Innovation and Marketing in the Video Game Industry

A new book by David Wesley and Gloria Barczak, both members of Northeastern University’s Institute for Global Innovation Management in Boston, considers why companies with the most advanced products are often less successful than their competitors.

Publication Status: The book is currently in the production stage with a projected publication date of May 2010. It is available for pre-order on Amazon.

Imprint: Gower
Published: June 2010
Format: 244 x 172 mm
Extent: 278 pages
Binding: Hardback
ISBN: 978-0-566-09167-4
Price : $124.95

ENDORSEMENTS

A great read for anyone interested in video games and the entertainment business. Wesley and Barczak craft a compelling read based through the history of video games – the unexpected success stories and colossal failures – which give us a foundation of learning that help those of us in the industry make better decisions in this new era of gaming. The rise of social games, micro- transactions, virtual goods and ever changing platforms force us to learn from our past and continue to think out of the box.

Tom Sperry
CEO of Blade Games
Founding member of Microsoft Games Group

Easy to read yet powerful in its insights, this book emphasizes the importance of consistently identifying and effectively serving customers’ needs as a path to long-term corporate success. The ability of collaborations with those outside the company’s walls such as suppliers and certainly customers themselves is shown to be a source of developing value-creating products and services while avoiding complacency that can stifle innovation and ultimately, lead to corporate failure.

R. Duane Ireland
Editor, Academy of Management Journal
Distinguished Professor of Management
Foreman R. and Ruby S. Bennett Chair in Business
Department of Management
Mays Business School
Texas A&M University

This riveting and highly enjoyable book fully documents the history of the fascinating video game industry. From Donkey Kong and Mario Bros. to Xbox, Wii, Guitar Hero and Rock Band, David Wesley and Gloria Barczak take us through all the twists and turns of the video game industry, uncovering the stunning triumphs and errors that mark an industry changing so fast that, at times, top management at the leading companies are barely able to keep up, let alone develop sound marketing plans.

Anthony Di Benedetto
Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Product Innovation Management
Professor of Marketing and Senior Washburn Research Fellow
Fox School of Business and Management
Temple University