ULTIMATE HISTORY OF VIDEO GAMES, THE

Based on more than 500 first-hand interviews with the creative geniuses and inspired crazies who transformed a back-room novelty into a cultural phenomenon, The Ultimate History of Video Games is the definitive account of the brilliant, quirky, wacky world of electronic entertainment. Readers will discover the behind-the-scenes story of the games they grew up with - from Pong, Pac-Man and Mortal Kombat to Pokemon and beyond. They will follow the exploits of eccentric designers, insanely great programmers and manically driven entrepreneurs who wagered everything on a modern-day art form that no one thought would succeed. But succeed they did. This one-of-a-kind book is filled with invaluable insight from such industry giants as Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, Donkey Kong creator Shigeru Miyamoto, Pac-Man designer Toru Iwatani and hundreds more. It also includes such recent developments as the explosive launch of Sony's Playstation 2, the sudden fall of Sega and the coming thunder of Microsoft's Xbox. Entertaining, addictive and as mesmerizing as its subject, this book is a must-have for anyone who's ever touched a joystick.