The Ultimate History of Video Games

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The Ultimate History of Video Games
AuthorSteven L. Kent
CountryUSA
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 was constructed primarily from over 500 interviews, with notable industry figures granting multiple conversations.[5] Three potential sources turned Kent down when asked.[5] Steven had originally intended to release the book in 1995, and then in 1996, before he "finally published the damned thing myself" in 2000.[4] 5,000 copies of this first edition were quickly sold exclusively through online retailer Amazon, before Prima Publishing bought the rights to the book.[3][6] Steven Kent was against referring to the new edition as "ultimate", but conceded that the cause for replacing the original title was sound.[6] An index, originally absent, was also added.[3][7] Kent bemoaned that the Three Rivers Press edition was released before the launches of the Nintendo GameCube and Xbox.[4] In 2018, and again in 2019, he mentioned that he was working on a second volume[6][8], which will be published in August 2021.[9]

Reception

The First Quarter: A 25-Year History of Video Games

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

The Ultimate History of Video Games

Nintendo Life felt that the 2001 rerelease was "Steven L. Kent's seminal work".[10] Publishers Weekly noted Kent's "infectious enthusiasm" and called the book "a loving tribute" to the videogame industry.[11] Tim Rotertson at MyMac.com called Kent a "gifted writer" and gave the book a 5/5 rating, but suggested that it should've been broken up into multipe volumes in order to allow for more depth.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b Kent, Steven L. (2001). The Ultimate History of Video Games. New York, USA: Three Rivers Press. pp. iv. ISBN 0-7615-3643-4.
  2. ^ a b "LudoScience - The First Quarter : A 25-year History of Video Games (Book reference)". LudoScience. Retrieved 2021-05-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ a b c d Gagne, Ken. "The First Quarter | Gamebits". Gamebits. Retrieved 2021-05-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ a b c Kent, Steven L. (2001). The Ultimate History of Video Games. New York, USA: Three Rivers Press. p. 591. ISBN 0-7615-3643-4.
  5. ^ a b 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. ^ a b c "Steven L Kent (Author) - Interview". Arcade Attack. 12 July 2018. Retrieved 2021-05-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ "The Ultimate History of Video Games, Volume 2 by Steven L. Kent". Penguin Random House. Retrieved 2021-05-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ McFerran, Damien (1 June 2020). "Guide: The Best Video Game Books". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 2021-05-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ "THE ULTIMATE HISTORY OF VIDEO GAMES". Publishers Weekly. August 20, 2001. Retrieved 2021-05-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ Robertson, Tim (January 21, 2003). "The Ultimate History of Video Games: Book Review". MyMac.com. Retrieved 2021-05-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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