Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library

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, Steven L. Kent ; [foreword by Peter Molyneux]

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 509-515)

portraitsillustrations

no index present

non fiction

The ultimate history of video games

bibliographydictionaries

681958814

Steven L. Kent ; [foreword by Peter Molyneux]

from Pong to Pokémon and beyond : the story behind the craze that touched our lives and changed the world

Inside 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. From the Trade Paperback edition

The world before Pong -- Forgotten fathers -- Father of the industry -- And then there was Pong -- The king and court -- The jackals -- "Could you repeat that two more times?" -- Strange bedfellows -- The return of Bushnell -- The golden age (part 1: 1979-1980) -- The golden age (part 2: 1981-1983) -- The battle for the home -- A case of two gorillas -- The fall -- The aftermath -- Album covers -- We tried to keep from laughing -- The seeds of competition -- The birth of Sega -- The new empire -- The legal game -- The year of hardware -- Run for the money -- The war -- Moral kombat -- The "next" generation (part 1) -- The "next" generation (part 2) -- the mainstream and all its perils -- And the cycle continues -- Three horses and a pony