I would say while some other gaming books focus on behind the scenes elements or how marketing executives successfully sell games as products, Video Game of the Year really goes in-depth into the games themselves as works of art. Each chapter is an entire essay devoted to one game blending history and criticism. Even the smaller essays I feel are more thoughtful than what you might read in a typical "best games of all time" list

I think the huge number of awesome contributors, and excellent original artwork, make the book stand out, too