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daileyxplanet's review
5.0
A History of Video Games is just that, a history. The timelines don't go into too much history, but is a good overview. Jeremy's narration is what you'd like expect from a podcasting expert. If you're a Retronauts fan, this is the audiobook to listen to.
mugglemom's review
3.0
Decent and loads of cool info.
The narrator who is/was also the author was a bit dry - I would have thought he would have been more pumped up to read his own material for the lectures!?
The narrator who is/was also the author was a bit dry - I would have thought he would have been more pumped up to read his own material for the lectures!?
clarkwithane's review
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
2.75
It's decent, but there's so much redundant info from other sources.
It's good for people who haven't heard much about the industry. It's not an AB to find out more info than brief histories.
It's good for people who haven't heard much about the industry. It's not an AB to find out more info than brief histories.
nipomuki's review
4.0
Very interesting listen. It was pretty technical, but he looked at the development of video games and gaming from many different angles and talked about all the platforms.
I have mostly played on PC and now on my phone, but know of other platforms of course, and used to go to the Suisse Toy to try out new gadgets. Ah, and I once won an XBox 360!
I have always been fascinated by the story telling potential of PC games (which is not really touched upon in the lectures), and for a while back in the 90ies even subscribed to a game magazine, and installed dozens of trial versions on my poor PC.
While being very enthusiastic about gaming, I was and am the worst at it. I finished very few of the games I started, and always with the help of a walk through. But I still remember the characters I adventured with fondly. And I keep an old PC running off the net to still be able to try one more time to get through Lands of Lore ;-)
The history aspect of the lectures was great, but also weird: is it even history if you can remember most of it??? ;-)
I have mostly played on PC and now on my phone, but know of other platforms of course, and used to go to the Suisse Toy to try out new gadgets. Ah, and I once won an XBox 360!
I have always been fascinated by the story telling potential of PC games (which is not really touched upon in the lectures), and for a while back in the 90ies even subscribed to a game magazine, and installed dozens of trial versions on my poor PC.
While being very enthusiastic about gaming, I was and am the worst at it. I finished very few of the games I started, and always with the help of a walk through. But I still remember the characters I adventured with fondly. And I keep an old PC running off the net to still be able to try one more time to get through Lands of Lore ;-)
The history aspect of the lectures was great, but also weird: is it even history if you can remember most of it??? ;-)
redhairedashreads's review
4.0
Rating: 4 stars - It was really good
This was an interesting look into the history of video games. I am not a video game person but I did find the history of it very fascinating, especially when some of the very first big names in gaming are still around.
I really enjoyed the chapter about preservation of video game history, especially towards the code data for games. As an archivist, I am glad to see this discussed and know that a lot of this history has already been lost and is still being lost today. I am really curious to see how companies will preserve the history of their games, especially since modern games are constantly being patched and changed but that would be a whole other book.
You can also find my reviews at Red-Haired Ash Reads.
This was an interesting look into the history of video games. I am not a video game person but I did find the history of it very fascinating, especially when some of the very first big names in gaming are still around.
I really enjoyed the chapter about preservation of video game history, especially towards the code data for games. As an archivist, I am glad to see this discussed and know that a lot of this history has already been lost and is still being lost today. I am really curious to see how companies will preserve the history of their games, especially since modern games are constantly being patched and changed but that would be a whole other book.
You can also find my reviews at Red-Haired Ash Reads.
captainjaq's review
3.0
This is a very basic, kind of moment-by-moment history of video games, exactly what it's advertised as. However, there's nothing else to it. While interesting there's no exploration of anything deeper. It also gets repetitive towards the end, as topics overlap.
nytephoenyx's review
informative
fast-paced
4.0
There's a lot of angles to the history of video games. Going in, I wasn't sure which route Parish was going to take. A History of Video Games focuses mostly on the industry history, targeting the companies that led the evolution of gaming. This is probably the most pragmatic approach, but if you're looking for a more cultural history of video games including the social turmoil around them (from the belief that video games make children violent to Gamergate) you're not going to find it here.
Parish feels rushed in this production and it's easy to tell there's so much more he wants to say. He does a good job keeping to the overview of the topic and going into development history and much of the format evolution. One thing that went absolutely undiscussed in this lecture was VR gaming, which I found a little shocking since VR gaming has been around a while and this lecture was only published last year. You'll see the other major players here, but there aren't deep specifics about anything.
This is a very enjoyable overview and a good place to start for those interested in video game history, most particularly the development and growth of console systems. I enjoyed the discourse and particularly loved it every time Parish name-dropped a game I knew - Gauntlet FTW! My favorite arcade game. As with anything in the tech industry it's growing a little outdated already. For example, he spends about ten minutes at the end of the course talking about legal complications around the Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World game that would probably never be re-released... only Nintendo re-released it this summer. Little things like that, which are already growing obsolete as technology and the world march forward. It's a good place to start, a very good place to start, but don't expect too much depth - it is, after all, only a 4.5hr. lecture.
Parish feels rushed in this production and it's easy to tell there's so much more he wants to say. He does a good job keeping to the overview of the topic and going into development history and much of the format evolution. One thing that went absolutely undiscussed in this lecture was VR gaming, which I found a little shocking since VR gaming has been around a while and this lecture was only published last year. You'll see the other major players here, but there aren't deep specifics about anything.
This is a very enjoyable overview and a good place to start for those interested in video game history, most particularly the development and growth of console systems. I enjoyed the discourse and particularly loved it every time Parish name-dropped a game I knew - Gauntlet FTW! My favorite arcade game. As with anything in the tech industry it's growing a little outdated already. For example, he spends about ten minutes at the end of the course talking about legal complications around the Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World game that would probably never be re-released... only Nintendo re-released it this summer. Little things like that, which are already growing obsolete as technology and the world march forward. It's a good place to start, a very good place to start, but don't expect too much depth - it is, after all, only a 4.5hr. lecture.
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