Video Game Books?

[brianleb]

I've got a fancy research paper due for my American history class this semester, and I opted to choose my own topic (lest I be stuck with some court case or random election). I chose the history of video games. Long story short, I'm looking for any recommendations of books about video games in America. I'm (begrudgingly) trying to stay away from Japan as much as possible (well of course citing the lovely country where necessary) because it'll probably just alienate my class and teacher. So I reiterate, anyone know any books (preferably good) about video games in America? Thanks.

[YoshiM]

Phoenix: The Fall and Rise of Video Games by Leonard Herman

The Ultimate History of Video Games by Steven Kent

These are both good sources for information. The latter has a lot of "quotables" from many of the big names in the industry. Though by the mid 1980's the Japanese pretty much take over so I don't think there will be any escape from them.

[SoulBlazer]

Agreed with Yoshi 100 percent. :)

Both those books are MUST READS on the video game industry.

If you like arcade games, Starcade is a good read as well.

[Lady Jaye]

Don't you mean Supercade, instead of Starcade?

[GrandAmChandler]

"High Score" is also a decent title to research, with lots of colorful screenshots, and pics.

[Lady Jaye]

I would recommend High Score only if you cover computer game history. It's rather weak when it comes to videogame history (as if the parts about videogames were added in an afterthought with pressure from the book editor).

Anyway, the best 2 books for history of videogames, especially for a research essay, remain Phoenix and The Ultimate History of Video Games.

Another interesting source material is an ebook called Halcyon Days (http://www.dadgum.com/halcyon/). It's a collection of interviews with classic videogame and computer programmers and it's quite interesting. The editor of the collection used to sell this ebook commercially, but he decided to put it online, for free. It's not a history of videogames book per se, but it gives a lot of insight from the programmers themselves. It may electronic, but there's no reason your teacher shouldn't accept it as a reference in your bibliography.

Finally, a piece of advice: for your paper, stick to the spelling "video games" (except when quoting from a source using the word "videogame", of course). Even though the one-word spelling is more and more common, it's preferable to use the classic spelling in an academic environment.

[Jive3D]

GAME OVER - BY DAVIS SCHEFF.

DO NOT MISS THIS BOOK, IT'S EXTREMELY INFORMATIVE. Tells the Nintendo story from the companys inception over 100 years ago making hanafuda cards up until the begining of the 32bit age.

It's an awesome book.

And I have been seeing it at alot of EB stores recently for 5 bucks!

[rolenta]

Finally, a piece of advice: for your paper, stick to the spelling "video games" (except when quoting from a source using the word "videogame", of course). Even though the one-word spelling is more and more common, it's preferable to use the classic spelling in an academic environment.

I don't agree (and I know Zach Meston doesn't agree either). Although dictionaries use "VIDEO GAME", and Steve Kent uses "VIDEO-GAME', I've always used "VIDEOGAME" strictly because the other video mediums are one word:
videocassette
videotape
videodisc
videotex

[Sniderman]

I've always used "VIDEOGAME" strictly because the other video mediums are one word:
videocassette
videotape
videodisc
videotexAs a former reporter and current magazine editor, I gotta go with Leonard on this one. "Videogame" - one word. You rarely see the word "video" used as a stand-alone adjective, but as a prefix as illustrated by mr. herman. Therefore, "videogame" is correct.

From the stylebook of Wired magazine:

From computer commands like whois and onscreen nouns like logon, we have evolved this comandment: When in doubt, close it up. Words spelled solid – like videogame or gameplay or homepage – may seem odd at first, but the now-common modem offers a perfect examploe of how quickly words move from the strange to the famikliar: Who even knows that the piece of hardware allowing computers to talk to each other was once called a modulater/demodulator?
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[rolenta]

You rarely see the word "video" used as a stand-alone adjective

What I really is when "video" is used as a noun. MTV started this and now "Video" is popularly used as a synonym for videotape. Disney especially irritates me when they advertise movies 'on video and DVD". Properly, they should be saying that the movie is available on "tape or DVD" or even "VHS or DVD".

Would anyone ever listen to an "audio"? I never see ads saying that an album is available on "audio and CD".

[Kid Fenris]

I've always used "VIDEOGAME" strictly because the other video mediums are one word:
videocassette
videotape
videodisc
videotexAs a former reporter and current magazine editor, I gotta go with Leonard on this one. "Videogame" - one word. You rarely see the word "video" used as a stand-alone adjective, but as a prefix as illustrated by mr. herman. Therefore, "videogame" is correct.

Considering that dictionary.com has no entry for "videogame" and that I've seen the word spelled both ways in a variety of professional publications, I'd say that either form is fair play. Just make sure that you're consistent with the term you choose; don't say "video game" in one paragraph and "videogame" in another.

[slapdash]

I'm on the side of "videogame". Dictionary.com will have it eventually.

[TheSmirk]

GAME OVER - BY DAVIS SCHEFF.

DO NOT MISS THIS BOOK, IT'S EXTREMELY INFORMATIVE. Tells the Nintendo story from the companys inception over 100 years ago making hanafuda cards up until the begining of the 32bit age.

It's an awesome book.

And I have been seeing it at alot of EB stores recently for 5 bucks!

Yes, I got my copy years ago at an EB for somewhere around $2.49, good read, Phoenix has already been mentioned, and Supercade has some good info, but that ones is mainly for flash and images

[crashdummycow01]

are you doing video games made in the US.. or like.. how video games affected the US?.. was just wondering b/c they were talking about the book "Game Over" which is about nintendo..

[tom]

If you can speak German, in Germany there was an excellent book called 'Pac-Man & Co', it's from 1983 and it was my German VCS bible at the time. I loved that book.

In the USA is also 'Videogames, a complete guide' (Tempo books), which is based on USA 'Pong' style consoles.

[bargora]

After consulting with T. Herman Zweibel, I have concluded that "video-game" is preferable.

Now for a soak in my bath-tub.

[rbudrick]

Guys,

This is a definite...it is indeed "videogame." Any other spelling is out of ignorance or bad editing. I used to write for an online game mag once and the editor went ape shit on the writers if you spelled it "video game." "Video" in this case is not so much an adjective describing what type of game so much as a part of the noun "videogame," hence, no space.

Oh, and who the hell uses "video-game?"

-Rob

[Kid Fenris]

Guys,

This is a definite...it is indeed "videogame." Any other spelling is out of ignorance or bad editing. I used to write for an online game mag once and the editor went ape shit on the writers if you spelled it "video game." "Video" in this case is not so much an adjective describing what type of game so much as a part of the noun "videogame," hence, no space.

-Rob

You might want to inform dictionary.com (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=video%20game) of this.

[rolenta]

Oh, and who the hell uses "video-game?"


Steve Kent

[Retro Pro]

The editor who went apeshit over the use of "video game" needs to be put in a straightjacket, restrained, and medicated (I kid, I kid). :evil laugh: There is absolutely nothing wrong with spelling like it like that. Is "videogame" becoming more acceptable? Yes. There's nothing wrong with spelling it like that either. In a nutshell, BOTH are acceptable.

[kevincure]

Most academics who study videogames (or at least the informed ones like Frasca) use "videogame"; they will tell you they use it because it places the emphasis on the novel medium rather than on its component parts (video projection and game environment).

The whole debate is rather similar to "motion pictures" in the early days of film - I think you'll have a tough time finding a decent, non-pretentious writer who would still use that term today.

[video game bible]

In this case, it seems more a matter of time than of spelling. When this was an emerging market, these games were of the video variety...making them "video games." But, as these games became more a part of mainstream society and started to become a nearly daily household word, the spelling of "videogame" becomes a single word. It no longer needs an adjective, because it is what it is. So the word began as video game, and wound up as videogame. Well, "shop" started out as "shoppe", why not?

I'd be interested to see a count of what publications have used which spelling over the years, and how many have changed midstream. :)


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[Spoony Bard]

Does anyone know why they changed the title from The First Quarter to The Ultimate History of Video Games? Is there any benefit to having one or the other (more current info, different info, etc.)?

[rolenta]

Does anyone know why they changed the title from The First Quarter to The Ultimate History of Video Games? Is there any benefit to having one or the other (more current info, different info, etc.)?

The First Quarter was self-published by Steve Kent and he was very proud of the clever title. When Prima bought the rights to the book they pretentously changed the title. I think they have a few other books out under the "Ultimate" tagline.

[SoulBlazer]

Well, it is strange, but the rest of the book makes up for it. :) I can only assume that Prima also brought in WAVES of editors to go over Kent's second version of the book, because (and no offense at all to Herman, whose book is just as good) The Ultimate History has a much more 'polished' and profesional read to it.

[rolenta]

Several people, including former Next Gen editor Chris Charla, have volunteered to proofread Phoenix. Hopefully the 4th edition will read a lot better than the previous editions.

[SoulBlazer]

Great, that's good to hear. Can't wait for the next update. :D

I think both books compliment one another very well because they cover everything a little bit different and both are very interesting to read. Plus Phoenix has a little on computer history, which is a subject just as rich and deep as console history.

Speaking of which, can anyone suggest a good book on computer or computer game history?

[Lady Jaye]

Dungeons and Dreamers is a great read, especially if you're a fan of Richard Garriott and Ultima (Lord British is not the only subject of the book, but his story does cover a good chunk of it).

[rolenta]

Speaking of which, can anyone suggest a good book on computer or computer game history?

The only one I could think of is 'Hi Score! The Illustrated History of Electronic Games' by Rusel DeMaria and Johnny Wilson.

[SoulBlazer]

Oh, somehow I missed this book. Has anyone read it? Is it worth the $13 that Amazon is selling it for?

[Lady Jaye]

What, High Score? Yeah, it is worth it. It's far from perfect, but it's still entertaining. BTW, according to Amazon, a 2nd edition was just released in paperback with some added material covering international games (or so does the cover claim). I don't know whether the additions is worth picking up over the previous edition, though (has anyone read both to compare?) and pay $5 more for it.

BTW, speaking of videogame books: for Canadians looking for a copy of Supercade, I suggest to visit the Chapters/Indigo website (www.chapters.ca). The book is available there for $33 CDN (shipping on Chapters.ca is free with purchases $39 and over, just like Amazon.ca). In comparison, it's sold $44 on amazon.ca. Unfortunately, the reduced price is applicable online only, not in Chapters or Indigo bookstores.