This book is another in the new Prima Tech series on game design, but unlike the others it is not directly concerned with programming. Instead it provides an overview of the games industry by discussing a wide range of topics, including game design, project management and marketing. The book is not written from any particular point of view and is just as relevant to an artist or project manager as to a software developer.

The book provides an insight into the inner workings of the games industry that would be difficult to obtain without direct experience. While I can't vouch for the accuracy of the information, I feel this kind of knowledge would be useful to someone wanting to know more about a career in games, either as a designer, programmer or artist. Indeed, the last chapter of the book provides some general advice about how to break into the industry.

Arguably the book's greatest strength is its breadth of coverage and unless you are working as a project manager for a games-related product, you are likely to come across something new and useful. For example, there is an excellent section on estimating the cost of producing a game, covering the cost of hiring voice actors to dealing with franchises. There is also a surprising amount of material that is relevant to software development projects in general. As such, I would recommend this book to anyone who is thinking about or who has just started a career in the games industry, or who has an interest in managing software projects.Just for fun