The Comic Book Story of Video Games : The Incredible History of the Electronic Gaming Revolution
(Young Adult Book)

With a few glowing pixels, an electronic display, and a joystick, a "d-pad," or even just the touch screen of your smartphone, you can immerse yourself in other worlds and make all the right moves to level up or blunder into a death trap where it's instantly "Game Over." How did we get from primitive yet compelling games like Pong to the reality-hijacking Pokemon Go app, which sent people all over the globe stumbling around their neighborhoods in pursuit of pint-sized creatures? This complete, illustrated history of video games reveals gaming's arcane origins among flamboyant, cultish scientists; buttoned-up egghead academics; revolution-minded hippie hackers; and striving Japanese businessmen. The book tracks video games from secret WWII labs--out of which emerged computer legend Alan Turing, writer of the first computer game program--to the rise of classic 1980s arcade machines, the game-changing development of home consoles (courtesy of iconic companies like Atari and Nintendo), and modern times when addictive interactive entertainment is in our pockets and even worn on our wrists. Along the way, it spotlights groundbreaking games, including Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Super Mario Brothers, Mortal Kombat, Doom, Legend of Zelda, Sonic the Hedgehog, Final Fantasy VII, Grand Theft Auto, Angry Birds, Minecraft, and many more, as well as the brash, bold, and brilliant game makers who brought them to life. This book presents the ultimate cheat code for understanding an incredible phenomenon that continues to transform the world.