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Once upon Atari
- How I Made History by Killing an Industry
- Narrated by: Howard Scott Warshaw
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
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Once upon Atari
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Publisher's Summary
Video games set the world on fire, and Atari lit the match. This is an intimate view into the dramatic rise and fall of the early video game industry, as seen through the eyes of one of its most iconic pioneers. This book offers eye-opening details and insights, laying bare the issues and dynamics still taking place in modern software companies. A must-hear for anyone in high-tech production, delivered in a compelling narrative, with a fresh voice and unorthodox style.
How much fun can you have inventing video games in a creative paradise? What behind-the-scenes corporate intrigue went on while making billions of dollars and launching a new medium? What really caused the video game crash of 1983? Once upon Atari is the inside story of how it all happened and how it upended the life of one of its key players. An innovative work from one of the industry’s original innovators, delivered in a creative style that mirrors the industry it reveals. It is a compelling tale of innocence, joy, greed, devastation, and ultimately redemption.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gerry Corcoran
- 2023-09-23
An underappreciated legend
When many think of historically important figures in video game history, Howard Scott Warshaw is often overlooked. If he is thought of, it's often as the face of the video game crash as the designer of the horrific E.T. game for the Atari 2600. Of course, if you take more than a cursory look into things, it's obvious that he did not cause the crash, nor was E.T. even close to the industry's biggest act of hubris leading up to it. However, Warshaw is happy to own this reputation and use it as a reason to educate others about what it was like making games in the wild west early days of the industry. He tells a ton of those great stories in this book and does it with a great self-narration that is pleasant and engaging.
He's not unlike Jordon Mechner of Karateka and Prince of Persia fame, Warshaw wasn't actually in the industry super long and didn't make a ton of games in terms of numbers, but the ones he did made are massively influential to the medium that came after and his mark on gaming history cannot be denied. Even though he got out of the industry a long time ago, he still remembers his time in it fondly and you can tell that when he retells them.
If you're into gaming history, I strongly recommend both the book and his self-produced documentary of the same name. Both of them are fascinating and well worth your time.
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