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High Score

Posted by JonKatz on from the games dept.

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.

244 comments

  1. ASDF IS PLEASED by This_Is_ASDF · · Score: -1

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  2. Help me reach a high Slashdot score! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Moderators, mod this up! +1 underrated, or +1 Interesting, or maybe even +1 Funny! With your help, I can be the first person to reach 5! Be part of the story!

    1. Re:Help me reach a high Slashdot score! by k0osh.CEOofCLIT · · Score: -1

      does anyone besides me think that jon katz is a flaming homosexual?

  3. First High Post: #@ +420 Lewis #@ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Be Patriotic, Smoke Amerikan grown marijuana, not treasonous imports !!!!

    Courtesy of About 420

    Connotative Use/Meaning

    420 is a phreak s (and not just a hippie s) favorite number for a
    variety of reasons, or maybe for no reason at all, but colloquially
    the number says pot -- let s smoke pot, or someone s smoking
    pot, or gee, i really like pot, or time to smoke pot, either by
    time (4:20 a.m. or p.m.), date (April 20th), or otherwise (e.g. State
    Route 420). April 20th at 4:20 is marked by annual events in
    Mount Tamalpais, CA (an informal gathering); Marin Conty, CA
    (the 420 Hemp Fest); Ann Arbor, MI (the Hash Bash); and
    Washington, D.C. (buildup towards the July 4th Smoke-In).

    Original Source(s)

    Conventional wisdom: The most common tale is that 420 is the
    police radio code or criminal code (and therefore the police call)
    in certain part(s) of California (e.g. in Los Angeles or San
    Francisco) for having spotted someone consuming cannabis
    publicly, i.e. pot smoking in progress; that local cannabis users
    picked up on the code and began celebrating the number temporally
    (esp. 4:20 a.m., 4:20 p.m., and April 20); that the number became
    nationally popularized in the late 1980s and, more ferverently, in
    the early- to mid-1990s; and is colloquially applied to a variety of
    relaxed and/or inspired contexts, including not only pot
    consumption but also a good time more generally (in contrast to
    the drug war surrounding).

    Conventions are legends: 420 is not police radio code for
    anything, anywhere. Checks of criminal codes (including those of
    the City of San Francisco, the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles
    County, the State of California, and the federal penal code) suggest
    that the origin is neither Californian nor federal (the two best
    guesses). For instance, California Penal Code 420 defines as a
    misdemeanor the hindrance of use (obstructing entry) of public
    lands, and California Family Code 420 defines what constitutes a
    wedding ceremony (Marco). One state does come close: The
    Illinois Department of Revenue classifies the Alcoholic Liquor Act
    under Part 420, and the Cannabis and Controlled Substances Tax
    Act are next, under Part 428. (RB 5/19/99)

    True story?: According to Steven Hager, editor of High Times,
    the term 420 originated at San Rafael High School, in 1971,
    among a group of about a dozen pot-smoking wiseacres who
    called themselves the Waldos. The term 420 was shorthand for the
    time of day the group would meet, at the campus statue of Louis
    Pasteur, to smoke pot. ``Waldo Steve, a member of the group who
    now owns a business in San Francisco, says the Waldos would
    salute each other in the school hallway and say ``420 Louis! The
    term was one of many invented by the group, but it was the one
    that caught on. ``It was just a joke, but it came to mean all kinds of
    things, like `Do you have any? or `Do I look stoned? he said.
    ``Parents and teachers wouldn t know what we were talking about.
    The term took root, and flourished, and spread beyond San Rafael
    with the assistance of the Grateful Dead and their dedicated cohort
    of pot-smoking fans. The Waldos decided to assert their claim to
    the history of the term after decades of watching it spread, mutate
    and be appropriated by commercial interests. The Waldos contacted
    Hager, and presented him with evidence of 420 s history, primarily
    a collection of postmarked letters from the early 70s with lots of
    mention of 420. They also started a Web site, waldo420.com. ``We
    have proof, we were the first, Waldo Steve said. ``I mean, it s not
    like we wrote a book or invented anything. We just came up with a
    phrase. But it s kind of an honor that this emanated from San
    Rafael. Maria Alicia Gaura for the San Francisco Chronicle,
    4/20/00 p. A19; and thanks to Noah Cole for the submission

    Alternate explanations

    There are a variety of other explanations, all much more interesting
    than police code, and many plausible. Some are more likely uses
    of the 420/hemp connection rather than sources of it, such as the
    score for the football game in Fast Times at Ridgement High,
    42-0.

    Known Myths: It isn t police code (see above). There are 315
    chemicals in marijuana, not 420. And although tea time in
    Amsterdam is rumored to be 4:20, it is actually 5:30 (Gerhard
    den Hollander).
    Sixties Songs: For instance, Bob Dylan s famous Rainy Day
    Women #12 and 35 is a possible reference, or source --
    12x35=420. And Stephen Stills wrote (and Crosby Stills Nash
    & Young performed) a song 4+20 (first recorded 7/16/69,
    released on Deja Vu 3/11/70) about an 84-year-old
    poverty-stricken man who started and finished with nothing.
    (Thanks to Sherry Keel 12/6/98.) Dylan aslo mentions 4 and
    20 windows in The Balland of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest
    (on John Wesley Harding).
    Older Verse: But 420 in poetry is older than that - Greg
    Keller notes the old nursery rhyme line, four and twenty
    black birds baked in a pie. Revelation 5:14 (in the King
    James Version of the Christian Bible) reads, And the four
    beasts said A-Men. And the four and twenty elders fell down
    and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever. (Travis
    Spurley 2/15/99) And in Midnight s_Children, Salman
    Rushdie wrote, Inevitably, a number of these children failed
    to survive. Malnutrition, disease and the misfortunes of
    everyday life had accounted for no less than four hundred and
    twenty of them by the time I became conscious of their
    existence; although it is possible to hypothesize that these
    deaths, too, had their purpose, since 420 has been, since time
    immemorial, the number associated with fraud, deception and
    trickery. (Comet 2/14/98) Comet s best guess is that this
    refers to something in Indian mythology or numerology, since
    the book is set in India and frequently involves Indian history,
    culture, and religion. Given the high interest in Eastern
    religion among the phish/dead community, this seems a likely
    origin of 420 s current significance.
    Temporal Significance: Hands on analog clock at 4:20 look
    like position of doobie dangling from mouth Larry in
    Tuscan and Alex Mack 5/19/99). Disruptive students are out
    of detention and safetly away from school by 4:20, also
    rumored to be the time that you should dose to be peaking
    when the Dead went on stage Hart. The Waldos were a
    group of teens back in the 70 s that lived in San Rafael, CA.
    420 was the way they talked about pot in front of teachers,
    non-smoking family members etc. Also it was the time of day
    they could just go relax, and get baked. (PhunkCellar)
    Jamaicans purportedly worked till 4 then walked home then
    lit up. They would talk 420 like our parents talked about after
    5. That s when partying began Larry in Tuscan). Albert (not
    Abbie) Hofmann supposedly first encountered LSD at 4:20
    p.m. on 4/19/1943 (Bart Coleman citing Storming Heaven by
    Jay Stevens, recommended by Mickey Hart in Planet Drum).
    Surrealist painter Miro was born April 20, 1893. And
    www.filmspeed.com says the propoganda film Reefer
    Madness has a copyright date of April 20, 1936 (i.e. 4/20).
    (Patrick Woolford)
    Misc: Could be that it comes from hydroponics, the practice
    of cultivating plants in water often used by indoor marijuana
    cultivators, since 4 is used for H on a calculator (420/H20).
    (Nick Lowe 3/30/00) The number 80 (eight) is quatre vingt
    (pronounced cah-truh vahn), meaning four (times} twenty.
    Dan Nijjar 1/27/00 (No connection yet between the number
    80 and pot. A quarter pound is roughly 120 grams, rounding
    quarter-ounces to 7.5.) The titanic was supposed to arrive
    4/20/1912. (Thanks to RB.) Perhaps the heavy use of vt420
    terminals in the Berkeley area is to blame? (BTW, 420 in
    binary code is 110100100.)

    Ubiquitous?

    Now there s a 420 Pale Ale. One of the late-97/early-98 Got
    Milk ads featured a character eating cookies without milk and
    then passing a sign that reads Next Rest Area 420 miles (as Ross
    Bruning). Reportedly, all of the clocks in the movie Pulp Fiction
    are stuck on 4:20. Shirts with the number 420 on the red-and-blue
    interstate highway shield (Interstate 420?) have show up on the
    sitcom Will and Grace (Paul Risenhoover 5/14/99) and in several
    videos. UPS labelling software has a 420 postal code legend for
    next-day/2-day deliveries (which is how Phish tickets are sent).
    (Jack Lebowitz 10/3/98) MTV s 1997 Viewer s Choice Award (for
    the MTV Video Awards) was decided by calls to
    1-800-420-4MTV. And by May of 1998, the number was
    appearing in so many ads (eg Copenhagen 5/14/98 Rolling Stone
    p54, Corvette p55 5/98 Car & Driver) that its presence is
    presumed to be intentional. Many songs are around 4 minutes 20
    seconds long (since many songs fall between 2:30 and 5:30),
    including for example Pink Floyd s A Great Day for Freedom (on
    The Division Bell, 1994), the Foo Fighters My Hero, and
    Smokin from Boston s first album. There have also been some
    420 references on The Simpsons. In the re-run episode aired on
    April 20th, 1999 at a special time (probably in honor of those
    college students staying in the holiday spirit ;-), Homer mentions to
    Flanders that Barney s birthday is April 20th. Also, the jackpot sign
    in one part of the casino says $420,000. There are a couple less
    concrete ones, but these two have to be legit, especially since they
    decided to air THAT particular episode on 4/20/99. (Submitted by
    Matt Meehan 4/21/99) And (as of Fall 99) the 60 free minutes that
    Working Assets Long Distance offers, at the 7 cents per minute
    rate, is $4.20 free. There s even a band named 420, and another
    names . In the first fifteen pages of Karel Capek s novel War with
    the Newts, a man diving under wonder stayed down for four
    minutes and twenty seconds. Grant Garstka 1/6/00 At the
    suggested retail price ($3.96) and Michigan (6%) sales tax, a deck
    of Uno cards costs $4.20. Nic Boris 4:20 marks the first downbeat
    of the drums in Led Zeppelin s epic Stairway to Heaven. (Dan
    Harris) The bill authorizing force after the World Trade Center
    attacks of 9/11/01 passed 420 to 1, and news reports in following
    months noted many times that there are (or were then, anyway) 420
    airports in the U.S. Allan Morris And don t forget that Adolf Hitler
    was born on April 20, macabely celebrated (or at least
    referenced) via the Columbine High School shootings.

    Phish-related Occurances

    Whatever the origin, the number appears frequently... For the
    summer 1997 tour, TicketMaster service charges were $4.20. In
    the Fall 1997 Doniac Schvice Dry Goods section, a limited edition
    Pollack poster printed on 100% hemp is order number 420P. The
    Great Went was 420 miles from Boston (former home of Phish).
    The official logo includes 4 gills and 20 bubbles (Gringo
    11/12/98). As of 6/15/97, including covers and originals, Phish
    had performed a total of 420 songs (thought its 486 by 4/24/98).
    (David Steinberg). Lawnboy is 420megs of memory. Patrick
    Walker Phish s The Vibration of Life underlies a whirling loop
    with Seven Beats per second (which makes 420 beats per minute.)
    Trey has used the altered line woke up at 4:20 in Makisupa
    Policeman, which also often indirectly celebrates 420ing, e.g. by
    mention of goo balls. One of the funniest shirts around takes light
    jabs at both the 4:20 phenomenon and the rumored evolution
    (collapse?) of the Phish.Net (especially rec.music.phish) from
    being Gamehendge to Flamehendge, and beyond. The first day of
    the Great Went started at 4:20 (with Makisupa Policeman. (The
    second day started late, at 4:37.) Noah Cole The first single from
    Slip Stitch and Pass was played on WBCN 10/14/97 at 4:20 pm.
    An uproar at 12/31/96 can be heard on tape during the 2001, in
    response to an enormous digital clock (which was counting down
    to midnight) reaching 11:55:40 and reading -4:20. (Yoda)
    During the 9-12-00 2001, Trey hits the first riff right at 4:20 into
    the intro jam. (Cal 2/25/01) Some mail order tickets for the 1997
    New Year s run were in section 420. The first Mass Pike toll
    leaving Oswego was $4.20. (Camille Heath ) And the standard
    shipping for The Phish Companion through Amazon was
    originally $4.20.

    420 Shows: Phish performed on April 20 in 1989, 1990, 1991,
    1993, and 1994. The first day of the Great Went started at 4:20,
    although that was called a soundcheck by Trey after three songs.
    The Jazzfest Harry Hood 4-26-96 started at about 4:20 reported by
    Trevor. At Big Cypress, David Bowie was playing at 4:20 a.m.
    And the one event during the hiatus (10/8/00 - ?) featuring all
    four members - for Jason Colton s wedding - was 12/1/01, 420
    from: http://www.phish.net/faq/n420.html:

  4. They are a gazillion-dollar business by RobPiano · · Score: 3, Funny

    I believe that's a technical term.

    1. Re:They are a gazillion-dollar business by Marque_Off · · Score: -1, Troll

      I have kids and a culture. I'd be more comfortable w/subculture. Now that I believe that's a pretty good book about video games or electronic games. Upstairs is the author of the Dreamcast and hung out my life, I read the arcade is the wall. My problem in the latest games. Upstairs is all the reviewer who confused the couch at the author of them video games, I pick up new words!

      Is Junis from a couple thousand? I pick up there playing Galaga, Tempest, Centipede, Red Baron, etc. Yes, Pong's value systems have kids and the couch at high speeds and hung out at the wall. My favourite part of EWJ was Sigmund. He was abbreviated as I bought 200. I laughed. Then they were normally a culture. I'd have a technical term. I believe that's a pretty good book about Warcraft 3. I stopped laughing. I pick up something years old machines. On a piece.

      I don't know that Earth Worm Jim was retarded. In fact, none of the manual where they explained that I have influenced an entire generation of practice. I have a big car. I pick up there playing any video games, I like monkeys. I hope it as I hope it i should read video games or Dune. If I'm feeling really bright. They would Pong do? Then, I took my Sega Genesis and Coasters. Downstairs the arcade or 15 guys who are all 30 something years old machines.

      --
      While at a conference a few weeks back, I spent an interesting evening with a grain of salt.
    2. Re:They are a gazillion-dollar business by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Too bad they force you to steal old games of the Net, instead of letting you buy them...

      http://tony.svanstrom.org/archives/000022.html

    3. Re:They are a gazillion-dollar business by Cyclone66 · · Score: 1

      damn you I was going to make that exact same comment, word for word!

    4. Re:They are a gazillion-dollar business by Joel+Ironstone · · Score: 1

      Jesus christ you must me be high. That made no sense whatsoever

  5. 3rd Post!!! by ooglek · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    1...2...3...4...6..9....30..laskdf has it been 20 seconds yet? Why do I have to wait?

    Poop.

    --
    TossableDigits.com: Temporary Phone Numb
  6. High Score on Electronic Yahtzee by newt_sd · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I got 820!!! Beat that wooooo hooooo
    Oh wait i should read the article and see if this applies, sorry but damn it i am so proud :)

    --
    ***I GOT NUTHIN***
  7. Please by British · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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!

    1. Re:Please by ideonode · · Score: 1

      Another gripe that I have is referring to "interactive games". All games are interactive - please give me an example of one that isn't...

    2. Re:Please by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
      All games are interactive - please give me an example of one that isn't...
      I think the closest you can come to a non-interactive game is Golf.
    3. Re:Please by garett_spencley · · Score: 2

      Another gripe that I have is referring to "interactive games". All games are interactive - please give me an example of one that isn't...

      Solitaire (with a real deck of cards)...

      --
      Garett

    4. Re:Please by MisterBlister · · Score: 2
      Another gripe that I have is referring to "interactive games". All games are interactive - please give me an example of one that isn't...

      Well all the Final Fantasy games since FF8 and Metal Gear Solid 2 come pretty close...

    5. Re:Please by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      Me punching you in the face?

    6. Re:Please by sdjunky · · Score: 4, Funny

      They are called E-Games due to the paradigm shift of an after event market. This facilitates the stickiness of integrated entertainment in a residential sense

      Better?

    7. Re:Please by jacoberrol · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      +1 funny

    8. Re:Please by Ashtangi · · Score: 1
      Umm I suppose that the cards dont really interact per say. But I don't think they need to in order to be considered interactive. The fact that the player is interacting with a deck of cards I believe would make solitare interactive. From dictionary.com:

      2: capable of acting on or influencing each other

      The state of the cards influences the player, who then changes the state of the cards, which then in turn influence the player. I think that the term game implies some sort of interaction.

  8. Gazillion? by Kraegar · · Score: 2

    Is that something from Katz, or from the book? I'd have a hard time drawing insight from a source that must exaggerate the multi-billion dollor gaming industry by using such a childish word.

    1. Re:Gazillion? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      Do you masturbate with your left or your right hand while trying to think of something intelligent to post only resulting in a lame flame?

    2. Re:Gazillion? by psycht · · Score: 1

      well if it were in the book, it would have to be quoted.

      --
      thelikesofwhich.com
  9. I LIKE MONKEYS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    I like monkeys. The pet store was selling them for five cents a piece. I thought that odd since they were normally a couple thousand. I decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth. I bought 200. I like monkeys.

    I took my 200 monkeys home. I have a big car. I let one drive. His name was Sigmund. He was retarded. In fact, none of them were really bright. They kept punching themselves in their genitals. I laughed. Then they punched my genitals. I stopped laughing.

    I herded them into my room. They didn't adapt very well to their new environment. They would screech, hurl themselves off of the couch at high speeds and slam into the wall. Although humorous at first, the spectacle lost its novelty halfway into its third hour.

    Two hours later I found out why all the monkeys were so inexpensive: they all died. No apparent reason. They all just sorta' dropped dead. Kinda' like when you buy a goldfish and it dies five hours later. Damn cheap monkeys.

    I didn't know what to do. There were 200 dead monkeys lying all over my room, on the bed, in the dresser, hanging from my bookcase. It looked like I had 200 throw rugs.

    I tried to flush one down the toilet. It didn't work. It got stuck. Then I had one dead, wet monkey and 199 dead, dry monkeys.

    I tried pretending that they were just stuffed animals. That worked for a while, that is until they began to decompose. It started to smell real bad.

    I had to pee but there was a dead monkey in the toilet and I didn't want to call the plumber. I was embarrassed.

    I tried to slow down the decomposition by freezing them. Unfortunately, there was only enough room for two monkeys at a time so I had to change them every 30 seconds. I also had to eat all the food in the freezer so it didn't all go bad.

    I tried burning them. Little did I know my bed was flammable. I had to extinguish the fire.

    Then I had one dead, wet monkey in my toilet, two dead, frozen monkeys in my freezer, and 197 dead, charred monkeys in a pile on my bed. The odor wasn't improving.

    I became agitated at my inability to dispose of my monkeys and to use the bathroom. I severely beat one of my monkeys. I felt better.

    I tried throwing them away but the garbage man said that the city was not allowed to dispose of charred primates. I told him that I had a wet one. He couldn't take that one either. I didn't bother asking about the frozen ones.

    I finally arrived at a solution. I gave them out as Christmas gifts. My friends didn't know quite what to say. They pretended that they like them, but I could tell they were lying. Ingrates. So I punched them in the genitals.

    I like monkeys.

  10. The Troll Polka: UPDATED by poopbot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    THE TROLL POLKA (ARSCHFICKEN MIT ZIEGEN)
    By Serial Troller, 2002-06-25

    Is das nicht ein early post? Ja! Das ist mein early post!
    Is das nicht ein Goatse ghost? Ja! Das ist mein Goatse ghost!
    Early post, Goatse ghost,
    Oh, du schoene, Oh, du schoene, Oh, du schoene, Slashdot sucks!

    Is das post at minus one? Ja! Das ist at minus one!
    Is das trolling so much fun? Ja! Das trolling is so fun!
    Minus one, trolling fun, Early post, Goatse ghost,
    Oh, du schoene, Oh, du schoene, Oh, du schoene, Slashdot sucks!

    Is das nicht ein big crapflood? Ja! Das ist mein big crapflood!
    Is it worthless Linux FUD? Ja! Das ist mein Linux FUD!
    Big crapflood, Linux FUD, Minus one, trolling fun, Early post, Goatse ghost,
    Oh, du schoene, Oh, du schoene, Oh, du schoene, Slashdot sucks!

    Is das nicht der CowBoiKneel? Ja! Das ist der CowBoiKneel!
    Is dis nicht his manchode meal? Ja! Das ist his manchode meal!
    CowBoiKneel, manchode meal, Big crapflood, Linux FUD,
    Minus one, trolling fun, Early post, Goatse ghost,
    Oh, du schoene, Oh, du schoene, Oh, du schoene, Slashdot sucks!

    Is das nicht ein WIPO Troll? Ja! Das ist der WIPO Troll!
    Is das nicht ein Goatse hole? Ja! Das ist der Goatse hole!
    WIPO Troll, Goatse hole, CowBoiKneel, manchode meal,
    Big crapflood, Linux FUD, Minus one, trolling fun, Early post, Goatse ghost,
    Oh, du schoene, Oh, du schoene, Oh, du schoene, Slashdot sucks!

    Is das nicht Jon Katz' slave boys? Ja! Das ist Jon Katz' slave boys!
    Und are they not Taco's sex toys? Ja! They are Taco's sex toys!
    Katz' slave boys, Rob's sex toys, WIPO Troll, Goatse hole,
    CowBoiKneel, manchode meal, Big crapflood, Linux FUD,
    Minus one, trolling fun, Early post, Goatse ghost,
    Oh, du schoene, Oh, du schoene, Oh, du schoene, Slashdot sucks!

    Is das nicht ein trolltalk thread? Ja! Das ist ein trolltalk thread!
    Is it nicht now FUCKING DEAD? Ja! Is really FUCKING DEAD!
    Trolltalk thread, FUCKING DEAD! Katz' slave boys, Rob's sex toys,
    WIPO Troll, Goatse hole, CowBoiKneel, manchode meal,
    Big crapflood, Linux FUD, Minus one, trolling fun,
    Early post, Goatse ghost,
    Oh, du schoene, Oh, du schoene, Oh, du schoene,
    Slashdot sucks!

    ____________________

    Change Log:

    * Subtle changes to most verses. It sounded really gay before.
    * Removed all references to Taco's pud. May have been high at time. Will investigate further.
    * Finally think I have goat sex written correctly in German. I think. Arschficken?

    (C) 2002 Serial Troller. Permission to reproduce this document is granted provided that you send all the bukkake porn you can find to serialtroller@hotmail.com.

    - poopbot: information likes to be narrow

  11. anal cocks' buttlova! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    anal cocks is married with that ? he puts it in there

  12. Hey Jon.. by Pave+Low · · Score: 1
    Is Junis from Afghanistan been playing any video games on his Commodore 64?

    Last time you wrote about him, he was watching Divx movies on it. I'm sure he's excited about Warcraft 3.

    --
    SIG:Slashdot: indymedia for nerds.
  13. In case of slashdotting by JismTroll · · Score: -1

    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.

    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.

    JismTroll (588456)
    [ Preferences ]

    Related Links
    High Scores from bn.com
    book review guidelines
    submission page
    More on Games
    Also by JonKatz

    Book Reviews
    Slashdot's book review section is brimming with reader-submitted commentary on interesting books. Here's a sampling of recent reviews -- read below for how you can add yours to the list.

    For programmers, check out reviews of the Zope Bible, Programming Jabber and other specialized books.

    If you're just trying to manage programmers, grumpy's review of Managing Einsteins might be just what you're looking for. Meanwhile, keep the company afloat with lessons learned from The MouseDriver Chronicles and The Bombast Transcripts.

    Science buff? Read Tal Cohen's reaction to Rare Earth, and Peter Wayner on Digital Biology. Don't forget the grain of salt in Voodoo Science, either. His Dark Materials is one of the many Science Fiction titles that Slashdot readers have praised or panned for your pleasure.

    And somewhere between Sci-Fi and reality are books like Flesh and Machines, reporting from the intersection of yesterday's fiction and current technology.

    It's easy to submit your own reviews for consideration, too. Just read the Slashdot book review guidelines, and then use the web submission form.

    Update: 20020427 12:50 by timothy

  14. Dreamcast? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I hope it is the reviewer who confused the Dreamcast and the Saturn, and not the author of the book...

    1. Re:Dreamcast? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Look at who the reviewer is. Yup, there's your answer.

  15. Game Over by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Too bad some people have no sense of humor. (And, for the records, high scores are on topic. That's the friggin topic!)

  16. Earth Worm Jim by PsychoKiller · · Score: 1

    My favourite part of EWJ was in the manual where they explained that Earth Worm Jim was abbreviated as EWJ, but don't ever say 'EWJ' out loud because that takes too long.

    1. Re:Earth Worm Jim by PDG · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I think EWJ was one of the most 'unique' and creative games made in years.

      I mean c'mon--a superhero worm, an level in 'heck' with elevator music, a puppy dog that turns into a monster.

      It was just so perverse that it immediately became fantastic

      (and I still have vivid memories of literally holding my breath while doing the underwater bubble scenes)

      --
      "Where is my mind?"
    2. Re:Earth Worm Jim by CaffeineAddict2001 · · Score: 2

      Way out in the water, see it swimmin.

    3. Re:Earth Worm Jim by TheDick · · Score: 1

      Frank Black would be turning in his grave if he could.

      --

    4. Re:Earth Worm Jim by ninkendo84 · · Score: 1

      Actually, the words were "Hard difficulty is for you experienced players who are so obsessed with earth worm jim that you call him EWJ, even though it's more syllables than Earth Worm Jim"

      It's one of those childhood memories I guess

      --

      $ make love
      make: don't know how to make love. Stop
  17. I loved video games by stoolpigeon · · Score: 3, Interesting

    when I was a kid. I read video game magazines and hung out at the arcade or circle K a lot. (just one game at circle k but that let you get in lots of practice)

    I don't know that I would call it a culture. I'd be more comfortable w/subculture.

    Now that I have kids and a job I don't play much. When I do it is old games- if I'm at home I pull out my Sega Genesis and play Sonic or Dune.

    If I'm feeling really crazy I head over to Castles and Coasters. Downstairs the arcade is all the latest games. Upstairs is where they put all the old machines. On a friday or saturday night you'll find 10 or 15 guys who are all 30 something years old (like me) up there playing Galaga, Tempest, Centipede, Red Baron, etc.

    .

    --
    It's hard to believe that's how Micronians are made. Why don't we see it right now by having you both kiss one another?
    1. Re:I loved video games by ben_ · · Score: 1

      On a friday or saturday night you'll find 10 or 15 guys who are all 30 something years old (like me) up there playing Galaga, Tempest, Centipede, Red Baron, etc.

      And, erm, doesn't that say it all? That's the best thing you have to do with your weekend nights: go out and play old video games?

      May I suggest that you develop an interest in the opposite sex (or even your own, whatever)...

      sheesh
      ben_

      --
      ben_ the technologist and platform agnostic
  18. Here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    is the homepage of my favorite computer game: Das Ritterkreuz.

  19. iD software. Hello! by qurob · · Score: 2, Interesting


    No mention of the company who helped define the 3D shooter plauge we call the games market today?

    1. Re:iD software. Hello! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      What? There's a three page spread toward the back of the book all about them. There's a picture of John Romero at his desk smiling.

      Look up 'id' in the index.

  20. Decent Price by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Only $17.49 on Amazon. I was worried about the price, given that it's an "illustrated history"... books like that tend to be expensive.

    However, it's a paperback. Hm.

  21. In case the post gets slashdotted by JismTroll · · Score: -1

    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.

    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.

    JismTroll (588456)
    [ Preferences ]

    Related Links
    High Scores from bn.com
    book review guidelines
    submission page
    More on Games
    Also by JonKatz

    Book Reviews
    Slashdot's book review section is brimming with reader-submitted commentary on interesting books. Here's a sampling of recent reviews -- read below for how you can add yours to the list.

    For programmers, check out reviews of the Zope Bible, Programming Jabber and other specialized books.

    If you're just trying to manage programmers, grumpy's review of Managing Einsteins might be just what you're looking for. Meanwhile, keep the company afloat with lessons learned from The MouseDriver Chronicles and The Bombast Transcripts.

    Science buff? Read Tal Cohen's reaction to Rare Earth, and Peter Wayner on Digital Biology. Don't forget the grain of salt in Voodoo Science, either. His Dark Materials is one of the many Science Fiction titles that Slashdot readers have praised or panned for your pleasure.

    And somewhere between Sci-Fi and reality are books like Flesh and Machines, reporting from the intersection of yesterday's fiction and current technology.

    It's easy to submit your own reviews for consideration, too. Just read the Slashdot book review guidelines, and then use the web submission form.

    Update: 20020427 12:50 by timothy

    1. Re:In case the post gets slashdotted by News+For+Turds · · Score: -1

      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.

      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.

      JismTroll (588456)
      [ Preferences ]

      Related Links
      High Scores from bn.com
      book review guidelines
      submission page
      More on Games
      Also by JonKatz

      Book Reviews
      Slashdot's book review section is brimming with reader-submitted commentary on interesting books. Here's a sampling of recent reviews -- read below for how you can add yours to the list.

      For programmers, check out reviews of the Zope Bible, Programming Jabber and other specialized books.

      If you're just trying to manage programmers, grumpy's review of Managing Einsteins might be just what you're looking for. Meanwhile, keep the company afloat with lessons learned from The MouseDriver Chronicles and The Bombast Transcripts.

      Science buff? Read Tal Cohen's reaction to Rare Earth, and Peter Wayner on Digital Biology. Don't forget the grain of salt in Voodoo Science, either. His Dark Materials is one of the many Science Fiction titles that Slashdot readers have praised or panned for your pleasure.

      And somewhere between Sci-Fi and reality are books like Flesh and Machines, reporting from the intersection of yesterday's fiction and current technology.

      It's easy to submit your own reviews for consideration, too. Just read the Slashdot book review guidelines, and then use the web submission form.

      Update: 20020427 12:50 by timothy
      .
      .

      --
      -- You are such a fucking fag
    2. Re:In case the post gets slashdotted by JismTroll · · Score: -1

      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.

      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.

      JismTroll (588456)
      [ Preferences ]

      Related Links
      High Scores from bn.com
      book review guidelines
      submission page
      More on Games
      Also by JonKatz

      Book Reviews
      Slashdot's book review section is brimming with reader-submitted commentary on interesting books. Here's a sampling of recent reviews -- read below for how you can add yours to the list.

      For programmers, check out reviews of the Zope Bible, Programming Jabber and other specialized books.

      If you're just trying to manage programmers, grumpy's review of Managing Einsteins might be just what you're looking for. Meanwhile, keep the company afloat with lessons learned from The MouseDriver Chronicles and The Bombast Transcripts.

      Science buff? Read Tal Cohen's reaction to Rare Earth, and Peter Wayner on Digital Biology. Don't forget the grain of salt in Voodoo Science, either. His Dark Materials is one of the many Science Fiction titles that Slashdot readers have praised or panned for your pleasure.

      And somewhere between Sci-Fi and reality are books like Flesh and Machines, reporting from the intersection of yesterday's fiction and current technology.

      JonKatz is GAY. It's easy to submit your own reviews for consideration, too. Just read the Slashdot book review guidelines, and then use the web submission form.

      Update: 20020427 12:50 by timothy

    3. Re:In case the post gets slashdotted by JismTroll · · Score: -1

      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.

      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.

      JismTroll (588456)
      [ Preferences ]

      Related Links
      High Scores from bn.com
      book review guidelines
      submission page
      More on Games
      Also by JonKatz

      Book Reviews
      Slashdot's book review section is brimming with reader-submitted commentary on interesting books. Here's a sampling of recent reviews -- read below for how you can add yours to the list.

      For programmers, check out reviews of the Zope Bible, Programming Jabber and other specialized books.

      If you're just trying to manage programmers, grumpy's review of Managing Einsteins might be just what you're looking for. Meanwhile, keep the company afloat with lessons learned from The MouseDriver Chronicles and The Bombast Transcripts.

      Science buff? Read Tal Cohen's reaction to Rare Earth, and Peter Wayner on Digital Biology. Don't forget the grain of salt in Voodoo Science, either. His Dark Materials is one of the many Science Fiction titles that Slashdot readers have praised or panned for your pleasure.

      And somewhere between Sci-Fi and reality are books like Flesh and Machines, reporting from the intersection of yesterday's fiction and current technology.

      JonKatz really packs ass. It's easy to submit your own reviews for consideration, too. Just read the Slashdot book review guidelines, and then use the web submission form.

      Update: 20020427 12:50 by timothy

    4. Re:In case the post gets slashdotted by JismTroll · · Score: -1

      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.

      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.

      JismTroll (588456)
      [ Preferences ]

      Related Links
      High Scores from bn.com
      book review guidelines
      submission page
      More on Games
      Also by JonKatz

      Book Reviews
      Slashdot's book review section is brimming with reader-submitted commentary on interesting books. Here's a sampling of recent reviews -- read below for how you can add yours to the list.

      For programmers, check out reviews of the Zope Bible, Programming Jabber and other specialized books.

      If you're just trying to manage programmers, grumpy's review of Managing Einsteins might be just what you're looking for. Meanwhile, keep the company afloat with lessons learned from The MouseDriver Chronicles and The Bombast Transcripts.

      Science buff? Read Tal Cohen's reaction to Rare Earth, and Peter Wayner on Digital Biology. Don't forget the grain of salt in Voodoo Science, either. His Dark Materials is one of the many Science Fiction titles that Slashdot readers have praised or panned for your pleasure.

      And somewhere between Sci-Fi and reality are books like Flesh and Machines, reporting from the intersection of yesterday's fiction and current technology.

      JonKatz produces more shit than an incontanent man at a chili cookoff. It's easy to submit your own reviews for consideration, too. Just read the Slashdot book review guidelines, and then use the web submission form.

      Update: 20020427 12:50 by timothy

    5. Re:In case the post gets slashdotted by JismTroll · · Score: -1

      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.

      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.

      JismTroll (588456)
      [ Preferences ]

      Related Links
      High Scores from bn.com
      book review guidelines
      submission page
      More on Games
      Also by JonKatz

      Book Reviews
      Slashdot's book review section is brimming with reader-submitted commentary on interesting books. Here's a sampling of recent reviews -- read below for how you can add yours to the list.

      For programmers, check out reviews of the Zope Bible, Programming Jabber and other specialized books.

      If you're just trying to manage programmers, grumpy's review of Managing Einsteins might be just what you're looking for. Meanwhile, keep the company afloat with lessons learned from The MouseDriver Chronicles and The Bombast Transcripts.

      Science buff? Read Tal Cohen's reaction to Rare Earth, and Peter Wayner on Digital Biology. Don't forget the grain of salt in Voodoo Science, either. His Dark Materials is one of the many Science Fiction titles that Slashdot readers have praised or panned for your pleasure.

      And somewhere between Sci-Fi and reality are books like Flesh and Machines, reporting from the intersection of yesterday's fiction and current technology.

      JonKatz is Goatse. It's easy to submit your own reviews for consideration, too. Just read the Slashdot book review guidelines, and then use the web submission form.

      Update: 20020427 12:50 by timothy

    6. Re:In case the post gets slashdotted by Sexual+Asspussy · · Score: -1
        • WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

          choad

          don't use so many caps. it's like fellating.

          g with reader-submitted commentary on interesting books. Here's a sampling of recent reviews -- read below for how you can add yours to the list.

          For programmers, check out reviews of the Zope Bible, Programming Jabber and other specialized books.

          If you're just trying to manage programmers, grumpy's review of Managing Einsteins might be just what you're looking for. Meanwhile, keep the company afloat with lessons learned from The MouseDriver Chronicles and The Bombast Transcripts.

          Science buff? Read Tal Cohen's reaction to Rare Earth, and Peter Wayner on Digital Biology. Don't forget the grain of salt in Voodoo Science, either. His Dark Materials is one of the many Science Fiction titles that Slashdot readers have praised or panned for your pleasure.

          And somewhere between Sci-Fi and reality are books like Flesh and Machines, reporting from the intersection of yesterday's fiction and current technology.
    7. Re:In case the post gets slashdotted by Sexual+Asspussy · · Score: -1
        • WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

          eat my fuk

          # Important Stuff: Please try to keep posts on topic.
          # Try to reply to other people comments instead of starting new threads.
          # Read other people's messages before posting your own to avoid simply duplicating what has already been said.
          # Use a clear subject that describes what your message is about.
          # Offtopic, Inflammatory, Inappropriate, Illegal, or Offensive comments might be moderated. (You can read everything, even moderated posts, by adjusting your threshold on the User Preferences Page)

          Problems regarding accounts or comment posting should be sent to CowboyNeal, who is both fat and gay.
    8. Re:In case the post gets slashdotted by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
        • Thequickbrownfoxjumpedoverthelazydogs.Thequickbrow nfoxjumpedoverthelazydogs.Thequickbrownfoxjumpedov erthelazydogs.Thequickbrownfoxjumpedoverthelazydog s.Thequickbrownfoxjumpedoverthelazydogs.

        • wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww wwwwwwwwwww

  22. a day llate and a troll short by neal+n+bob · · Score: -1

    welcome katz - you are truly an inspiration to all trolls. plus you're a faggot.

  23. Value system? by Gannoc · · Score: 5, Funny
    Remember Pong...They embody a value system, mind-boggling inspiration, common language and experience.

    Yes, Pong's value systems have influenced an entire generation of youth. Whenever i'm faced with a really tough problem in my life, I sit down and think "What would Pong do?"

    Then, I pick up something and throw it as hard as I can. Sometimes I angle it off the wall. My problem tends to be solved one way or the other.

    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."

    Bah.

    1. Re:Value system? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Yes, Pong's value systems have influenced an entire generation of youth. Whenever i'm faced with a really tough problem in my life, I sit down and think "What would Pong do?"

      Bahahahahaha... I want a T-Shirt with that on it. WWPD?

    2. Re:Value system? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Would you consider buying a book if all you heard about it was Katz saying "It's a good book."

    3. Re:Value system? by Sexual+Asspussy · · Score: -1

      jesus man. thumbs-fucking-UP.

    4. Re:Value system? by Fascist+Christ · · Score: 1

      Video games have had more effect on the evolution of mankind than oxygen.... Columbine.

      Absolutely! When I was in high school, I kept searching the halls for a secret room that holds the BFG9000. Alas, it was too well hidden, and I was stuck with a stinking plasma gun.

      --
      TodayTM BillyJoelTM GoogleTMd for StitchTMes due to WindowsTM while RollerbladeTMing with an AppleTM and a PopsicleTM
    5. Re:Value system? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's in the cafeteria, next to the large trash cans. You can't miss it.

    6. Re:Value system? by Entropy248 · · Score: 1

      Personally, I look to Street Fighter as my inspiration. I like shouting "HaduuuKen" and shooting fireballs at people.

      Tetris is also a great source of moral wisdom. There's nothing like dropping boxes on people's heads...

      --
      Webmaster Wanted - Entropic Reactions
    7. Re:Value system? by Iffy+Bonzoolie · · Score: 1

      Well, he was talking about the spectrum of video games - it's unfortunate that he cited Pong as an example right before mentioning value systems, but it's still true... consider one of the most popular RPG series of all time: Ultima. The game practically established a religion. When I was a little kid, *I* wanted to embody the eight virtues. I guess I still do, to some degree.

      -If

      --
      Run a pencil-and-paper RPG campaign with your far-off friends: Gametable!
    8. Re:Value system? by AKA+da+JET · · Score: 1

      Well, I guess you could try selling them...

    9. Re:Value system? by Erik+Fish · · Score: 2

      Amen to that! Years of Katz blather accurately summarized by one short, simple Slashdot post. You are my hero.

  24. What about Rogue? by prestomation · · Score: 3, Insightful

    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?

    1. Re:What about Rogue? by echucker · · Score: 1

      Angband... been playing it every day in my cube after I finish lunch. Even though I've been through countless characters, and never been down past 2000', it never really gets old.

      For those of you who have never tried Angband, check out Thangorodrim.

  25. No by DojoMojoLojo · · Score: -1, Troll

    Its not just you. In surveys, 9 out of 10 Catholic Clergymen admitted that they also thought that Jon Katz was a flaming homosexual.

    10 out 10 Catholic Clergymen thought that he was great at sucking cock.

    Slashdot is being unusually fucking shit today!

    --
    Double sigs are cool
    --
    Double sigs are cool
  26. games and stuff by theeidolon · · Score: 1

    does it mention berserk the first game ever to kill someone, i mean thats a vital part of video game history. -eidolon

    1. Re:games and stuff by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you only killed Robots in Berzerk (unless you yoursef get killed)

    2. Re:games and stuff by theeidolon · · Score: 1

      no, someone actually died playing this game -eidolon

    3. Re:games and stuff by fishbowl · · Score: 2

      > no, someone actually died playing this game

      Who, where, what was the cause of death, the date?

      Please provide some reference to a credible news story or other source.

      Was it an electrocution? I wonder how many pinball/jukebox/arcade service people have been electrocuted by entertainment devices?

      You've trotted out a sensational story without even attempting to corroborate it.

      This looks like a promising lead.
      http://groups.google.com/groups?q=video+gam e+death &hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&safe=off&selm=anews.Aihps3.210 &rnum=8

      Only in this story, the cause of death was a heart condition, and he died while playing Berserk. I don't think that implicates the game or the arcade, and to suggest otherwise would be quite irresponsible, if not libelous.

      "Intruder Alert! Get the Humanoid!"

      --
      -fb Everything not expressly forbidden is now mandatory.
  27. Mistakes... by IIRCAFAIKIANAL · · Score: 4, Informative

    ... 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.

    The Dreamcast was Sega's next-gen effort at the time - it was the Saturn that was originally meant to compete with the N64 and PSX. The Dreamcast was intended to compete with the new systems on the horizon by getting a jump - this is what they did quite successfully with the sega genesis - filled the next gen niche with adequate hardware.

    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.

    I hope "personal computing" means "consoles" in this context, because PC gaming is a small fry compared to consoles and would have little effect on arcades. Arcades will never be completely replaced - playing a mech game in a big simulated cockpit - you can't do it at home (well, maybe you can, but I am not that rich :)

    --
    Robots are everywhere, and they eat old people's medicine for fuel.
    1. Re:Mistakes... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They did get a jump - I still can't swing a dead cat without hitting someone who owns a DC. It was, and still is, a good, solid system with quite a few quality titles.

      The problem is Sega's always been into the entire seppuku thing. They killed off everything since the Genesis before their respective times.

      The Genesis, it was brilliant. Take quality hardware, put it out *now*. By the time your competitor catches up, everyone already has one of your consoles and you're about to release the next barrage. Kinda doesn't work when you scream nonsensical phrases and jab a wakizashi through your chest though. :p

      As for arcades, heh, I'll take my computer over a console any day. You can't pilot an Atlas with some dinky little controller.

    2. Re:Mistakes... by IIRCAFAIKIANAL · · Score: 2

      Yeah, I wasn't bashing DC (although I hear that the quality of the discs are really bad - they literally fall apart - I had one brand of cdr do that to me one time, pissed me right off)

      As for arcades, heh, I'll take my computer over a console any day. You can't pilot an Atlas with some dinky little controller.

      You haven't seen that XBOX controller, have you? :)

      (i think it's for xbox, correct me if i'm wrong)

      --
      Robots are everywhere, and they eat old people's medicine for fuel.
    3. Re:Mistakes... by DroningDromedary · · Score: 1

      I hope "personal computing" means "consoles" in this context, because PC gaming is a small fry compared to consoles and would have little effect on arcades.

      You've actually hit on absolutely the worst aspect of this book here. The coverage of console games is abysmal. You'd have thought that the PSX, the machine that's sold more games to more people than any other, would get more than a few column inches in a book like this, or that games companies like Sega and Nintendo would warrant pages upon pages about their history and games, but no...

      Instead there are chapters upon boring chapters about almost exclusively American PC game companies. So not only are console games given short shrift, but Japanese and European companies are almost completely left out in the cold. Most of the stuff about more recent consoles consists solely of a few screenshots stuffed at the back of the book, and a meagre few paragraphs about how the PS2 is the future of gaming, or some such...

      If you want a book about the history of American PC games, then I guess you'll love this book. It's a detailed, and very readable, history. But if you're a console gamer (especially someone who's only really started gaming in the '90s), then you'll find the majority of this book to be rather boring and irrelevant.

  28. Uh.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Playstation and N64? Try the Saturn.

    The DC was the first strike in the 'next gen' consoles. DC? Gamecube/PS2/X-Box equivalent. Or, perhaps not. You see, Sega's always had a tendency to strike first. They always broke the ground, and everyone else sat around with their thumbs up their arses, eventually only coming out on top due to releasing systems much later and thus having better hardware availible.

    I won't bother detailing the idiocy of Sega's business tactics. *chuckle* "Gee, Bobjiro, ya think we maybe shoulda advertised even a little bit?!"

  29. first blasphemous post! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    jESUS was a monkey!!!

    1. Re:first blasphemous post! by TheSonicVince · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      :-) question here: how the heck do I post a message without havink to reply?

      --
      And then he said: "I'll tell you the meaning of life. It is" and then realized 120 chars are definitely not enough...
    2. Re:first blasphemous post! by RobinH · · Score: 4, Funny

      how the heck do I post a message without havink to reply?

      You still have to 'reply', but only to the original article. Just click the big REPLY button at the top of the page, just under Katz's drivel.

      --
      "I have never let my schooling interfere with my education." - Mark Twain
    3. Re:first blasphemous post! by illsorted · · Score: 1

      You still have to 'reply', but only to the original article. Just click the big REPLY button at the top of the page, just under Katz's drivel.

      I know this is off-topic, but why isn't that button labeled "Create Thread" or something similar? It took me longer than it should have to figure out how to post without replying to someone else.

      Maybe I'm just an idiot.

  30. apparently... by argStyopa · · Score: 5, Funny

    "gazillion-dollar business" = ~$7 billion

    And I'll second the "NO" vote on the term 'e-games'. E-gad.

    --
    -Styopa
    1. Re:apparently... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      ...already surpassing films in revenues...

      This is a myth. The games industry's total gross receipts passed the film industry's annual north american box office take a few years back, but we've got a couple of $100 billions to make to even get close to the, er, gazillions (if you'll pardon the clumsy phrase ;) the film industry pulls in revenue across the board.

      That didn't stop gamers from jumping up and down yelling, 'We're bigger than the film industry! We're bigger than the film industry!' This was, of course, in the same decade that Titanic took in over $2 billion for one film. *sigh*

  31. I'd like to post something witty... by LordYUK · · Score: 1

    ...but since gaming dulls the thought process in your brain and makes you prone to anger I HAVE TO GO BASH SOMETHING NOW!!! GRRRR!!!!

    --
    This is my sig. Its pathetic.
  32. dude, shut up... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's games! Just like any other game. Someone put tape over JK's mouth or superglue his fingers together.

  33. While you are at it... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Great book, mainly for some of the wonderful pictures of early design documents, photographs and other archival material.

    For a better history, I reocmmend Steven L. Kent's "The Ultimate History of Video Games". While it has almost no pictures, it makes up for it by being a much more detailed history based on interviews with the people behind the industry.

  34. P0ST NUMBER 300 FOR KATZ!!!! by News+For+Turds · · Score: -1

    w00t! This is my 300th p0st, and I saved it for Katz!

    --
    -- You are such a fucking fag
  35. Open letter to wife: by El_Smack · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hey, I'm not wasting money and space collecting Atari 2600's and full size arcade games, I am preserving "a value system, mind-boggling inspiration, common language and experience."!

    --


    There are 01 kinds of cars in the world. The General Lee, and everything else.
    1. Re:Open letter to wife: by garcia · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      "Honey, I didn't marry Jon Katz. If you love him so much, you fuck him."

    2. Re:Open letter to wife: by FunkSoulBrother · · Score: 1

      What? That was funny!

      You didn't mod him down for saying "fuck" did you?

  36. Always wondered by totallygeek · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Remember the Pac-Man move where you could hide indefinately and the ghosts couldn't get you. Was this "figured out", or is this leaked from the manufacturer? I mean, like the moves for Pac-Man where you could play and never die and barely even look at the screen -- who figured that out, and wrote down, video-taped or remembered the moves.

    And, Pac-Man isn't the only game like this. Look at all the "secret moves" in games. Does someone figure out you can do up-up-down-down-left-right-left-right-select-start on Contra, or is that reverse engineered or leaked? Or, how you can flip-out Galaga to have FF ships. Or, how you can make a ghost Guile on Street Fighter.

    Anyone?

    --
    Click here or here.
    1. Re:Always wondered by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'd say some are probably discovered at random.

      But for many codes, they're probably leaked by the publisher. Why?

      Why not? Codes, man! Everyone whispers them in the dark, and then goes to buy and/or toss quarters at your game when they first hear of them!

      Brilliant marketing. :)

    2. Re:Always wondered by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I believe the Contra code was Up-Up-Down-Down-Left-Right-Left-Right-B-A...

      Wasn't it?

      It was modified for other games eventually, I think, but IIRC the first time Konami used that code was with Contra. In Gradius it gave you a lot of power-ups, pause the game and enter the code. A sequel to Gradius (can't remember the name) would blow up your ship if you tried it. :)

    3. Re:Always wondered by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And, Pac-Man isn't the only game like this. Look at all the "secret moves" in games. Does someone figure out you can do up-up-down-down-left-right-left-right-select-start on Contra, or is that reverse engineered or leaked? Or, how you can flip-out Galaga to have FF ships. Or, how you can make a ghost Guile on Street Fighter

      I would have to put my money on leaked. It doesn't make a difference to the manufacturer or the distributor if the general population knows those codes. I've even seen Nintendo power publish them.

    4. Re:Always wondered by Jacer · · Score: 1

      actually it was up up down down left right left right ab ab start select start if you wanted two players

      --
      --fetch daddy's blue fright wig, i must be handsome when i release my rage
    5. Re:Always wondered by digerata · · Score: 1
      Ahh, the Konami Kode...

      But I believe it was Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, B, A, Select, Start.

      Now that's common language and exprience that I will never forget.

      Its also the combination on my gym locker.

      --

      1;
    6. Re:Always wondered by phish · · Score: 1

      My guess is most of what we consider "cheats" in games are used by QA in the testing of the game.

      Think about it, if you're the QA guy working on testing the Nth level of a game, would you like to play through the whole game every time? :)

    7. Re:Always wondered by BigJimSlade · · Score: 2

      I believe the Contra code was Up-Up-Down-Down-Left-Right-Left-Right-B-A...

      Wasn't it?

      Maybe it would help you if you had it on a t-shirt? No? Ok, here's all the codes for Contra. As if you cared :)

    8. Re:Always wondered by BigJimSlade · · Score: 2

      Remember the Pac-Man move where you could hide indefinately and the ghosts couldn't get you

      Yes, yes I do.

    9. Re:Always wondered by redtoade · · Score: 1

      Is it just me, or does just looking at the colors of a Pac-Man screen make everyone happy?

      Something about that bright neon blue on a black background with a peperring of little white dots...

    10. Re:Always wondered by doomicon · · Score: 1

      Yea, I remember that move.. I also remember playing Space Invaders on my 2600 for 14 hours straight, trying to top the neighborhood record of consecutive "flips"... only to be enlightened by my mother that the neighborhood kids were obviously lying.

      --

      Awesome!
    11. Re:Always wondered by FunkSoulBrother · · Score: 1

      Civilization 1.0 had a full blown QA testing mode built in. That was so much fun as a kid!

      Especially in the days of limited online interaction and no real level editors, it was great to unmask the other civilizations and watch things happen.

      Funny, when I used cheat mode on Civ 2 to reveal the map, as much as I loved the game, watching the other Civs build their starting cities just pissed me off at poor AI. I must have grown cynical with age, as the civ 1 AI was probably worse.

    12. Re:Always wondered by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The cute music, the sound effects, the smell of smoke in the arcade. Ahh, sweet nostalgia.

    13. Re:Always wondered by Orangedog_on_crack · · Score: 2
      I'll go out on a limb and say that this one was "figured-out" by some people who played the game. Ye Gods! We were obsessive about those games. The famous "pattern" was a little on the complex side for the 80's, but it's nothing that couldn't be worked out with enough quarters.

      [now, with my pants pulled up to my chest and as I shake my tee-handle cane at the kids...] "You young punks! I was the 9th key Shaolin master of PAC-MAN! In my day, I dominated the arcade. I'd walk in with $2 in quarters and by the time I left, my initials were at the top of all those machines! I was the top-dog, damnit!"

      Sorry, had to get that out of my system. My teenage daughter got too embarrassed when I did that routine at Gameworks....I can't imagine why...

    14. Re:Always wondered by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ah, actually I remember it as :
      up up down down left right left right b a select start. I'm pretty DAMN sure that's right.

  37. Congratulations! by DojoMojoLojo · · Score: -1, Troll

    To mark this special occasion, here is some spam.

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    to opt out click reply you will be removed instantly

    --
    Double sigs are cool
    --
    Double sigs are cool
  38. Sega... by i64X · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Sega always cought a bum rap... I hope the author of this book didn't confuse the timing of the Dreamcast like it implies in this article. The Dreamcast wasn't pitted up against the N64 and the PlayStation, it was released WAY after that.... Most people get Sega's timing WAY wrong because they were so far ahead of the game.

    People compare the Sega Genesis to the Super NES. The Genesis was released WAY before the SNES was, and was pitted against the NES for sales, not the SNES. Sega had 16-bit first, and fastest.

    The SATURN was set to battle against the PSX and the N64, not the Dreamcast! They were all released about the same time (with the exception of the N64, because we all know how Nintendo likes to promise things on a certain date and deliver them a couple years later...) The Saturn failed miserably against the other two because for one, it was $399 at launch, and two it was so hard to program for. The only good games for Saturn came from AM2... Sega's in-house developer... with titles like Virtua Fighter 2, Sega Rally Champoinship, and Daytona USA 2.

    The Dreamcast was released years after the PSX and N64, and was the first 128-bit console on the market.... WAY before PS2 or GameCube. The Dreamcast was an innovative console and graphics- and sound- wise obviously ate the PSX and the N64. If the Dreamcast would have been released at the same time as the N64 and the PSX, Sony's PSX would have flopped worse at the time than XBOX is right now.

    Sega had always been my favorite, and always had the most amazing stuff out first... but let's forget the massive amount of failures that they also released besides the Saturn... namely Sega CD (although it was one of the first CD systems), Sega CDX, Mars 32X, and the Master System II. :)

    1. Re:Sega... by stoolpigeon · · Score: 1

      I love my Genesis. I keep it sitting on top of my DVD player. I don't play it all the time and I don't own a ton of games but I really like the few that I own and if I suddenly find myself w/an hour to relax- it beats watching the pablum that passes for television lately.

      SEGA Rocks!

      .

      --
      It's hard to believe that's how Micronians are made. Why don't we see it right now by having you both kiss one another?
    2. Re:Sega... by FunkSoulBrother · · Score: 1

      FEATURE SEGA S-NES

      Process 68000 65816 Custom
      Speed 7.6 MHz 3.6 MHz
      Colors 512 32768
      On Screen 64 256
      Resolution 320 x 224 512 x 448
      Sprites 80 128
      Size 32 x 64 64 x 64
      Sound 10 Channels 8 Channels
      Feature Scaling & Rotation

      Bah, perhaps they had a faster processor and were there first, but the SNES was CLEARLY the better machine.

    3. Re:Sega... by i64X · · Score: 0

      This is EXACTLY what I'm talking about... you can't compare the SNES to the Genesis, because Nintendo had several YEARS to improve on the technology. Comparing the Genesis to the SNES is like comparing a Pentium II 350Mhz PC to a Pentium III 700Mhz machine that was released a few years later... ofcourse the PIII is going to be superior... 3 years is a LONG time to improve on technology.

      Apples and oranges.

  39. True, but by Genghis+Troll · · Score: -1

    As the games both historic and growing swath of e games, have a history.
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  40. Rogue? by eyepeepackets · · Score: 1

    No mention of Rogue? *boggle* If the subject is computer games and they start with pong and not Rogue then they're missing a big chunk of history.

    Would this be a chunking vulnerability? I donno.

    --
    Everything in the Universe sucks: It's the law!
  41. Verbosity... e-Spiraling... out of... i-Control! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    Jesus, Jon, most of the articles Slashdot gets are as long as your abstracts! Repeat after me:

    "Brevity is a virtue."

    "I will not coin new e-Buzzwords or i-Acronyms."

    "I will not preach to the choir."

    Well, I can always hope, can't I?

  42. where is gaming going next? by peteshaw · · Score: 5, Insightful
    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.

    --
    www.avacal.com -- the home page of pete shaw
    1. Re:where is gaming going next? by ronfar · · Score: 1
      Well, at the Ybor City Gameworks (Tampa Bay) they have a ladies night every Thursday (ladies play free on Thursdays and they have other stuff.) Oh, and they have a full bar.

      Of course, they aren't my type of arcade games, too modern. But at least they have one Capcom vs. SNK machine for old guys like me, and a few older games ...

      Rutgers used to have a killer arcade, I wonder if they still do? That was back when you had to stand in line for Street Fighter II.

      --
      All the creatures will die, And all the things will be broken. That's the law of samurai. (Jubai, 1605)
    2. Re:where is gaming going next? by Telastyn · · Score: 2

      My workplace has a pinball machine and dreamcast as a fixture. It's always impressive to see the pinball high scores come up with CEO xx,xxx,xxx every so often.

      I heard of a few places in SFbay like the gaming parlors. Pretty much a dance club that's back room is a lan center.

    3. Re:where is gaming going next? by chill182 · · Score: 2, Informative

      I completely agree. Although it is still fun to go to arcades. Dance Dance Revolution can sometimes gather a crowd and brings that social aspect back.

      Kids (and when I say kids I mean teenagers, even though I'm 22 they seem like a completely different generation) have no concept of a high score. They can't understand a game that is impossible to complete.

      I agree that there needs to be more social places to play video games (though I really like GameWorks). But first someone needs to build computers that can standup to a bar atmosphere.

      As for home consoles there are some great party games: You don't know jack for PS1, Mario Party for N64, Warlords for Atari 2600.

    4. Re:where is gaming going next? by CaseyB · · Score: 2
      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.

      Not at all. That's like saying that playing games in all the arcades in the world scales out too big. You're not in one room with 100,000 players at once. Once you get into an online game, you'll find your peers through realm, guild, profession, allegiance, or whatever the game has built in. The best online games have thought about the problem finding peers/friends, and it's part of the architecture. Ingame voice is only a year or two away, and it'll make things a little more personal.

      Wired this month had a great article on how urban Korean has spawned a series of gaming parlor's where people would go and play warcraft or whatever in a social environment.

      Get out much? There are "Counterstrike Parlors" in every major city.

    5. Re:where is gaming going next? by lobiusmoop · · Score: 0

      sheesh. 2 words. Lan Party.

      --
      "I bless every day that I continue to live, for every day is pure profit."
    6. Re:where is gaming going next? by FunkSoulBrother · · Score: 1

      I don't know about all the social jazz.. i mean, I made friend on everquest via 2,500 person servers and A LOT of time spent.

      Yahoo pool though, put 50,000 people together, and you never see the same one again.

      as for high scores (which i still love) there is www.twingalaxies.com and they are good anal high score geeks properly fitted to the task of recordkeeping.

    7. Re:where is gaming going next? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The answer: Online gaming in persistent worlds. Try Final Fantasy XI.

  43. Note: Only illustrated history, not definitive by Torgo's+Pizza · · Score: 5, Informative
    I was talking to John Romero about this book last week (turns out that he provided a lot of the pictures) and we both agree this is a fantastic book to get your hands on. While High Score provides lots of glossy pictures, including five or six covers of Akalabeth (minus the ziplock bag), High Score doesn't cover the entire history of gaming. It's a great starting point for researching a fantastic industry.

    I highly recommend looking also at Phoenix: The Rise and Fall of Video Games which covers the history of console games more completely. There's also Game Over which details the history of Nintendo from a playing card company to the giant it became in the early 90's. There are others, but more are needed.

    The history of video games is sorely underreported and under appreciated. Already many electronic games are disappearing as hardware and platforms become unavailable. The Abandonware scene is alive and well, but quietly our gaming history is disappearing. I encourage all Slashdot readers to read up on your gaming history and try to preserve a great and thriving culture.

    1. Re:Note: Only illustrated history, not definitive by BigJimSlade · · Score: 2

      The history of video games is sorely underreported and under appreciated. Already many electronic games are disappearing as hardware and platforms become unavailable. The Abandonware scene is alive and well, but quietly our gaming history is disappearing. I encourage all Slashdot readers to read up on your gaming history and try to preserve a great and thriving culture.

      I have to agree with this. I'm a big fan of what "rom-dumping" projects are doing, even if most people consider them to be piracy in the short term. Culture or sub-culture, it's part of who most of us (on /. anyway) are. Maybe not to the grandoise scale that Katz makes it out to be, but none the less important to document.

      I would like to see a similar book on the history of video games in Japan. It may seem to overlap a fair amount, but it is quite different. For instance the dominant system in Japan at the end of the 80's was the PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16 in the States), not the NES as it was over here. Also, the types of games that are popular in Japan are vastly different than in the US. Look through the screenshots of arcade games supported by MAME and try to count how man Mahjong games came out in Japanese arcades!

      Also, for some great pictures of games from the late '70s to early '80s, check out Supercade (no, I am not affiliated with ThinkGeek.com -- buy it from where ever the hell you want!). Published by MIT Press, this book gets some of the facts wrong, but it's worth picking up just for the screenshots and pictures.

  44. YOUR POST MADE MORE SENSE THAN KATZ'S ARTICLE. by Subject+Line+Troll · · Score: -1
  45. Sounds like an interesting book by interstellar_donkey · · Score: 4, Funny

    But is it filled with the same sort of in-your-face 'look this is important because it compleatly re-defined our culture' that the review is? Or is it a good text that objectivly outlines the history and development of video games that the modern historian would find interesting and perhaps as a source text for future historians after the real cultural impact of video games has been discovered?

    If it's the former, I would'nt want to read it. Speculitive works on the cultural attributes of technologies that are still emerging are typically usless. It would be like writing a book in 1909 on the cultural impact of the automobile.

    Somehow I suspect this is more of the reviewer inserting his own 'golly gee look how technology is changing our lives' world view... but you never know.

    --
    The Internet is generally stupid
    1. Re:Sounds like an interesting book by ronfar · · Score: 1
      Somehow I suspect this is more of the reviewer inserting his own 'golly gee look how technology is changing our lives' world view... but you never know.
      Well, note that it is a John Katz review. He's famous for articles in which he injects the whole "this changed world wide culture, etc." even if he's talking about pocket lint.
      --
      All the creatures will die, And all the things will be broken. That's the law of samurai. (Jubai, 1605)
  46. Wow! by Thomas+M+Hughes · · Score: 2

    They are a gazillion-dollar business, already surpassing films in revenues.

    A Gazillion-dollar business? Is this fancy new research techniques where you use child like number references instead of looking up the value yourself? "Multi-Billion" I would have bought. I even would have bought "Trillion." "Gazillion" seems a bit over the top.

  47. Its time now! by m4g02 · · Score: 0

    Now its time to be proud!!! Im proud (very proud) of many things, i played Final Fantasy 1 in the NES when it was brand new, same with Ultima for the PC and NES, im proud to spend hours (as a child) trying to read a Final Fantasy 2 dialog (i didnt know english back then... not like i know it very welll now =P). IM PROUD!!! IM PROUD!!! IM VERY PROUD!!! Im proud i played pacman, arknoid and defender in the chips!!! and proud that i got the first intellivision!!!, but what im not proud of, not at all, is of born after pong was realased... I will never forgive me... TIME to PAYBACK!!!, AMO her i go to play 20 hours a day!!! (I need to sleep)

    --
    Sigs are for morons... Wait a minute...
  48. Does anyone remember...? by A+Big+Gnu+Thrush · · Score: 2
    Does anyone remember a robot game from the 1980's that taught hexadecimal and binary math? I think it was published by Broderbund, but I could be wrong. I read a review of it in Byte -- also had a review of Where in the World in Carmen San Diego on the same page. I thought it was a cool idea. The reviewer, IIRC, believed the game was fun enough that children would play it in spite of the educational overtones.

    Anyone?

    1. Re:Does anyone remember...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I seem to remember a game like this for the c64 also... You started out as robot type 001, and you had to roam around this screen filled with other robots with different model numbers, like 153, 074, 655, etc... and then when you encountered one you had to fight, but it was like some sort of "hacking" , and it involved math of some sort. You only had a certain number of "modules" or something, and the better the robot, the more of these modules it had, so the more "attacks" it had so to speak.. Aww man it was the coolest. I played it at a friends house but just as I was getting to understand it, he moved away and I never managed to remember the name... :( anyone knows it ? email me at unixb0y at hushmail dot calm.

      thanks,

    2. Re:Does anyone remember...? by Ashyukun · · Score: 1

      I'm not sure if it's the same game, but I remember a game I had for my Color Computer that involved robots and basic circuit design where you had to 'wire' robots to solve puzzles... I can't remember what it's called anymore :/

    3. Re:Does anyone remember...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I seem to remember a game like this for the c64 also... You started out as robot type 001, and you had to roam around this screen filled with other robots with different model numbers, like 153, 074, 655, etc...

      Paradroid by Andrew Braybrook. One of the greatest games of all time IMO.

    4. Re:Does anyone remember...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You know, I think you might be right.. That does sound familiar!!! Paradroid.. And you remember the author's name too!?! wow. Paul is that you?

    5. Re:Does anyone remember...? by fishbowl · · Score: 2

      Paradroid.

      It's worth playing now. It runs really well on VICE, and if I could, I would make a C64 ROM cartridge of it.

      I wish there was a pc version; and I'd even like to see an updated take on the game...

      --
      -fb Everything not expressly forbidden is now mandatory.
  49. fuck you! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    eat dick!

  50. R.O.B.B.?!?!?! by Drunken_Jackass · · Score: 1

    I loved Raid on Bungeling Bay on the C64!!!

    Does anyone know if there's a flash version somewhere, or anything outside of a C64 emulator that is playable?

    Brings me back...

    --
    There are 01 types of people in this world. Those that understand binary, and me.
    1. Re:R.O.B.B.?!?!?! by fishbowl · · Score: 2

      > I loved Raid on Bungeling Bay on the C64!!!

      The emulators really aren't bad at all; try vice.

      Since reading your post, I've installed and played it on the Vice that comes with debian. Can't wait to get home and run it on a real breadbox; thanks!!

      --
      -fb Everything not expressly forbidden is now mandatory.
  51. Raid on Bungeling Bay by BrookHarty · · Score: 3, Informative

    There is a java port of Raid on Bungeling Bay. I spent many hours playing this on the c64, one of my favorite c64 games. Also played Trolls and Tribulations. quite a bit. (When I was much younger, lol)

    You really know its a small world, when your neighbors invent Myst. Video games has been part of my culture here in the Pacific Northwest, I have made many friends who are either directors of large game companies, owners, and some who are just hard core programers and gfx artists. Funny, most of my friends growing up are in the tech field, support, sys-admins, or programmers. Dont even get them started on the "Old Days" of computers, everything from vic-20s, tsr80s, apples2e/2gs converstations...

    left, right, left, right, a, b, start

  52. Who better to write this review... by SkyLeach · · Score: 1, Troll

    than the l337 |v|4Z73|2 himself, John Katz...

    --
    My $0.02 will always be worth more than your â0.02, so :-p
  53. We got it. Its the "net." by mekkab · · Score: 2

    Aren't there clans that combat on the net?!

    Can't the PS2 via TONY HAWK ]I[ internet up and play other consoles?

    At the mall down the street they have a bunch of machines networked and when I'm there when the kids are, thats where they're playing.

    When you have a high concentration of young'ins (i.e. college dorm) you get them crowding around arcade games, consoles in rooms, heck, even crowded around my mac going head to head on a tron light-cycles ripoff (called nort!). When you get older, and have a house, and move out, etc. etc. networking is where its at.

    We are not losers playing video games by ourselves! We are losers playing videogames with other losers!

    --
    In the future, I would want to not be isolated from my friends in the Space Station.
  54. E-nough is *enough*! by BlackHawk · · Score: 3, Insightful
    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).

    --

    Believe nothing, not even if I say it, if it violates your sense of reason -- Buddha

    1. Re:E-nough is *enough*! by Reductionist · · Score: 1

      the vast majority will join the great consumer-base that is the foundation of American society and culture.

      Oh yes... Geeks for all their quirks and mistrust of corporations are some of the biggest consumers of American culture.

      The sad part is that Americans areincreasingly referred to by the politicians and media as being consumers instead of citizens. Citizenship, along with its rights and privileges, implies that individuals have a responsibility to their community on the local and national level. Being a consumer on the otherhand implies no responsibility whatsoever, as the only thing that matters is an individuals right to freedom of choice when it comes to acquiring goods or services.

      I'm curious how many readers of Slashdot get involved in the community where they live. The stereotypical impression of most geeks is that they prefer to live their lives online and avoid dealing with the real world at all costs. I was certainly that way when I was younger when I preferred the escape that computer games offered over the difficulties and challenges of dealing with the real world. However, I've noticed that the older I get, how empty the constructs of the geek world seem to be. Thus my passion in life has slowly turned from computers and the virtual world to building real places worth caring about in the physical world.

      I'm not knocking people who like to play videogames for fun, but c'mon you have to admit they're an escape from reality for far too many people in this country(Evercrack being the best example). But then again its easy to see why so many Americans want an escape, whether its through computer/video games, alcohol/drugs/pr0n, or the mind numbing infotainment beamed out by the corporate media machine. The simple fact is that when we abandoned our cities, we trashed our local generators of history and culture in favor of a discount priced corporate monoculture. We created a whole nation of places not worth caring about, a landscape that at best has all the charm of an office park and at worst is a national automobile slum.

      Now just imagine for a second that all of the geeks decided to focus their talents on improving the physical world.. Imagine if we really built fantastical cities and landscapes instead of relegating them to the world of movies and videogames.

      Just imagine..

    2. Re:E-nough is *enough*! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      At first, I thought Katz was a gifted teenage journalist, someone with true insight and awareness, writing post-Colombine stories and so forth.

      When I found out that he was nothing of the sort, I lost interest, (and got creeped out.)

  55. At some point, games peak by aftk2 · · Score: 1

    Anyone notice that the excitement you feel toward some sort of gaming opportunity peaks at a certain point? For the most part, I'm as excited about Game X coming in Q4 2002 as I was for Game Y in 1998. Warcraft III looks great, but my enthusiasm toward it is a pale shadow of my excitement at picking up Shining Force/Shining Force 2 for the Genesis, or Phantasy Star IV. Is this just the way of things as technology advances - excitement levels off, even as the capabilities of games improve? Am I simply a nostalgic twit? Or can revolutionary games actually make a gamer more interested in gaming as a whole, than he/she was 4 years ago?

    If so, what are the games that accomplish this? Are there any game revolutions any more? I remember Doom, and then Duke Nukem changing the way I thought about action games, and FF2 changing the way I thought about RPGs, with Daggerfall later obliterating that standard (even though its complexity was maddening at times.) Games are looking more beautiful and more realistic all the time...but in my experience this isn't enough by itself. Are games generally getting better, or worse? Is GTA3 a game that "ups the gaming ante," so to speak? Neverwinter Nights? What are some others?

    --
    concrete5: a cms made for marketing, but strong enough for geeks.
    1. Re:At some point, games peak by ronfar · · Score: 1
      In my opinion, there has been a change in the way that video games, I mean especially console games, are marketed that has led to the current decline in video game quality. There has been a decline in overall video game quality, in my opinion.

      The most important thing about video games currently is how they look. In the old days, games balanced user interface and graphics. Some games might have bad graphics but have great UIs, and some games might have good graphics and lousy UIs, but generally speaking there was a level of balance. Then came the whole "3D era" (which I actually consider the polygon era) which was ushered in by Nintendo and Sony (Sega were late to the party, adding "3D" capability to their systems at the last minute). In this period, the most important thing about a game was that it used polygons, not how it played. The fact is, I have yet to play a platformer or Street Fighter type of fighting game that was actually better because it was done in polygons. I also wonder what the point of doing certain types of games, like RPGs, in polygons when they seemed to work so well with detailed sprite graphics (I also think that polygons are detrimental to the appearance of RPGs).

      Part of this is taste. If you like sprite graphics you aren't going to like polygon graphics until they look just like sprite graphics. It's sort of like the difference between people who prefer traditional cel animation to something like Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.

      Marketing comes into this because the ability to push polygons and do math related to that became the benchmark that replaced bits. (It could have been worse, though, Sega wanted the benchmark to be how well a game system could do "Full Motion Video" see the large number of horrid FMV games for the Sega CD.) Even now, when people compare systems, they talk about things like polygon counts and bump mapping. (During the SNES/Genesis wars, bits and megaherz were the things people used, hence Sega's infamous "blast processing" marketing campaign.)

      This is important because companies have been known to emphasize polygon games while giving short shrift to decent sprite based games. Sega suppressed Eternal Champions for Saturn because they didn't want that sprite based game to compete with Virtua Fighter. Sony has been known to suppress games that use sprite graphics in the US market for this reason. I'm not even sure if the N64 can do sprite based action games, although Ogre Battle seems to be sprite based.

      Incidentally, I realize that some people (probably the majority) prefer polygon graphics to sprite graphics. It's a matter of taste, but I prefer sprite graphics. (Though there are a few polygon games I really like like Sacrifice and System Shock II.)

      --
      All the creatures will die, And all the things will be broken. That's the law of samurai. (Jubai, 1605)
    2. Re:At some point, games peak by FunkSoulBrother · · Score: 1

      That was a wonderful writeup.

      I knew these polygons were only going to be good in certain situations the minute i saw them, before the N64 and PS1... when i played StarFox on my SNES, i knew... something just wasn't right.

      I agree that it is a genre by genre thing. For Shooters and flying games (much as I didn't like Star Fox) polygons are the way to go.

      For platformer (my favorite kind of game) I really think detailed sprites are the best way. Imagine what kind of sprites a PS2 could push out! Though i did thouroughly enjoy Mario 64, but more for the puzzles than the platformy goodness.

      For RPGs, I loved sprite games like FF3, and I've also enjoyed some 3D ones. I think its a matter of taste. Its a lot easier to enjoy a cookiecutter sprite RPG than a cookiecutter 3D one, though. I hate playing bad 3d games, entering the tavern, and there was nothing there besides a box for a table.

      I guess its just an issue of taste, though.

  56. But they fry your brain right? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Next we'll see something on slashdot about the cultural universality of frontal lobotomies or something.

  57. yet another article on 'video games' by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    which is oblivious to the C64, BBC, Amiga, Atari ST, Spectrum, (insert 'home computer' here)

  58. It's Ralph Baer, no "i" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The inventor of the first video game - developed at a defense contractor, of all places - is still in New Hampshire:

    http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/main.asp?Search=1 &A rticleID=43867&SectionID=17&SubSectionID=327&S =1

  59. E-games? by saintlupus · · Score: 0, Troll

    E-games are now both historic and significant, representations of the birth of a culture.

    E-games? What the fuck is an E-games?

    Christ, Katz, give it up. I know the only thing you want to hear is some talking head on CNN saying "The term [whatever] was coined by super-cool post-Columbine geek champion Jon Katz." It's not going to happen. Shut your fucking cakehole and stop making words up already.

    --saint

  60. JonKatz is a good reviewer by RumGunner · · Score: 2

    He should write more reviews. I usually don't care for his articles, but I like this review.

    1. Re:JonKatz is a good reviewer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Is that sarcasm? I hope so. Katz seems to have too much shit for breakfast before he wrote this one.

  61. So many moderation points, so little time by sielwolf · · Score: 4, Funny

    I have some moderation points sitting in front of me. Is there any way I can mod down a couple sentences in this article?

    They embody a value system, mind-boggling inspiration, common language and experience. Huh?

    But then I figured it out. I realized that I just needed to run it through babelfish a few times and then I got the original decrypted message:
    They include a worthy system, inspiration of lie-hesitate, common language and experience. And they finally receive their defeated.

    I wonder if Katz writes all of his articles that way?

    --
    What is music when you despise all sound?
  62. ABC - 1200000 by Mupp252 · · Score: 1

    "Electronic games have spread the psychology of interactivity, re-defined narrative, and are a huge and growing swath of pop culture."

    How can something so good be so bad?

  63. "primitive pinballs"... by SoSueMe · · Score: 1

    One of my laptops runs ME. I use it for games. I like the challenge of pinball on it, which will "Tilt" first: the game or the machine.

  64. Is this a book review or an editorial? by GuyMannDude · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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

    --
    watch this
    1. Re:Is this a book review or an editorial? by new-black-hand · · Score: 1, Informative

      The majority of people over the age of 30 do not currently play videogames and only vaguely remember the games they played as kids.

      Get your facts right

      GAMING POPULATION BY AGE 13-17 19.8%
      18-24 17.8%
      25-34 18.6%
      35-44 22.8%
      45-54 15.4%
      55+ 5.6%
      (PC Data)

      From: Wired 9.05

  65. Becoming a big industry is a double edged sword. by FortKnox · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Gaming is a big industry! Yay! Developers get money and we get great games, right?

    Not really.

    Big business is a double edged sword. Game publishers will only fund games that they know will make money. So instead of a great new game, you get a clone of the current best sellers. Innovation gets the boot in favor of the same games with prettier graphics.

    The only people that can really bring out innovation are major game gurus like the incredible Warren Spector, or Sid Meiers. The best chance for you to bring out innovation is to make a mod of a current game on your own time, and hope you can get enough attention for a publisher to take a chance on one of your ideas.

    This is what is currently bugging me about the video game industry... FPS aren't doing it anymore. We need FPS/RPGs like Deus Ex. FPS with a MAJOR TWIST like the Thief series. Deathmatch is dull, CapTheFlag has been done everywhere. We need a new style of online gaming for FPS. I ahven't seen DoomIII, yet, only heard about it. What I've heard from E3 is that its REALLY SWEET graphics, but they only went around and shot one or two enemies. Booooring.

    Innovation is what this industry needs. How do we get it??

    --
    Good quote, too many chars. Seriously, the slashdot 120 char limit sucks!
  66. They're bad by airship · · Score: 2, Informative

    I knew many of the people chronicled in this book, and I can say that it is well-written, well-documented, well-illustrated, well-designed, well-made, and, well, just plain good. Even the fact that Katz likes it can't change that.

    But don't forget that video games are bad for you. It was reported on Slashdot, so it can't be wrong!

    --
    Serving your airship needs since 1995.
  67. Colossal Cave? by Zabu · · Score: 0

    take lamp
    take keys
    take bottle
    west
    south
    south
    unlock grate
    down
    west
    west
    take cage
    light lamp
    west
    west
    catch bird
    east
    east
    take rod
    XYZZY

    Oh, we all know ABACABB also!

    --
    It's all good.
  68. The real reason Jon Katz posts articles... by oobeleck · · Score: 4, Funny
    Deep inside Slashdot headquarters...

    CmdrTaco: Curse it all... Another slow news day. We must do SOMETHING to keep the traffic up.

    Timothy: You aren't thinking....

    chrisd: Please God no, not again.

    CmdrTaco: Drastic times call for drastic measures boys... Release the Katz..

    chrisd: *sobbing*

    CmdrTaco: May God forgive my soul.

  69. Give me a break by evilpenguin · · Score: 4, Funny

    Replace "video game" with "masturbation" throughout this piece and you might be on to something. Good Lord, man! Video games are boredom killing machines. They make television look positively benevolent. Just imagine what wonders the youth of the world might be making if they weren't sitting slack-jawed in front of televisions sets, virtually kicking the shit out of BEM's. Maybe that is the cultural heritage of video games. Passivity and amusement. Frankly, I'd rather they were masturbating. I can see some value in that.

    1. Re:Give me a break by prestomation · · Score: 0, Troll

      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 masturbation, 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 masturbation arcades (many now closed due to the power of personal computing), and private homes were invaded by Atari, Intellevision and ColecoVision's masturbation 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 masturbating. "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 masturbation become very big business, and the companies themselves begin to merge and consolidate." Many maturbaters are now old enough to appreciate that they have a history. But many people still don't grasp how significant masturbating 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 Masturbater 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 masturbater-by-masturbater, breakthrough-by-breakthrough historical context that makes the book so compelling, and so important. Masturbating 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-masturbaters, both in terms of game creators and the masturbaters 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.

    2. Re:Give me a break by KingKire64 · · Score: 1

      Games subbed for masterbation here you go:

      Remember Pong, Raid on Bungeling Bay, or Earthworm Jim? E-masterbation 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 masterbation 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 masterbation are the stories of the transition from one age to another. Electronic masterbation 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 masterbation, 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.

      --
      "All I can tell the "lesser of two evils" folks is that if they keep voting for evil, they'll keep getting evil."-Lp.org
    3. Re:Give me a break by Kredal · · Score: 1

      Bah, how did that get modded down as "troll"? That was even funnier than the original article, and more truthful, too!

      "broadband revolutionized masturbating."

      "Developmental budgets skyrocket, interactive masturbation become very big business, and the companies themselves begin to merge and consolidate." Many maturbaters are now old enough to appreciate that they have a history. But many people still don't grasp how significant masturbating has become."

      How true is that?

      --
      Whoever stated that signature sizes should be limited to one hundred and twenty characters can just go ahead and kiss my
    4. Re:Give me a break by evilpenguin · · Score: 3, Insightful

      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.

    5. Re:Give me a break by budalite · · Score: 1

      Absolutely. This first time I ever saw a game with *any* sort of a "plot" (Spacequest II), I dumped every single 'video game' and never spent another quarter in an arcade. Mustaben a few like-minded folk: Arcades went the way of the comic books stands, in the corner drug stores, which were right next to the "Real Detective Magazines", which I ...um, never mind.

      Here's a question: Myst I, II, & III were wildly popular and made huge money. Why no competition? Even WarCraft III pretty much pales next to MystX.

  70. You are getting a bit jaded. by RatBastard · · Score: 1

    You are getting a bit jaded. I mean no insult by this. Honest. It has happened to me as well. DOOM was a "wet my pants" game. My wife used to quietly laugh at me when I would duck and dodge in my chair, or peer at my monitor at an angle trying to see around a corner. No game since has enthralled me like DOOM did. Is that because DOOM was so good that nothing as good has been made in the last 9.5 years? No. I've just gotten used to FPS games and know what to expect. It's no longer "Gee, whiz! This is all so new!".

    It's kinda like sex. The first few times you get some it's an amazing, life-changing thing. After (counts on fingers) 19 years of an active sex life, it's not quite so amazing anymore. It's still fun, and it still fills a need and all, but I don't think about the last tiime for weeks afterwords like I did 19 years ago.

    --
    Boobies never hurt anyone. - Sherry Glaser.
    1. Re:You are getting a bit jaded. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Please, spell the name properly. It's DooM.

  71. Rocky's Boots. by dsandler · · Score: 1
    I think you're thinking of Rocky's Boots (more info), written by Warren Robinett and published by The Learning Company (which he founded; now subsumed into Broderbund, I think) in 1982.

    [I personally remember playing that game at school (on our single Apple ][) whenever I could get the chance. It wasn't until years later that I saw those symbols again and realized what the game had really been about!]

    1. Re:Rocky's Boots. by Ashyukun · · Score: 1

      Hmm. That does look similar, but not quite. If I remember right, the game's plot was something about you getting sucked into a computer and having to find and re-wire these robots to go through mazes, pick up key-cards, and all sorts of other things.

  72. AI in games by screwthemoderators · · Score: 1

    Its always impressed me that Artificial Intelligence has found so much use in video games, I hope this book has some mention of AI

    --
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signature_bloc
  73. What they don't tell you is ... by BabyDave · · Score: 1
    ... that if you complete each chapter in under a minute, you get access to the special "Bonus Appendix" with answers to questions such as
    • What is the secret of Monkey Island?
    • The Sentinel - WTF?
    • Why do film-game conversions almost always suck?
    • Will Duke Nukem Forever actually be released someday?
    1. Re:What they don't tell you is ... by Dr.+Shim · · Score: 1

      Are there any cheats for this one? :>

      --
      People discover the meaning of life between getting piss drunk and the following hangover.
  74. My Jon Katz detector worked! by sterno · · Score: 1

    Okay, I started to read the paragraph without actually checking who the article was by. I got to the following line:

    E-games are now both historic and significant...
    And I was like E-GAMES??? Who the hell uses terms like that? And then I thought, "this has got to be Katz." Sure enough, it is.

    --
    This sig has been temporarily disconnected or is no longer in service
    1. Re:My Jon Katz detector worked! by Kredal · · Score: 2

      My Jon Katz detector didn't go off until it got to the phrase "representations of the birth of a culture"

      I guess it still needs some work.

      --
      Whoever stated that signature sizes should be limited to one hundred and twenty characters can just go ahead and kiss my
  75. He isn't, is he? by sam_handelman · · Score: 3, Funny

    You are not Spike Lee.

    Have you ever actually seen Jon Katz? Sure, there are a couple of photos on the web, but those could be anybody.
    Using Concordance (the software used to unmask Joe Klein as the author of primary colors; also used to classify works of literature) I have concluded that, in fact, Jon Katz IS Spike Lee. Or at least that these articles and the screen plays attributed to Spike Lee were written by the same person. It explains so much, I'm surprised it didn't occur to me earlier.

    --
    The good and new comes from no quarter where it is looked for, and is always something different from what is expected.
    1. Re:He isn't, is he? by br0ck · · Score: 2

      Here's Jon Katz from this article which is as clear as anything I've seen him write, even though it's translated from French. I definitely see the Spike Lee resemblance.

    2. Re:He isn't, is he? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Concordance" is not a single piece of software. It is a family of techniques for description and discrimination of literature. Please read more carefully in the future.

  76. Dave And Busters' by Geeyzus · · Score: 2

    Have you ever been to a Dave And Buster's? They have locations nationwide and are the new wave of arcades. They carry the newest games and have a restaurant inside them as well as multiple bars, also pool tables and other things.

    This is about as close as you are going to come to the old arcade days.

    Unfortunately too, games now are different. Game makers no longer make games that increase in difficulty over and over, and allow you to play for long periods of time on one quarter. Most new games are tailored to require a coin drop within a few minutes, tops. If you don't believe me, try to name a new game that would let you play through it till the end on one play like Ms. PacMan or any of the other old-school arcade games... so now, the old "high-score" mentality is no longer there in my opinion. Now it's more of a 3-minute attraction that you pay 50 cents to a dollar to play, and then you move on.

    But if you are looking for a place to (and I quote you here) "play games, hang out, drink beer, meet girls", Dave And Busters' is THE place you are looking for... check it out.

    And no I don't work there, I just think it's a cool place to hang out and have fun. :)

    Mark

  77. Does it cover... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The last videogame book I read, Game over, excluded large and signifigant parts of videogame history: it behaved as if the Intellivision, Odyssey2, Sega Master System, and Turbografx never existed. Also, it focused on the united states, leaving the gaming culture of the rest of the world in question. Is this book the same way?

  78. Bowling alley babes? by GuyMannDude · · Score: 2

    What gaming needs is the equivalent of a bowling alley. Someplace to go be online, play games, hang out, drink beer, meet girls.

    I dunno about that one, dude. Have you actually seen the chicks that hang out at bowling alleys? Many of them are shaped like bowling balls themselves! And talking to these chicks is your plan for not feeling like a "loser" anymore? I don't know about you, man.

    All in gest, peteshaw .... :)

    GMD

    --
    watch this
  79. One Last Correction... by cnelzie · · Score: 1

    Jeeze... I can't believe I remember this...

    Up, Up, Down, Down, A, B, B, A, Select, Start ...Especially since video games turn off the beta-waves in the frontal lobe causing one to lose creativity and of course concen--

    Hmm... Donuts... *drool* ..and in retrospect, the end of the 19th century lead to the belief system that...

    What was I talking about?

    Oh yeah, Konami Rocked! With that uh... Iran Contra thing, darnit Ollie...

    -.-

    --
    If you ignore the other uses of a tool, does that make the tool less useful, or you less useful?
  80. Wrong Title by Trak · · Score: 1

    The title starts with "High Score!" not "High Scores:" in case any of you are searching your preferred online bookstores for it.

    1. Re:Wrong Title by terry_dyne · · Score: 1

      Katz gets the simplest of facts wrong. Imagine our surprise....

      More significantly, this book was published in April 2002. How does a book review that's four months tardy count as news?

      Hey Jonboy, how's that Jonathan Livingston Seagull review coming along?

  81. Correction by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    After checking my figures online, the correct value is ka-jillion. This obviously makes more sense than Katz' absurd gazillion.

  82. Re:Becoming a big industry is a double edged sword by Dr.+Shim · · Score: 1

    I completly agree with you! Latley, I've been playing Space Quest V, and Day of the Tenticle. Somehow I find them more fun to play then the latest Quake, even though the graphics are below atrocious.
    I believe gaming is becomming something like Television is now. Empty, repedetive, lack of creativness, and mind numbing!
    I find it intersting that you point out that industries will only fund games that will make money, which usually is a mimic of another game.
    We need more games like Black & White!

    --
    People discover the meaning of life between getting piss drunk and the following hangover.
  83. Don't worry by GuyMannDude · · Score: 2

    The history of video games is sorely underreported and under appreciated. Already many electronic games are disappearing as hardware and platforms become unavailable. The Abandonware scene is alive and well, but quietly our gaming history is disappearing. I encourage all Slashdot readers to read up on your gaming history and try to preserve a great and thriving culture.

    You don't need to worry about losing videogame history. It is simply becoming a part of our contemporary value system, mind-boggling inspiration, common language and experience.

    GMD

    --
    watch this
  84. best book for old school computer games by kisrael · · Score: 2

    This is the first nostalgia videogame books I've seen that has a significant focus on the old computer games-- Raid on Bungeling Bay is a good example of an old fav of mine, stuff like Star Control 2, the old SSI Wargameas, all that stuff--with lots of boxart and behind-the-scenes design stuff and what have you. Other good books like Supercade, Phoenix, Arcade Fever, etc mostly focus on the consoles and the arcade.

    --
    SO YOU'RE GOING TO DIE: The Comic for Dealing with Death
  85. USA-centric by nattt · · Score: 1

    This book seems to miss out almost completely on the global perspective. Computer games didn't just happen in the USA. Many very important titles came out of Europe in the 80's, especially the UK - none of which seem to be mentioned. What about such classics as Manic Miner, Uridium, Jet Pac, Monty Mole, Paradroid etc.

    --
    -- oldthinkers unbellyfeel ingsoc
    1. Re:USA-centric by stoolpigeon · · Score: 1

      You're right.

      It's ignoring a lot of games that my friends and I wrote in the 80's as well. They were huge amongst the other computer room geeks at my school.

      What a sucky book not to include every game from every where.

      There should be a U.S. Centric post on every single thread on /. because when there isn't I forget that other countries even exist.

      .

      --
      It's hard to believe that's how Micronians are made. Why don't we see it right now by having you both kiss one another?
    2. Re:USA-centric by nattt · · Score: 1

      QED

      --
      -- oldthinkers unbellyfeel ingsoc
    3. Re:USA-centric by British · · Score: 2

      It's funy you should mention that. I noticed a lot of the racing-themed games come out of the UK.

      All 3 Carmageddons came from SCI.

      Demolition racer: no exit came from Pitbull.

      Grand Theft Auto came from DMA.

    4. Re:USA-centric by irix · · Score: 2
      What about such classics as Manic Miner, Uridium, Jet Pac, Monty Mole, Paradroid etc.

      Ok, I'll bite. I've owned a PC (and used it for gaming) for 16 years and various consoles for even longer, but I've never even heard of any of these games. And I don't even live in the US!

      Care to enlighten on us on why they are classics?

      --

      Do you even know anything about perl? -- AC Replying to Tom Christiansen post.
    5. Re:USA-centric by Brummund · · Score: 1


      A PC? No wonder you haven't heard of those, then. 16 years? Not enough.

      Those games are classics, and I've played them on my C64. (Although I guess they were available for the Spectrums, as well.)

  86. PONG-Story by surfimp · · Score: 2, Interesting

    For those of you wishing to know more about the history of PONG, you should check out PONG-Story. It's got a lot of great information about Ralph Baer, Atari, etc. A must for any PONG aficionados out there!

  87. Pt 2 by Drath · · Score: 2

    One of these days someone is going to do a "History of Video Game Histories" it seems like these things pop up every couple months (years?)

    Hooray fanboy cash..

  88. Double standard? by evilpenguin · · Score: 2

    I thought closed, proprietary systems under rigid intellectual property control were evil (I think they are)? Apparently not when it involves shooting things, blowing things up, side-scrolling, or texture-mapping.

    We have to remember that it is all related. The "values" of the video game industry are the same as those of the MPAA, RIAA, and Microsoft.

    1. Re:Double standard? by Flamerule · · Score: 1
      Not true... yet.

      Closed, proprietary systems (I'm not sure about "rigid intellectual property control") aren't evil -- they're just one kind of software. Um... maybe it's a different matter for hardware. But even on Slashdot, most people will agree that there is a role for proprietary software to play in the industry. Console/PC gaming is one of these roles.

      We have to remember that it is all related. The "values" of the video game industry are the same as those of the MPAA, RIAA, and Microsoft.

      Some things are related. In the case of the gaming industry, there is still much more fragmentation as regards developers and publishers than there is in both the movie and music industries. Even though this is beginning to change, with companies like Electronic Arts becoming multi-billion $ behemoths, there is still a great deal of opportunity for small game developers. Additionally, there is no organization for the gaming industry that (as yet) performs a role similar to the all-encompassing power that the MPAA and RIAA hold over their respective industries. The largest gaming organization is the Interactive Digital Software Association, but few of its activities resemble the Gestapo tactics of the *AAs.

      So, while some publishers' "values" may resemble those of certain hated industry organizations, many developers' and publishers' don't. Would anyone criticize Sid Meier, Warren Spector, Chris Taylor, Peter Molyneux, etc.? These guys are like the big stars of the music industry -- except they reap the benefits of their talent, and they get control over their projects. They aren't beholden to industry executives in the same way that virtually all music stars are. Hell, I shouldn't use "they get control"; it makes it sound like they receive their rights from someone else -- which is not the case. They have the freedom to choose their own destinies.

  89. Gaming also added to good jokes by A_Non_Moose · · Score: 2

    (Real conversation, BTW)
    A Friend: Well my wife finally broke down and bought me a Thrustmaster.

    Me: Cool, how is it?

    Friend: Very good, responsive and configurable, but it is a really stiff stick.

    (pause)

    Friend: But what would you expect from a company called Thrustmaster?

    { I still chuckle when I think about that conversation... Games and innuendo...who'd a thunk? }

    --
    Have you read the moderator guidelines? Well, have you, PUNK? (and I want a Karma: Gnarly option)
  90. Re:Becoming a big industry is a double edged sword by gosand · · Score: 2
    Innovation is what this industry needs. How do we get it??

    The industry doesn't need innovation, there is plenty of that. First let me say I am not a gamer. OK, so I grew up with arcades in the 80's, then Atari, then Nintendo, but it pretty much stopped there. I had better things to do. I don't play that many games on the PC, although I have spent many many hours playing Quake Team Fortress. I even created my own map. Create your own map!? That is innovative. But for some reason, that is boring now. You know what made the old arcade games (and Quake TF) fun? Good gameplay. It doesn't have to be innovative, it needs to be FUN. And when a game is fun, what do most gamers do? They spend an entire weekend playing the damn thing 24/7. A month after a game has come out, it has been played to death and people are waiting for the next great thing.

    Now this isn't true with all games, of course. Some have staying power. But how many games do you have that you can play once you have "beaten" it. I'll bet not that many. The consumers are driving the industry.

    Maybe I don't fully get it because I am not a gamer. I don't want to be, quite honestly. Games turned into a big business, just like arcade games did. Believe me, there were plenty of stinker arcade games too. But I can still play a few games on my Galaga arcade machine, have an absolute blast, and walk away from it.

    --

    My beliefs do not require that you agree with them.

  91. Katz almost has it right by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    And for him, that's a good thing. I mean, the guy misses the point...never mind.

    Anyway, just wanted to clear up something he said at the beginning of his review.

    He talks about the Dreamcast being done-in by The PS1 and N64. Nothing could be further from the truth.

    The Dreamcast was done in by a couple of things:
    1) Sega was woefully undercapitalized for the Dreamcast battle. The DC initially did extremely well (who can forget the fun of 9/9/99), but Sega simply didn't have the dollars to carry this thing forward until it "stuck" with consumers.

    2) Sony did the classic FUD with their PS2 announcement. They were so rattled by Dreamcast's initial success they basically announced the PS2 almost 2 years ahead of its ship date in the US (I suspect that's why the PS2 is so mediocre; it was a response to a competitor rather than a new, stand-alone idea).

    But it wasn't the PS1 and N64 that killed off the DC, not by a long-shot.

  92. Its a good book by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I was skeptical (I buy all book on video game history, I have an entire collection), but not only is this thing accurate, it has a lot of pictures and good text.

    Best of all, it doesn't cost $50.

    I recommend it.

  93. Those mistakes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Are katz's, not the books. The book is quite accurate.

  94. Katz always does that to people by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You think you're being fair at first.

    But then it occurs to you that he's fairly clueless, but knows how to use a word processor.

    ON deeper analysis, you conclude he is a fucking moron simply because he thinks he's smart.

  95. NO they didn't. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The games that you mention were NOTHING.

    Video games were invented and perfected in the US.

    The Japanese figured out how to make them smaller and more reliable though.

    The europeans? They invented old, overpriced, overrated video games lacking in any sort of fun.

  96. Movie industry far larger than video game industry by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    They are a gazillion-dollar business, already surpassing films in revenues.

    Only if you compare apples to oranges. The entire revenue of the video game industry, including sales of software, consoles, accessories, etc. (around $7 billion), is greater than the movie industry yearly box office totals.

    However, the movie industry has more revenue sources than just box office returns, such as VHS & DVD sales and rentals. To really compare the two, we should also add in yearly sales of vcrs and dvd players.

  97. A Lost Art Form by Strange+Ranger · · Score: 3, Interesting


    They don't make "primitive" pinball games anymore. "Primitive" meaning those astounding engineering marvels that look like giant Swiss watch conglomerations inside. Each game being an utterly unique piece of engineering art, with its "software" made out of gears and switches. "Primal" is a significantly better description, and in that sense, I think games have lost a lot since those days. You can feel a pinball game for real, it's not haptic, it's a hunk of metal that you can push and pound and "tilt". Keeping an eye on the butt end of a pinball player, watching him/her play shows that they move most of their entire body. It looks more interactive than Quake because from a physical reality standpoint it is more interactive. Modern games are incredible in their own right, but with primal pinball it is 100% reality, there is no abstraction. Something amazing will be lost forever when the last Midway mechanical pinball machine plays its last ball.

    --

    Operator, give me the number for 911!
  98. No. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I would, however, consider buying a book Katz didn't like. If he doesn't like it, it is a point in its favor.

  99. The real "high scorers" by jolshefsky · · Score: 1
    Speaking in near-off-topic diversions, I was curious if the book discusses the literal "high scorers" in the video game world. I always wondered who the legends of the arcade really were--and if they ever went on to do other great things. I mean who was "A.S.S." who seemed to visit every arcade in the country in the early eighties to mid eighties, only to be nearly ousted by "K.U.L." What ever became of the ever present "A.A.A." and the presumably related "B.A.A."--both of who still play games today.

    If this book doesn't cover it, I don't know if we'll ever know.

    --
    --- Jason Olshefsky

    Karma: Poser (mostly affected by adding this line long after everyone else did)

    1. Re:The real "high scorers" by FunkSoulBrother · · Score: 1

      I know this is a joke, but there is a real video game and pinball high score book, with official judges and all that good stuff being published by twin galaxies.

      Its 1,200 pages too!

      Visit www.twingalaxies.com for more info.

  100. Author's comments by demaria99 · · Score: 5, Informative

    First, thanks for all the commmentary. And thanks for the review. I thought I'd take the opportunity to respond to some of the comments I've heard about High Score! And some of what I think are misconceptions.

    First, my goal in creating the book was to make it visual - a colorful journey through the history of games. To do so required some compromises. For instance, the stories (the actual text) had to be kept pretty short. It's amazing how much space it takes to write substantial text, and how often it came down to "more story" or "more and bigger graphics." I was constantly fighting with the publisher for more pages. However, since the retail price of the book is only $24.99, and it is all color and oversized, they quite legitimately refused to do a 500-page book. In my opinion, the book provides a lot for the price and McGraw-Hill was a great company to work with. They all worked really hard to make the book as good as it could be.

    I also find some people recommending other books, such as Steve Kent's and Leonard Herman's books. I want to echo those recommendations. Steve and Leonard have done great jobs, and it was never my intention, or Johnny's, to redo what they had done. I'm really happiest when someone looks at High Score! and has happy nostalgic moments - which are mostly triggered by the pictures. In interviewing many of the pioneers of electronic games for the book, I was able to get some interesting facts, some cool quotes and, hopefully, the nugget of the history. I hope readers will find that material interesting. However, it is my belief that the greatest strength of High Score! is in the graphics, and that there are other books that have approached the subject with more depth, though none (that I've seen) covering the evolution of PC games. At any rate, I hope it's not "either/or" but more like "both/and".

    And High Score! is far from perfect. There are plenty of omissions and even a few mistakes (I'm embarrassed to say). I'd love to do a future updated version of it with more pictures (I have plenty that weren't used), with some omitted games and companies added in, and with more coverage of the history in Europe and Japan. That will depend on the publisher and how well the book does.

    Finally, it is my hope that people will enjoy the book. We don't really attempt to make all that many grand philisophical points in it (despite the tone of the review). Johnny and I each have our own opinions about the impact electronic games have had on our world. (And no, we don't use the term "e-games" anywhere that I know of. It's not in my vocabulary and I don't think it's in Johnny's, either.) But I think we kept our philosophy mostly out of the book. It wasn't our intention to do a whole lot of philosophizing - though maybe just a little.

    I do think it's interesting to observe the idealistic philosophies of companies like Atari and EA when they started out, and compare them to the business as it exists today. But, again, the main purpose of the book was to have fun, and to share it with others.

    Even though the book took a ton of work, and I really wanted it to be something great, in the end it's not a prescription for world peace or a deep exploration of human consciousness. It's a picture book, hopefully a pretty cool one, about electronic games - where they came from, some of the people who pioneered them and how they evolved. So, I hope people will enjoy it for what it is.

    Thanks,

    Rusel DeMaria

    1. Re:Author's comments by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      I'd love to do a future updated version of it with more pictures (I have plenty that weren't used)

      Sounds like ideal material to put up on the web in the meantime - bonus material for those who buy the book perhaps.

      Matt

    2. Re:Author's comments by demaria99 · · Score: 1

      I have thought of it...

  101. Almost! by Strange+Ranger · · Score: 1


    Up-Up-Down-Down-Left-Right-Left-Right-B-A-B-A

    --

    Operator, give me the number for 911!
  102. Statisticitis by virg_mattes · · Score: 2

    Um, these statistics don't back up what you're saying. They give percentages of gamers by age, but everyone in the set is a gamer. His statement was that less than 50% of 30+-year-olds play games. Your statistics say nothing about that.

    Virg

    1. Re:Statisticitis by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Um, these statistics don't back up what you're saying. They give percentages of gamers by age, but everyone in the set is a gamer. His statement was that less than 50% of 30+-year-olds play games. Your statistics say nothing about that.

      Actually, since his statistics say that 18.6% of people 25-34 play videogames, and 18.6% 50%, I'd say his statistics say everything about that.

      Think about what you plan to say before you say it. Dumbass.

    2. Re:Statisticitis by Golias · · Score: 1
      Actually, since his statistics say that 18.6% of people 25-34 play videogames

      Actually, no they don't. They say that 18.6% of people who play video games are 25-34. That does not tell you how many 25-34 year-olds play video games, only that those who do make up slightly less than 20% of the gaming population.

      Make sure you are not the one who is mistaken before you go calling somebody a dumbass.

      --

      Information wants to be anthropomorphized.

  103. Ahhh... by SPYvSPY · · Score: 2

    ...can you drill down on that some more? I'm not sure your belt-and-suspenders approach is going to work. We need to incentivize our people toward efficiencies, not overages.

    1. Re:Ahhh... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They'll need to leverage the synergy between the clicks-and-mortar and B2B e-business strategies if they want to acquire mindshare, that's for sure.

  104. No, get YOUR facts straight by GuyMannDude · · Score: 2

    I seriously do not know why someone moderated you as Informative. Take a closer look at those stats you quoted. The percentages add up to 100%. That's because it is showing the percentage of gamers in that age group. Not the percentage of people in that age group who are gamers. And even so, 22.8% + 15.4% + 5.6% = 43.8% which is less than 50%.

    Before you start insulting someone in public, do a sanity check to make sure you don't say something obviously wrong.

    GMD

    --
    watch this
    1. Re:No, get YOUR facts straight by new-black-hand · · Score: 1

      Sorry, your right. I just re-read it. Interesting statistics regardless.

      have a nice day

  105. Rutgers Arcades by virg_mattes · · Score: 2

    They don't. They completely revamped the student center on College Avenue (put in some kind of cafe' on the basement floor) and reduced the size and variety of the arcade. The Livingston arcade doesn't even exist any more (I think I spent more money on Gauntlet there than for tuition), and the Douglass one always sucked. The only one left is in the Busch studcutter and it's mostly the new stuff, although the old boys are still around (two of them got "borrowed" and are in the engineering building now).

    Virg

  106. Slashdot Due for an Upgrade by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The more I read slashdot, the more I think that slashdot desperately needs to add features to allow for the rating or review of articles posted, even if only to influence the authors of the site to provide alternate content in certain areas.

    I'd LOVE to be able to rate an article (if not mod it out of existance) that is complete and utter crap, in the same manner that I would rate higher an article that intrigues and excites me. Granted, Slashdot ed's have a primitive ratign system displayed in the number of highly moderated replies versus total replies, but where are the statistics for number of views? clickthroughs? total mod points spent on the replies?

    Slashdot is due, even overdue for upgrades. Let's see some new features, new looks, new authors and editors. It's time for a change.

  107. Katz Did Something Worthwhile! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The real news is that this is the first thing I've ever read by Jon Katz that was helpful.

  108. Why did Square request to be left out? by _xeno_ · · Score: 2
    Why'd Square request not to be mentioned? I literally bought a PlayStation and PlayStation 2 to play Final Fantasy. I'm sure you would have been able to do a nice section on them - but according to the afterword or something (it's my younger brother's book, I haven't had a chance to read through it yet) they requested not to be mentioned - which is too bad, since they've done some pretty amazing games. Final Fantasies I, VI, VII, and X all strike me as some of the greatest games I've played. (VIII can rot, IV was OK but I didn't find it to be quite as good as the others, II, III, and V were never released in the US (well, V has been rereleased, but I haven't played through it yet).) I have a sneaking suspicion that with XI we are seeing the last of the Final Fantasy series of games - which is too bad.

    I'd understand if they also requested you not to explain why, but I'm curious, so if you can tell, please do!

    Other than that, the most of the games I remember playing as a kid seemed to be in there, although you missed Scram and Ladder! (Really early DOS games - I wanna see if anyone else out there recoginizes them.) But Zork was in there, so that's good. I think Planetfall was too, but I'm not sure - I only got to glance through the book over my brother's shoulder and again on the way up to a store to get him Jak and Daxter for his birthday.

    (And trust me, driving while having your little brother try and show you pretty pictures gets annoying very fast - although your book did shut him up :P (I'm kidding - he's usually a good passenger, except when it comes to trying to point to pictures while I'm changing lanes...) However, I'm pretty sure that he really likes your book - even if he doesn't recognize half the old games.)

    --
    You are in a maze of twisty little relative jumps, all alike.
    1. Re:Why did Square request to be left out? by demaria99 · · Score: 1

      Square didn't really give a reason for asking not to be included. Despite email and letters from me and from several other industry people, and even a phone call directly to the head of Square USA, they simply said no. After months of trying, we finally had to give up. They would not give us permission to use any screenshots or graphics from their games.

      I, too, am a huge fan of Square's games. In fact, I even wrote a strat guide on Secret of Mana. Getting permission to print screens and art from games was a major task, and the Japanese companies were somewhat more difficult than those here in the States - which is why there was much less specific coverage of the origins of Japanese companies other than Sega and Nintendo (both of whom were immensely helpful). I deeply regret having to leave Square out of the book. On the other hand, the images that we did include were all with permission or with the tacit blessing of the copyright holders.

  109. Re:No, YOU get YOUR facts straight by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Well, if you add half of the 25-34 age group that is 30 and over, that pushes it over 50%.

    Maybe you need the sanity check? :)

  110. The Ultimate History of Video Games by vitaflo · · Score: 3, Informative

    If you really want to learn about the history of video games I'd highly reccommend The Ultimate History of Video Games by Steve Kent. While there aren't many pictures, there are quotes from just about every name in the business and stories that will make your head spin.

    It leterally covers everything, from the beginings of pinball to the latest generations of systems, and everything in between. Steve Kent is widely recognized as the best gaming journalist there is and it shows in this book. Excellent read. If you're serious about gaming, I'd check it out.

  111. No hard feelings by GuyMannDude · · Score: 2

    Thanks for the acknowledgement. As you can see from some of the other comments, you weren't the only one who misread the stats. And you're right: the stats are pretty interesting. I would have never imagined that 5% of gamers are over 55!

    No hard feelings...

    GMD

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    watch this
  112. Snort by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Stop it, you guys are killin' me here.

  113. This thing better mention commodore somewhere... by MilesBehind · · Score: 1

    From the way it's described, this book seems to be focused primarily on the birth of north american gaming culture. It's always the same: pinball - arcade - sega/nintendo - pentiums and graphic cards. It's kinda like the freaking cavemen - greeks - romans - middle ages - capitalism - america dogma that western school pump into us.
    From a european perspective, I am sure that gaming in the old continent would not have gone anywhere were it not for C64s and Amigas. Earliest gaming experiences for a lot of people involve adjusting the head of a c64 tape deck with their lucky screwdriver, or tapping on those ugly ugly spectrum ZXs, just to get some good old Scramble or Zaxxon action. Or to waste nights playing Blue Max or Elite. I am fairly certain that this book will swoon over all the japanese imported games, skipping all the Amiga lore like Shadow of the Beast, or Alien Breed.

  114. Next on the 11 news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    John will bring us an illustrated history of the diference engine.
    And the compostible iron horeless carridge, slipers for the peseant, socialism, democracy, and ply press poly organic, (sometimes recicled) pulpus materials for ink absorbtion, polocarbante-biurththame cypher cripled mono plane disk with missing mass at the center (normally 1/4 of the circomrence).
    After this he'll tell us about the ARPO net, and this odd thing called Hyper Text Markup Language, low english, and spike-please-don't-say-my-movies-suck-and-i'm-harp ing-about-tired-dead-issues.

  115. Just don't forget how exclusive this is: by Mac+Degger · · Score: 1

    Especially seeing as 80%-90% of the worlds population hasn't even made a phone call yet.

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    -- Waht? Tehr's a preveiw buottn?
  116. have to do it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    never done it before, know lots of other people are going to get to it first, know i can hit a checkbox and get rid of him, blah, blah, blah...

    but...

    KATZ, YOU PRETENTIOUS POMPOUS FUCK! SHUT THE FUCK UP!

  117. Video Games = Culture? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Only if you're an aspiring PoMo Pinhead.

    Signed,

    Mike Nomad

  118. ARCADE GAMES ARE THE ***REAL*** THING by xelph · · Score: 1

    Despite advances in home gaming technology, nothing will ever replace the experience of having been a teenager sweating over a good game of Defender, Tempest, or Q*bert (name your favorites), along with tens of other similarly sweating teenagers, in a dark arcade room full of machines having a life of their own in attract mode. Real men play arcade games. Quiche eaters play console games. Real men have their 3-letter nickname flashing permanently in the high score list of arcade games around the world. Quiche eaters have their nickname stored in their personal high score list, with no other name, on PlayStation, GameCube or XBox memory cards.

  119. Remember when... by Smallest · · Score: 2

    ...games were actually really 3-D. like, you know, kids went outside to play?

    -c

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    I have discovered a truly remarkable proof which this margin is too small to contain.
  120. same goes for WWW vs. world wide web by dinodriver · · Score: 1

    Saying WWW takes 9 syllables while saying "world wide web" only takes 4 (or 3 if you slur "world").

  121. It's the monkeys stupid. by peterdaly · · Score: 2

    I am convinced Jon Katz is really a team of 1000 monkeys banging on keyboards. Each time something is written in MS Office that doesn't have those squigley underline things, a slashdot article is posted.

    -Pete

    --
    Soccer Goal Plans
    1. Re:It's the monkeys stupid. by hplasm · · Score: 1

      Now I have an image of 1000 monkeys banging...

      --
      ...and he grinned, like a fox eating shit out of a wire brush.
  122. I got yer common language right here by Simon+Garlick · · Score: 1

    u u d d l r l r b a b a sel start

    You either grok it or you don't.

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    PGP Key ID 0xCB8FF658
  123. l993 by sulli · · Score: 2
    attn. Jon:

    IIRC most keyboards have a 1 key. I recommend using it for greater readability.

    Thought you'd like to know.

    --

    sulli
    RTFJ.
  124. Re:Becoming a big industry is a double edged sword by HarPaX · · Score: 1

    Oh but you are wrong. What about GTA3? Who was the lead designer on that game? Can you name 1 person that worked on Never Winter Nights?

    Yes, publishers are there to make money, and yes, we get LOTS and LOTS of licences and follow-up games. But there is room for innovation. Even if you name is not Spector, Meiers, Wright or Carmack.

  125. from the lame-ass-department-name dept. by Gunnery+Sgt.+Hartman · · Score: 1

    You've got to be kidding!! "from the games dept." That is a pathetic excuse for creative journalism! How about " from the those-were-the-days dept." or "from the ahhh-nostalgia dept." the games dept. sounds like a friggin over-commercialized-give-me-your-money-in-exchange -for-a-piece-0f-shit department store. For the love of God, use some creativity!!

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    There's got to be some kinda way outa here.
    Said the Joker to the thief.

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    [ ]
  126. International Ban on The Use of PCBs by hplasm · · Score: 1

    There should be a ban on PCBs (Pseudo Corporate Bullshit) or perhaps on the Marketing Droids that spawn them. Let's run this idea up the flagpole and... DOH!!

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    ...and he grinned, like a fox eating shit out of a wire brush.
  127. No talent, parroting trolls: by John Katz by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    the subject says it all!