Supercade: A Visual History of the Videogame Age 1971-1984 
asked by axelrose on November 11, 2006 10:05 AM
It was a time when technology was king, status was determined by your high score, and videogames were blitzing the world...
From Pong to Pac-Man, Asteroids to Zaxxon--more than fifty million people around the world have come of age within the electronic flux of videogames, their subconscious forever etched with images projected from arcade and home videogame systems.
From the first interactive blips of electronic light at Brookhaven National Labs and the creation of Spacewar! at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; to the invention of the TV Game Project and the myriad systems of Magnavox, Atari, Coleco, and Mattel that followed; through the rise of the Golden Age of videogames and forward into the imagination of millions, Supercade is the first book to illustrate and document the history, legacy, and visual language of the videogame phenomenon.
Exuberantly written and illustrated in full color, Supercade pays tribute to the technology, games, and visionaries of one of the most influential periods in the history of computer science--one that profoundly shaped the modern technological landscape and helped change the way people view entertainment.
Supercade includes contributions from such commentators and particpants as Ralph Baer, Julian Dibbell, Keith Feinstein, Joe Fielder, Lauren Fielder, Justin Hall, Leonard Herman, Steven Johnson, Steven Kent, Nick Montfort, Bob Parks, Carl Steadman, and Tom Vanderbilt.
From Pong to Pac-Man, Asteroids to Zaxxon--more than fifty million people around the world have come of age within the electronic flux of videogames, their subconscious forever etched with images projected from arcade and home videogame systems.
From the first interactive blips of electronic light at Brookhaven National Labs and the creation of Spacewar! at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; to the invention of the TV Game Project and the myriad systems of Magnavox, Atari, Coleco, and Mattel that followed; through the rise of the Golden Age of videogames and forward into the imagination of millions, Supercade is the first book to illustrate and document the history, legacy, and visual language of the videogame phenomenon.
Exuberantly written and illustrated in full color, Supercade pays tribute to the technology, games, and visionaries of one of the most influential periods in the history of computer science--one that profoundly shaped the modern technological landscape and helped change the way people view entertainment.
Supercade includes contributions from such commentators and particpants as Ralph Baer, Julian Dibbell, Keith Feinstein, Joe Fielder, Lauren Fielder, Justin Hall, Leonard Herman, Steven Johnson, Steven Kent, Nick Montfort, Bob Parks, Carl Steadman, and Tom Vanderbilt.
Reviews
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A really fun book ... and one that conjures memories of the old days of video gaming. I had forgotten some of the games and graphics of those early years, and it was fun and interesting to read and see them again. This book is as much about the photos and graphic layout as the text, but make sure to read it ... the text is insightful, well-researched, and thorough. I can relate to Van Burnham's personal recollections and her weaving of those experiences into the history of videogaming makes this book memorable and remarkable. Gotta go ... I've got to figure out how to get my Colecovision hooked up to a plasma for a round of Mr. Do!
reviewed by janmueller on November 15, 2006 10:23 PM
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Great for a trip down memory lane, but certainly not a "scholarly" approach to the videogame era. Still searching for a book that takes the most academic approach to this medium, but this one is certainly appealing if a bit irreverent in terms of its overall presentation.
reviewed by guitarplayer on November 18, 2006 9:58 PM
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Whatever they say about poor snapshot graphics, this is definitively a great book.
The shape, the colours, the weight itself..and obviously all what is written inside, is pure golden age videogames history.
The most famous (and not so famous) arcades are reviewed, with lot of infos about.
Absolutely recommended for arcade fans, I loved so much reading this book. The nice thing about it is that you will read it again and again and again.
A whole era completely in your hand. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. A must have. A piece of modern history.
The shape, the colours, the weight itself..and obviously all what is written inside, is pure golden age videogames history.
The most famous (and not so famous) arcades are reviewed, with lot of infos about.
Absolutely recommended for arcade fans, I loved so much reading this book. The nice thing about it is that you will read it again and again and again.
A whole era completely in your hand. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. A must have. A piece of modern history.
reviewed by freedrink on November 22, 2006 10:45 AM
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The video industry took the world by storm on the 70s and 80s.
In many ways- it still does. Children of all ages are fascinated with the legendary Pac-Man, Ape Escape, bubble boble, Snowbounding, Wings of Fury and a host of other action games.
This book chronicles the development of the video culture into
a virtual frenzy. It is perfect for video enthusiasts everywhere.
In many ways- it still does. Children of all ages are fascinated with the legendary Pac-Man, Ape Escape, bubble boble, Snowbounding, Wings of Fury and a host of other action games.
This book chronicles the development of the video culture into
a virtual frenzy. It is perfect for video enthusiasts everywhere.
reviewed by speaker on November 29, 2006 10:56 AM