Description
The definitive behind-the-scenes history of the dawn of video games and their rise into a multibillion-dollar business
“For industry insiders and game players alike, this book is a must-have.”—Mark Turmell, designer for Midway Games and creator of NBA Jam, NFL Blitz, and WrestleMania
With all the whiz, bang, pop, and shimmer of a glowing arcade, volume 1 of 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. Starting in arcades then moving to televisions and handheld devices, the video game invasion has entranced kids and the young at heart for nearly fifty years. And gaming historian Steven L. Kent has been there to record the craze from the very beginning.
The Ultimate History: Volume 1 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, Kent chronicles 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.
About the Author
Steven L. Kent is the author of theRogue Cloneseries of Military Science Fiction novels as well asThe Ultimate History of Video Games.Born in California and raised in Hawaii, Kent served as a missionary for the LDS Church between the years of 1979 and 1981. During that time, he worked as a Spanish-speaking missionary serving migrant farm workers in southern Idaho.While Kent has a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and a Master’s degree in communications from Brigham Young University, he claims that his most important education came from life.He learned important lessons from working with farm laborers in Idaho. Later, from 1986 through 1988, Kent worked as a telemarketer sellingTV GuideandInc. Magazine. His years on the phone helped him develop an ear for dialog.In 1987, Kent reviewed the Stephen King novelsMiseryandThe Eyes of the Dragonfor theSeattle Times. A diehard Stephen King fan, Kent later admitted that he pitched the reviews to the Times so that he could afford to buy the books.In 1993, upon returning to Seattle after a five-year absence, Kent pitched a review of “virtual haunted houses” for the Halloween issue of theSeattle Times. He reviewed the gamesThe Seventh Guest,Alone in the Dark, andLegacy. Not only did this review land Kent three free PC games, it started him on a new career path.By the middle of 1994, when Kent found himself laid off from his job at a PR agency, he became a full-time freelance journalist. He wrote monthly pieces for theSeattle Timesalong with regular features and reviews forElectronic Games,CDRom Today,ComputerLife, andNautilusCD. In later years, he would write forAmerican Heritage,Parade,USA Today, theChicago Tribuneand many other publications. He wrote regular columns forMSNBC,Next Generation, theJapan Times, and theLos Angeles Times Syndicate.In 2000, Kent self-publishedThe First Quarter: A 25-year History of Video Games. That book was later purchased and re-published asThe Ultimate History of Video Gamesby the Prima, Three River Press, and Crown divisions of Random House.During his career as a games journalist, Kent wrote the entries on video games forEncartaand theEncyclopedia Americana. At the invitation of Senator Joseph Lieberman, Kent has spoken at the annual Report Card on Video Game Violence in Washington D.C.
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