Guinness World Records 2012: Gamer's Edition Review (4/5)

Is this the definitive video gamer's reference piece?
As with any of the Gamer's Editions and indeed the general annual Guinness World Records books before it, GWR12: GE is indeed a paperback of acquired taste, not to be invested in if you hold only a mainstream interest for the video games industry. Sure, you could dip in and out of it, as is the traditional strength of this long-running book franchise, but this time around if you don't really care where iconic characters like Link, the Master Chief and Sackboy originated from, or just who managed to score the highest points in the online modes for each of their games, then this release is by no means for you. That's not neccesarily a bad thing, of course, and it does ensure that hardcore gamers will get the optimum amount of enjoyment out of it rather than the writers having to cater for the 'casual audience', but such a reduction in its target demographic must undoubtedly come with sacrifice, and I can't deny that even my interest in the Gamer's Edition series has waned five years on from the first instalment, a surprising development considering I still have no hesitation about picking up the big main GWR books each year. Considering 2011 was such a busy year, that the publishers could only allow the Records team to cover Modern Warfare 3's launch-day sales rather than the extent to which it managed to become one of the best-selling entertainment releases of all time is testament to the time and effort that should be given that felt a bit lacking this time around. However, what can't be doubted are the sublime production values of the piece- every page is adorned with lavish concept art, screenshots and beautifully presented facts and figures that will undoubtedly be a treat for the eyes in every sense of the phrase. I managed to pick up Guinness World Records 2012: Gamer's Edition for just a fiver in the sales, and while I'd wholeheartedly recommend it if you can scoop it up for that price, the asking point of a tenner for a scarcely-updated version of an already fledging series of annual releases is a bit much this time around. I hope that things can be a little more justified for that RRP come the 2013 version of the book.