The Ultimate History of Video Games: From Pong to Pokémon and Beyond : the Story Behind the Craze that Touched Our Lives and Changed the WorldInside the Games You Grew Up with but Never Forgot With all the whiz, bang, pop, and shimmer of a glowing arcade. The Ultimate History of Video Games reveals everything you ever wanted to know and more about the unforgettable games that changed the world, the visionaries who made them, and the fanatics who played them. From the arcade to television and from the PC to the handheld device, video games have entraced kids at heart for nearly 30 years. And author and gaming historian Steven L. Kent has been there to record the craze from the very beginning. This engrossing book tells the incredible tale of how this backroom novelty transformed into a cultural phenomenon. Through meticulous research and personal interviews with hundreds of industry luminaries, you'll read firsthand accounts of how yesterday's games like Space Invaders, Centipede, and Pac-Man helped create an arcade culture that defined a generation, and how today's empires like Sony, Nintendo, and Electronic Arts have galvanized a multibillion-dollar industry and a new generation of games. Inside, you'll discover: ·The video game that saved Nintendo from bankruptcy ·The serendipitous story of Pac-Man's design ·The misstep that helped topple Atari's $2 billion-a-year empire ·The coin shortage caused by Space Invaders ·The fascinating reasons behind the rise, fall, and rebirth of Sega ·And much more! Entertaining, addictive, and as mesmerizing as the games it chronicles, this book is a must-have for anyone who's ever touched a joystick. |
What people are saying - Write a review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - renbedell - LibraryThingA very interesting look at the history of video game companies. I really enjoyed learning about how many of these companies got their start and the troubles they may have had. The book goes very deep ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - forkyfork - LibraryThingI've always been fascinated with video gaming history. Although I was born in the mid 80's, consoles such as the Atari 2600 have always captured my interest even though they were "outdated" by the ... Read full review
Contents
The World Before Pong i | 1 |
Forgotten Fathers | 15 |
Father of the Industry | 27 |
Copyright | |
28 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Alcorn arcade games asked became began Bushnell's cartridges chip coin-op coin-operated Coleco ColecoVision Commodore consumer created Dave decided developed Donkey Kong Dreamcast Electronic Arts engineers Entertainment executives Famicom Fighter Fischbach former Game Boy game called game company game console game designer game system Genesis going graphics hardware Hochberg Howard Lincoln Intellivision Japan Japanese Kalinske Katz Konami later launch licensing looked machines Magnavox manufacturing Mattel Midway million Minoru Arakawa Miyamoto Mortal Kombat movie Namco named Nintendo of America Nolan Bushnell Pac-Man pinball play players PlayStation Pong programmers Ralph Baer Ray Kassar released retailers Rosen Saturn screen Sega Enterprises Sega of America Sega's sell shipped sold Sony Space Invaders started Steve Super Mario Bros television thing took Tramiel Trip Hawkins United vice president video game industry video-game wanted Warner Yamauchi Zito
References to this book
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Ultimate History of Video Games: From Pong to Pokémon and Beyond : the Story Behind the Craze that Touched Our Lives and Changed the World |
| Author | Steve L. Kent |
| Edition | illustrated, reprint |
| Publisher | Prima Pub., 2001 |
| Original from | the University of Michigan |
| Digitized | Nov 5, 2008 |
| ISBN | 0761536434, 9780761536437 |
| Length | 608 pages |
| Subjects | › Social Science / Popular Culture |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |