
Jacked
The Outlaw Story of Grand Theft Auto
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Narrated by:
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Adam Verner
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By:
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David Kushner
About this listen
Inside the making of the multibillion-dollar Grand Theft Auto videogame empire....
Grand Theft Auto is one of the biggest and most controversial videogame franchises of all time. Since its first release in 1997, GTA has pioneered the use of everything from 3D graphics to the voices of top Hollywood actors and repeatedly transformed the world of gaming. Despite its incredible innovations in the $75 billion game industry, it has also been a lightning rod of debate, spawning accusations of ethnic and sexual discrimination, glamorizing violence, and inciting real-life crimes.
Jacked tells the turbulent and mostly unknown story of GTA’s wildly ambitious creators, Rockstar Games; the invention and evolution of the franchise; and the cultural and political backlash it has provoked.
Written by David Kushner, author of Masters of Doom and a top journalist on gaming, this book is drawn from over 10 years of interviews and research, including first-hand knowledge of Grand Theft Auto’s creators and detractors. It explains how British prep-school brothers Sam and Dan Houser took their dream of fame, fortune, and the glamor of American pop culture and transformed it into a worldwide videogame blockbuster. It also offers inside details on key episodes in the development of the series, including the financial turmoil of Rockstar games, the infamous "Hot Coffee" sex minigame incident, and more.
Whether you love Grand Theft Auto or hate it - or just want to understand the defining entertainment product of a generation - you’ll want to hear Jacked and get the real story behind this boundary-pushing game.
David Kushner is an award-winning journalist and author. A contributing editor of Rolling Stone, he has also written for Wired, The New York Times Magazine, New York, and GQ. He served as the digital-culture commentator for National Public Radio and is an adjunct professor of journalism at New York University.
©2012 David Kushner (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Story
Over his four-decade career, Sid Meier has produced some of the world's most popular video games, including Sid Meier's Civilization, which has sold more than 51 million units worldwide and accumulated more than one billion hours of play. Sid Meier's Memoir! is the story of an obsessive young computer enthusiast who helped launch a multibillion-dollar industry.
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Only the Interesting Stuff
- By R. Squyres on 10-05-21
By: Sid Meier, and others
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Press Reset
- Ruin and Recovery in the Video Game Industry
- By: Jason Schreier
- Narrated by: Ray Chase
- Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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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.
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Audio Quality is Inconsistent
- By Amazon Customer on 09-14-21
By: Jason Schreier
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Fight, Magic, Items
- The History of Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and the Rise of Japanese RPGs in the West
- By: Aidan Moher
- Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer
- Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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The Japanese roleplaying game (JRPG) genre is one that is known for bold, unforgettable characters; rich stories; and some of the most iconic and beloved games in the industry. Inspired by early Western RPGs and introducing technology and artistic styles that pushed the boundaries of what video games could be, this genre is responsible for creating some of the most complex, bold, and beloved games in history. In Fight, Magic, Items, Aidan Moher guides listeners through the history of JRPGs.
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Excellent history of the JRPG genre
- By Cyrus on 08-14-23
By: Aidan Moher
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Once upon Atari
- How I Made History by Killing an Industry
- By: Howard Scott Warshaw
- Narrated by: Howard Scott Warshaw
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Once upon Atari is an intimate view into the dramatic rise and fall of the early video game industry, and how it shaped the life of one of its key players. This book offers eye-opening details and insights delivered in a creative style that mirrors the industry it reveals. An innovative work from one of the industry’s original innovators.
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Awesome
- By Aaron Valdes on 07-22-23
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Console Wars
- Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle That Defined a Generation
- By: Blake J. Harris
- Narrated by: Fred Berman
- Length: 20 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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A mesmerizing, behind-the-scenes business thriller that chronicles how Sega, a small, scrappy gaming company led by an unlikely visionary and a team of rebels, took on the juggernaut Nintendo and revolutionized the video-game industry. In 1990, Nintendo had a virtual monopoly on the video-game industry. Sega, on the other hand, was just a faltering arcade company with big aspirations and even bigger personalities. But all that would change with the arrival of Tom Kalinske, a former Mattel executive who knew nothing about video games and everything about fighting uphill battles.
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Was hoping for so much more...
- By Rob G. on 11-17-14
By: Blake J. Harris
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Play Nice
- The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment
- By: Jason Schreier
- Narrated by: Ray Chase
- Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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For video game fans, the name Blizzard Entertainment was once synonymous with perfection. The renowned company behind classics like Diablo and World of Warcraft was known to celebrate the joy of gaming over all else. What was once two UCLA students' simple mission—to make games they wanted to play—launched an empire with thousands of employees, millions of fans, and billions of dollars. But when Blizzard cancelled a buzzy project in 2013, it gave Bobby Kotick, the infamous CEO of corporate parent Activision, the excuse he needed to start cracking down on Blizzard's proud autonomy.
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Just ok
- By TH on 11-17-24
By: Jason Schreier
If you could sum up Jacked in three words, what would they be?
Outlaws, Scotts, WantedWhat other book might you compare Jacked to and why?
Masters of Doom. Kushner's first book on the golden age of gaming and programming, tells an almost equally gripping tale about the bad boys of the gaming world, and the controversy that surrounded them. Similar themes, but less focus on the technical aspects.What does Adam Verner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Verner is a great narrator, and very subtle in his emphasis. Paper books just suck. I haven't read a physical book in years.If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
You take the high road, and I'll take the low road, and I'll get to Los Santos before you...Any additional comments?
Honestly, I would have liked to have had someone from the UK of Scotland narrate this instead, as most of the central characters hail from that region of the world. Was Patrick Stewart just not available? Still, Verner did a solid job.Outlaws Forever
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I found the Jack Thompson plot to be diverting and not interesting enough to take up as much space as it did. It could have been effectively edited down, and seems like its there to fill up what is an underdeveloped narrative.
That said, this book is somewhat enjoyable, and if you are curious about Rockstar, you will probably enjoy it, at least partially. It provided part of the story, but the great account of Rockstar is yet to be written.
Doesn't Get the Creative Story
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Could Have Been Better...
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Definitely listen to this if you grew up playing the GTA franchise and love learning about the behind the scenes of what makes a great game series and it's impact on society.
This Book is Wanted at 5 Stars!
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interesting background but repetetive
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Rockstar Games And The Idiots Who Ran It
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Great book, too bad it contains plagiarism and outdated stereotypes
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A flawed but interesting look into the history of R*
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Amazing
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Smooth
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