Phoenix: The Fall & Rise of Video Games [Paperback]

HERMAN (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

...a definitive temporal overview of joystick jiggling, covering the ups and downs of the phenomenon ... Herman treats popular favorites and dismal flops with even-handed reverence, rarely injecting opinion that could color the facts in any way. -- Wired, Ian Christe

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: ROLENTA PRESS; 2 edition (1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0964384825
• ISBN-13: 978-0964384828
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,424,743 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent historical overview of home video game industry., February 12, 2000

By 

Robert Morgan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Phoenix: The Fall & Rise of Video Games (Paperback)

I ordered this book to serve as "back up evidence" in a museum presentation I did several months ago concerning the history of video games, and it served its purpose well... and it's also earned a place in my personal book collection.

For years I've wanted to write a definitive history of video games, but now I don't feel like I need to- it's been done for me. Some may say that Phoenix is a dry regurgitation of press releases, but it's the most concise and most objective historical reference work concerning video games that I've read.

The book is short and blunt- there aren't sugary-sweet phrases or "sound bites" within- the book is chock full of facts and data for people who are truly interested in the evolution of the American video game industry.

As is usual with books of this type, there are several minor factual errors- I doubt that a 100% accurate book could ever be compiled. Leonard Herman has done an excellent job compiling information, and has done an admirable job staying away from opinion and conjecture. Despite small errors here and there, Phoenix stands as one of the best histories of electronic games, and a model for concise writing.

Now for the personal desires; I feel that Phoenix should have focused more upon computer games within the book- especially the 8-bit computers (Apple II, Commodore 64, and Atari 8-bit) which supplanted video game systems for several years- they are covered minimally in appendices. I would also have enjoyed a world-wide perspective, rather than an American-specific view. I also wish Phoenix had gone into detail concerning individual game systems and companies- there is little explanation concerning the disappearance of quite a few of them. Perhaps the stories concerning the failure of individual companies would overwhelm the book and obscure its purpose of showing the industry's growth and change, but it's a subject so far left uncovered.

Regardless of what I wish had been covered, what Phoenix does cover, it covers well. It's probably the most important book for classic video game enthusiasts to own and read.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A little rough, but great for a history book, July 6, 2000

By 

Daniel Zuccarelli (Mount Laurel, New Jersey USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Phoenix: The Fall & Rise of Video Games (Paperback)

Let me set the record straight. This is not an engaging story about the rise and fall of videogames. This is more a historical account of the rise and fall of videogames. Which is a good thing. Chock full of good, reliable information, and broken down by year. This is a fast and enjoyable read, with a great balance of wit and facts. If you can get your hands on a copy, I highly suggest picking one up.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thorough chronicle of our favorite industry., August 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Phoenix: The Fall & Rise of Video Games (Paperback)

Phoenix has a very specific targed audience: Those interested in the business side of the home console industry. For us, Phoenix is a riviting book on the history of videogames, from Space War to Sony. I have not been able to put this book down for two days straight. The rest of the world will find Phoenix to be merely a well written and thorough history text book about a very specific part of americana. If you count yourself in the former group, then Phoenix is required reading. If you are a member of the latter, Phoenix is a good refresher course of your lifetime of gaming.