Killing is Harmless: A Critical Reading of Spec Ops: The Line, the ebook written by Brendan Keogh, has sold more than 900 copies in its first two weeks. Keogh, who has written for Edge, Kotaku, Kill Screen and others, wrote the book because he felt that Spec Ops: The Line – itself said to be a critique of other violent, warfare-centric video games – had to be analysed in full in order for the right questions to be asked and answered. He says he wasn't expecting the book to be so popular:
Truly, I never expected this many people would be willing to read such an extended piece about a single game. It just goes to show how hungry videogame audiences are for thoughtful writing unconstrained by traditional media delivery.
The book is available online with no set price but a minimum of $2.99 (AUS). Buyers can choose a “fair price”, and the current average payment is around $4.50, though some have chosen to pay more, many up to $10. While the book currently only exists in .pdf and .epub formats (both of which you'll receive on paying), Kindle and print editions are planned.
If you're interested in questions on things like the moral responsibilities of video game players, this might be right up your street.
