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The Video Games Textbook takes the history of video games to the next level. Coverage includes every major video game console, handheld system, and game-changing personal computer, as well as a look at the business, technology, and people behind the games.

Chapters feature objectives and key terms, illustrative timelines, color images, and graphs in addition to the technical specifications and key titles for each platform. Every chapter is a journey into a different segment of gaming, where readers emerge with a clear picture of how video games evolved, why the platforms succeeded or failed, and the impact they had on the industry and culture. Written to capture the attention and interest of students from around the world, this newly revised Second Edition also serves as a go-to handbook for any video game enthusiast.


The Second Edition features new content in every chapter, including color timelines, sections on color theory and lighting, the NEC PC-98 series, MSX series, Amstrad CPC, Sinclair ZX Spectrum, Milton Bradley Microvision, Nintendo Game & Watch, gender issues, PEGI and CERO rating systems, and new Pro Files and quiz questions, plus expanded coverage on PC and mobile gaming, virtual reality, Valve Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.

Key Features

  • Explores the history, business, and technology of video games, including social, political, and economic motivations

  • Facilitates learning with clear objectives, key terms, illustrative timelines, color images, tables, and graphs

  • Highlights the technical specifications and key titles of all major game consoles, handhelds, personal computers, and mobile platforms

  • Reinforces material with market summaries and reviews of breakthroughs and trends, as well as end-of-chapter activities and quizzes

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - The First Video Games - 25 pages
Chapter 2 - Behind the Technology - 25 pages
Chapter 3 - The Atari Generation - 34 pages
Chapter 4 - Early PC Gaming - 31 pages
Chapter 5 - The 8-Bit Era - 26 pages
Chapter 6 - The 16-Bit Era - 35 pages
Chapter 7 - Sex and Violence Take Center Stage - 26 pages
Chapter 8 - The 3D Era - 35 pages
Chapter 9 - Video Games Become Big Business - 25 pages
Chapter 10 - The Sixth Generation - 30 pages
Chapter 11 - The Rise of PC Gaming and VR - 28 pages
Chapter 12 - The Seventh Generation - 30 pages
Chapter 13 - Military, Science, and Education Get into the Game - 29 pages
Chapter 14 - Mobile and Indie Change the Game - 28 pages
Chapter 15 - Modern Console Gaming - 39 pages

 

©2023-24 Brian J. Wardyga