David Cassady

I’m nothing more than a guy that loves video games.

I managed a software store in Indianapolis when I encountered Brady’s publisher. The company hired me to assist in developing their new line of video game strategy guides, which was a very limited assortment at the time. They had published on a few Electronic Arts sports titles for the Sega Genesis, Mortal Kombat, and Sonic the Hedgehog.

It was a very interesting time for our business. Strategy guides were transitioning from tiny booklets into full-size, full-color, magazine-like books. We had the opportunity to make a huge impact and try something very new and unique. I’m very thankful for the experience. It was simply an amazing opportunity.

“Virtua Racing” for the Sega Genesis was my first project as an author. It took a week to write and some of that time was spent sleeping on an office floor. It was not a book I wanted to write. Our publisher made it clear I didn’t have a choice. As painful as that first project was, it shot my career down a completely unexpected path. It led to projects like Turok: Dinosaur Hunter and eventually, my favorite, Final Fantasy VII.

Final Fantasy had always been a favorite series since it released for the NES. VII proved to be a monstrous task. We had no idea what we were getting into at the time. Final Fantasy projects now require a team of authors, but I’m proud of what we accomplished given the resources available. It was a learning experience for everyone involved.

I continued to write for several years with Conan being my final project. It has been a wonderful ride and I met some amazing people along the way. The people at BradyGames really care about the products they produce. That is not something you find with every publisher.