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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, reviews of breakthroughs and trends, as well as end-of-chapter activities and quizzes

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

 

©2023-25 Brian J. Wardyga