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The Ultimate History of Video Games
The Ultimate History of Video Games: From Pong to Pokemon - 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.
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.
608 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2001
326 people are currently reading
4093 people want to read
About the author
Steven L. Kent
36 books242 followersSteven L. Kent is the author of the Rogue Clone series of Military Science Fiction novels as well as The 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 selling TV Guide and Inc. Magazine. His years on the phone helped him develop an ear for dialog.
In 1987, Kent reviewed the Stephen King novels Misery and The Eyes of the Dragon for the Seattle 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 the Seattle Times. He reviewed the games The Seventh Guest, Alone in the Dark, and Legacy. 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 the Seattle Times along with regular features and reviews for Electronic Games, CDRom Today, ComputerLife, and NautilusCD. In later years, he would write for American Heritage, Parade, USA Today, the Chicago Tribune and many other publications. He wrote regular columns for MSNBC, Next Generation, the Japan Times, and the Los Angeles Times Syndicate.
In 2000, Kent self-published The First Quarter: A 25-year History of Video Games. That book was later purchased and re-published as The Ultimate History of Video Games by 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 for Encarta and the Encyclopedia Americana. At the invitation of Senator Joseph Lieberman, Kent has spoken at the annual Report Card on Video Game Violence in Washington D.C.
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 selling TV Guide and Inc. Magazine. His years on the phone helped him develop an ear for dialog.
In 1987, Kent reviewed the Stephen King novels Misery and The Eyes of the Dragon for the Seattle 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 the Seattle Times. He reviewed the games The Seventh Guest, Alone in the Dark, and Legacy. 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 the Seattle Times along with regular features and reviews for Electronic Games, CDRom Today, ComputerLife, and NautilusCD. In later years, he would write for American Heritage, Parade, USA Today, the Chicago Tribune and many other publications. He wrote regular columns for MSNBC, Next Generation, the Japan Times, and the Los Angeles Times Syndicate.
In 2000, Kent self-published The First Quarter: A 25-year History of Video Games. That book was later purchased and re-published as The Ultimate History of Video Games by 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 for Encarta and the Encyclopedia 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 268 reviews
February 2, 2016
This was one of the coolest books I've ever read. Totally nerd-tastic.
The vignettes on how Atari, Nintendo, and computer games all got their start were fascinating. Nolan Bushnell was quite a character - almost like he walked straight out of a work of fiction! I was slightly disappointed that the book didn't cover much on the Pokemon phenomenon, especially since that franchise had such a huge impact on the gaming industry (and on 9-year-old me), but I think the point of it was to focus on the early stages of the industry. This book is a great example of how one offbeat idea can explode into something monumental.
If you like video games, you will likely enjoy this!
The vignettes on how Atari, Nintendo, and computer games all got their start were fascinating. Nolan Bushnell was quite a character - almost like he walked straight out of a work of fiction! I was slightly disappointed that the book didn't cover much on the Pokemon phenomenon, especially since that franchise had such a huge impact on the gaming industry (and on 9-year-old me), but I think the point of it was to focus on the early stages of the industry. This book is a great example of how one offbeat idea can explode into something monumental.
If you like video games, you will likely enjoy this!
April 1, 2016
Good for some interesting quotes and anecdotes from industry veterans, and maybe as a historical reference on the business side of certain early (US) arcade and console game companies. As an "ultimate history of video games", I found this book to be severely lacking.
While the book does painstakingly detail the business practices of certain industry pioneers down to each sales figure, advertising campaign and exact amounts of consoles manufactured per each holiday season, content on games themselves, the game development process and the emerging of the entire culture surrounding video games was light, to say the least.
Furthermore, the entire world of video games on home computers (which, at least in Europe, was a way bigger phenomenon than consoles for the better part of the 80s and 90s) was glossed over with a few mentions barely the size of a footnote. The book even went to some length in presenting the dawn of IBM PC compatible gaming as some special leap in home computer gaming history, as if the prior generations never even happened.
Add to this some minor but annoying factual errors popping up here and there, and I definitely can't provide an unconditional recommendation. I hope someone will still come along and provide a more balanced and unbiased "ultimate history of video games" for us one day.
While the book does painstakingly detail the business practices of certain industry pioneers down to each sales figure, advertising campaign and exact amounts of consoles manufactured per each holiday season, content on games themselves, the game development process and the emerging of the entire culture surrounding video games was light, to say the least.
Furthermore, the entire world of video games on home computers (which, at least in Europe, was a way bigger phenomenon than consoles for the better part of the 80s and 90s) was glossed over with a few mentions barely the size of a footnote. The book even went to some length in presenting the dawn of IBM PC compatible gaming as some special leap in home computer gaming history, as if the prior generations never even happened.
Add to this some minor but annoying factual errors popping up here and there, and I definitely can't provide an unconditional recommendation. I hope someone will still come along and provide a more balanced and unbiased "ultimate history of video games" for us one day.
September 18, 2016
Executive Summary: Ultimate history this is not. It left me rather disappointed in some regards. That said, there is a lot of great stuff here, and I enjoyed it overall. 3.5 Stars.
Audiobook: Dan Woren does a good job narrating. Nothing spectacular, but then this is non-fiction so I don't really want spectacular. He speaks clearly and with good pacing making audio a good option in my opinion.
Full Review
I've been a gamer for almost as long as I can remember. My first gaming platform was an Apple IIgs in the late 80s. That was replaced by a Nintendo in the early 90's and that was my platform of choice until I got my first PC in the mid 90s. I'd visit an arcade on occasion, but I never really had the money to play a lot of video games, so home gaming has made up most of my experience.
I never played Atari. All of the early days of Atari was brand new and pretty interesting to me. I really liked the stuff about arcade games as well. That said, I felt like the early part of the book focused entirely too much on Atari. This book as a whole is told from an American perspective, so any involvement of Japan mostly is covering the impact of Japanese companies on the US gaming market. I'd have liked more history of Japanese companies than we got. I'd also have liked more detail on the other companies involved in the early days of video games.
My biggest complaint was how little Computer Gaming was covered. Sure the Apple II and Commodore 64 were mention. So was Doom. He made brief mention of how some third party publishers were focusing on Computer Games, but mostly as part of the story of how they were lured to make console games. Blizzard wasn't mentioned at all. Apart from the mention of Doom, id was ignored. Sierra Online, who was a huge part of my childhood barely got mentioned.
My final complaint is this book relied too heavily on quotes. It's hard to say for sure since I did audio, but it felt like half of each chapter was simply quotes of people in the industry. I don't really need quotes. I need the author to interview and research and present a narrative to me. The occasional quote to drive a point is fine.
All that said, I enjoyed this book. I've read a lot of books on early computers and a few things on video games in particular and this book covers a good range of detail from the 1970s until the late 90s.
If you're particularly interested in American Console game video game history, this is a good choice. However it's far from the Ultimate history simply because too many things I feel were important to the rise of video games in not only the United States, but the entire world were badly neglected.
Audiobook: Dan Woren does a good job narrating. Nothing spectacular, but then this is non-fiction so I don't really want spectacular. He speaks clearly and with good pacing making audio a good option in my opinion.
Full Review
I've been a gamer for almost as long as I can remember. My first gaming platform was an Apple IIgs in the late 80s. That was replaced by a Nintendo in the early 90's and that was my platform of choice until I got my first PC in the mid 90s. I'd visit an arcade on occasion, but I never really had the money to play a lot of video games, so home gaming has made up most of my experience.
I never played Atari. All of the early days of Atari was brand new and pretty interesting to me. I really liked the stuff about arcade games as well. That said, I felt like the early part of the book focused entirely too much on Atari. This book as a whole is told from an American perspective, so any involvement of Japan mostly is covering the impact of Japanese companies on the US gaming market. I'd have liked more history of Japanese companies than we got. I'd also have liked more detail on the other companies involved in the early days of video games.
My biggest complaint was how little Computer Gaming was covered. Sure the Apple II and Commodore 64 were mention. So was Doom. He made brief mention of how some third party publishers were focusing on Computer Games, but mostly as part of the story of how they were lured to make console games. Blizzard wasn't mentioned at all. Apart from the mention of Doom, id was ignored. Sierra Online, who was a huge part of my childhood barely got mentioned.
My final complaint is this book relied too heavily on quotes. It's hard to say for sure since I did audio, but it felt like half of each chapter was simply quotes of people in the industry. I don't really need quotes. I need the author to interview and research and present a narrative to me. The occasional quote to drive a point is fine.
All that said, I enjoyed this book. I've read a lot of books on early computers and a few things on video games in particular and this book covers a good range of detail from the 1970s until the late 90s.
If you're particularly interested in American Console game video game history, this is a good choice. However it's far from the Ultimate history simply because too many things I feel were important to the rise of video games in not only the United States, but the entire world were badly neglected.
March 25, 2012
An oddly compelling book that really does set out to be the ultimate history of video games, covering their rise from time-wasters on the most basic college computers to the industry we know today. Kent presents the events in the book from a removed perspective, not judging any one company and simply laying out the events as they are known to have happened.
The reason this is important is because this is one of the few books I've read on the industry that isn't afraid to tell some of the darker sides of the industry. There is nothing terribly bad but in our modern culture of press control, some of these stories would never see the light of day. It makes for an surprisingly gripping tale when you realize a billion-dollar industry was built on amazing tosses of the dice with completely unknown tech and new people emerging to keep pushing the boundries.
All in all, I loved the book and it remains my go-to-guide for events in video game history.
The reason this is important is because this is one of the few books I've read on the industry that isn't afraid to tell some of the darker sides of the industry. There is nothing terribly bad but in our modern culture of press control, some of these stories would never see the light of day. It makes for an surprisingly gripping tale when you realize a billion-dollar industry was built on amazing tosses of the dice with completely unknown tech and new people emerging to keep pushing the boundries.
All in all, I loved the book and it remains my go-to-guide for events in video game history.
December 29, 2017
Hacer un libro de estos, con un repaso lo más completo posible al mundo de los videojuegos, supone realizar sacrificios; es imposible abarcarlo todo sin perder legibilidad. Y ahí Steven L. Kent se muestra acertado: en su repaso se centra en el soporte exclusivo para este formato (pinballs, máquinas recreativas, videoconsolas), los diferentes auges y caídas de empresas, la competencia o la controversia despertada por su "violencia". Esto le lleva a pasar pasar más de puntillas sobre el desarrollo de software. No porque no hable de los videojuegos más icónicos, sus programadores y ciertos detalles de su creación (Pong, Breakout, Space Invaders, Pacman, Donkey Kong, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat...). Sí porque estos fragmentos me temo que están descompensados frente a la obra de los ingenieros y los timoneles de las grandes empresas que permitieron ese desarrollo. Una decisión entendible que me despierta conflictos al dejar de lado un grupo de personas que habrían enriquecido su acercamiento al alumbrar géneros enteros (Sid Meier, Richard Garriott, Peter Molyneux...). Viendo la perspectiva que se da de los hermanos Stamper, centrado en su trabajo en las consolas, es posible que todo se deba a que los programas que desarrollaron corrían sobre un soporte menor (en volumen de ventas) como los ordenadores, que aquí no ha encontrado su lugar (como se pasa de puntillas sobre el juego en internet; quizás el gran agujero de esta historia).
Kent ha planificado muy bien su labor y afronta su relato como divulgador consciente de su labor. Deja que los hechos hablen, evita caer en las disgresiones, consigue que prácticamente todo sea relevante y solapa bien el problema habitual de cómo estructurar la Historia cuando hay hechos coincidentes en diferentes entornos que no están del todo conectados. Ocasionalmente es demasiado pródigo en las citas a las declaraciones de los protagonistas, muchas de las cuales apenas aportan un par de pinceladas nimias a lo que ha contado en el párrafo anterior. Y en la última década se le nota mucho más acelerado; así como en las primeras 350 páginas es pródigo en detalles, en las 150 últimas pasa más de puntillas sobre hechos que antes desarrollaba más. La propia forma de terminar la Historia, precipitada y un tanto chapucera, me hace pensar que entre la extensión que estaba ganando su obra y la fecha de entrega se llevaron un poco por delante la mesura.
Un ensayo irregular, único en España y de lectura imprescindible para los aficionados interesados en descubrir la génesis y evolución del medio en los países de donde deriva la tecnología.
Kent ha planificado muy bien su labor y afronta su relato como divulgador consciente de su labor. Deja que los hechos hablen, evita caer en las disgresiones, consigue que prácticamente todo sea relevante y solapa bien el problema habitual de cómo estructurar la Historia cuando hay hechos coincidentes en diferentes entornos que no están del todo conectados. Ocasionalmente es demasiado pródigo en las citas a las declaraciones de los protagonistas, muchas de las cuales apenas aportan un par de pinceladas nimias a lo que ha contado en el párrafo anterior. Y en la última década se le nota mucho más acelerado; así como en las primeras 350 páginas es pródigo en detalles, en las 150 últimas pasa más de puntillas sobre hechos que antes desarrollaba más. La propia forma de terminar la Historia, precipitada y un tanto chapucera, me hace pensar que entre la extensión que estaba ganando su obra y la fecha de entrega se llevaron un poco por delante la mesura.
Un ensayo irregular, único en España y de lectura imprescindible para los aficionados interesados en descubrir la génesis y evolución del medio en los países de donde deriva la tecnología.
September 30, 2021
The Ultimate History of Video Games, Vol. 1 (My Kindle Review)
I’ve been a video game nut for quite a long time now, and I never get tired of learning about the past, present and future in the world of video games. “Ultimate History” tells us the beginning of it all starting from the 50’s, slowly rising during the mid-70s to into the early 2000s, with many quotes and interviews from iconic names in the industry. We learn of many important events such as Atari being the first video game giant, the Golden Age of arcades, the 1983 video game crash, Nintendo bringing video games back and many other consoles entering the video game wars.
Kent’s book is truly the definite telling of video game history as there’s so such to process in. Video game lovers will get all the history in this book, and plenty of amazement. A (100%/Outstanding)
I’ve been a video game nut for quite a long time now, and I never get tired of learning about the past, present and future in the world of video games. “Ultimate History” tells us the beginning of it all starting from the 50’s, slowly rising during the mid-70s to into the early 2000s, with many quotes and interviews from iconic names in the industry. We learn of many important events such as Atari being the first video game giant, the Golden Age of arcades, the 1983 video game crash, Nintendo bringing video games back and many other consoles entering the video game wars.
Kent’s book is truly the definite telling of video game history as there’s so such to process in. Video game lovers will get all the history in this book, and plenty of amazement. A (100%/Outstanding)
February 12, 2024
La gran historia de los videojuegos publicada en 2001 por Steven Kent es una buena forma de introducirse a la historia de los videojuegos en sus primeras cuatro décadas. Evidentemente no hay una forma sencilla de presentar los sucesos que han llevado a la industria del videojuego a ser una de las más rentables del mundo y a tener una influencia cada vez más marcada en el espacio cultural de la sociedad. Toda historia obedece a criterios y presupuestos, algunos conscientes otros inconscientes, que el autor ha seleccionado para narrarlo. Esta selección lleva necesariamente a recortes, omisiones, generalizaciones, que se convierten en una invitación a seguir profundizando en este tema.
De los aspectos interesantes del libro cabe rescatar los siguiente: primero, sobre todo en la primera mitad, la relación que hay entre desarrollo tecnológico y desarrollo de videojuegos. Esta sería una virtud del libro, mostrar la influencia reciproca que hay entre estas dos áreas y cómo el deseo de hacer mejores juegos llevó a mejorar aspectos tecnológicos y cómo los diseñadores de videojuegos aprovechaban los avances tecnológicos para plasmar de mejores formas sus ideas. En segundo lugar, se pone mucho hincapié al origen de la industria del videojuego, La historia que presenta Kent se centra en gran parte a las recreativas y a las consolas, en mucha menor medida a los computadores, y en los hombres y empresas que ayudaron a forjarla, aunque enfocada especialmente desde Estados Unidos y un poco menos en Europa y Japón. También resalta la gran cantidad de entrevistas, más allá de las fuentes de literatura secundaria, que el autor realizó para tener una mirada de primera mano el desarrollo de la historia del videojuego.
En síntesis: es un buen panorama de la evolución del videojuego, en especial en sus inicios, enfocado en Estados Unidos y las consolas, en el desarrollo tecnológico que llevó a que la industria del videojuego llegara a donde está, a las disputas entre empresas, algunas batallas legales sobre los derechos de autor, así como los grandes nombres de la industria. Pero evidentemente deja de lado muchos asuntos como lo puede ser el desarrollo propio de varios juegos que marcaron hitos, del papel de los computadores personales, de personas y situaciones más allá de Estados Unidos. Aquí se hace necesario ser consciente de la necesidad de historias del videojuego que ayuden a mostrar a aquellas personas que no han tenido el reconocimiento merecido y que ayudaron a forjar esta historia, como por ejemplo suele suceder con el trabajo e influencia de las mujeres.
De los aspectos interesantes del libro cabe rescatar los siguiente: primero, sobre todo en la primera mitad, la relación que hay entre desarrollo tecnológico y desarrollo de videojuegos. Esta sería una virtud del libro, mostrar la influencia reciproca que hay entre estas dos áreas y cómo el deseo de hacer mejores juegos llevó a mejorar aspectos tecnológicos y cómo los diseñadores de videojuegos aprovechaban los avances tecnológicos para plasmar de mejores formas sus ideas. En segundo lugar, se pone mucho hincapié al origen de la industria del videojuego, La historia que presenta Kent se centra en gran parte a las recreativas y a las consolas, en mucha menor medida a los computadores, y en los hombres y empresas que ayudaron a forjarla, aunque enfocada especialmente desde Estados Unidos y un poco menos en Europa y Japón. También resalta la gran cantidad de entrevistas, más allá de las fuentes de literatura secundaria, que el autor realizó para tener una mirada de primera mano el desarrollo de la historia del videojuego.
En síntesis: es un buen panorama de la evolución del videojuego, en especial en sus inicios, enfocado en Estados Unidos y las consolas, en el desarrollo tecnológico que llevó a que la industria del videojuego llegara a donde está, a las disputas entre empresas, algunas batallas legales sobre los derechos de autor, así como los grandes nombres de la industria. Pero evidentemente deja de lado muchos asuntos como lo puede ser el desarrollo propio de varios juegos que marcaron hitos, del papel de los computadores personales, de personas y situaciones más allá de Estados Unidos. Aquí se hace necesario ser consciente de la necesidad de historias del videojuego que ayuden a mostrar a aquellas personas que no han tenido el reconocimiento merecido y que ayudaron a forjar esta historia, como por ejemplo suele suceder con el trabajo e influencia de las mujeres.
May 26, 2018
This is a very comprehensive look at the history of video games going way, way back. I'm familiar with a lot of the main points from having read lots of industry histories. Where this one excels is in going to the smallest of details and talks about a lot of the personalities and more obscure companies involved. So even if you already know a lot about video games history, if you're interested, you'll end up learning things you most likely didn't know. Most importantly it is stuffed with first-hand quotes from interviews and other published material.
If I had to give this book one fault, it's that the details get slimmer as it gets closer to modern times. On the one hand, this makes sense - there are still people under NDA and who don't want to burn bridges. On the other hand it makes less sense - in our current information-rich world a lot of the details are out there. Best way to drive this home is to mention what happened as I neared the edge of this book. I listen to a podcast on the Wondery network called Business Wars. They're currently doing a series called Nintendo vs Sony which started off with the fated CD-ROM system they were supposed to make together. I've known the most general outlines of that story for years now. But Business Wars has revealed lots of new information about the conflict. A few episodes in, the focus shifted to the Sega Saturn vs the Sony Playstation. They mentioned the Sony team breaking open the Saturn to see that they could compete against Sega on price because Sega was achieving their specs via throwing lots and lots of chips at the problem. None of this was mentioned in the book. It could be because the details weren't available when the book came out? The book ends with the Xbox about to come out. But after all the details that the book had up to the 8-bit era, it feels a bit thin at the end.
Oh, and one more thing I remembered as I wrote the next paragraph - it merely glosses over computer gaming. That makes sense in that the computer industry had a LOT more companies and so it's a harder story to tell narratively. Just reading the book about DOOM and Id software or reading the Prince of Persia diaries shows how complex that world was. Perhaps a companion book by Mr. Kent?
Other than that criticism it was a neat examination of how we got to where we did via the four phases: research at universities, pinball and arcade, pre-80s crash consoles, and post-80s crash consoles.
If I had to give this book one fault, it's that the details get slimmer as it gets closer to modern times. On the one hand, this makes sense - there are still people under NDA and who don't want to burn bridges. On the other hand it makes less sense - in our current information-rich world a lot of the details are out there. Best way to drive this home is to mention what happened as I neared the edge of this book. I listen to a podcast on the Wondery network called Business Wars. They're currently doing a series called Nintendo vs Sony which started off with the fated CD-ROM system they were supposed to make together. I've known the most general outlines of that story for years now. But Business Wars has revealed lots of new information about the conflict. A few episodes in, the focus shifted to the Sega Saturn vs the Sony Playstation. They mentioned the Sony team breaking open the Saturn to see that they could compete against Sega on price because Sega was achieving their specs via throwing lots and lots of chips at the problem. None of this was mentioned in the book. It could be because the details weren't available when the book came out? The book ends with the Xbox about to come out. But after all the details that the book had up to the 8-bit era, it feels a bit thin at the end.
Oh, and one more thing I remembered as I wrote the next paragraph - it merely glosses over computer gaming. That makes sense in that the computer industry had a LOT more companies and so it's a harder story to tell narratively. Just reading the book about DOOM and Id software or reading the Prince of Persia diaries shows how complex that world was. Perhaps a companion book by Mr. Kent?
Other than that criticism it was a neat examination of how we got to where we did via the four phases: research at universities, pinball and arcade, pre-80s crash consoles, and post-80s crash consoles.
July 30, 2009
I've always been fascinated with video gaming history. Although I was born in the mid 80's, consoles such as the Atari 2600 have always captured my interest even though they were "outdated" by the time I got into video games. The neat thing about gaming history is that you can tell the story from so many different angles - different companies, different time periods, etc. Although I've read many books (and articles) on video games prior to this one, there is still plenty to learn - and there was certainly information in here new to me.
There were many things to enjoy in this book, but there were a few shortcomings. I loved how the book went in-depth on the history of the classic gaming era, but it seemed to go a bit soft when it came to the 8-bit and 16-bit systems. Arcade games are discussed thoroughly in the beginning of the book, but are ignored near the end. Nintendo and Atari have chapters upon chapters of history, but lesser selling systems (such as the Neo*Geo) are restricted to the footnotes. The book also tended to waste too much time discussing court cases. Now, although many of those cases were turning-points for the gaming industry, a few seemed irrelevant (e.g., Donkey Kong vs. King Kong) and were confusing and hard to follow for someone like me without a background in law.
Make no mistake, the first half of this book is excellent. And in the closing paragraph the author says he intended to publish this book in 1995 or 1996. I think, given the little coverage he makes of anything past the mid-90's, his book would have fared better if released earlier. A few chapters (mainly the ones concerning the legal disputes) I could do without. The book also had a bad habit of jumping around in time. It documents the rise and fall of Atari's coin-op division, but then starts over to talk about the rise and fall of the Atari VCS.
Bottom Line: If classic gaming history is your thing, there are better books to be read than this one. But if you want a broader look on video games that encompasses all generations - you may just enjoy this!
There were many things to enjoy in this book, but there were a few shortcomings. I loved how the book went in-depth on the history of the classic gaming era, but it seemed to go a bit soft when it came to the 8-bit and 16-bit systems. Arcade games are discussed thoroughly in the beginning of the book, but are ignored near the end. Nintendo and Atari have chapters upon chapters of history, but lesser selling systems (such as the Neo*Geo) are restricted to the footnotes. The book also tended to waste too much time discussing court cases. Now, although many of those cases were turning-points for the gaming industry, a few seemed irrelevant (e.g., Donkey Kong vs. King Kong) and were confusing and hard to follow for someone like me without a background in law.
Make no mistake, the first half of this book is excellent. And in the closing paragraph the author says he intended to publish this book in 1995 or 1996. I think, given the little coverage he makes of anything past the mid-90's, his book would have fared better if released earlier. A few chapters (mainly the ones concerning the legal disputes) I could do without. The book also had a bad habit of jumping around in time. It documents the rise and fall of Atari's coin-op division, but then starts over to talk about the rise and fall of the Atari VCS.
Bottom Line: If classic gaming history is your thing, there are better books to be read than this one. But if you want a broader look on video games that encompasses all generations - you may just enjoy this!
September 25, 2013
This is an excellent book but it's far from an "ultimate history" of video games. It was never intended to be such: the "Ultimate" title is the publisher's choice, while Kent's original title was "The First Quarter: A 25-year History of Video Games". As the original title should indicate, the book focuses very heavily on industry side of things. It also starts its history with the coin-operated businesses of pinball and arcade machines.
The book roughly goes through a chronological account of major goings-on. Milestones in the industry are used as touchstones to guide the narrative, like the design and/or release of major products, the appearance or disappearance of competitors, and important court cases. The establishment, rise, and fall of certain companies, like Atari, are documented in great detail, as are individual personalities who worked within these companies are also examined. And, of course, plenty of anecdotes, quotes, and numbers are sprinkled throughout the book.
All of this focuses almost exclusively on the U.S. market. Any asides to the Canadian, European, and Japanese markets are made solely for their relevance to the U.S. This was the only part of the book I was truly disappointed in. It certainly stands up as an examination of the U.S. industry, but I would love to read a follow-up from Kent or another author that takes an international view. For that matter, I'd love to read similar books that focus on non-U.S. markets.
The book roughly goes through a chronological account of major goings-on. Milestones in the industry are used as touchstones to guide the narrative, like the design and/or release of major products, the appearance or disappearance of competitors, and important court cases. The establishment, rise, and fall of certain companies, like Atari, are documented in great detail, as are individual personalities who worked within these companies are also examined. And, of course, plenty of anecdotes, quotes, and numbers are sprinkled throughout the book.
All of this focuses almost exclusively on the U.S. market. Any asides to the Canadian, European, and Japanese markets are made solely for their relevance to the U.S. This was the only part of the book I was truly disappointed in. It certainly stands up as an examination of the U.S. industry, but I would love to read a follow-up from Kent or another author that takes an international view. For that matter, I'd love to read similar books that focus on non-U.S. markets.
December 7, 2025
This was a monster of a book, and honestly the book I’m most proud to have made it through this year. I originally picked it up because it’s a subject that’s always been of interest to me, but I don’t think I would have been able to finish it if I hadn’t listened to the audiobook, which was over 30 hours. While there is no doubt Steven Kent knows his stuff (I was consistently amazed by just how thorough the research was), I thought the text itself was dry. It was largely made up of direct quotes, which was neat in terms of getting to hear the history of the industry told in the words of those that shaped it, but I got tired of the lackluster transitions between quotes, like “once again, [name].”
I really enjoyed the first half of the book. It was neat to learn about the video game industry’s roots in pinball and how it evolved in its early days. However, once they started getting into the individual court cases, I quickly lost interest. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in the history video games, but I would recommend listening to it as an audiobook, that way you can get through some of the dryer parts.
I really enjoyed the first half of the book. It was neat to learn about the video game industry’s roots in pinball and how it evolved in its early days. However, once they started getting into the individual court cases, I quickly lost interest. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in the history video games, but I would recommend listening to it as an audiobook, that way you can get through some of the dryer parts.
December 23, 2024
A book only a nerd will love. Lucky for me. Very in depth on multiple aspects of the industry with a huge range in years too.
July 9, 2022
This book felt like a comprehensive look at a subject I didn't know as much about as I imagined. As with anything that evolves quickly, this book will only become more dated as time passes (by that I mean the cut off date will become increasingly detrimental as games and technology continue to evolve). However, with much of it new to me, I found this book entertaining and educational.
A few caveats about the book... This isn't a book about gamers or even gaming achievements (though some things do appearances) but really about the creators, visionaries, programmers, and executives who helped the world navigate this sea change in home entertainment. Second, you might be surprised at the early history of video games, both at how early they started and how (and where) they began. Lastly, like many books which tackle a broad subject not everything can be addressed or even acknowledged. This is really about video games writ large and not any one company, franchise, or game- so a history of Nintendo would be better if that's where your interests lie.
A few caveats about the book... This isn't a book about gamers or even gaming achievements (though some things do appearances) but really about the creators, visionaries, programmers, and executives who helped the world navigate this sea change in home entertainment. Second, you might be surprised at the early history of video games, both at how early they started and how (and where) they began. Lastly, like many books which tackle a broad subject not everything can be addressed or even acknowledged. This is really about video games writ large and not any one company, franchise, or game- so a history of Nintendo would be better if that's where your interests lie.
April 20, 2013
Pretty good history of video games through 2000. The book is organized partly chronologically and partly topically. There are also sections of direct quotes, often followed by text saying roughly the same thing. This organization lends itself to repetitiveness - the book could have been a bit shorter. I enjoyed the combination of business history and product history. The major games along the way were described, so if you happened to have forgotten one, the description jogged the memory. The early part of the book focused on the beginnings of the industry and the stories were often personal - what a particular person did. There was less of that when covering the late 90s, I think in part because there was plentiful reference material from gaming magazines available to the author. By the end of the book, the personalities were secondary to the competitive production and sales numbers. This wasn't as interesting, but it surely reflects the growth of the industry.
January 22, 2011
I loved the personal stories of the creators and games. I most certainly remembered most of these games and that pleased me quite a bit. It is fun to reminisce about games your kids never knew existed. My kids find it fascinating when I tell them of taking my allowance in quarters and hanging out all day in the arcade. (sigh...wonderful, misspent youth.)
Yet...I wasn't all that interested in the many, well-researched details. Guess I'm not that much of a computer nerd, but if you are, this is the book for you. Actually, the author should consider writing an updated version, because, as he mentions, this story really could just go on forever.
Yet...I wasn't all that interested in the many, well-researched details. Guess I'm not that much of a computer nerd, but if you are, this is the book for you. Actually, the author should consider writing an updated version, because, as he mentions, this story really could just go on forever.
July 4, 2011
Buena combinación entre narración de los hechos y entrevistas de las personas que fueron involucradas en los mismos.
Desde el inicio de la industria de los videojuegos hasta la fecha solo 1 cosa ha salvado mas de 1 vez a las compañías y a la industria "Innovación".
Es lo que hace falta ahora y lo que mantendrá viva la industria.
Desde el inicio de la industria de los videojuegos hasta la fecha solo 1 cosa ha salvado mas de 1 vez a las compañías y a la industria "Innovación".
Es lo que hace falta ahora y lo que mantendrá viva la industria.
October 23, 2015
A very linear and fact-based retelling of the history of video games, up until the early 2000s. The writing style is simple and clear and the anecdotes are incredible and often hilarious. Would definitely recommend to anyone with even the most fleeting interest in video games and their creators.
May 3, 2023
Shortly before reading The Ultimate History of Video Games: Vol. 1, I told my dad that video games are the future of entertainment. After finishing the book, I called him to amend my statement: they are the present! Video games routinely make more money than the movie and sports industries combined. In 2018, one video game (Red Dead Redemption 2) made more money in its first three days than Avengers: Infinity War made in its debut weekend.
Everything in this book is at least 23 years old (it was published in 2000). The opening chapters of this ultimate history describe games that debuted >50 years ago. I'm talking old-school titles like Spacewars! and Pong. After laying a solid foundation, Mr. Kent describes Atari and its rivals in incredible detail. The chapters on Nolan Bushnell (the founder of both Atari and Chuck E. Cheese) were reminiscent of Slaying the Dragon by Ben Riggs, the history of Dungeons & Dragons I read last year. He was far from the only personality in the 70s-era video game business. This era described unique characters like cantankerous Jack Tramiel (the founder of Commodore and later the owner of Atari) and hippie-turned-tech-guru Steve Jobs (a one-time Atari employee).
Beyond the age of the arcade, Mr. Kent tells the reader the story of Nintendo's rise to power. This was, in my opinion, the best section of the entire book. As far as I'm aware, everyone knows about Nintendo. But that wasn't always the case. They beat the odds to become one of Japan's most valuable companies. At one time, Nintendo owned >90% of the video game console market share in the world. That is an absolutely stunning figure. Not only does The Ultimate History of Video Games talk about Nintendo's rise, but it also recounts the development and lifecycles of beloved consoles like the NES, SNES, and Nintendo 64.
Adding credibility to this already stellar history, Mr. Kent also interviewed several illustrious names in gaming. Shigeru Miyamoto (the developer behind games like Mario, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, and Star Fox) was my favorite to listen to. He described the early years of Mario, Donkey Kong, and Link in supremely relatable terms that made their popularity seem almost accidental (spoiler alert: they weren't).
Video games are an indispensable part of modern entertainment and The Ultimate History of Video Games: Vol 1 does a lot to prove it to the reader. I can't wait to read Vol. 2, which picks up where Vol. 1 ends (just after the debut of PlayStation 2 and before the debuts of the Game Cube and Xbox). I'm sure it'll be just as wild a ride.
Everything in this book is at least 23 years old (it was published in 2000). The opening chapters of this ultimate history describe games that debuted >50 years ago. I'm talking old-school titles like Spacewars! and Pong. After laying a solid foundation, Mr. Kent describes Atari and its rivals in incredible detail. The chapters on Nolan Bushnell (the founder of both Atari and Chuck E. Cheese) were reminiscent of Slaying the Dragon by Ben Riggs, the history of Dungeons & Dragons I read last year. He was far from the only personality in the 70s-era video game business. This era described unique characters like cantankerous Jack Tramiel (the founder of Commodore and later the owner of Atari) and hippie-turned-tech-guru Steve Jobs (a one-time Atari employee).
Beyond the age of the arcade, Mr. Kent tells the reader the story of Nintendo's rise to power. This was, in my opinion, the best section of the entire book. As far as I'm aware, everyone knows about Nintendo. But that wasn't always the case. They beat the odds to become one of Japan's most valuable companies. At one time, Nintendo owned >90% of the video game console market share in the world. That is an absolutely stunning figure. Not only does The Ultimate History of Video Games talk about Nintendo's rise, but it also recounts the development and lifecycles of beloved consoles like the NES, SNES, and Nintendo 64.
Adding credibility to this already stellar history, Mr. Kent also interviewed several illustrious names in gaming. Shigeru Miyamoto (the developer behind games like Mario, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, and Star Fox) was my favorite to listen to. He described the early years of Mario, Donkey Kong, and Link in supremely relatable terms that made their popularity seem almost accidental (spoiler alert: they weren't).
Video games are an indispensable part of modern entertainment and The Ultimate History of Video Games: Vol 1 does a lot to prove it to the reader. I can't wait to read Vol. 2, which picks up where Vol. 1 ends (just after the debut of PlayStation 2 and before the debuts of the Game Cube and Xbox). I'm sure it'll be just as wild a ride.
November 1, 2019
This is an excellent, thorough history of video games -- primarily console video games. Very readable (if you're into that) and informative. I won't call these criticisms, because the book is pretty thick as it is and you can't expect everything. But two things to know about Kent's book are: it was published in 2001, so obviously is missing the last nearly two decades of history; and its focus is on CONSOLE gaming, with not much coverage of gaming on personal computers. Giving a good narrative of the birth of video games on academic computers at MIT, the book proceeds to focus on early arcade machines and the first console, the Magnavox Odyssey -- then turns almost exclusively to the home console business after that, up to the point of the introduction of the XBOX, PS2, and Game Cube, bowing out with a mention of Sega discontinuing the Dreamcast.
As an example of the book's many anecdotes about the greats of video gaming, it contains probably the most thorough and objective account of the notorious incident when young Steve Jobs cheated Steve Wozniak out of his share of an Atari bonus for designing Breakout.
I would love to see a book like THIS that focuses on computer gaming instead of console gaming, it would be a great companion for the bookshelf.
As an example of the book's many anecdotes about the greats of video gaming, it contains probably the most thorough and objective account of the notorious incident when young Steve Jobs cheated Steve Wozniak out of his share of an Atari bonus for designing Breakout.
I would love to see a book like THIS that focuses on computer gaming instead of console gaming, it would be a great companion for the bookshelf.
March 30, 2022
Delightful book! Great explanations and quotes from the movers & shakers of the pre-2001 state of the gaming industry. I didn't realize Pokemon existed before the year 2000! I know a little about the year the Nintendo Wii hit the streets, and I wanted the book to cover it. however, when I realized that there was only 10 minutes left in the audiobook, I knew it wasn't going to happen. I was one of those people that bought the Commodore Vic-20 for $300 when it first came out, not realizing it would be $79 a year later, however that computer was the best investment I've made. It was fun to hear about all of the stuff that was happening around those times. Phenomenal listen.
May 20, 2017
A lot more detail than I really needed to know... I found myself skipping several uninteresting chapters about tiny details. I only wished that I had paid attention to the copyright date of 2001. It only gets as recent as GameCube. Such a downer! Really needs to be updated. Regarding the info I was interested in, it was thorough and fascinating.
October 7, 2022
A lot of content and definitely well researched, it is truly an ultimate history till 6th gen. However, the writing seemed a bit insipid and uninspired at times and one of my gripes was also regarding very low representation of few of the icons of those early generations; Pokemon was one page, Mario and Sonic were just passing remarks.
March 25, 2024
This is an exhaustively researched very detailed book. It can be a bit overwhelming at times. I would almost go to the point of saying that this is written for a niche market. However, due to the popularity of games these days, I could be wrong.
My favorite part of the book is the timeline. It runs from 1889 to 2001.
My favorite part of the book is the timeline. It runs from 1889 to 2001.
April 1, 2020
This was one of my favorite books in high school. As an avid gamer and history nut, this was right up my alley. It was far from dry and genuinely gripping at times, oddly enough.
November 19, 2021
Basado Atari.
March 25, 2023
Video Games
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2025
This book is filled with so many stories and little tidbits that make it a really fun read. However, there are some drawbacks. I don't if it is just the version I had but there was a lot of repeat information between chapters that I feel like was the result of poor editing and some of the facts are slightly wrong (like a couple names of companies were reported wrong). As well, particularly dealing with some of the discussions of the Japanese, there was some dated language that made me go, yup this was written in 2001 alright. But overall just so comprehensive.
December 5, 2020
This is a great book but tends to go down unnecessary rabbit holes at times.
January 5, 2018
This book wraps up shortly after the launch of the Gamecube and Xbox. There is a lot of time spent on the Atari/Commadore era of games, so many companies I barely remember and products I have mostly only heard of.
May 3, 2020
The correct title of this book should be "The Ultimately Boring History of Video Games from Boring Businessman Perspective".
The video game industry is built by dreamers for dreamers and by players for players. Almost every game is a piece of art and a technological marvel. Back in the old days, it was also a wonder. Even today games keep pushing limits, become more immersive. Behind every game, there is a person who had a vision, crazy idea, story to tell. In most cases, it's a group of people.
This book claims to capture the most important moments of this fastest-growing industry. And it succeeds during the first chapters, where the raise of first videogames is described, backed by stories of first visioners and dreamers. I really enjoyed this part of the book and learned a lot.
Then, the book turns into extremely boring story of people doing business. Company A is established. then company B is established. Then A is merged with B. Then C arises and threatens A and B. Then B goes to court. Then A goes bankrupt. Then D steals from A. Then A steals from D. Then C pays F five millions. Then E merges with A and C. Then businessman from B meets with businessman with F. And so on and so on. It's hard to imagine how it's possible to take such an exciting topic as videogames, and turn it into such a boring story, packed with ridiculous amounts of unneeded details (did you know that company B also had a sub-company B1, that also sells dolls? And that businessman J had a dinner with businessman O, and then they also had dinner during their flight?
There is almost no book time given to the real creators behind the games - designers, developers, artists. People with vision, ideas, thrive to create and explore. It's all just about boring business.
Book author claims that he is in love with videogames and that's the reason why this book exists. At the same time, the amount of words spent on actually describing games is minimal. Some of the most important ones are kinda described, but it's so obvious that the author never played them and has no clue what he is writing about. Even those that are described, are mostly being described as generic as possible.
My main concern is - who is this book written for? Anyone at least somehow close to the industry will have no joy reading this since the book is focusing on business aspects of the industry most of the time. Businessman probably can get access to a more detailed reports on "how many units company A ordered from company M for Christmas 1988". Someone who wants to get into videogames and is patient enough to finish this long book will probably decide that there are better media and things to do in this world.
I actively discourage anyone from spending time on this and instead read some really inspiring books about videogames - like "Blood, Sweat and Pixels" or "Masters of Doom". Or just read Wikipedia, since all the info that is gathered in this particular book can be found there as well in much better-compressed condition.
The video game industry is built by dreamers for dreamers and by players for players. Almost every game is a piece of art and a technological marvel. Back in the old days, it was also a wonder. Even today games keep pushing limits, become more immersive. Behind every game, there is a person who had a vision, crazy idea, story to tell. In most cases, it's a group of people.
This book claims to capture the most important moments of this fastest-growing industry. And it succeeds during the first chapters, where the raise of first videogames is described, backed by stories of first visioners and dreamers. I really enjoyed this part of the book and learned a lot.
Then, the book turns into extremely boring story of people doing business. Company A is established. then company B is established. Then A is merged with B. Then C arises and threatens A and B. Then B goes to court. Then A goes bankrupt. Then D steals from A. Then A steals from D. Then C pays F five millions. Then E merges with A and C. Then businessman from B meets with businessman with F. And so on and so on. It's hard to imagine how it's possible to take such an exciting topic as videogames, and turn it into such a boring story, packed with ridiculous amounts of unneeded details (did you know that company B also had a sub-company B1, that also sells dolls? And that businessman J had a dinner with businessman O, and then they also had dinner during their flight?
There is almost no book time given to the real creators behind the games - designers, developers, artists. People with vision, ideas, thrive to create and explore. It's all just about boring business.
Book author claims that he is in love with videogames and that's the reason why this book exists. At the same time, the amount of words spent on actually describing games is minimal. Some of the most important ones are kinda described, but it's so obvious that the author never played them and has no clue what he is writing about. Even those that are described, are mostly being described as generic as possible.
My main concern is - who is this book written for? Anyone at least somehow close to the industry will have no joy reading this since the book is focusing on business aspects of the industry most of the time. Businessman probably can get access to a more detailed reports on "how many units company A ordered from company M for Christmas 1988". Someone who wants to get into videogames and is patient enough to finish this long book will probably decide that there are better media and things to do in this world.
I actively discourage anyone from spending time on this and instead read some really inspiring books about videogames - like "Blood, Sweat and Pixels" or "Masters of Doom". Or just read Wikipedia, since all the info that is gathered in this particular book can be found there as well in much better-compressed condition.
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