The Ultimate History of Video Games, Volume 1: From Pong to Pokemon and Beyond . . . the Story Behind the Craze That Touched Our Lives and Changed the World

(Paperback)

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Description

Based on more than 500 first-hand interviews with the creative geniuses and inspired crazies who transformed a back-room novelty into a cultural phenomenon, The Ultimate History of Video Games is the definitive account of the brilliant, quirky, wacky world of electronic entertainment. Readers will discover the behind-the-scenes story of the games they grew up with - from Pong, Pac-Man and Mortal Kombat to Pokemon and beyond. They will follow the exploits of eccentric designers, insanely great programmers and manically driven entrepreneurs who wagered everything on a modern-day art form that no one thought would succeed. But succeed they did. This one-of-a-kind book is filled with invaluable insight from such industry giants as Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, Donkey Kong creator Shigeru Miyamoto, Pac-Man designer Toru Iwatani and hundreds more. It also includes such recent developments as the explosive launch of Sony's Playstation 2, the sudden fall of Sega and the coming thunder of Microsoft's Xbox. Entertaining, addictive and as mesmerizing as its subject, this book is a must-have for anyone who's ever touched a joystick.

Reviews

A major triumph.Next Generation

If anyone knows game history, its Steve Kent.Dave Theurer, creator of Tempest, Missile Command, and I, Robot

This is the best video game history book Ive ever come across.John Romero, founder of Ion Storm

A compelling journey through the evolution of the video game industry.Minoru Arakawa, former president of Nintendo

This book is from the horses mouth. Finally, the game designers speak out in all their wisdom and stupidity.Eugene Jarvis, creator of Defender and Robotron: 2084

Author Bio

Steven L. Kent turned a lifelong joystick addiction into a fifteen-year gig writing for outlets like Microsoft News, Boys' Life, USA Today, the Chicago Tribune, and The Japan Times. In addition to his two-volume account The Ultimate History of Video Games, Kent wrote The Making of Final Fantasy- The Spirits Within and The Making of Doom 3. Also a novelist, he authored the Clone Republic series and co-authored 100 Fathoms Below with Nicholas Kaufmann. He lives in Seattle, Washington.