Listen free for 30 days
-
Control Freak
- My Epic Adventure Making Video Games
- Narrated by: Kurt Kanazawa
- Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Control Freak
Buy Now for $19.42
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
You may also enjoy...
-
Doom Guy
- Life in First Person
- Written by: John Romero
- Narrated by: John Romero
- Length: 17 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 13
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 11
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 11
Doom Guy: Life in First Person is the long-awaited autobiography of gaming’s original rock star and the cocreator of DOOM, Quake, and Wolfenstein—some of the most recognizable and important titles in video game history. Credited with the invention of the first-person shooter, a genre that continues to dominate the market today, he is gaming royalty. Told in remarkable detail, a byproduct of his hyperthymesia, Romero recounts his storied career.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Great Story By An Iconic Man
- By Eric Korber on 2023-10-31
Written by: John Romero
-
Play Nice
- The Rise, Fall, and Future Of Blizzard Entertainment
- Written by: Jason Schreier
- Length: 9 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Story0 out of 5 stars 0
Based on firsthand interviews with more than 300 current and former employees, PLAY NICE chronicles the creativity, frustration, beauty, and betrayal across the epic 33-year saga of Blizzard Entertainment — and explores the delight and despair of what it really means to "bleed Blizzard blue." Full of colorful personalities and dramatic twists, PLAY NICE is The Social Network for the video game industry.
Written by: Jason Schreier
-
Disrupting the Game
- From the Bronx to the Top of Nintendo
- Written by: Reggie Fils-Aimé
- Narrated by: Reggie Fils-Aimé
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 69
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 59
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 59
Reggie Fils-Aimé, retired President and Chief Operating Officer of Nintendo of America Inc., shares leadership lessons and inspiring stories from his unlikely rise to the top. Learn from Reggie how to leverage disruptive thinking to pinpoint the life choices that will make you truly happy, conquer negative perceptions from those who underestimate or outright dismiss you, and master the grit, perseverance, and resilience it takes to dominate in the business world and to reach your professional dreams.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
For businesspeople more than Nintendo fans
- By Gerry Corcoran on 2022-05-25
Written by: Reggie Fils-Aimé
-
Press Reset
- Ruin and Recovery in the Video Game Industry
- Written by: Jason Schreier
- Narrated by: Ray Chase
- Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 108
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 92
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 92
Jason Schreier's groundbreaking reporting has earned him a place among the preeminent investigative journalists covering the world of video games. In his eagerly anticipated, deeply researched new book, Schreier trains his investigative eye on the volatility of the video game industry and the resilience of the people who work in it.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
BioShock
- By Jesse on 2022-11-07
Written by: Jason Schreier
-
Making It So
- A Memoir
- Written by: Patrick Stewart
- Narrated by: Patrick Stewart
- Length: 18 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 203
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 176
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 176
From his acclaimed stage triumphs to his legendary onscreen work in the Star Trek and X-Men franchises, Sir Patrick Stewart has captivated audiences around the world and across multiple generations with his indelible command of stage and screen. Now, he presents his long-awaited memoir, Making It So, a revealing portrait of an artist whose astonishing life—from his humble beginnings in Yorkshire, England, to the heights of Hollywood and worldwide acclaim—proves a story as exuberant, definitive, and enduring as the author himself.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Such an incredible voice to listen to.
- By ShawAngel on 2023-10-05
Written by: Patrick Stewart
-
Blood, Sweat, and Pixels
- The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made
- Written by: Jason Schreier
- Narrated by: Ray Chase
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 396
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 359
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 359
Developing video games—hero's journey or fool's errand? The creative and technical logistics that go into building today's hottest games can be more harrowing and complex than the games themselves, often seeming like an endless maze or a bottomless abyss. In Blood, Sweat, and Pixels, Jason Schreier takes listeners on a fascinating odyssey behind the scenes of video game development, where the creator may be a team of 600 overworked underdogs or a solitary geek genius.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Good, but a little one sided
- By Kindle Customer on 2020-11-25
Written by: Jason Schreier
-
Doom Guy
- Life in First Person
- Written by: John Romero
- Narrated by: John Romero
- Length: 17 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 13
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 11
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 11
Doom Guy: Life in First Person is the long-awaited autobiography of gaming’s original rock star and the cocreator of DOOM, Quake, and Wolfenstein—some of the most recognizable and important titles in video game history. Credited with the invention of the first-person shooter, a genre that continues to dominate the market today, he is gaming royalty. Told in remarkable detail, a byproduct of his hyperthymesia, Romero recounts his storied career.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Great Story By An Iconic Man
- By Eric Korber on 2023-10-31
Written by: John Romero
-
Play Nice
- The Rise, Fall, and Future Of Blizzard Entertainment
- Written by: Jason Schreier
- Length: 9 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Story0 out of 5 stars 0
Based on firsthand interviews with more than 300 current and former employees, PLAY NICE chronicles the creativity, frustration, beauty, and betrayal across the epic 33-year saga of Blizzard Entertainment — and explores the delight and despair of what it really means to "bleed Blizzard blue." Full of colorful personalities and dramatic twists, PLAY NICE is The Social Network for the video game industry.
Written by: Jason Schreier
-
Disrupting the Game
- From the Bronx to the Top of Nintendo
- Written by: Reggie Fils-Aimé
- Narrated by: Reggie Fils-Aimé
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 69
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 59
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 59
Reggie Fils-Aimé, retired President and Chief Operating Officer of Nintendo of America Inc., shares leadership lessons and inspiring stories from his unlikely rise to the top. Learn from Reggie how to leverage disruptive thinking to pinpoint the life choices that will make you truly happy, conquer negative perceptions from those who underestimate or outright dismiss you, and master the grit, perseverance, and resilience it takes to dominate in the business world and to reach your professional dreams.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
For businesspeople more than Nintendo fans
- By Gerry Corcoran on 2022-05-25
Written by: Reggie Fils-Aimé
-
Press Reset
- Ruin and Recovery in the Video Game Industry
- Written by: Jason Schreier
- Narrated by: Ray Chase
- Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 108
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 92
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 92
Jason Schreier's groundbreaking reporting has earned him a place among the preeminent investigative journalists covering the world of video games. In his eagerly anticipated, deeply researched new book, Schreier trains his investigative eye on the volatility of the video game industry and the resilience of the people who work in it.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
BioShock
- By Jesse on 2022-11-07
Written by: Jason Schreier
-
Making It So
- A Memoir
- Written by: Patrick Stewart
- Narrated by: Patrick Stewart
- Length: 18 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 203
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 176
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 176
From his acclaimed stage triumphs to his legendary onscreen work in the Star Trek and X-Men franchises, Sir Patrick Stewart has captivated audiences around the world and across multiple generations with his indelible command of stage and screen. Now, he presents his long-awaited memoir, Making It So, a revealing portrait of an artist whose astonishing life—from his humble beginnings in Yorkshire, England, to the heights of Hollywood and worldwide acclaim—proves a story as exuberant, definitive, and enduring as the author himself.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Such an incredible voice to listen to.
- By ShawAngel on 2023-10-05
Written by: Patrick Stewart
-
Blood, Sweat, and Pixels
- The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made
- Written by: Jason Schreier
- Narrated by: Ray Chase
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 396
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 359
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 359
Developing video games—hero's journey or fool's errand? The creative and technical logistics that go into building today's hottest games can be more harrowing and complex than the games themselves, often seeming like an endless maze or a bottomless abyss. In Blood, Sweat, and Pixels, Jason Schreier takes listeners on a fascinating odyssey behind the scenes of video game development, where the creator may be a team of 600 overworked underdogs or a solitary geek genius.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Good, but a little one sided
- By Kindle Customer on 2020-11-25
Written by: Jason Schreier
Publisher's Summary
The designer of Unreal and Gears of War offers an eye-opening personal account of the video-game industry as it grew from niche hobby to hundred-billion-dollar enterprise.
Video games are dominating the planet. In 2020, they brought in $180 billion dollars globally—nearly $34 billion in the United States alone. So who are the brilliant designers who create these stunning virtual worlds? Cliff Bleszinski—or CliffyB as he is known to gamers—is one of the few who’ve reached mythical, rock-star status. In Control Freak, he gives an unvarnished, all-access tour of the business.
Toiling away in his bedroom, Bleszinski created and shipped his first game before graduating high school and at just 17 joined a fledgling company called Epic Games. He describes the grueling hours, obscene amounts of Mountain Dew, and obsessive focus necessary to achieve his singular creative visions. He details Epic’s rise to industry leader, thanks largely to his work on best-selling franchises Unreal and Gears of War (and, later, his input on a little game called Fortnite), as well as his own awkward ascent from shy, acne-riddled introvert to sports-car-driving celebrity rubbing shoulders with Bill Gates. As he writes, “No one is weirder than a nerd with money.” While the book is laced with such self-deprecating humor, Bleszinski also bluntly addresses the challenges that have long-faced the gaming community, including sexism and a lack of representation among both designers and the characters they create.
Control Freak is a hilarious, thoughtful, and inspiring memoir. Even if you don’t play games, you’ll walk away from this book recognizing them as a true art form and appreciating the genius of their creators.
More from the same
What listeners say about Control Freak
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- James
- 2022-11-15
Inspiring - You've got to lose, to know how to win
To summarize this book in one word, "Inspiring."
The good:
I hit, "buy it now" the moment I saw Cliff's unboxing video on socials the other day. The courage he has demonstrated throughout his career has been game-changing figuratively and literally. I've always been a hardcore Unreal fan from the moment I saw my first article (which was explained in the book!!) as a young teenager. So instead of fanboying I will suggest this: Get this book, learn a lot about/from this gaming industry titan, and get the fantastic behind-the-scenes experience this book offers from one of the coolest dudes in the biz.
I used to email back and forth with CliffyB, Mark, and Tim in the late 90s, and after the release of Unreal only Cliff would respond (even so recent as 2015!) Back in '97, '98, I had NO IDEA they were just up the street from me, I would have walked there if I knew. Maybe they made sure to leave that part out in our email chats for a reason huh? ;) Reading about their start, the conversations they had, learning more about Digital Extremes, all of it.. such a treasure trove of information. Cliff has always been someone I looked up to and respected and compared all others to, even if people hate the cat-scanning days.
This book was such a treat, I experienced nostalgia for so much of it, (from Nintendo experiences to names like Carmack and Romero and Capps, to feelings towards the various communities) and yet learned so much more about the man himself. I gained more respect for his efforts over the years; Also, he had a Viper folks, c'mon, obviously a proper badass!
The not so nice about the Audible version (nothing about the literature itself) :
Little things like the over-emphasized Japanese accents on words were jarring to say the least. Things like, "The "Elle Thirty-Three Tee speak" were upsetting (It's LEET speak dude!!) and some other strange and poorly executed accents — c'mon, what was that British accent you were going for Kurt? — also hurt my ears.
These days I hold a lead-position in the gaming industry and I've told everyone I can at work to get this book! The CEO was the first person I told. I often think back to the 2006 "Race to E3" film where Cliff was persistent, held strong, even against the big brass... You can probably figure out who motivated me to get where I am. Thank you CliffyB, thanks for the book, the games, and your contribution to gaming, all of it - you're my Hideo Kojima!
Now I'm off to hopefully find one of Myscha The Sled Dog's books on Audible! ;)
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story2 out of 5 stars
- Marko Dj
- 2022-11-14
Probably for only his most loyal supporters
I want to start this review by stating how weird it is for the author to not narrate his own book considering it's written in the first person. The narrator is fine but it probably would have been better for the author to read his own thoughts. It might have even added more to the story.
Other than that, I didn't really learn too much about Bleszinkski that you can't learn from his many interviews over the years. It also doesn't do anything to make you more interested in him. If you didn't care for him, this changed nothing.
The book is fine but it's not the kind of memoir I was expecting. His loyal supporters will enjoy this but for everyone else, you can probably skip and not feel like you've missed out on anything of value.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!