Gamish: Una historia gráfica de los videojuegos

by Edward Ross, Montse Meneses Vilar (Translator)

Pac-Man, Mario Bros, Doom, Minecraft... Desde que encendió la vieja consola Atari de su hermano, Edward Ross ha estado enganchado a los videojuegos. Tras años de vicio, se empezó a preguntar: ¿qué es lo que los hace tan especiales?, ¿por qué jugamos?, ¿cómo han terminado por moldear el mundo en que vivimos?

Gamish es un libro lleno de encanto y profundidad que nos acompaña por la historia del «décimo arte», desde los prototipos de la década de los cincuenta hasta los superventas actuales como Call of Duty, pasando por los videojuegos de corte alternativo más ingeniosos. Examinando a las personas y las ideas que están detrás de su producción y distribución, el autor nos hará entender qué significa jugar y por qué nos entusiasma.

Genres: Nonfiction, Comics, Graphic Novels, History, Video Games, Gaming, Historical

208 pages, Paperback

Published March 17, 2022

Reviews

[Carlos Wang · Rating 5 out of 5]

原本以為是電玩產業的歷史，看完發現其實是「以人類學跟社會學的角度剖析電玩遊戲對於人類之影響」的一本書。

作者指出：「遊玩」是人類的生物天性，自古以來就有。而如今的電玩則是配合科技發展而成的狀態(持續進化中)。它象徵了很多面向的意義，既有訓練腦袋、調劑身心等的作用，也有文化宣傳跟影響的效果，同時也是滿足人類在現實無法達成的缺憾的一種手段。

當然，作者也指出了電玩可能產生的負面影響，例如過分暴力渲染、種族議題、刻板印象等等。不過個人覺得這些在別的娛樂上也都同樣存在。特別是暴力這部分，事實上存在一些案件後來回溯兇手被宣稱是受某些遊戲影響，進而引發批評。不過個人認為，這終歸還是一種個案，同樣的遊戲別人玩了沒事，它玩了就變成暴力因子？那麼問題真的是出在遊戲上面嗎？作者在書中提到了一款遊戲，設計了許多「令人不舒服且無法迴避的殺戮場景」，但他又問：「這真的沒得選嗎？有的，你可以不玩。」這讓我印象很深。


此外，這幾年DEI越走越極端，也影響了歐美的遊戲界，許多製作組為了迎合這股風潮，聘請了這些主張的人來製作遊戲，而他們的態度就是一付高高在上要來教玩家的傲慢風格，結果是接二連三的滑鐵盧，數以萬計的資金打水漂。如今DEI已經變成了一種票房毒藥，玩家也大規模的反噬。這是非常經典的商業或經濟學上的「忽視消費者需求的供應所造成了失敗案例」了。寓教於樂並不是要你反客為主，大家玩遊戲的目的也不是要來被迫接受你的價值觀。我看過網友說了一句經典評論：「我要看醜角照鏡子就好啦！幹嘛花錢找罪受！？」不過本書並沒有討論這些，它只是客觀的陳述某些過去存在的問題。

總之，這是一本偷懶版的作品，因為漫畫相對好讀很多。
最近衛城出了的《電玩的本質》則是文字深入版。

[Salla Hiltunen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarjakuvateos pelaamisen ja etenkin videopelien historiasta sekä niiden merkityksestä ja vaikutuksesta. Mitä ja miten olemme pelanneet aikojen saatossa, miten pelit ja pelaaminen ovat kehittyneet ja miksi ylipäänsä pelaaminen on meille tärkeää?

Kokonaisuus toimii todella hyvin: piirrosjälki on miellyttävä, aihe on rajattu sopivasti, peliesimerkkejä on runsaasti ja mukana on myös osuvaa yhteiskunnallista pohdintaa. Jäin kaipaamaan ainoastaan sitä, että kirja olisi jaettu jonkinlaisiin lukuihin.

[Mark L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and informative history of all types of games. Well-told, lovely art.

[Rita Carmelo · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a gamer born in the 80s, it was a pleasure to read Edward Ross's Gamish. He's clearly passionate about video games. I found the book while looking for a birthday gift for a great gamer who works in the industry (my husband). The history of gaming doesn't go too in-depth, but it talks about a bit of everything, even on an anthropological, sociological, and psychological level. I also liked the style of the illustrations. I want to read the others!

[Neil Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb. Feel like I've just watched a really smart documentary. Terrific artwork. Well researched. A lot of love in this book and some great games used to exemplify his points.

[Drahula · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75

[Carolina Araújo · Rating 5 out of 5]

gives a totally new and insightful perspective on the evolution of games throughout history, all the while with immersive drawings and fun knowledge! I didn't know that games had such a *huge* impact on how the technology evolved. very good book! includes INNUMEROUS references to your favourite video games!
not to mention that it touches on aspects such as racism, sexism, addiction, violence that lives within the gaming world. very inclusive and thoughtful :)

[Agnès · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy bien documentado e interesante! Me ha gustado que no solo sea una història cronológica, sinó que se hable de las diferentes maneras en las que los videojuegos afectan nuestra vida y sociedad, y se citen filósofos y pensadores. Obviamente también cita muchos juegos y seguro que hay alguno que no conocías!

[JJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ideal para iniciarse en la historia de este medio gracias a su extensa bibliografía y para vislumbrar todos los aspectos positivos y negativos que ha traído consigo.

[Dbgirl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Niin kauan kuin kirja pitäytyi faktoissa (kuten shakin historiassa), kirja oli hyvä ja mielenkiintoinen. Kun kirja rupesi esittämään sekä sen kirjoittajan että muiden ihmisten, kuten tutkijoiden, tulkintoja peleistä aloin näkemään punaista. Ylitulkintaa tai peräti vääristelyä. Myönnän olevani puolueellinen sillä pelaan World of Warcraftia, mutta jonkun tutkijan näkemykset WoWista olivat aikamoiset. Olisivat edes yrittäneet etsiä siitä pelistä jotain myönteistä, mutta tämä tuntui pelkältä lokakampanjalta. En muista missä muissa asioissa olin eri mieltä tai olisin kaivannut kriittisempää otetta, mutta niitä oli aivan liian monia. Minecraftia en ole pelannut mutta tämän palikka/maailman rakennuspelin vertaaminen siirtomaa-aikaan oli kyllä melko paksua. (Mitäpä jos keksisitte siitä jotain hyvää, kuten vaikkapa sen miten se auttaa lapsia olemaan luovia?) Jotain sellaista ja rasismia huhuttiin olevan WoWissakin. Toki siinä on jotain perää, koska rasismi on yksi sen pelin teemoista, se on yksi syy miksi siinä soditaan – aivan kuten oikeassakin elämässä. Mutta nuo tulkinnat mitä pelistä sanottiin oli p*skaa. Hyvä kirja mutta vain aivan alussa, sitten meni plörinäksi. Kuvitus oli kivan simppeli ja pidin siitä miten se oli sarjakuvan muotoon tehty.

*

The same, as well as I can write it in English:

As long as the book stayed in facts (like in the history of chess), it was a good and interesting book. When it started to represent the author’s and other people, like researchers, interpretations about games, I started to see red. Over-interpretations or even distortion. I admit I’m biased because I play World of Warcraft, but one researcher’s thoughts about WoW was… wow. They should have even tried to find something good about the game, but this felt only loathing campaign. I don’t remember in which things I disagreed or I would have wanted more critical approach, but there were too many. I haven’t played Minecraft but comparing that block/ world building game into colony times was again wow. (What if you’d try find something good about it, like how it helps children to be creative?) They said something like that and racism appeared to be in WoW too. There is a point, I admit it, because racism is one of its themes, it’s one of the reasons why they have wars in that game – like in real life too. But those interpretations what they said about the game was bullsh*t. Good book but only in the beginning, then it went bad. The illustration was nice and simple and I liked how it was made to look like a comic book.

[SintiendoTusLetras · Rating 5 out of 5]

Siempre me ha gustado jugar a videojuegos ya sea en consola, ordenador o en el móvil, y este es el libro perfecto para los jugadores además está hecho en forma de novela gráfica por el autor, que ya hizo antes una sobre películas. Nos muestra una visión atractiva e intelectual de los juegos, y lo hace a través de la historia de la humanidad y en todas sus formas, desde la antigüedad hasta los tiempos modernos, y lo hace de manera ingeniosa, perspicacia e incluso un poco de polémica. Hay un debate sobre los juegos y la violencia en ellos, y lo que tiene que ver con la vida real de lo que para mí tiene mucha culpa cuando ocurre algún suceso violento los medios de comunicación. Esta es solo una pequeña parte del libro, es un libro perfecto si te gusta jugar y si además te gustan las novelas gráficas.
Además lo que más me ha gustado es el amor con el que el autor trata a los videojuegos. Además al final del mismo incluye unas notas en las que nos explica que ocurre en algunas viñetas con respecto a los videojuegos. Y una bibliografía extensa además de una juegografía o glosario de juegos que aparecen en el libro.
¿Os gustan los videojuegos? ¿Soléis jugar en la consola, el móvil, el ordenador o incluso a juegos de mesa?

[Filippo Malvisi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty good book IF AND ONLY IF you are not a gamer, but would like to start or at the very least you would like to learn more about games. Otherwise it's poor.

It offers no real technological standpoint, but it's just a sociology essay on "playing games" (so not even "gaming" in the 21st century meaning of the term) that touches on a lot of topics and videogames in the most shallow way possible.

I am also not sure the author has played at least half of the videogames he mentions. I get it, you have to summarize a videogame in 1-2 comic strips, it's not easy, but some summaries completely miss the point of what the game actually was ("No Man's Sky", "Papers, Please" to cite 2 examples) that it looks to me like the basis for their inclusion in the book was a game review and not actually playing the game.

The only subject that is covered well enough is the misjudged alleged correlation between gaming and violence, and even that deserved a more thorough analysys (for a sociology book), everything else is just the most shallow, at-a-glance, touch-and-ago you could possibly imagine.

The art is nice, kudos for that.

[Gutenberg Neto · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Gamish” is a hard book to evaluate. It’s visually appealing and offers a colorful, accessible entry point for readers with little to no prior understanding of gaming, and for that audience, it may serve as a light and entertaining introduction to the medium.

However, the book struggles with its own identity. While clearly geared toward newcomers, it frequently name-drops dozens of lesser-known or niche titles without offering context or explanation. This frequently reads like the author trying to gain “gamer cred”, and it’s a choice that could easily confuse the very audience it aims to educate.

The book also detours into various gaming-related controversies, often treating complex topics with little nuance or depth. Rather than offering a balanced exploration of different viewpoints, these sections tend to feel shallow and underdeveloped, potentially reinforcing simplistic takes on complex issues.

In the end, Gamish is a decent effort that might appeal to those curious about gaming culture, especially complete beginners. But for readers with more than a basic knowledge of the medium, it offers few new insights beyond some beautiful illustrations.

[Juan Manuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

No es una historia estricta de los videos juegos, al menos no como la esperaba. Tenía en mente una especie de sucesión lineal de eventos. El autor en cambio, empieza hablando de los juegos en general, de su evolución desde el neolítico y sigue con el desarrollo de los primeros video juegos. Pero el comic discurre luego entre comentarios sobre lo que nos permiten hace los video juegos, el impacto en la calidad de vida, en la sociedad etc. Siempre citando los estudios científicos correspondientes. A partir de este nuevo enfoque retoma por momentos la historia de algún video juego en particular: DOOM, Monkey Island o Command and Conquer o bien de juegos más modernos. En la segunda parte del comic, se hace hincapié en los juegos que buscan explorar nuevas formas de expresión o mecánicas novedosas. También en la violencia y la inclusión en los video juegos.
En resumen, una lectura interesante.

[Ali Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough overview of the act of play and gaming throughout human history. The cover made me think it would only be about the digital sphere, but it covered early games and discussed non-digital gaming.

It's a detailed sociological/psychological analysis of the development of game play. It discusses the pros and cons that gaming gives to us as individuals, and to society as a whole. I found it to be much more informative and educational than I expected. There were moments when the narrative felt a little disjointed and lacked flow by jumping from point to point or theme to theme.

I loved the illustration style and found it very easy to follow, but it still had some creative layouts, so it wasn't too basic. The colour palette was also really engaging, and the book as a whole came together nicely.

[Raymond · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great historical overview of gaming from the earliest board games to modern day VR, with an emphasis on the last 2-3 decades. It does a particularly good job of covering a broad span of gaming to show the possibilities of the medium, and you'll probably read about some newer, genre-defying games you hadn't even heard about.

If I were to criticise anything, it would be the author's slight tendency towards moralising - he does not outright reject the idea that video games can be related to violence, even though as far as I know this claim has been shown time and again to be unfounded - as well as how he sometimes applies a somewhat superficial understanding of some games in order to make a case.

[Colin Hoad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely surprise gift at Christmas which I enjoyed immensely. The author does a great job of weaving in sociology, anthropology, philosophy and psychology into a beautifully illustrated narrative of games history. Clearly produced by someone with a deep love of games and gaming in general, this very approachable book looks at how games and play developed in prehistory, tracing through some of the most famous board games like Chess and Go and on into the infancy of video games right up to the present day. The sections on early video games like Pacman and Space Invaders was particularly enjoyable. The writer also explores the societal impact of games - the good and the bad - but concludes that overall they are a positive thing and something to be celebrated.

[Klara (klarinkniznisvet) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pokud máte v oblibě komiksy a zároveň se rádi něco dozvídáte, mám pro vás tip na čtení, které si rozhodně zaslouží vaši pozornost.

Jedná se o první dějiny videoher vhodné jak pro znalce, tak pro úplné začátečníky.

Paříme vám dá naprosto nový pohled na evoluci her v průběhu historie. Celou záležitostí vás navíc provede samotný autor Edward Ross, který vše velmi srozumitelně a ilustrativně vysvětlí.

Mimo jiné se jedná o podrobnou sociologickou analýzu vývoje videoher a her obecně. Ukáže vám výhody a nevýhody, které jednotlivcům hraní přináší, což bylo v některých případech velmi poutavé.

Já vám komiks vřele doporučuju. Rozhodně nepatřím mezi hráče, ale velmi mě čtení bavilo a dalo mi na herní svět nový pohled.

[Frank Chillura (OhYouRead) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Edward Ross, Particular Books, and Penguin Random House for sending me a copy of this book for an honest review!

I am a huge fan of History Graphic Novels, especially about subjects I know a little bit about. I have loved playing Video Games since I was little and this book gives you so many facts and so much information about where they came from and why they were created.

I learned so much from reading this book... all while getting great artwork and ideas for video games I want to try next.

———————

You can check out this review and more on my Instagram: @ohyouread !

[Andre Landgraf]

it had been a while since i last read what it feels like a thesis in graphic novel form. interesting book, the way edward ross approaches the chapters is quite nice and we never feel lost. particularly, i wanted more about indie games and less about shooters -- there are so many shooters out there, lord. but re-reading the title just now, as i type these words, the way he structured the book makes a lot of sense.

the art feels... ok, if not uninspired.

the ending is specially sweet "deep bkue coud do chess, and do it exceptionally well. but it couldn't play it"

[Chris Aylott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, this could have replaced most of my first year of master's work in Game Studies. Ross provides a solid overview of theories of play and the historical development of (mostly video) games. His storytelling and art are engaging, and his end notes could launch a term's worth of research papers. Some of his arguments feel a little shallow, but if you want see how video games got to where they are today, this is a good way to do it.

[Adan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book a lot even though it wasn't what I was expecting. Instead of being a straight-up history of gaming, it's more a philosophical treatise on why games are important, and why we play them (though there is a fair share of history as well).

My favorite bits were when the author used previously-seen panels in new contexts later in the book. It doesn't happen too often, but I enjoyed it every time it did.

[Rhiannon Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative exploration of video games which neither avoids their negative side (it addresses issues around violence in detail, for example) nor downplays their positives (especially the role of play itself in human development). Trivia I learned: Sonic the Hedgehog, which feels like one of those ages-old pop culture references I never got, only came out in 1991, perhaps only a year or two before I first heard of it.

[Sadie-Jane Huff · Rating 5 out of 5]

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Gaming told in a graphic novel concept?? What isn't to love?

Not only does Ross share the history of how gaming started and the evolution of games in all forms, he also looks at the racial, cultural, and psychological impact it has had on not just the players but the community at large.

I was thrilled to see names of games that I have played and find out the little tidbits about them.

Loved how he immerses himself into the comic as well.

Brilliant book.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this! Clearly written by someone who shares my passion for the medium, this was a great, detailed exploration of the history of games but also dived into the various issues the medium presents. Acknowledging the numerous benefits too, this feels like a great starting point for anyone wanting to know more about video games and the art style throughout is superb. A fantastic, fairly quick read - highly recommended!

[Sai Akhil · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read! Super informative as far as the history of not just gaming but the act of playing games in general goes. Loved getting to know the science behind what happens when you game, as well as all the good and the bad that comes with it. There’s references to some fantastic games, the author covers a wide range which is impressive. Definitely recommend this one if you’re a gamer! Beautiful illustrations too.

[Russell Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book! The illustrations are creative and have a great, unique style - full of humour and beautiful detail. The text tells a wonderful story as well as being informative and insightful. If you like gaming, especially video games, I highly recommend this one. I bought a copy direct from the author and he even illustrated and signed it for me!

[Tiara · Rating 5 out of 5]

📖
This graphic novel is the history of gaming was absolutely fascinating and such a fun read, especially since I've been playing video games for most of my life. The artwork was amazing and so unique.

Going from ancient times of the first records of games to the most recent games. Following not only the history, but the impact games have had on different societies and cultures.

[James Clayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this for Christmas, and I’ve just read it in one sitting. It’s genuinely excellent. It’s a real shame that it will probably only be read by people with an existing interest in games, because there’s so much in there. As someone who does know quite a lot, it was probably most fun spotting the references, but I learnt plenty I didn’t know as well. My only complaint would be a couple of fairly major spoilers, but they were well used in context.

[Jorn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know who this book is supposed to be for. For a lifelong gamer like myself, there are almost no new or interesting insights to justify the lavish work put into this book.
But I reckon the subject is too niche for someone without a grand fascination with gaming, to compell them to read such a detailed history.