I had pre-ordered the book, “Legend of the Syndicate: A History of Online Gaming’s Premier Guild,” by Sean Stalzer, and it arrived last night. I have to say this is by far the best book about online gaming I’ve ever read. Once I got it, I couldn’t put it down and just read it straight through.

It gives a detailed history of one of online gaming’s premier guilds, “The Syndicate ™”. In the book, Sean Stalzer offers a very insightful look into the bonds of friendship that were forged in various online games (UO, EverQuest and WoW). He talked about what makes The Syndicate ™ work, and went into great detail about the mechanics of the various games and what works and what doesn’t from a Guild’s perspective. I found the critique of the early days of EverQuest very humbling. I think it did a really good job of illustrating the power that online games have and showing where we can improve.

The overall sense I got from reading the book was something that I’ve personally felt for a very long time – online gaming can lead to making lifelong friends. You spend a lot of time playing with people, and over that time these bonds can be just as powerful as friends you met back in school. I strongly believe that’s the biggest reason people like to play online games in the first place. It may not be what brings them in, but it is certainly one of the biggest drivers of what keeps them playing.
Nice work Sean!
Smed


Author: John Smedley
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