into an industry that it really knows little about. Further, it was lead into this pursuit by a team of people who hadn't been with the company all that long, and while they seem hyper competitive and smart, they really didn't know what they were doing either. Sometimes it is easy to believe that a company with Microsoft's track record is invincible when it decides to enter a market, but this book disabused me of that notion.



5. "The revolution will come in fits and starts. It probably won't come from giving hardcore gamers more of what they already like. Doing a fighting game with better graphics isn't really a new invention. Yet much of the industry is currently afflicted with the illusion that it is. About 60 percent of the successful games now are either sequels or extensions of brands that exist in another medium. There is a real risk of what the IDSA'a Doug Lowenstein calls "creative ennui."...The gaming industry has produced cultural icons before, from Pac Man to Pong, and it will do so again. As every gamer believes, the ideal game isn't here yet. It's just around the corner." (p. 346 - 347).
   
   I just got done reading "Opening The Xbox". I found it to be a very readable book, with a very comfortable writing style. The descriptions of the what the project team went through, however, seemed very reminiscent of many other professional projects I have been involved with in my career, and not necessarily unique to Microsoft or the tech. industry. What was enjoyable and enlightening, however, was the detail which Mr. Takahashi provided. Liberally spiced with information that was outside of the inner mechanics at Microsoft (like the challenges with Nvidia, Flextronics' manufacturing capacity, the marketing and sales performance of competing platforms, etc.), provided the perfect backdrop to the whole story.
   
   In the end, I found it to be an easy and enjoyable read. It provides great insight into Microsoft's launch of the Xbox, and an interesting perspective on the video games industry as a whole. I also appreciated the "personal face" Mr. Takhashi gave the story by providing interesting tidbits of the personalities and their lives, throughout the story. That technique not only made it very readable, but it also helped me relate to the story in a much more fulfilling way.

5 comments about Banjo-Tooie: Prima's Official Strategy Guide.

1. This strategy guide helps you find jiggies, jingos, and other cool things. It is very easy to follow! SO, JAM ON INTO THE GAME!!!!!



2. This strategy guide is SO is easy to follow! It helps you find things such as jiggies, jingos, and cheato pages. It tells you were new moves are and it helps to beat the EVIL Gruntilda!



3. This guide helps u find things such as jiggies, jingos, and much more. With the eight new worlds (which are cool!) they help u beat the EVIL Gruntidila! GOOD LUCK!



4. I have just got the game and the book and I am going great guns with it. I have found the book to be really helpful in getting at those jiggies. I know that some of the other reviews have said that the maps are not very good, but I prefer to find my own way around the worlds. I especially like the tick sheet at the back of the book, so that you can tick off each jiggy, cheato page or other item that you have got in each of the worlds. It makes it easy to leave the ones that you find difficult to get and then come back at a later time and have another go at getting them. A hit as far as I'm concerned!



5. This guide is amazing! It will help you find EVERYTHING! It tells you exactly where to find every Jiggy, Jinjo and it also helps you through EVERY mission. Check out the great features, every character is introduced, every move is listed and there's even a checklist in the back of the book! Wow! The only bad thing that I would have to say about this guide is that the maps (which help gratefully alot) are sort of undetailed, but if you're good with your left and right, you shouldn't have too much of an issue. I've had the game and guide for years, and mine's falling apart, but it still serves it's purpose. You won't need any other guide than this. It's loaded with everything a perfect guide should have.

5 comments about Versus Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask Official Perfect Guide.

1. You Should buy this guide because it tells you every little secret, were the wepones are, the tresers, and maps every dungen. It even gives the information on the enamy monsters and were you can find them. Next it will tell the boses of every dungen and were the 15 faries are in the four tempels. It will even tell were you get every mask and every one that has a problem for the bombers note book. finaly it will tell you all the songs for the orcana, were and how to get them.



2. You Should buy this guide because it tells you every little secret, were the wepones are, the tresers, and maps every dungen. It even gives the information on the enamy monsters and were you can find them. Next it will tell the boses of every dungen and were the 15 faries are in all the four tempels. It will even tell were you get every mask and every one that has a problem for the bombers note book. finaly it will tell you all the songs for the orcana, were and how to get them.(You may find some spelling mastakes for I am a terable speller.)



3. You Should buy this guide because it tells you every little secret, were the wepones are, the tresers, and maps every dungen. It even gives the information on the enamy monsters and were you can find them. Next it will tell the boses of every dungen and were the 15 faries are in all the four tempels. It will even tell were you get every mask and every one that has a problem for the bombers note book. finaly it will tell you all the songs for the orcana, were and how to get them.(You may find some spelling mastakes for I am a terable speller.)



4. This guide is great. Since 2000 I've always wanted to beat this game, and never knew how. Now though It helped me find every mask, and all that other good stuff. It has allowed me to enjoy the game for once. Buy this guide if you are in deep :ahem:, anyway this guide is a must.



5. I recently purchased this book even though I have had the game for quite a while. I never had really been able to figure out how to get through the game and be satisfied with it. This book really helped me out and let me enjoy the game a little more! I was very frustrated, and being the BIG Zelda fan I am, I couldn't stand letting it sit there and gather dust knowing that I didn't have a 100% file. I would highly recommend this book for this game. It was very complete and easy to understand. It reveals all the secrets and comes with a cool poster if you get a newer book.

3 comments about Spyro: A Hero's Tail (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. Since when did finding Spyro items get easier? More items, more methods, new techniques. Help the little dragon out; don't wander around and have to go back. Follow the guide. Could have a little bit more pics, be a little more descriptive. I did get stuck in one place because directions confused me.



2. I found the guide very useful during gameplay and even if you don't follow it step-by-step, the maps and list of all the Dragon Eggs and Light Gems help tremendously. Well worth the money if you're having trouble with finding items in the game. Also, it helped me know how to defeat the rock monsters. I got SO stuck there and I figured it out right away from the guide. Very easy to used and I was pleased with the way it was written. Great job, Prima!



3. There are very few bad things about this guide. The directions are helpful, concise, and make gameplay much easier, but more fun, too. The pictures are small, but they have great detail, so they help more than hinder. Also, the minigames section is REALLY helpful! This is what helped me through most of the game. If you have this game, trust me, YOU NEED THIS STRATEGY GUIDE!!! It's a big help...

3 comments about Jade Empire (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. I suppose if you like a lot of pretty graphics this book is for you. Otherwise I recommend you go to gamefaq and just download a walkthrough there. The book is pretty disorganized and suffers from poor editing. You have to bounce all around to find anything. I got the feeling the people at Prima were just craming everything they could find into this book so they could justify the price. You will find help in this book but it is not worth the price.



2. The first time I played through Jade Empire I was impressed with how well written the guide was, at first glance there didn't seem to be anything missing, and although the layout is somewhat confusing it wasn't that hard to figure out. However as I am now working my way through the game for a third time I find that the guide isn't always correct about the exact placement of the various Scrollstands or Spirit/Focus fonts. By no means is this guide the best one ever put out by Prima however the information on techniques, essence gems, and strategies for defeating opponents is well worth the price.
   Pros: Overhead maps, enemy strategies,essence gem list, all side quests detailed.
   Cons: Somewhat confusing layout, misses a few key item locations



3. It's concise, I'll give it that. But it's disorganized and confusing to use. The sidequest section is invaluable if you want to experience everything in the game

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