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Video-Giochi: Persone, giochi e compagnie che fecero la storia dei videogiochi
Da Pong a Silent Hill, dall'Atari 2600 al Dreamcast, dalle origini al 1999, VIDEO-GIOCHI racconta la storia del videogioco in un modo nuovo, con un'attenzione speciale alle persone, alle idee, all'inventiva e alla costante influenza che ogni sviluppatore ha subito e ha a sua volta apportato all'industria dei videogiochi.
Basato su approfondite ricerche e interviste inedite, VIDEO-GIOCHI è l'opera più completa sull'argomento, dedicata ad appassionati e neofiti, per tutti quelli che vogliono sapere di più sull'evoluzione del videogioco.
Non solo arcade, ma anche console, personal computer e tecnologia: VIDEO-GIOCHI conduce per mano il lettore per rivivere gli anni in cui la rivoluzione è iniziata, mettendo al centro i veri protagonisti della storia del videogioco, gli sviluppatori e i giocatori.
Basato su approfondite ricerche e interviste inedite, VIDEO-GIOCHI è l'opera più completa sull'argomento, dedicata ad appassionati e neofiti, per tutti quelli che vogliono sapere di più sull'evoluzione del videogioco.
Non solo arcade, ma anche console, personal computer e tecnologia: VIDEO-GIOCHI conduce per mano il lettore per rivivere gli anni in cui la rivoluzione è iniziata, mettendo al centro i veri protagonisti della storia del videogioco, gli sviluppatori e i giocatori.
436 pages, Paperback
Published October 10, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 19, 2025
I have the first book in this series & picked up the 2nd via the author's kickstarter (English version). I find it facinating to learn about the people & companies that made the games I either played or knew about as a kid. Like the first book, there are all kinds of tidbits that make this a fun read.
The author spends a bit of time discussing the limitations of the Atari VCS (2600) platform, with details of how much the game creaters had to hack to make it work within its limited architecture. Especially since the owners of Atari didn't listen to Bushnell and leap ahead, as the VCS was old by 1980. But corporations want to milk all they can out of a platform and delay investment into something new.
My dad acquired from somewhere a huge poster of the original Zork map. Not the 8-bit Apple ][ games, the original mini-computer version, as it had a majority of the locations as one big game. I didn't realize it was FORTRAN, then MDL, then created their own language, ZIL, to build the game logic on. Amazing stuff to get it to work on 8-bit machines with limited memory. I always liked the text games as the descriptions were richer, as was the parser.
Reading about Nintendo's history, the author talks about the Game & Watch series. The description reminded me that I have the Donkey Kong game, I think the Jr. version as it is only a single screen. As a kid, I played it so much I understood the timing required. Even with the limited LCD technology, it was a lot of fun, as I could put it in my pocket.
A lot of game ideas & authors that I played on an Apple ][ originally came from the mini-computer or PLATO systems. Wizardry is one example. We learn how the name Sir-Tech came about. I will say that I couldn't get that far in Wizardry, as I didn't grasp what they were doing & that I wasn't good at making maps. Playing it again last year on an emulator, now it makes a bit more sense. At the time it was simply amazing.
There are a lot more bits of history throughout the book. I look forward to Part 3.
The author spends a bit of time discussing the limitations of the Atari VCS (2600) platform, with details of how much the game creaters had to hack to make it work within its limited architecture. Especially since the owners of Atari didn't listen to Bushnell and leap ahead, as the VCS was old by 1980. But corporations want to milk all they can out of a platform and delay investment into something new.
My dad acquired from somewhere a huge poster of the original Zork map. Not the 8-bit Apple ][ games, the original mini-computer version, as it had a majority of the locations as one big game. I didn't realize it was FORTRAN, then MDL, then created their own language, ZIL, to build the game logic on. Amazing stuff to get it to work on 8-bit machines with limited memory. I always liked the text games as the descriptions were richer, as was the parser.
Reading about Nintendo's history, the author talks about the Game & Watch series. The description reminded me that I have the Donkey Kong game, I think the Jr. version as it is only a single screen. As a kid, I played it so much I understood the timing required. Even with the limited LCD technology, it was a lot of fun, as I could put it in my pocket.
A lot of game ideas & authors that I played on an Apple ][ originally came from the mini-computer or PLATO systems. Wizardry is one example. We learn how the name Sir-Tech came about. I will say that I couldn't get that far in Wizardry, as I didn't grasp what they were doing & that I wasn't good at making maps. Playing it again last year on an emulator, now it makes a bit more sense. At the time it was simply amazing.
There are a lot more bits of history throughout the book. I look forward to Part 3.
November 22, 2025
After reading the first volume of the series, dedicated to the evolution of video games up to the late 1970s, I delved into this second chapter, which covers the period up to 1984. The book explores the progress of the industry, both in hardware and software, going beyond a simple list of titles and consoles: it highlights the people and the companies that helped shape the video game industry.
The chronological narrative allows the reader to follow step by step the successes and, at times, the failures of companies and products. Some of these companies have disappeared, while others are still active today and known worldwide.
I found it particularly fascinating to discover which consoles and computers paved the way for what would come in the following years, precisely when I myself began to take an interest in computing. The book also gives space to the creators of games that made history, often not recognized as much as they deserved.
The writing style is smooth and makes for an enjoyable read, especially for those interested in the subject. The only drawback—though inevitable in a work of this kind—is the frequent sequence of biographies, dates, and names, which can sometimes feel overwhelming.
What struck me most was reading about how these pioneers managed to create games with limited tools, relying on their intuition and adaptability, always driven by unwavering determination.
Recommended for video game and programming enthusiasts, as well as for curious readers who want to know how it all began.
The chronological narrative allows the reader to follow step by step the successes and, at times, the failures of companies and products. Some of these companies have disappeared, while others are still active today and known worldwide.
I found it particularly fascinating to discover which consoles and computers paved the way for what would come in the following years, precisely when I myself began to take an interest in computing. The book also gives space to the creators of games that made history, often not recognized as much as they deserved.
The writing style is smooth and makes for an enjoyable read, especially for those interested in the subject. The only drawback—though inevitable in a work of this kind—is the frequent sequence of biographies, dates, and names, which can sometimes feel overwhelming.
What struck me most was reading about how these pioneers managed to create games with limited tools, relying on their intuition and adaptability, always driven by unwavering determination.
Recommended for video game and programming enthusiasts, as well as for curious readers who want to know how it all began.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews