Topic: Books on gaming

[Abnormal Freak]

What are some good biography– and history–based books on the subject of video games? I'm reading Masters of Doom right now about id Software and it's really incredible; there's a narrative to it that really keeps you engaged. It kind of reminds me of the book Game Over about the history of Nintendo, which also covers gaming in general (lengthy chapter about Tetris and its creator, etc.) as it relates to Nintendo.

Just curious what are some other essential reads.

[JR]

Ultimate History of Video Games is pretty good...it's what I'm reading right now. I think that one is held in high regard. It starts off wayyy back, like in the days of pinball, the creation of Spacewar, etc., but it's all fairly interesting.

All Your Base Are Belong to Us, despite the shitty name, wasn't too bad. Some reviews say the author pulled some details out of his ass (as far as conversations, etc.), but I have no idea how accurate that is. Still fun to read. Starts really early in the history of gaming, just like the other book...starts out talking about Ralph Baer, I think.

Also bought ZAP - The Rise and Fall of Atari, but haven't had the chance to read it yet.

One of these days I want to get that Game Over book...sucks that it's out of print.

[Abnormal Freak]

I just bought a copy of the 1999 edition of Game Over for almost $20 shipped. A lot more than I would have liked to pay, but its OOP status made me bite, and the seller said it was clean with no markings and did not used to be a library copy. Most places online have it priced much higher, though I maybe should have cruised some local book shops. It's a pretty darn cool book with a lot of good information in it. First edition can be had for peanuts on sites like Biblio, so that's an option, and I believe it's hardcover.

This "book" sounds like it could be fun, coming from a different approach—one guy's days as a game store retailer in the mid '90s (the true golden era of games). Short read, only about 75 pages, but the sample seemed pretty intriguing. I don't have a Kindle, but I'm sure there's an e-reader that'll let me read it, and $1 isn't a bad price for cheap entertainment.

[Ratty]

This "book" sounds like it could be fun, coming from a different approach—one guy's days as a game store retailer in the mid '90s (the true golden era of games). Short read, only about 75 pages, but the sample seemed pretty intriguing. I don't have a Kindle, but I'm sure there's an e-reader that'll let me read it, and $1 isn't a bad price for cheap entertainment.

Author name "Hugues Johnson", yeah I'm gonna bet that's a pseudonym.

[Abnormal Freak]

Pretty sure it's his real name, heh.

http://huguesjohnson.com/bio.html
https://www.facebook.com/HuguesJohnson