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| The Entertainment Review |
| By: Michael Kane Publisher: Viking |
It has been proven that nearly anything can be turned into a professional sport, and videogames proves to be
another “sport” that has turned professional. “Game Boys” is about what a lot of people in the gaming industry
already know, professional video gaming is a difficult market. Author Michael Kane follows Counter Strike’s two big
American teams, Team 3D and Team CompLexity through a year of tournaments, from a rough beginning at the
Winter Games in Texas, to the beginning of the Championship Gaming League. He spends a lot of time detailing the
lives of the players, and their managers, and shows how sport-like professional gaming, specifically Counter Strike
can be.
Even those who aren’t necessarily gamers by the end of this book they will feel as though they know more about
gaming, they will be able to identify with the feeling that Kane tries to bring across as he recounts the tournament
match-ups between these teams. He gives a good look at what it feels like not only to see these guys game in
person, but what it’s like to be invested in the outcome of the matches. He also discusses how hard their managers
fight with them, or for them, as they try and break into the mainstream media.
Kane keeps the book interesting. Readers get inside glimpses at the lives of the players in these teams, as well as
the lives of their managers such as Team CompLexity’s manager Jason Lake who works so hard to pay his players
out of his own pocket waiting for that big moment when they can finally make it big. It’s definitely an interesting look
inside the industry itself to see who controls the money and who’s even willing to listen.
There were a few low points in this book that may lose some readers. There are a few times where it’s obvious that
Kane isn’t a gamer, because of the few stereotypes that still make it into the book. Of course, readers will probably
pay a lot of attention anytime a female gamer is mentioned throughout the book, such as Clan PMS. There isn’t a lot
of positive light shown on them, or any of the females that might’ve been present and that tends to be a little
disheartening, especially for a group like Clan PMS because this would be about their beginning too. The focus in
this book was heavily on Counter Strike and since PMS didn’t really have a team for this game at the time, there is a
reason there isn’t a lot of focus on them.
There’s a very heavy hand throughout the book to equate Counter Strike to traditional sports, to help non-gamers
better relate. As a gamer, readers will find a lot of these moments a little grating; because it felt a little dismissive of
the other types of competition based games. For those that aren’t into gaming, this is easy to look past.
In the end, “Game Boys” is a fairing engrossing book, and would be highly recommended for any gaming fan. Even
for those that aren’t into professional gaming, or Counter Strike, the insight Kane provides about what happens
behind the scenes is intriguing. Sure, professional gaming still isn’t where it could be, but this book definitely helps
readers to realize how hard people out there are fighting to make it a professional “sport” and to make it better for
viewers and gamers alike.
another “sport” that has turned professional. “Game Boys” is about what a lot of people in the gaming industry
already know, professional video gaming is a difficult market. Author Michael Kane follows Counter Strike’s two big
American teams, Team 3D and Team CompLexity through a year of tournaments, from a rough beginning at the
Winter Games in Texas, to the beginning of the Championship Gaming League. He spends a lot of time detailing the
lives of the players, and their managers, and shows how sport-like professional gaming, specifically Counter Strike
can be.
Even those who aren’t necessarily gamers by the end of this book they will feel as though they know more about
gaming, they will be able to identify with the feeling that Kane tries to bring across as he recounts the tournament
match-ups between these teams. He gives a good look at what it feels like not only to see these guys game in
person, but what it’s like to be invested in the outcome of the matches. He also discusses how hard their managers
fight with them, or for them, as they try and break into the mainstream media.
Kane keeps the book interesting. Readers get inside glimpses at the lives of the players in these teams, as well as
the lives of their managers such as Team CompLexity’s manager Jason Lake who works so hard to pay his players
out of his own pocket waiting for that big moment when they can finally make it big. It’s definitely an interesting look
inside the industry itself to see who controls the money and who’s even willing to listen.
There were a few low points in this book that may lose some readers. There are a few times where it’s obvious that
Kane isn’t a gamer, because of the few stereotypes that still make it into the book. Of course, readers will probably
pay a lot of attention anytime a female gamer is mentioned throughout the book, such as Clan PMS. There isn’t a lot
of positive light shown on them, or any of the females that might’ve been present and that tends to be a little
disheartening, especially for a group like Clan PMS because this would be about their beginning too. The focus in
this book was heavily on Counter Strike and since PMS didn’t really have a team for this game at the time, there is a
reason there isn’t a lot of focus on them.
There’s a very heavy hand throughout the book to equate Counter Strike to traditional sports, to help non-gamers
better relate. As a gamer, readers will find a lot of these moments a little grating; because it felt a little dismissive of
the other types of competition based games. For those that aren’t into gaming, this is easy to look past.
In the end, “Game Boys” is a fairing engrossing book, and would be highly recommended for any gaming fan. Even
for those that aren’t into professional gaming, or Counter Strike, the insight Kane provides about what happens
behind the scenes is intriguing. Sure, professional gaming still isn’t where it could be, but this book definitely helps
readers to realize how hard people out there are fighting to make it a professional “sport” and to make it better for
viewers and gamers alike.
