Description
Before social media, there was Classic Game Room.
It was the best of times, It was the worst of times, and I played a lot of Vectrex. The longest-running Internet video game review show in the world started as an experiment in the back room of an engineering company. Over a quarter century, after producing thousands of game reviews, Classic Game Room evolved into a publishing company of history books and comics about space ninjas while still producing gaming videos filled with bad jokes and endless action movie one-liners.
This in-depth and humorous book is a fascinating case study of a brand that predates social media, endured the horrors of social media, and is withstanding the collapse of social media by remaining fiercely independent. After 25 years in business, Classic Game Room went full circle and ended up right where it started – on its own website surrounded by comic books and beer glasses.
Engage disco! History of Classic Game Room is for fans who want to learn about the dawn of Internet video broadcasting in 1999 and the trials and tribulations of dealing with social media monopolies. It is also a lesson in pivoting one’s business away from disaster by doing things outside the box and paving a path forward that defies the norm. Learn how Classic Game Room turned into a publishing company, take a peek behind the curtain at Internet video production, and laugh out loud about stories from the most misunderstood show on the Internet.
“Modern internet culture says to follow trends, copy content creators, and obsess over algorithms. I would advise one to do the exact opposite. In an industry being devoured by artificial intelligence, billionaire extremists, and short-form disposable content, the path forward is counterintuitive.”
Includes unseen photographs from the many Classic Game Room eras, original new drawings from writer and illustrator Mark Bussler, and a look at future projects from the future in space when future robots rule space from the future.
Chapter List:
- PROLOGUE
- CHAPTER 1: AN INTRODUCTION TO CLASSIC GAME ROOM
- Chapter 2: A Computer Lab in 1995
- Chapter 3: To Film School and Beyond
- Chapter 4: Fromusalive.com
- Chapter 5: The Game Room, Sucka
- Chapter 6: Agent 0040oz
- Chapter 7: From Web TV to DVD
- Chapter 8: Advanced Filmmaking
- Chapter 9: The Rise and Fall of DVD
- Chapter 10: YouTube
- Chapter 11: It’s Raining Success and Free Coffee
- Chapter 12: Truxton, EDF, Vectrex, and Bird Week!
- Chapter 13: Storm Clouds on the Horizon
- Chapter 14: Warning, Warning, Huge Enemy Approaching!
- Chapter 15: All Hail Lord Karnage
- Chapter 16: A New Hope
- Chapter 17: The Kobayashi Maru
- Chapter 18: Do Sheep Dream of Electric Androids?
- Chapter 19: The Podcasts and Radio Dramas
- Chapter 20: One Last Try
- Chapter 21: Engage Disco!
- Chapter 22: Rise of the Machines
- Chapter 23: Back to Where it Began
- Chapter 24: The Future of Artistic Expression on the Internet
- Chapter 25: One Crazy Journey
- Epilogue
- Complete List of Works by Mark Bussler
- Classic Game Room Gallery
