The Ultimate History of Video Games
First rerelease
AuthorSteven L. Kent
CountryUnited States
PublisherThree Rivers Press
Pages624
ISBN0-7615-3643-4

The Ultimate History of Video Games is a 2001 non-fiction book by Steven L. Kent. Published initially by Prima Publishing and then by Three Rivers Press,[1] it is an updated version of the self-published The First Quarter: A 25-Year History of Video Games.[1][2][3][4]

Development

The book is based on over 500 interviews, including multiple discussions with key industry leaders.[5] Three potential sources declined.[5] The author initially planned to publish the book in 1995 and then 1996. However, he ultimately self-published it in 2000.[4] 5,000 copies of the first edition were quickly sold exclusively through Amazon, and then Prima Publishing bought the rights.[3][6]

Kent initially opposed referring to the new edition as "ultimate".[6] An index was added.[3][7] He bemoaned that the Three Rivers Press edition was released before the launches of the GameCube and Xbox.[4] In 2018, and again in 2019, he mentioned that he was working on a second volume,[6][8] which was eventually published in August 2021 and titled “The Ultimate History Of Video Games, Vol. 2” .[9][10]

Reception

Ken Gagne of Gamebits, reviewing The First Quarter: A 25-Year History of Video Games, said it suffered from frequent typos and disliked that Kent largely withheld his own opinion.[3] LudoScience called it "an absolute must-read for anyone interested in the history of video games".[2]

Nintendo Life said that the 2001 rerelease as The Ultimate History of Video Games was Kent's "seminal work".[11] Publishers Weekly noted Kent's "infectious enthusiasm" and called the book "a loving tribute" to the videogame industry.[12] Tim Rotertson at MyMac.com called Kent a "gifted writer" and gave the book a 5/5 rating, but suggested that it should have been multiple volumes for more depth.[13]

References

  1. 1 2 Kent, Steven L. (2001). The Ultimate History of Video Games. New York, USA: Three Rivers Press. pp. iv. ISBN 0-7615-3643-4.
  2. 1 2 "LudoScience - The First Quarter : A 25-year History of Video Games (Book reference)". LudoScience. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Gagne, Ken. "The First Quarter | Gamebits". Gamebits. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  4. 1 2 3 Kent, Steven L. (2001). The Ultimate History of Video Games. New York, USA: Three Rivers Press. p. 591. ISBN 0-7615-3643-4.
  5. 1 2 Kent, Steven L. (2001). The Ultimate History of Video Games. New York, USA: Three Rivers Press. pp. viii–x. ISBN 0-7615-3643-4.
  6. 1 2 3 "Steven L Kent (Author) - Interview". Arcade Attack. 12 July 2018. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  7. ↑ Kent, Steven L. (2001). The Ultimate History of Video Games. New York, USA: Three Rivers Press. pp. vi, 597–608. ISBN 0-7615-3643-4.
  8. ↑ RON (17 August 2019). "Interview: Steven L. Kent". www.noobfeed.com. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  9. ↑ "The Ultimate History of Video Games, Volume 2 by Steven L. Kent". Penguin Random House. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  10. ↑ "The Ultimate History of Video Games, Volume 2 by Steven L. Kent". paulsemel. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
  11. ↑ McFerran, Damien (1 June 2020). "Guide: The Best Video Game Books". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  12. ↑ "THE ULTIMATE HISTORY OF VIDEO GAMES". Publishers Weekly. August 20, 2001. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  13. ↑ Robertson, Tim (January 21, 2003). "The Ultimate History of Video Games: Book Review". MyMac.com. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
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