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A History of Video Games
- Narrated by: Jeremy Parish
- Length: 4 hrs and 40 mins
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A History of Video Games
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Summary
Since their arrival in the mid-20th century, video games have become a sprawling, multi-billion dollar business. On an annual basis, the industry is even more profitable than Hollywood. Today’s video games feature stunning, lifelike visuals and complex storylines - but they didn’t start out that way.
The origin of video games can be traced back to World War II. In the 10 lectures of A History of Video Games, listeners will follow the development of the digital game from its roots in the war room to its proliferation in the 21st-century living room. Taught by journalist, podcast host, and video game historian Jeremy Parish, this lively course will track the tremendous leaps made in computing technology that allowed games to become increasingly sophisticated and the popular trends that pushed the boundaries of technology forward.
The story of video games is not just about technology. It’s also about popular culture, economics, and globalization. Throughout these lectures, students will learn about the extremely profitable gaming industry, as well as the creative minds and ambitious projects that helped build it - and even encounter a few spectacular failures. Be prepared to:
- Witness the precipitous rise and fall of Atari
- Experience the birth of blockbuster gaming systems like NES and Sega Genesis
- Learn about the evolution of the console, PC, and portable gaming
- Explore the creation of iconic game series, such as Mario Bros., Pac-Man, and Pokémon
From the simple pleasures of Pong to the complex online world of Fortnite, video games have come a long way over the course of seven decades, with no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Listeners will surely reminisce about their own experience with gaming as they learn more about this exciting industry, phenomenon, and pastime.
What listeners say about A History of Video Games
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Daniel J. R. May
- 05-11-20
Interesting subject, presentation a bit too dry.
There is some interesting subject matter here, however the presentation as an audio book is just a bit too dry.
It feels like a tired "coach tour" of the subject, where we pass one thing after another without stopping to get on the ground and really take in the sights, sounds and smells!
I think it would also be fair to say that the narrators would have benefitted from going to a few acting classes, and been guided in their performance by a empathetic director.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 07-02-23
Succinct and entertaining
Covers whole eras quickly- without the depth of say specific titles on certain eras of gaming history, but leaves you with a better impression of the whole field including the economics, which cannot be divorced from the Art.
Overall history shows the ‘creators’ indeed fed the gamers need, but also needed the investors- vital money-men who couldn’t always square the freedom to create with their own traditional forms of command-and-control business practices- a shame for Atari but lessons it seems learned by the industry in the intervening 40 years.
Will the creativity be swamped by the influx of money, will cash-cows steer the cart instead of the creatives ?
In the 80s maxim ‘pop will eat itself’ gaming’s attractions of escapism and liberation need to survive into its inheritance of $billions, and avoid growing middle age spread.
Let’s hope the next 40 years gaming offer innovation and new discoveries- an African gaming renaissance perhaps? Or the prog4mmerz of Mars?
Brilliant series
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 17-09-21
Pew Pew
A fun short yet informative series about the history of computer games and their cultural significance.
The narration and music fitted perfectly with the title.
I would recommend this title to anyone interested in art, history or social and cultural themes.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 19-01-23
Great history summary about video games
First of all, this is not an artistic narration of some literature. However, the history of video games is well summarized, highlighting the most important elements and factors.
I recommend this to gamers who are interested not just in gaming but also about why current video games look like, or work like they do.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 21-01-24
A vanilla, inaccurate and America centric history.
It’s not the worst video games history audio book, those are IMHO the fabricated events in All Your Base and Console Wars. But….the only positive thing I can say about this awkward, poorly proof read monotone presentation is “At least it’s free if you have an audible subscription”.
Your time is better spent listening to Tristan Donavan’s Replay.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Nicus
- 01-12-21
interesting walkthrough, terrible performance
The walkthrough of video games history is mildly interesting, even though a mere enumeration of games. No interesting behind the scenes story or curiosity.
The performance is awful. Monotone voice, rushing through the reading. At the beginning I thought I was playing at 1.2x by mistake
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