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wickedlyethan's review against another edition
5.0
"Clipping Through" is easily the most important book about the games industry one can think of. A visceral, short read, it gives us the opportunity to see the industry from one strata close to the developers and Money Men then we can normally - we're still outsiders looking in, but Leigh Alexander can show us a hell of a lot more than we're supposed to see. Her honesty and excellent word-smithing make this a must-read for anyone thinking about joining the crazy, crazy video games industry.
djotaku's review
3.0
I discovered Ms. Leigh Alexander when she appeared on one of the E3 podcasts at Giant Bomb. I found her perspective fascinating in a sea of men. I was still too new to this world to understand why this led to so much hate and abuse that she hasn't been back on. (At least that's how I understand what happened) Since then I've followed her on twitter (and even made an ass of myself with a tweet to her) and I generally enjoy her reading of the industry and games. From her pieces, she seems to be slightly older than me, but we're roughly from the same era in video games and so it's a voice that speaks with the same cultural background and that's always neat.
This book is in the gonzo style of journalism. If you haven't heard of that term, perhaps you've heard of [b:Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas|7745|Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas|Hunter S. Thompson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1394204569s/7745.jpg|1309111]? It was supposed to be a newspaper article about a race in the desert; it ended up a tale of Hunter S. Thompson and his lawyer doing drugs in Las Vegas. Essentially, gonzo journalism is using an event as a jumping off point to learn more about the author. Tim Rogers, who makes an appearance in this book, is famous for this style. He has a review of Super Mario Brothers 3 that is more about creating the perfect video game and living in Japan than it really is about SMB3. You either tend to love or hate this style - at least based on the types of comments his articles tend to get.
So this book is ostensibly about GDC, the Games Developer Conference, but it's really about Ms. Leigh Alexander and the industry and her place in it. I think if you know that going in, you'll be more likely to appreciate it (subject to how much you like her writing). Having interviewed some of my favorite creators at Comic-Con ([b:Chew, Vol. 1: Taster's Choice|6839093|Chew, Vol. 1 Taster's Choice|John Layman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1409985990s/6839093.jpg|7050578] creators John Layman ( https://youtu.be/yjO7J3MY4wk ) and Rob Guillory ( https://youtu.be/UpI6DgmYgFw ) ) I can definitely sympathize with her nervousness at interviewing the Castlevania creator. There's this need to keep the fan(boying|girling) to minimum while also making it something different than everyone else has asked this person.
Recommended if you enjoy the new games journalism.
This book is in the gonzo style of journalism. If you haven't heard of that term, perhaps you've heard of [b:Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas|7745|Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas|Hunter S. Thompson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1394204569s/7745.jpg|1309111]? It was supposed to be a newspaper article about a race in the desert; it ended up a tale of Hunter S. Thompson and his lawyer doing drugs in Las Vegas. Essentially, gonzo journalism is using an event as a jumping off point to learn more about the author. Tim Rogers, who makes an appearance in this book, is famous for this style. He has a review of Super Mario Brothers 3 that is more about creating the perfect video game and living in Japan than it really is about SMB3. You either tend to love or hate this style - at least based on the types of comments his articles tend to get.
So this book is ostensibly about GDC, the Games Developer Conference, but it's really about Ms. Leigh Alexander and the industry and her place in it. I think if you know that going in, you'll be more likely to appreciate it (subject to how much you like her writing). Having interviewed some of my favorite creators at Comic-Con ([b:Chew, Vol. 1: Taster's Choice|6839093|Chew, Vol. 1 Taster's Choice|John Layman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1409985990s/6839093.jpg|7050578] creators John Layman ( https://youtu.be/yjO7J3MY4wk ) and Rob Guillory ( https://youtu.be/UpI6DgmYgFw ) ) I can definitely sympathize with her nervousness at interviewing the Castlevania creator. There's this need to keep the fan(boying|girling) to minimum while also making it something different than everyone else has asked this person.
Recommended if you enjoy the new games journalism.
alexkalopsia's review
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
3.0
Really nice book, easy to read and follow (even more if you were part of the GDC in the past years). Quite personal at times, I wish it digged deeper into the subtext of Metal Gear Solid lol
kfan's review against another edition
5.0
Maaan, I loved this. Leigh basically just opens a vein and pours it out on the table like: OK this is what GDC is like.
As someone who existed on the periphery of the video games industry for ~10 years, part of the video games industry! but also separate, not really part of the video games industry, I felt this very deeply. This emotional pull but this spiritual hesitation. I love these people but what are we all doing and does any of it matter. And: the sense that this "video games" thing as it has been defined, is dying, is not meant to last. And of course that's ok. It's an industry, but it's an industry made of people. Trying to relate to those people, trying to be present with those people, when you're not really sure if this industry really accepts you or not, or if you really even want it to. Or wanting it to but not wanting to want it to. It's a weird place to be. Leigh does a beautiful job of living in that moment.
As someone who existed on the periphery of the video games industry for ~10 years, part of the video games industry! but also separate, not really part of the video games industry, I felt this very deeply. This emotional pull but this spiritual hesitation. I love these people but what are we all doing and does any of it matter. And: the sense that this "video games" thing as it has been defined, is dying, is not meant to last. And of course that's ok. It's an industry, but it's an industry made of people. Trying to relate to those people, trying to be present with those people, when you're not really sure if this industry really accepts you or not, or if you really even want it to. Or wanting it to but not wanting to want it to. It's a weird place to be. Leigh does a beautiful job of living in that moment.
nekokat's review against another edition
4.0
Come for the perceptive analysis of video game culture and the great writing style; stay for the revelations about the subtext of Symphony of the Night and Metal Gear Solid.
marksutherland's review against another edition
4.0
A fast paced gonzoesque travelogue of Leigh's most recent visit to GDC, which provides a fascinating view of the games industry, both big and small. It manages to capture the feel of a vast community that only congregates once a year and the pressure to fit it all in. It also deals with the challenges of growing into adulthood and accepting where you find yourself. A particular highlight is how she discusses San Francisco's poverty in the style of a text based adventure game.
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