Lucky That Way: Stories of Seizing the Moment While Creating the Games Millions Play

Lucky That Way by Brad Fregger is a rare, inside look at the stories behind the creation of some of the most successful computer games in the world. It's a book about seizing the moment; about coincidence, serendipity and miracles. It's about people, their initial failures and their ultimate successes. Lucky That Way speaks to the fast pace and ever changing environment of modern American business. Brad's easy to read, conversational style, plus his humorous, sometimes unbelievable "interludes" add a flavor to the book that puts it into the same category as "Surely You Must be Joking," Mr. Feynman and other "life story" books that have been well received by the reading public over the years. This deeply personal memoir deals with some of the more interesting times Brad experienced while creating the training organization at Atari during the time the company went from 350 million to 2 billion in annual sales. Then he shares how it all ended, how the fastest growing company in history crashed and brought the entire video game industry down. Brad leaves Atari and training to begin a new career as a producer. These are the early years in this industry and they are highly creative ones. Nobody knows its limits. Brad takes advantage of the situation and leads the development of many new and wonderful products. Brad's stories of this time speak to us all, including the "World's Greatest Easter Egg" and "I Loved the Movie, Let's Do the Game!." We meet Brodie Lockard, a programmer with the same physical handicap as Chris Reeves, who refused to accept defeat and developed Shanghai, one of the most successful computer games of all time. Learn how computer card solitaire was created and became the most played computer game in the world. And learn of many other wonderful products, not as well known, that brought joy and entertainment to the lucky few who discovered them. Brad's openness as he talks about his own mistakes, the challen! ges he overcame, and the courage he exhibits each time he starts over, is thought provoking and inspirational in its own way. In the end we find out just how lucky he is and discover that we, too, can be Lucky That Way.