Autorentext

Jordan Mechner is a game designer, screenwriter, graphic novelist, and author. Widely considered a pioneer of cinematic storytelling in the video game industry, he created Prince of Persia, one of the most successful and enduring video game franchises of all time, and became the first game creator to adapt his own work into a feature film with Disney’s Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. He also created the games Karateka and The Last Express. His books include the Eisner Award-nominated graphic novel Templar (a New York Times bestseller); his 1980s game development journals, The Making of Karateka and The Making of Prince of Persia; and his recent sketchbook journal, Year 2 in France. He lives in France.

Klappentext

A deep dive into the origins of the epic, bestselling video game, in the creator’s own words.

The creator of one of the most innovative and bestselling video games of all time gives an unvarnished look into the creative process in this one-of-a-kind compilation.

Before Prince of Persia was a best-selling video game franchise and a Disney movie, it was an Apple II computer game created and programmed by one person: Jordan Mechner. Mechner’s candid and revealing journals from the time capture the journey from his parents’ basement to the forefront of the fast-growing 1980s video game industry―and the creative, technical, and personal struggles that brought the Prince into being and, ultimately, into the homes of millions of people worldwide.

Now, on the 30th anniversary of Prince of Persia’s release, Mechner looks back at the journals he kept from 1985 to 1993, offering new insights into the game that established him as a pioneer of cinematic storytelling in the industry. This beautifully illustrated and annotated collector’s edition includes:

• 300 pages of Mechner’s original journals
• Present-day margin notations by Mechner adding explanation, context, and affectionate cartoons of real-life characters
• Archival visuals illustrating the stages of the game’s creation
• Work-in-progress sketches, rotoscoped animation, screenshots, interface design, memos, and more

• A full-color 32-page “Legacy” section in which Mechner and fans share Prince of Persia memories from the past 30 years, including the Ubisoft games and Disney movieThe Making of Prince of Persia is both a tribute to a timeless classic and an indelible look at the creative process that will resonate with retro-gaming fans, game developers, and writers, artists, and creators of all stripes.

  Inhalt
  About the Author
  Introduction

  Part 1: Apple II
  Do I Really Want to Make Another Game?
  Negotiating
  California
  The Attic
  Restarting
  The Crucible
  Home Stretch
  Reality Check
  Beta
  It Takes a Village
  Finishing
  Ship It!

  Part 2: From Flop to Megahit
  An Uneasy Quiet
  It’s Dying Out There
  Clinging to Life
  New York
  Sequel
  Foreign Lands
  Lost in Translation
  Paris
  Where in the World?
  Night Train to Berlin
  San Francisco

  Legacy
  Post-Postscript