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The Ultimate History of Video Games

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2001 book
The Ultimate History of Video Games
First rerelease
AuthorSteven L. Kent
PublisherThree Rivers Press
Publication placeUnited States
Pages624
ISBN0-7615-3643-4
OCLC47254175

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, it is an updated version of the self-published The First Quarter: A 25-Year History of Video Games.

Development

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

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

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. LudoScience called it "an absolute must-read for anyone interested in the history of video games".

Nintendo Life said that the 2001 rerelease as The Ultimate History of Video Games was Kent's "seminal work". Publishers Weekly noted Kent's "infectious enthusiasm" and called the book "a loving tribute" to the videogame industry. 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.

References

  1. ^ Kent, Steven L. (2001). The Ultimate History of Video Games. New York, USA: Three Rivers Press. pp. iv. ISBN 0-7615-3643-4.
  2. ^ "LudoScience - The First Quarter : A 25-year History of Video Games (Book reference)". LudoScience. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  3. ^ Gagne, Ken. "The First Quarter | Gamebits". Gamebits. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  4. ^ Kent, Steven L. (2001). The Ultimate History of Video Games. New York, USA: Three Rivers Press. p. 591. ISBN 0-7615-3643-4.
  5. ^ 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. ^ "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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