The Rough Guide to Videogames 1 (Rough Guide Reference) [Paperback]

Kate Berens (Author), Geoff Howard (Author), Rough Guides (Author)

Book Description

Series: Rough Guide Reference | Publication Date: September 15, 2008

The Rough Guide to Videogames is the ultimate guide to the world’s most addictive pastime. Both a nostalgic look at the past and a celebration of the latest in joystick-wrecking wonders, this book covers the full story from the first arcade machines to the latest digital delights. Easy access to 75 of the greatest games of all time, from Civilization and Pro Evolution Soccer to We Love Katamari and World of Warcraft. The guide profiles the stories behind the software giants, famous creators and the world’s favourite characters, including Mario, Lara Croft and Sonic the Hedgehog. All the gadgets and devices for consoles, hand-helds, phones and PCs are explored as well as the wider world of gaming, from websites and movies to books.

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Rough Guides; 1 edition (September 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1843539950
• ISBN-13: 978-1843539957
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 6.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #987,190 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quick & Dirty Overview of the Gaming Industry, March 29, 2009

By 

Matthew D. Barton "Matt Barton" (St Cloud, MN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Rough Guide to Videogames 1 (Rough Guide Reference) (Paperback)

I was surprised to find this book on the shelf of my local bookstore and bought it immediately (it was awkwardly placed in the game guide/strategy section). The production quality is solid, with great color and eye-catching layouts throughout. The text is concise and readable, and I appreciate how the "canon" part reveals the games' weaknesses as well as their strengths. If you're the type of reader who wants to play as well as read about great games, this book is a great resource.

My favorite part of the book is the "Backstory," some 54 pages of introductory text that take you from Spacewar! to the Wii, with a few surprises like the Gizmondo thrown in for spice. Granted, the authors don't go into lavish detail on each development, but there's more than enough to get you started if you want to do more in-depth research on your own. "The Players" and talks about key developers and companies and "The Peripherals" is a miscellaneous section that covers input devices as well as books on gaming and other game-related things.

Probably the most controversial aspect of the book is the "canon," or the games the authors consider the most important. Although the authors throw in the occasional vintage game, the list is definitely skewed towards modern games, including many released in the past 3 or 4 years. This aspect of the book will appeal to modern gamers who are more interested in Xbox 360 and PS3 games more than stuff that happened on the Commodore 64, NES, or Apple II. Almost all the computer games mentioned are for the PC, and it's rare to find a pre-Xbox or PS2 title in the collection. I'm not saying this is a bad thing; most modern gamers may likely prefer this focus on recent history.

As anyone knows who has ever tried to compile a greatest hits list of games, no two gamers are likely to agree. While some of their choices are no-brainers (Baldur's Gate II, Fallout, Super Mario 64, The Sims, World of Warcraft), other choices are riskier--will we still be talking about Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, Project Gotham Racing 3, or TimeSplitters 2 in 2015? I'm really not sure. Games like BioShock and Deus Ex certainly have potential to become influential and historically important, but the inclusion of so many recent games and sequels may paradoxically give the book a sadly dated look ten or even five years from now. The authors seem to address this issue with a multitude of side boxes and the like, where they toss in the occasional aside or list of predecessors.

In any case, I can't fault this book for doing what it doesn't set out to do. As advertised, this is a "rough guide" that will give you a rough picture of the games industry and its glorious past.

All in all, I recommend this book to fans of gaming and anyone needing a "quick and dirty" overview of the entire games industry. The writing is good and the production values are sky high. It's also nice and compact, making it a great choice for travel, and the many sections make it convenient for reading in quick bursts. I congratulate Kate Berens and Geroff Howard for a job well done!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Awesome, September 16, 2008

By 

Stan Stanley "Stan S." - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rough Guide to Videogames 1 (Rough Guide Reference) (Paperback)

I hate to sound like some over exuberant fanboy who might fall in love with just the idea of this book, but I'll risk it. This Book Is Awesome. When I picked this up I expected nothing, but then I started flipping through, and there's literally something on every page that you can just start reading without having to start all the way at the beginning of the book, which I love. There are 100 word (about 100 at least) reviews galore on top of the 75 or so canon "best", and lots of bright and shiny pics of the best new games, plus a ton from games I grew up playing (like the first lemmings!) There's a chapter on the back story of modern games which I thought would be boring, but which turned out to be surprisingly engaging! Exclamation!

There's just a huge amount of material in this book, and it's all so easy to access. If you're looking to expand your knowledge of videogames, and add some of the best to your collection, this is your book. I just can't recommend it enough

5.0 out of 5 stars Great gaming history., October 4, 2011

By 

Nick - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Rough Guide to Videogames 1 (Rough Guide Reference) (Paperback)

Gave me what I want on gaming history and certain game titles. Not all the way in depth though, but still very awesome.