From the Ultimate History of Videogames: Bill Kunkel

[AB Positive]

As I'm reading this book, the name Bill Kunkel got dropped a few times, I'm sure I can reference, but as this site has "The Kunkel Report" I thought it would be neat to note this.

Also, as the book goes I'm a little disappointed in the lack of detail in the buisness from after the Atari era. Some may say that's the only part that really counts, but for the Neo Geo to be merely a footnote in the book... I dunno. It doesn't sit right.

-AG

[zmeston]

As I'm reading this book, the name Bill Kunkel got dropped a few times, I'm sure I can reference, but as this site has "The Kunkel Report" I thought it would be neat to note this.

Also, as the book goes I'm a little disappointed in the lack of detail in the buisness from after the Atari era. Some may say that's the only part that really counts, but for the Neo Geo to be merely a footnote in the book... I dunno. It doesn't sit right.

-AG

Steve's an old-timer (and a great guy, one of the classiest journalists in the biz), so he's obviously most interested in the industry's formative/Atari years. Also, from a practical standpoint, the Neo Geo IS a footnote in gaming history, a strictly hardcore company even at its early-'90s peak. Steve had to stick to the mainstream "narrative" in his excellent tome, and there were many more impactful events upon the game industry than the Neo Geo's run.

-- Z.

[AB Positive]

Oh, by all means there were, but I was sort of suspecting more from the post-atari years. Neo-Geo wise, I was thinking at least the one to two page description that the 3D0 got... I don't know, it seems that it's getting more condenced the further in it goes.

Having said that, the book is also a hell of a read, and the fact that I'm on page 500 or so just one day after purchasing the book is also a testament to the writing class. If anything, I guess I wish it was longer.

-AG

[zmeston]

Oh, by all means there were, but I was sort of suspecting more from the post-atari years. Neo-Geo wise, I was thinking at least the one to two page description that the 3D0 got... I don't know, it seems that it's getting more condenced the further in it goes.

Having said that, the book is also a hell of a read, and the fact that I'm on page 500 or so just one day after purchasing the book is also a testament to the writing class. If anything, I guess I wish it was longer.

-AG

Oh, okay, I see what you're sayin'. Yeah, there's definitely a truncated feel to the latter half of the book. Almost makes me wish Steve had been able to divvy it up into two volumes, but that's very wishful thinking.

-- Z.

[AB Positive]

Yeah, and also remember that if someone decided to make a series, chronicling start to finish the history of every console, I'd buy the set. It would be the encyclopaedia set for Video Gamers.

...I might be one of maybe ten though.

-AG

[Captain Wrong]

I agree with what you're saying AdamG. My problem was I'd just finished reading Zap! before I got Kent's book, so I was already up to speed on a lot of the Atari stuff up to 1984. And having already read Game Over kind of took the punch out of most of the Nintendo stuff.

Still, it's a good read, espically if you aren't going to track down Zap!

[hydr0x]

mh got this book and have to say it's really good, ok, perhaps u have read the atari stuff somewhere else and of course some consoles are not given enough pages BUT it's the most comprehensive history of video games AND he has a great style of writing, it almost reads like a novel

[digitalpress]

I liked the book too. It's much more "inside" and anecdotal than most of the books in this culture, I really liked what it brought to the table. Steve Kent is a terrific writer, too.

Now that Mr. Kunkel is a forum member here, I'll be sure to point him to this thread. I'll bet he's got an opinion to share as well.

[Rogmeister]

I have "The First Quarter"...am I write in assuming this is basically a later edition of that book? Since I have "The First Quarter", is there enough added material in "Ultimate" to warrant its purchase?

I'm also wondering what other videogaming related books are worth picking up but perhaps that query deserves its own thread...