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**How did the idea for the [book](https://www.gamesmarket.global/games-and-products/new-book-release-drei-leben-fuer-games-by-hans-ippisch-will-be-published-in-october-5265d9297b84e4300cf8234a705130cf) come about?** 
It was only at gamescom 2024 that I made the final decision to seriously tackle the book project. My wife Anna had encouraged me several times to write down my stories. Perhaps this was also so that I would spend more time at the computer and she would be spared my stories. My students in Rome also asked me regularly whether I had written a book in which I had put various chapters from my lectures on paper. But it wasn't until the Irish composer and conductor Eímear Noone also encouraged me to write a book in which I would immortalize the legendary dinner with Tommy Tallarico and her in Nuremberg in the spring of 2024 that I began to collect specific topics. When I traveled to Cologne for gamescom at the end of August, I had about fifteen stories in mind. However, I lacked the spark of inspiration to figure out how to put it all together.

The solution came at the BBG Entertainment booth, where I took a short break on the third day of the fair and was just sitting at the booth when Rene Meyer, the icon of the East German gaming scene and the creator of the gamescom retro area, came by and said, succinctly and without much preamble: “The master himself at the booth. You should write a book, Hans!” When I told him that I already had ideas for various chapters but didn't know how to put these loose stories together into a book, he said I didn't need to. I should just turn them into individual chapters. That's what he did with his book Von Robotron bis Poly-Play: Computer und Videospiele in der DDR (From Robotron to Poly-Play: Computers and Video Games in the GDR), which was published in August 2024. That was the starting signal for me. Over the next few weeks, I gathered more ideas for chapters and began to write the first drafts.

At the end of September, I sent Rene Meyer the first five chapters, which I had typed up on a trial basis within two weeks after my vacation. On the one hand, I wanted to find out how difficult or easy it would be for me to write down my memories. And on the other hand, I wanted to see if anyone would be interested in reading them. Writing the chapters was extremely easy for me. I was surprised at how quickly I was able to transport myself back to long-forgotten times. And as far as feedback was concerned, there was also a key moment: René encouraged me with a “Keep writing!” and gave me a few helpful tips a few weeks later. For example, that I should ask my companions to formulate their perspectives and stories.


**What makes looking at the young games industry from today's perspective so interesting for the audience, and how can the younger generation of game developers benefit from this?** 
It is certainly exciting for the young generation of game developers to learn where some processes and standards come from. In the 1980s, games were still a niche topic, of course, and everyone who developed games back then was a true pioneer. There was no such thing as Unity or Unreal, no internet for fast data exchange and video calls, and virtually no tools. You had to figure everything out for yourself. However, this led to the development of standards for the gaming industry that are still valid today.

**Which chapter presented the greatest challenge for you personally?** 
Researching the chapters on the 80s and 90s was, of course, much more difficult than researching events that took place after 2005. Thanks to email archives and the internet, I was able to quickly obtain facts, data, and processes for everything that happened in the last 20 years. For stories that date back 30 to 40 years, I had to rely mostly on my memory—a folder in which I filed all the essential documents and kept statistics was helpful. The most important thing for me was that the book had a positive tone.

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**How did you manage to get such renowned co-authors on board for the project?** 
The idea came from René Meyer. And I thought it was brilliant. On the one hand, it meant less work for me, and on the other hand, the book becomes much more valuable thanks to the different perspectives.

I didn't think twice about it, but simply wrote to all my close companions with whom I have been involved since the 90s and who I was convinced had an exciting story to tell. I was very pleased that, with the exception of one person who no longer wants to be in the public eye, everyone I asked agreed to participate. Because we haven't always had only positive experiences together. So now, in my opinion, we have real legends from all over the world on board. From the USA, David Perry, Phil Adam, Chris Hülsbeck, and of course Tommy Tallarico; from Italy, Marco Accordi Rickards; and from Germany, Stephan Berendsen, Stephan Reichard, René Meyer, Fritz Egner, and especially Jürgen Goeldner, who, in my opinion, together with Hans Rabe, was the pioneer of the gaming industry in Germany.

**At the end, you write about “lessons learned.” What was the most important lesson, and why is it important for everyone in the industry to have their own experiences and learn their own lessons?** 
I think that everyone has their own burdens to bear and is confronted with challenges. The most important lesson is certainly that you have to keep going and not give up. If necessary, you have to look for new ways and adjust your goals. If you sit back and do nothing, you've lost. And when it comes to our industry, two things come to mind. Over the past 40 years, I've seen quite a few people who talked a big game but were really just after quick riches. They usually disappeared very quickly. What's really valuable are the contacts you've had for decades. Where both sides always respond immediately, no matter who gets in touch. And you help when you can – without charging for it. In good times and bad. Because the day will come when it's precisely this contact that opens up a new opportunity.

Hans Ippisch on his Book and What His Career in Games Taught Him