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Video Games: The People, Games, and Companies - Stage One: 1979 and before
From Pong to Silent Hill, from the Atari 2600 to the Dreamcast, a fascinating story is waiting to be told. VIDEO-GAMES, the new book from Andrea Contato - author of Through the Moongate - showcases the birth of video gaming from its earliest origins through 1999, offering a new perspective on the people, ideas, inventiveness and evolution of the gaming industry.
VIDEO-GAMES leads the reader on an in-depth journey through the evolution of gaming technology, from arcades to consoles and personal computers. In its pages, you will relive the years when the revolution began, focusing on the developers and gamers who are the real protagonists of the history of video games.
VIDEO-GAMES is a work in five volumes. The first two books, covering the birth of electronic gaming in the late 1950s, all the way through to 1984, have already been published in Italian. Based on decades of research and dozens of unpublished interviews, VIDEO-GAMES is the most comprehensive work on the subject, perfect for enthusiasts and newcomers alike.
VIDEO-GAMES leads the reader on an in-depth journey through the evolution of gaming technology, from arcades to consoles and personal computers. In its pages, you will relive the years when the revolution began, focusing on the developers and gamers who are the real protagonists of the history of video games.
VIDEO-GAMES is a work in five volumes. The first two books, covering the birth of electronic gaming in the late 1950s, all the way through to 1984, have already been published in Italian. Based on decades of research and dozens of unpublished interviews, VIDEO-GAMES is the most comprehensive work on the subject, perfect for enthusiasts and newcomers alike.
409 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2023
6 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 4, 2025
This is the first book in an intriguing series that traces the evolution of video game technology, from arcade cabinets to the earliest home consoles. It covers the most important inventions up to the late 1970s, telling the story of companies still well-known today, brilliant minds, and curious episodes that helped build the way toward modern gaming.
I only started getting interested in video games at the end of the ’70s, so some of the things described here I’ve only heard about, while others were a delightful discovery.
Each chapter focuses on a specific invention, from the first games developed in universities to those released commercially by companies of the time, offering a bit of history about key figures and the businesses involved.
I found the reconstruction of lesser-known events particularly engaging—perhaps a little dramatized, but still fairly realistic. The sheer number of names and people, often jumping from one company to another, can certainly put the reader’s memory to the test! 😄
I can’t wait to read the next volume. I’m sure it will cover things that feel more familiar to me.
I only started getting interested in video games at the end of the ’70s, so some of the things described here I’ve only heard about, while others were a delightful discovery.
Each chapter focuses on a specific invention, from the first games developed in universities to those released commercially by companies of the time, offering a bit of history about key figures and the businesses involved.
I found the reconstruction of lesser-known events particularly engaging—perhaps a little dramatized, but still fairly realistic. The sheer number of names and people, often jumping from one company to another, can certainly put the reader’s memory to the test! 😄
I can’t wait to read the next volume. I’m sure it will cover things that feel more familiar to me.
April 28, 2024
As I get older, I find myself reading about the people who created the machines I grew up on. For my generation, it was video games and computers in general. Some of the past books I’ve read focused on a specific machine or publisher. This book is broad, touching on coin-op, home consoles and the first microcomputers.
The author provides a glimpse into the major players of early video games. Overlayed is the progression of games from Pong through Asteroids. It is intersting to see how fads caused the boom/bust cycle of game types. Pong is one, driving sims another.
I didn’t know Coleco was the first with a cartridge based console. They had to educate customers of its ability to add new games, as the market up to that point was used to single games on dedicated hardware. A good first attempt, though a triangle shaped cartridge may have been difficult to stack.
The book does need an English proofreader. Watch out for transposed model numbers. Also The Byte Shop was on El Camino, not a town called El Camino.
There are references to a second volume, which is already out in Italian. I did see a mention that it is a five book series. I can’t wait to see the kickstarter for the 2nd book, as it’ll be the crazy era in the early 1980’s.
The author provides a glimpse into the major players of early video games. Overlayed is the progression of games from Pong through Asteroids. It is intersting to see how fads caused the boom/bust cycle of game types. Pong is one, driving sims another.
I didn’t know Coleco was the first with a cartridge based console. They had to educate customers of its ability to add new games, as the market up to that point was used to single games on dedicated hardware. A good first attempt, though a triangle shaped cartridge may have been difficult to stack.
The book does need an English proofreader. Watch out for transposed model numbers. Also The Byte Shop was on El Camino, not a town called El Camino.
There are references to a second volume, which is already out in Italian. I did see a mention that it is a five book series. I can’t wait to see the kickstarter for the 2nd book, as it’ll be the crazy era in the early 1980’s.
January 14, 2026
Well researched and interesting book about the days when computer games were very young. A few stretches were a touch confusing but for a translated book this is generally readable. Worth the read for folks interested in the history of video games and indirectly the computer.
January 30, 2022
Una interessante versione leggermente romanzata (ma molto avvincente) della storia dei videogiochi fino alla fine degli anni 70.
Ora voglio leggere anche del decennio successivo!
Ora voglio leggere anche del decennio successivo!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews