The First Quarter : A 25-year History of Video Games (Paperback)

by Steven L. Kent (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"...the best video game history book I've ever come across...a definitive overview of how it all started." -- John Romero, Founder of Ion Storm

Product Description
The First Quarter: A 25-year History of Video Games is an insider's look at the entertainment novelty that drove the evolution of high-technology. The book was compiled from more than 500 first-hand interviews with such people as Nolan Bushnell (founder of Atari), Shigeru Miyamoto (creator of Donkey Kong), Toru Iwatani (designer of Pac-Man), etc.

Above all, this book provides an intimate look into the lives of a group of brilliant and quirky people, and the sometimes serious and sometimes wacky way they ran their business.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 466 pages
• Publisher: B W D Pr (September 25, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970475500
• ISBN-13: 978-0970475503
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #943,670 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A word from the author, October 28, 2001

By	Steven L. Kent "gamereader" (The GREAT Northwest) - See all my reviews

I want to thank the people who were so kind in their reviews.

The First Quarter has been re-released as The Ultimate History of Video Games by Prima Publishing. This new version of the book includes an additional chapter, a time line, the oft-requested index, additional art, and above all--PROFESSIONAL EDITING.

As stated in many reviews, The First Quarter suffered from my lack of editing skills. I self-published that book. While my writing skills may be questionable, my editing abilities are indisputably bad.

Finally, I want to thank the people who bought my book and read it. I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing my enthusiasm for video games.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great attention to detail, behind-the-scenes secrets !!, November 3, 2000

By	Ed Boon (Chicago, Illinois (USA)) - See all my reviews

Incredible insight into the creation of some of the biggest video games. What's fascinating about this book are the revealing details behind the creation of these games. Having been in this business for 14 years, I was amazed with the amount of information that was acquired and only wish the book could have been even longer. Highly recommended!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very nicely done history of video games., January 9, 2001

By	Ivan Shepperd (Richardson, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a well researched book on the history of video games, starting from its roots. It is full, and I mean FULL, of anecdotes from the people who were there. The author does a good job of clarifying and expanding upon those stories.

I have a few quibbles: In the early '80s the author goes into great detail about Atari and even Coleco but doesn't cover Mattel's contribution enough. And later the Nintendo Game Boy is covered appropriately but the Sega Game Gear is hardly mentioned. There are also some minor formatting errors but my biggest gripe and the reason for 4 rather than 5 stars is the lack of an index. I don't think I've ever seen a nonfiction title like this one without an index. Want to find out who programmed Pac-Man? It's in the book but you won't find it easily. Still, I really enjoyed reading it.