High Score

Remember Pong, Raid on Bungeling Bay, or Earthworm Jim? E-games are now both historic and significant, representations of the birth of a culture. They embody a value system, mind-boggling inspiration, common language and experience. And they are finally getting their due. It is unbelievable how far video games have come in the past 30 years, from pinball systems to the console wars raging between Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft, or how important they are culturally. In these games are the stories of the transition from one age to another. Electronic games have spread the psychology of interactivity, re-defined narrative, and are a huge and growing swath of pop culture. They are a gazillion-dollar business, already surpassing films in revenues. They have altered the consciousness and cognitive traits of at least one generation, perhaps two. High Score: the illustrated history of electronic games, by Rusel Demaria and Johnny L. Wilson, is a beautifully organized history of this astounding and little-chronicled phenomenon, from primitive pinballs to the powerful new 3-D entertainment consoles. High Score: the illustrated history of electronic games author Rusel Demaria and Johnny L. Wilson pages 326 publisher McGraw Hill/Osborne rating 8/10 reviewer Jon Katz ISBN 0072224282 summary history of e-games

The authors take us through the making of Space-Invaders and Pac-Man up to Myst and Tomb Raider.

Apart from a chronicle of the early games, High Score focuses not only on the technological wizardry of e-games, but on the business and cultural context in which they appeared: when Sega introduced the Dreamcast, perhaps their best machine at the time, it was almost too late -- they were already up against PlayStation and N64. Even the Tamogochi-like memory card which incubated eggs for pet creatures in Sonic Adventure couldn't quite save them.

The book is succinctly organized. It's actually beautifully presented in a publishing context -- short, well-reported, informative and illustrated chunks. Section One is "Before the Beginning," a tour of the "pre-history" of video games, including an homage to some of the earliest pinball machines and the various breakthroughs like integrated circuits that ultimately made e- games possible.

Section Two focuses on the 70s, and the true birth of the gaming industry, sparked by Ralph Baier and Nolan Bushnell and Pong, one of the first games to become a household word. In the 80s, hit after hit spread through the country's video game arcades (many now closed due to the power of personal computing), and private homes were invaded by Atari, Intellevision and ColecoVision's gaming systems. As the authors point out, the PC and the floppy made it possible for anybody to become a game developer.

In the 90s, write DeMaria and Wilson, the CD-ROM, 3D graphics and broadband revolutionized gaming. "New rivalries" -- and enormous investments from giant companies like Sony and Microsoft -- "create rapidly escalating technologies, immersive realism, and and wide range of crossovers and tie-ins. Developmental budgets skyrocket, interactive games become very big business, and the companies themselves begin to merge and consolidate."

Many gamers are now old enough to appreciate that they have a history. But many people still don't grasp how significant gaming has become. Where else will you read about Dave Perry's launch of Shiny Entertainment in l993, after years of creating games overseas? Perry, who slept in the parking lot at Virgin, won Game of the Year on the Genesis with Global Gladiators.

The authors describe the rise of Tomb Raider and its journey to Hollywood, but that story is well-known. It's the game-by-game, breakthrough-by-breakthrough historical context that makes the book so compelling, and so important. Gaming isn't just about entertainment. It's a common language, value system and way of thinking for millions of younger Americans, something the older and more mainstream culture has yet to appreciate. It's way past time society recognized the astonishing creativity and technology that went into the making of e-games, both in terms of game creators and the games themselves. As you read through High Scores, you get the sense of a history that transcends entertainment. What you see is the birth of a culture. This book does, and in the most readable way imaginable. It's tough to imagine anybody under 40 who reads this site - gamer or not -- who wouldn't love it.

You can purchase High Scores from bn.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.

Comments

Please

[British]

Please don't call it "e-games". Call them video games or electronic games. "E-games" makes it sound like marketing buzzword speak. You are not Spike Lee. Stop makin' up new words!

What about Rogue?

[prestomation]

and Nethack, and Angband, and Adom, and all the other clones of Rogue? Those are some of the best games ever! It's nearly impossible to beat, and it randomly generated levels so you never got bored. Do they mention rogue at all in the book?

where is gaming going next?

[peteshaw]

What I wonder is how modern gaming will manage to integrate a social aspect. Back in the 80's the arcades were someplace you would go, and spend your money, and hang out. I loved the old games too. I remember being in awe of these two 30 something guys who mastered missile command and sould play it until they flipped the score over a million.

Now, I play those same games on MAME or on arcade games in my basement (I have 4 games and a pin) and I feel like a loser. I have kids and a family, and don't get out a lot, but I miss being able to see high scores of people you knew.

Now, everybody plays games on consoles in their living room. If you get a high score, its like, so what. Sure, there is online gaming, but that scales out too big, then you don't know anyone.

What gaming needs is the equivalent of a bowling alley. Someplace to go be online, play games, hang out, drink beer, meet girls. Wired this month had a great article on how urban Korean has spawned a series of gaming parlor's where people would go an dplay warcraft or whatever in a social environment.

Until we can integrate gaming into the natural behaviour patterns of man, something will be missing. Until then, I am very sorry, but were just a bunch of losers playing video games in our living rooms.

E-nough is *enough*!

[BlackHawk]

I usually take a pretty dim view of people who assault one of Katz' articles on the basis of it being a Katz article. But the longer I'm a reader of Slashdot in general, and of Katz' writings, the less charitable I become. Until I finally reach the boil-over point, which occured today.

First, I'll reiterate the call against the use of the term e-game. E-nough, thank you.

Second, I want to address this tendency that Katz has to assume that those of us who've been out of high school more than 5 years are clueless cretins totally out of touch with the current progress of (so-called) culture in this country. Here's a clue for you, Katz: I'm 38, I remember all too well what high school was like, and I've managed to survive quite nicely, thanks. I was not a member of the oppressed fringe that you clearly identify so well with, and I do not think that that oppressed fringe is going to have any greater impact on our society than any previous oppressed fringe did. Which is to say that yes, some of the fringe elements have had enormous impact, some have eaten a bullet before they turned 21, and the vast majority will join the great consumer-base that is the foundation of American society and culture. I know, it ain't pretty, but there it is. Now get off your high-horse and recognize that your 'audience' here on Slashdot includes more than lamers who couldn't get past the fact that they were hazed in high school (like I was, but I grew up).

Is this a book review or an editorial?

[GuyMannDude]

Christ Katz, can't you ever have a SMALL point? Can't you ever just say "This is a pretty good book about video games, I recommend it."?

No, with you it has to be "Video games have had more effect on the evolution of mankind than oxygen. This book is so good, that if you hold it and make a wish, it will come true. Columbine."

Yeah, that was pretty much my feeling upon reading the review (although I was stunned that there wasn't a 9/11 reference anywhere).

Honestly, videogames have not made that much of an impact on world (or even American) culture. They sure as hell do not "embody a value system, mind-boggling inspiration, common language and experience". The majority of people over the age of 30 do not currently play videogames and only vaguely remember the games they played as kids. Look, I'm not making any value statements here (i.e., videogames are only for kids). I'm just stating the way it is. To be some sort of cultural phenomenon, there has to be a broad cross-section of the population (across several demographic lines) that is heavily influenced by it. Star Wars is a cultural phenomenon. Tomb Raider is not.

And I'd like to point out that it's really not necessary to try to put this book in some sort of global scope. Just tell us whether it's a good book or not. A book reviewer doesn't need to try to convince us of how the human race has been shaped and defined by videogames. The first couple of paragraphs of the "review" don't even discuss the book.

GMD

Re:Give me a break

[evilpenguin]

The sad thing is that I didn't mean my post as a joke. The notion that video games are "cultured" is depressing and sad. Culture is not the impractical production of a civilization, it is that part of the production of a civilization that tries to tell the unobvious truth. It tries to expose and illuminate the real state of the society, it tries to point the way through hipocrisy, injustice, indifference, and prejudice to honesty, authenticity, justice, and compassion. It does this through any number of means including pathos, satire, tragedy, etc.

Video games rarely come anywhere near these things (I can't say they never do -- I haven't played all video games). They divert, they amuse. They un-bore. They move us several hours closer to death with only stimulation in return. Your life (and mine) are slipping away by inches. I would hate to think that I will die with my contribution to civilization being a high score in Halo.

None of this is meant to attack the games themsevles or the people who play them, but rather to point out Katz's hyperbole in grandly elevating video games to a cultural watershed.