Introduction
It took Heather Chaplin and husband Aaron Ruby five years to make "Smartbomb: The Quest for Art, Entertainment and Big Bucks in the Video Game Revolution." During that time, Chaplin and Ruby attended numerous conferences and events, and met a plethora of odd characters, industry icons, cyberathletes, and hardcore gamers. These ranged from CliffyB, a former small-town geek who's now a lead designer at Epic Games, to David Reber, an ex-Navy serviceman who spends his free time immersed in a massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG). In part one of an interview with the authors, Chaplin talks with TwitchGuru about her experiences writing the book, and where she sees the growing video game industry headed.
RW: After all the work you've done researching for "Smartbomb," how would you describe where video games fit in relation to other forms of media and entertainment?
Chaplin: After five years, I've come to see games as more than just a new form entertainment; video games are new paradigm. They won't replace movies or television, but at the same time, these entire virtual worlds will play a much larger and more important role in society than other forms of media.
RW: Of all the people you encountered and interviewed, who was the one that left the strongest impression on you?
Chaplin: That's a hard question; I don't know if I could pick just one. Obviously some, like David Reber, made a real strong impression, but there were just so many interesting people that we met. There's also a lot of stuff on the cutting room floor that never made it in the book, which was painful.
RW: When did you know you had more than just an idea for a book? When did "Smartbomb" crystallize for you?
Chaplin: I know the exact moment: It was at E3 in 2001. I had never been to the event before, but after being there for just a few minutes, I knew we definitely had material for a book. We met so many different and interesting people like CliffyB. I met a 16-year-old Swedish gamer who was trying to break into the gaming industry, and we could have written an entire book just on him.
