Book excerpt: For the second year in a row, here comes the one and only almanac about video games: games, consoles, graphics, people, associations and conventions...Everything you need to know about the current scene. Investors, players, job seekers, video game lovers of all kinds, here are the answers to your most tantalising questions How did it all begin? Is it true that Hollywood is now way behind the game industry? Who are the major players? Platform producers? Game designers? Software firms and publishers? What are the best games? What's the work environment like? Do you have to be a nerd to make a name for yourself? How about women? What's their contribution to all this? Are games responsible for street violence? What are the current trends in the business? Answers straight from the keyboards of videogamer luminaries.