One Up
Creativity, Competition, and the Global Business of Video Games
by Joost van Dreunen
Recommended by Patrick OShaughnessy
Check price on AmazonProof-backed recommendation
Amazon availability
Reading Profile
Should I read this?
Joost van Dreunen delivers a readable, business-focused tour of how modern games turn cultural traction into big revenue through digital distribution and freemium mechanics. The book's strength is concrete, example-driven discussion of monetization, growth mechanics, and platform thinking that managers and analysts can use to frame decisions. Its main limitation is light analytical depth: readers seeking formal models, step-by-step product playbooks, or hands-on methodologies will find the material anecdotal and uneven rather than prescriptive.
Read this if...
- •a product manager at a mobile game studio preparing a freemium-monetization pitch — good for case examples and language to justify distribution and retention choices to leadership
- •an MBA student or business strategist writing a case study on platform businesses — useful as readable industry vignettes that show how distribution and monetization differ from traditional retail
- •a venture investor or corporate development analyst evaluating game and entertainment startups — helpful for spotting which commercial levers (growth, retention, monetization) tend to matter in modern gaming companies
Skip this if...
- •you'll likely put it down when chapters pile up into similar company anecdotes and the book stops offering new analytical tools — the midbook repetition is the common bounce point
- •annoying if you prefer deep product-design guidance or technical explanations of game mechanics — the book focuses on business strategy, not design playbooks
- •no exercises and few prescriptive steps — not a hands-on manual, so skip if you wanted templates, worksheets, or operational checklists
What explains the massive worldwide success of video games such as Fortnite, Minecraft, and Pokmon Go Game companies and their popularity are poorly understood and often ignored from the standpoint of traditional business strategy. Yet this industry generates billions in revenue by thinking creatively about digital distribution, freetoplay cont...
Before You Buy
Reading Specifications
Difficulty:hard
Audience Fit
- a product manager at a mobile game studio preparing a freemium-monetization pitch — good for case examples and language to justify distribution and retention choices to leadership
- an MBA student or business strategist writing a case study on platform businesses — useful as readable industry vignettes that show how distribution and monetization differ from traditional retail
- a venture investor or corporate development analyst evaluating game and entertainment startups — helpful for spotting which commercial levers (growth, retention, monetization) tend to matter in modern gaming companies
- you'll likely put it down when chapters pile up into similar company anecdotes and the book stops offering new analytical tools — the midbook repetition is the common bounce point
- annoying if you prefer deep product-design guidance or technical explanations of game mechanics — the book focuses on business strategy, not design playbooks
- no exercises and few prescriptive steps — not a hands-on manual, so skip if you wanted templates, worksheets, or operational checklists
Check formats, pricing, and availability options for Kindle, physical print, or audiobooks directly.
View available editions on AmazonKey themes
Why recommended
Recommended by 2 sources and appears in Most Recommended Books.
Recommended by notable people
People and public figures who have recommended this book.
Recommendation Signals
Recommendation proof is sourced from public posts, interviews, reading lists, and cited references.
Patrick OShaughnessy
“Just finished this book by @joosterizer, which had great detail on the business history of the video game industry. I wish there were more primers written like this. What are some other industry primers that people like”
Appears In
Not sure if this is the right fit?
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Sarah MangusoHow recommendation signals are reviewed
Each recommendation is collected from a public source — interviews, articles, or curated lists — and linked to its original URL. Books with many verifiable recommendations from respected people rank higher.