Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
Sid Meier's Memoir! was a great mix of nostalgia and insight into the career of the creator of one of my favorite strategy games of all time (Civilization).
The book's pacing is relatively quick, but specific chapters get slogged down in details outside Sid's direct purview. Later games are also passed over, the more recent in the chronology, while a lot more focus is placed on the beginning of his career on games that younger players wouldn't have much experience with.
All in all, I learned a lot about his journey from Microprose to Firaxis (two companies full of games I played through my formative years in the 90s to the present) and some video game history I had not previously been privy to.
I recommend this to any fan of his games, but only to those who are. This isn't the overarching memoir where you will walk away with a profound, new outlook on life.
The book's pacing is relatively quick, but specific chapters get slogged down in details outside Sid's direct purview. Later games are also passed over, the more recent in the chronology, while a lot more focus is placed on the beginning of his career on games that younger players wouldn't have much experience with.
All in all, I learned a lot about his journey from Microprose to Firaxis (two companies full of games I played through my formative years in the 90s to the present) and some video game history I had not previously been privy to.
I recommend this to any fan of his games, but only to those who are. This isn't the overarching memoir where you will walk away with a profound, new outlook on life.
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Early on in this book Meier discusses how people ask him what moment caused him to become a game designer, but that there is no singular moment and rather just a fact that almost inevitable happened over time. While a perfectly valid and understandable response for talking about his career path, unfortunately the book similarly reads as a inevitable march to the present to its own detriment. The memoir marches through Meiers' design history with chapters discussing the many titles hes developed and worked on in his career. While that has moments of interest and charm in remembering or hearing more about titles Ive played and thoroughly enjoyed, there is practically nothing more than that. It reads as a sort of timeline of Meiers career, but with little insight or intrigue to challenges or triumphs along the way.
Meiers notes his theory that good games are all about making interesting decisions, but the memoir comes across with very few if any interesting decisions. Even when discussing Meiers' decision to break away from MicroProse and create a new company, seemingly a pivotal moment in his career, its characterized as something that just made sense for everyone involved with little more discussion than that. Such matter of course descriptions are scattered throughout the memoir making it a book that flags the highlights in Meiers' career without adding anything beyond reporting that an event happened. Similarly, I felt that I learned little about Meiers the person despite reading the book. While there is some insight into aspects of his personality and I enjoyed reading about his time in Switzerland, significant events such as the end of his first marriage or death of a sibling are handled in such a brusque way that their inclusion as a one or two sentence asides in a chapter on a particular game is more shocking than their complete omission would have been.
This was a quick read for me and I enjoyed parts of it with the game design, but overall felt as though there was very little for me to take away from this book.
Meiers notes his theory that good games are all about making interesting decisions, but the memoir comes across with very few if any interesting decisions. Even when discussing Meiers' decision to break away from MicroProse and create a new company, seemingly a pivotal moment in his career, its characterized as something that just made sense for everyone involved with little more discussion than that. Such matter of course descriptions are scattered throughout the memoir making it a book that flags the highlights in Meiers' career without adding anything beyond reporting that an event happened. Similarly, I felt that I learned little about Meiers the person despite reading the book. While there is some insight into aspects of his personality and I enjoyed reading about his time in Switzerland, significant events such as the end of his first marriage or death of a sibling are handled in such a brusque way that their inclusion as a one or two sentence asides in a chapter on a particular game is more shocking than their complete omission would have been.
This was a quick read for me and I enjoyed parts of it with the game design, but overall felt as though there was very little for me to take away from this book.
If anything, this memoir made me admire Sid Meier a lot more. Even though I have no inclination to play Civ games, the Pirates! game was one of my all time favourites.
Meier’s approach to game design is very refreshing and a lot of studios out there would benefit from a voice of reason like his.
What really interests me and makes me curious about the newest Civ 7 game production, is that its loudest criticism revolves around gameplay solutions that Meier does not believe in himself (at least based on the views he presented here). In the light of these newest game this memoir really leaves you with a lot of questions.
Meier’s approach to game design is very refreshing and a lot of studios out there would benefit from a voice of reason like his.
What really interests me and makes me curious about the newest Civ 7 game production, is that its loudest criticism revolves around gameplay solutions that Meier does not believe in himself (at least based on the views he presented here). In the light of these newest game this memoir really leaves you with a lot of questions.
funny
informative
inspiring
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
funny
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
I don't play video games, so I would not have read this except for the Storygraph Genre Challenge. I'm glad I did! This is a fascinating memoir of a man who is passionate about what he does. It reminded me that it's important to find something I'm passionate about and then do it!
My, oh my, what a wonderful biography!
I might be partial because I am a huge Civilization fan, however I went into this book with zero expectations, and to say I was surprised is an understatement. The book is absolutely stunning, a joy to read, I went through it like a knife through butter.
Sid Meier seems as a real dichotomy, on one side appearing as normal and ordinary one can get, while on the other side full of intrigue, genius thinking, yearning me to hear more about what he has to say about life, game design, music, whatever else piques his interest.
I didn't just enjoy the book, I was also deeply motivated by it, Sid didn't have an easy life, he just doesn't see the point of complaining or making excuses.
The fact which surprised me the most is that before Sid Meier made Civilization (which he is by far most known for), he made and published 29 different games over the course of almost 20 years. An unbelievable fact to wrap my mind about. It took him 30 times to strike gold, I cannot even remember when was the last time I tried to do something 10 times, let alone 30.
My take from the book is what is constantly repeated throughout: "Take action". You cannot know where you will end up without starting.
Recommended read!
I might be partial because I am a huge Civilization fan, however I went into this book with zero expectations, and to say I was surprised is an understatement. The book is absolutely stunning, a joy to read, I went through it like a knife through butter.
Sid Meier seems as a real dichotomy, on one side appearing as normal and ordinary one can get, while on the other side full of intrigue, genius thinking, yearning me to hear more about what he has to say about life, game design, music, whatever else piques his interest.
I didn't just enjoy the book, I was also deeply motivated by it, Sid didn't have an easy life, he just doesn't see the point of complaining or making excuses.
The fact which surprised me the most is that before Sid Meier made Civilization (which he is by far most known for), he made and published 29 different games over the course of almost 20 years. An unbelievable fact to wrap my mind about. It took him 30 times to strike gold, I cannot even remember when was the last time I tried to do something 10 times, let alone 30.
My take from the book is what is constantly repeated throughout: "Take action". You cannot know where you will end up without starting.
Recommended read!