Local author combines sports and video games in latest book

Patrick Hickey Jr. has had plenty of success in the gaming world. In 2018, he released his first book, “The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult and Classic Video Game Developers (Studies in Gaming).” The book was about classic games and their creators. It struck a chord with gamers and allowed Hickey to attend several conventions. He then decided to make a series out of studies in gaming. Earlier this year, he wrote a book about adventure games.

Now, Hickey Jr., an assistant director of the journalism program and faculty advisor to the Society for Collegiate Journalists at Kingsborough Community College, has taken his passion for games and combined it with sports in “The Minds Behind Sports Games: Interviews with Cult and Classic Video Game Developers (Studies in Gaming).”

The book consists of more than 35 interviews with game developers of some of the best sports games, including “RBI Baseball” on the Nintendo Entertainment System, which was the first game to feature a license with the Major League Baseball Players Association, and “Lakers Versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs,” which features two legendary teams.

“Spending my entire life as a gamer and over a decade covering local and professional sports, writing this book was like marrying my high school sweetheart,” Hickey said. “Of the three released books so far, I feel like this one hit closer to home for me. This one has the most of me and it was the most fun to write.”

The cover of Patrick Hickey Jr.’s latest book.

Now that Hickey’s published his third book, the process of putting one out has become easier, especially in terms of booking the interviews.

“Game developers don’t have a lot of free time and securing them for these types of interviews is far from simple,” he said. “The more you bring to the table, the more work you have to show, the easier it becomes. As this is the third in a series that’ll have six books by 2022, it’s gotten even easier but is still difficult, especially now that I have two children.”

Hickey received an honor when his books were placed in Harvard’s University library.

“[It’s] amazing,” he said. “Harvard isn’t going anywhere and that means neither are my books. Neither is video game history or the industry. I hope this is just the beginning.”

Hickey already has three more books in the works. Given the positive feedback, he will continue the series as long as he can.

“‘The Minds Behind Shooter Games’ is already finished and at the publisher,” he said. “‘Minds Behind Genesis Games,’ my biggest book yet, with over 40 games, is finished too. I’m currently working on ‘The Minds Behind PlayStation Games.’ I definitely have plans and ideas for more.”

He said the most exciting part of the writing process is speaking to developers and receiving writing and voice acting opportunities in the industry.

Next year will also be big for the Bensonhurst native.

“While I can’t say much, I’ll have work featured in several games, writing, editing and VO in several games in 2021,” he said.

To order the book, visit PatrickHickeyJr.com/books.

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