|
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent historical overview of home video game industry., February 12, 2000
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 Some may say that Phoenix is a dry regurgitation of press releases, but it's the most concise and most objective historical reference work concerning video games that I've read.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.
|
by Steven L. Kent
by David Sheff
