Gaming History

The definitive behind-the-scenes history of video games’ explosion into the twenty-first century and the war for industry power “A zippy read through a truly deep research job. You won’t want to put this one down.”—Eddie Adlum, publisher, RePlay Magazine As video games evolve, only the...

In the 1970s, Atari became the leader in home video gaming with the Atari 2600. But were they the first? And how did it evolve into the revolutionary games and systems of today? Listen to learn the answers to these questions and more.

The definitive behind-the-scenes history of the dawn of video games and their rise into a multibillion-dollar business “For industry insiders and game players alike, this book is a must-have.”—Mark Turmell, designer for Midway Games and creator of NBA Jam, NFL Blitz, and WrestleMania ...

UNLOCK YOUR GAME'S NARRATIVE POTENTIAL! With increasingly sophisticated video games being consumed by an enthusiastic and expanding audience, the pressure is on game developers like never before to deliver exciting stories and engaging characters. With Video Game Storytelling, game writer and...

In June 2007, the FBI informed the NBA that one of its referees, Tim Donaghy, was the subject of a probe into illegal gambling. Within months, the public knew the broad outlines of a scheme involving Donaghy betting on games he officiated with a coconspirator, longtime Donaghy acquaintance and professional gambler Jimmy "Baba" Battista. They were joined in the scandal by a mutual childhood friend, Tommy Martino. By November 2008, each man had pleaded guilty to charges relating to the conspiracy and was in federal prison.

What magical mushroom could have turned an unassuming playing card company into one of the dominant cultural forces of the twenty-first century? "A breezy, colorful trip through the history of Mario, Zelda, Metroid and much more. Keza MacDonald adroitly weaves personal observations with original...

The Man in the High Castle meets Pacific Rim in this action-packed alternate history novel from the award-winning author of United States of Japan. Germany and Japan won WWII and control the U.S., and a young man has one dream: to become a mecha pilot. Makoto Fujimoto grew up in California, but...

The Science of Superheroes takes a lighthearted but clear-headed look at the real science that underlies some of the greatest superhero comic books of all time, including Spider-Man, Batman, Fantastic Four, and many more. Each chapter presents the story of the origin of one or more superheroes...

"This is more than a post-mortem of a hit game; it's the anatomy of a cross-media phenomenon that soared across industries." John Schulte "Essential reading for anyone in the games industry." Nitish Mittersain Billions of downloads. Global recognition. Presence in Hollywood, Netflix, Roblox...

Political journalist Jon Ralston gives us the first full biography of Harry Reid, the five-time senator whose game-changing leadership carved the path to the Affordable Care Act, the Dodd-Frank Act, and other groundbreaking legislation that changed the course of history. Born in Searchlight...

Nothing has stirred the world's imagination like the Star Wars "RM" trilogy of films. Now, go beyond the scope of the trilogy, delving into stories that don't end with the credits, and thrill to the further adventures of the wild and wooly characters from the famous Mos Eisley cantina scene in...

The Man in the High Castle meets Pacific Rim in this action-packed alternate history novel from the award-winning author of United States of Japan and Mecha Samurai Empire. NO ONE SURVIVES AN ALLIANCE WITH THE NAZIS. NOT WITHOUT USE OF FORCE. Seattle, 2019. After a severe injury, ace mecha...

The True Story behind the Terrifying Movie Don't think of his name... In 1990, three college students spent a long Wisconsin winter experimenting with a Ouija board; it turned out to be the deadliest mistake of their lives. The board brought them into contact with a psychic serial killer, known...

Acknowledged sci-fi master Robert Silverberg spins an enthralling tale of Majipoor’s early history—and remote future—as seen through the eyes of a dilettantish poet who discovers an unexpected destiny in “The Book of Changes...

Na sowas! Nintendo zeigt Super Marios Schniedel in einem Manga. Was es mit dem Gamer-Blase-Weltrekord auf sich hat. Als ein wütender Mitarbeiter die Kontrolle über ein Kinder-MMO übernahm. Niemand kann Tetris besiegen. Abnehmen mit den Angry Birds? Der Drogenrausch im Pilzkönigreich. Die Queen spielte Wii. Ein Arcade-Spiel gibt Verlierern Elektroschocks. Wenn ein Spiel Kinder beleidigt. Ein Popo-Foto sorgte für eine Release-Verschiebung.

Gambling captures as nothing else the drama of the "long eighteenth century" between the age of religious wars and the age of revolutions. The society that was confronted with games of chance pursued as commercial ventures also came to grips with unprecedented social mobility, floated by new wealth from new sources created fortunes from trade in sugar, cotton, ivory, silk, tea, or enslaved human beings. The Gambling Century focuses like no previous work on those who enabled, facilitated, and profited from gambling, as well as on efforts to regulate or outlaw it.

Before Indian casinos sprouted up around the country, a few enterprising tribes got their start in gambling by opening bingo parlors. A group of women on the Oneida Indian Reservation just outside Green Bay, Wisconsin, introduced bingo in 1976 simply to pay a few bills. Bingo not only paid the light bill at the struggling civic center but was soon financing vital health and housing services for tribal elderly and poor.

When video gaming started in the 70s, most people saw it as a bit of fun, but as the craze took hold, even in that decade, intellectuals and educationists began calling it "a stupid distraction", thinking that gamers were "dumb". This continued until fairly recently, and millions of disparaging words were written about video games and gamers.

In the sweeping landscape that is Star Wars, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia and all the Star Wars characters we've come to love continue to do battle with the evil Empire. Meanwhile, a parallel event is taking place that could alter the course of history and thwart their mission...

An engaging biography based on the incredible true story of a Jewish refugee who pioneered home video games and launched a worldwide obsession. Do you ever wonder how video gaming was invented? What came before your PlayStation or Xbox? This is the story of Ralph Baer, a refugee from Nazi...