Synopses & Reviews
It was a time when technology was king, status was determined by your high score, and videogames were blitzing the world...From Pong to Pac-Man, Asteroids to Zaxxon -- more than fifty million people around the world have come of age within the electronic flux of videogames, their subconscious forever etched with images projected from arcade and home videogame systems.
From the first interactive blips of electronic light at Brookhaven National Labs and the creation of Spacewar! at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; to the invention of the TV Game Project and the myriad systems of Magnavox, Atari, Coleco, and Mattel that followed; through the rise of the Golden Age of videogames and forward into the imagination of millions, Supercade is the first book to illustrate and document the history, legacy, and visual language of the videogame phenomenon.
Exuberantly written and illustrated in full color, Supercade pays tribute to the technology, games, and visionaries of one of the most influential periods in the history of computer science -- one that profoundly shaped the modern technological landscape and helped change the way people view entertainment.
Supercade includes contributions from such commentators and particpants as Ralph Baer, Julian Dibbell, Keith Feinstein, Joe Fielder, Lauren Fielder, Justin Hall, Leonard Herman, Steven Johnson, Steven Kent, Nick Montfort, Bob Parks, Carl Steadman, and Tom Vanderbilt.
Review
"Van Burnham has the rare talent of teaching you everything that the geeks know without making you feel like a geek for knowing it."--Jules Grant, Executive Editor of Electric Playground
Review
"Supercade is an exuberant and dynamic look at the early days of the interactive entertainment industry. Previously dismissed as little more than a children's pastime, videogames are now establishing themselves as the most important development in entertainment since television. If you aren't already familiar with the rich history of this medium, Supercade will help fill in the blanks."--John Davison, Editor-in-Chief of Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine
Review
"Supercade is a pixelated explosion of digi-pop iconography that burns your retina like the Day-Glo screen of your favorite arcade game. Van Burnham has the gamer chops and sociocultural smarts to deliver an unforgettable insider tour of the most important cultural form of the twenty-first Century."
—Eric Zimmerman, President, gameLab
Review
Even though I have been a part of this industry since I joined Atari in 1978, I still find it interesting to hear what was going on with others in the games business. I look forward to the release of this book. The MIT Press
Review
"It's impossible to praise this book too highly." Paul Di Filippo Asimov's The MIT Press
Review
"Burnham's done a splendid job of recreating the cathode-lit dens and arcades of our youth...." Bill Smith LA Weekly The MIT Press
Review
andquot;Even though I have been a part of this industry since I joined Atari in 1978, I still find it interesting to hear what was going on with others in the games business. I look forward to the release of this book.andquot;
--Ed Logg, andquot;Super Duper Game Guyandquot; at Midway Games and programmer of Asteroids
Review
"... Big, glossy, comprehensive... a blitz of zippy words and zappy graphics." Iain Finlayson The Times Weekend Review The MIT Press
Review
"... big, glossy, comprehensive ... a blitz of zippy words and zappy graphics."
— Iain Finlayson, The Times Weekend Review"... [M]akes a crucial point ... the 'golden age' of video games kick-started an entertainment industry that now rivals Hollywood."
— Erik Davis, Bookforum"... this book celebrates ... software, programmers, and machines that arose from nothing more than the desire to create the perfect game."
— Fin Fahey, New Scientist"Burnham’s done a splendid job of recreating the cathode-lit dens and arcades of our youth...."
— Bill Smith, LA Weekly"It’s impossible to praise this book too highly."
— Paul Di Filippo, Asimov's"Supercade is an outstanding tribute to the industry of electronic videogames. Thorough yet concise, the book is perfect for the casual reference or as the primary text for students of the world's favorite contemporary pastime."
—Donald A. Thomas, Jr., Curator of I.C. When and former marketing manager of Atari"Supercade is an exuberant and dynamic look at the early days of the interactive entertainment industry. Previously dismissed as little more than a children's pastime, videogames are now establishing themselves as the most important development in entertainment since television. If you aren't already familiar with the rich history of this medium, Supercade will help fill in the blanks."
—John Davison, Editor-in-Chief of Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine"Van Burnham has dedicated herself to classic gaming journalism like no other. She's not just a writer ... she's a GAMER!"
—Joe Santulli, Editor-in-Chief of Digital Press"Supercade is a pixelated explosion of digi-pop iconography that burns your retina like the Day-Glo screen of your favorite arcade game. Van Burnham has the gamer chops and sociocultural smarts to deliver an unforgettable insider tour of the most important cultural form of the twenty-first Century."
—Eric Zimmerman, President, gameLab"Even though I have been a part of this industry since I joined Atari in 1978, I still find it interesting to hear what was going on with others in the games business. I look forward to the release of this book."
—Ed Logg, "Super Duper Game Guy" at Midway Games and programmer of Asteroids"Van Burnham has the rare talent of teaching you everything that the geeks know without making you feel like a geek for knowing it."
—Jules Grant, Executive Editor of Electric Playground
Review
"... [M]akes a crucial point... the 'golden age' of video games kick-started an entertainment industry that now rivals Hollywood." Erik Davis Bookforum The MIT Press
Review
"... this book celebrates... software, programmers, and machines that arose from nothing more than the desire to create the perfect game." Fin Fahey New Scientist The MIT Press
Review
" Supercade is an outstanding tribute to the industry of electronic videogames. Thorough yet concise, the book is perfect for the casual reference or as the primary text for students of the world"s favorite contemporary pastime." Donald A. Thomas, Jr. , Curator of I.C. When and former marketing manager of Atari The MIT Press
Review
"Van Burnham has dedicated herself to classic gaming journalism like no other. She's not just a writer... she's a GAMER!"--Joe Santulli, Editor-in-Chief of Digital Press The MIT Press
Review
"It's about time for a book to comprehensively review the history and evolution of the dynamic videogame world--fortunately, Supercade is that book."--Ralph H. Baer, The Father of Home Videogames and inventor of the Magnavox Odyssey The MIT Press
Review
"... [A] satisfying, illuminating read. Recommended for hardcore gamers (and ex-gamers) of all ages." Dominic Al-Badri Kansai Time Out, Japan The MIT Press
Review
Who can resist a book that opens by tying invention of the video game to development of the atom bomb? Joe Santulli, Editor-in-Chief of < i=""> Digital Press <>
Review
andlt;Pandgt;"Even though I have been a part of this industry since I joined Atari in 1978, I still find it interesting to hear what was going on with others in the games business. I look forward to the release of this book."--Ed Logg, Super Duper Game Guy, Midway Games, and programmer of Asteroidsandlt;/Pandgt; The MIT Press
Review
andlt;Pandgt;"... [A] satisfying, illuminating read. Recommended for hardcore gamers (and ex-gamers) of all ages." andlt;Bandgt;Dominic Al-Badri andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;Iandgt;Kansai Time Out, Japanandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;/Pandgt; The MIT Press The MIT Press
Review
andlt;Pandgt;"... Big, glossy, comprehensive... a blitz of zippy words and zappy graphics." andlt;Bandgt;Iain Finlayson andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;Iandgt;The Times Weekend Reviewandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;/Pandgt; The MIT Press
Review
andlt;Pandgt;"Supercade is an outstanding tribute to the industry of electronic videogames. Thorough yet concise, the book is perfect for the casual reference or as the primary text for students of the world's favorite contemporary pastime."--Donald A. Thomas, Jr., Curator of I.C. When and former marketing manager of Atariandlt;/Pandgt; The MIT Press
Review
andlt;Pandgt;" andlt;Iandgt;Supercadeandlt;/Iandgt; is an outstanding tribute to the industry of electronic videogames. Thorough yet concise, the book is perfect for the casual reference or as the primary text for students of the world"s favorite contemporary pastime." andlt;Bandgt;Donald A. Thomas, Jr. andlt;/Bandgt;, Curator of I.C. When and former marketing manager of Atariandlt;/Pandgt; The MIT Press
Review
andlt;Pandgt;"It's about time for a book to comprehensively review the history and evolution of the dynamic videogame world--fortunately, Supercade is that book."--Ralph H. Baer, The Father of Home Videogames and inventor of the Magnavox Odysseyandlt;/Pandgt; The MIT Press
Review
andlt;Pandgt;"Van Burnham has dedicated herself to classic gaming journalism like no other. She's not just a writer... she's a GAMER!" andlt;Bandgt;Joe Santulli andlt;/Bandgt;, Editor-in-Chief of andlt;Iandgt;Digital Pressandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;/Pandgt; The MIT Press
Review
...[A] satisfying, illuminating read. Recommended for hardcore gamers (and ex-gamers) of all ages. Ed Logg, Super Duper Game Guy, Midway Games, and programmer of Asteroids
Review
...Big, glossy, comprehensive...a blitz of zippy words and zappy graphics. Dominic Al-Badri - Kansai Time Out, Japan
Review
Supercade is an outstanding tribute to the industry of electronic videogames. Thorough yet concise, the book is perfect for the casual reference or as the primary text for students of the world's favorite contemporary pastime. Iain Finlayson - The Times Weekend Review
Review
It's about time for a book to comprehensively review the history and evolution of the dynamic videogame world -- fortunately, Supercade is that book. Donald A. Thomas, Jr., Curator of I.C. When and former marketing manager of Atari
Review
Van Burnham has dedicated herself to classic gaming journalism like no other. She's not just a writer...she's a GAMER! Ralph H. Baer, The Father of Home Videogames and inventor of the Magnavox Odyssey
Review
Burnham's done a splendid job of recreating the cathode-lit dens and arcades of our youth... Computer Gaming World
Synopsis
A gloriously illustrated history of the videogame and its legacy for both our mindscapes and video technology.
It was a time when technology was king, status was determined by your high score, and videogames were blitzing the world... From Pong to Pac-Man, Asteroids to Zaxxon -- more than fifty million people around the world have come of age within the electronic flux of videogames, their subconscious forever etched with images projected from arcade and home videogame systems.
From the first interactive blips of electronic light at Brookhaven National Labs and the creation of Spacewar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; to the invention of the TV Game Project and the myriad systems of Magnavox, Atari, Coleco, and Mattel that followed; through the rise of the Golden Age of videogames and forward into the imagination of millions, Supercade is the first book to illustrate and document the history, legacy, and visual language of the videogame phenomenon.
Exuberantly written and illustrated in full color, Supercade pays tribute to the technology, games, and visionaries of one of the most influential periods in the history of computer science -- one that profoundly shaped the modern technological landscape and helped change the way people view entertainment.
Supercade includes contributions from such commentators and particpants as Ralph Baer, Julian Dibbell, Keith Feinstein, Joe Fielder, Lauren Fielder, Justin Hall, Leonard Herman, Steven Johnson, Steven Kent, Nick Montfort, Bob Parks, Carl Steadman, and Tom Vanderbilt.
Synopsis
A gloriously illustrated history of the videogame and its legacy for both our mindscapes and video technology.
Synopsis
andlt;Pandgt;It was a time when technology was king, status was determined by your high score, and videogames were blitzing the world...From Pong to Pac-Man, Asteroids to Zaxxon--more than fifty million people around the world have come of age within the electronic flux of videogames, their subconscious forever etched with images projected from arcade and home videogame systems.From the first interactive blips of electronic light at Brookhaven National Labs and the creation of Spacewar! at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; to the invention of the TV Game Project and the myriad systems of Magnavox, Atari, Coleco, and Mattel that followed; through the rise of the Golden Age of videogames and forward into the imagination of millions, Supercade is the first book to illustrate and document the history, legacy, and visual language of the videogame phenomenon.Exuberantly written and illustrated in full color, Supercade pays tribute to the technology, games, and visionaries of one of the most influential periods in the history of computer science--one that profoundly shaped the modern technological landscape and helped change the way people view entertainment.Supercade includes contributions from such commentators and particpants as Ralph Baer, Julian Dibbell, Keith Feinstein, Joe Fielder, Lauren Fielder, Justin Hall, Leonard Herman, Steven Johnson, Steven Kent, Nick Montfort, Bob Parks, Carl Steadman, and Tom Vanderbilt.andlt;/Pandgt;
About the Author
Finalist in the category of Popular Culture in the Independent Publisher Book Awards 2002 (The Ippy Awards) presented by Independent Publisher Magazine.