Most people feel tired after a long day at work. Some of them decide to take a bath for relaxation or visit a massage therapist, and others choose hobbies to forget about stress and daily routine.
Hobbies can also be different. Some people enjoy spending time on Playamo or playing computer games, and others prefer reading. But what if someone likes both books and games? In this case, he can choose literature on this topic. Keep reading, to find the best books.
1. Replay: The History of Video Games by Tristan Donovan
One day a British journalist Tristan Donovan set himself a very ambitious goal. He wanted to describe the development of the game industry from its start to the present day. And he successfully achieved his goal by publishing Replay: The History of Video Games.
This book is an excellent choice for people interested in the main stages of the game industry evolution. The author starts from the time of Pong, and his story ends almost in our days.
Donovan described all stages of this industry. He wrote much about the emergence of games developed by students, the ups and downs of companies and platforms, the fate of developers, the formation of genres, and attempts by the authorities to introduce censorship of violent games. He said much about what has happened to games in the West. Yet, he also paid attention to the achievements of Asian developers.
Donovan’s book will be a great choice for people who want to know how the games made their first steps, evolved and became a part of world culture. Yet, this book is only a pleasure. Readers cannot use it as a textbook because the author doesn’t deepen in different topics.
2. Console Wars and the History of the Future by Blake J. Harris
In the mid-80s, after America went through a crisis in the gaming industry, Nintendo appeared on the market. So, the next few years passed under the sign of this Japanese company. Yet, over time, the developers from Sega could challenge it and impose a serious competition. It was one of the most intense console wars of all time. The book by journalist Blake J. Harris tells exactly about this confrontation.
The author relies on documents, memories and interviews with participants of the events, but adds fictional details to his narrative. In 2024, a film based on this book was released. Blake J. Harris also was one of the directors of this movie. Although it is not so popular, it is worth the time of the main fans of Sega and Nintendo.
The book is read almost as a witty novel about an outsider company that challenges the mighty market leader. Due to the bold and unconventional moves, it manages, if not to overcome, then on equal terms to fight with a more powerful rival. Thus, Harris offers readers an informative fascinating excursion into the history of fierce confrontation between Nintendo and Sega. The author doesn’t write much about the development. He pays more attention to marketing, company development strategy and actions of top managers.
3. Blood, Sweat, and Pixels. The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made by Jason Schreier
Ex-editor of Kotaku Jason Schreier is one of the most well-known game journalists of our time. He is often the first source of high-profile news or important backstage information. No wonder that his book Blood, Sweat, and Pixels became a topic of discussion in many countries. After all, Jason Schreier decided to talk about the background development of several high-profile projects.
The book contains the stories of ten games. Among them, there are small projects like Stardew Valley, and bestsellers, such as Destiny. They are united only by the fact that the developers at some point faced much bigger difficulties than expected. Jason Schreier describes the problems with money, processing, burnout and other difficulties that game creators, including the most successful ones, have to solve. If the reader has a romanticized idea of how games are developed, the author of Blood, Sweat, and Pixels will ruthlessly destroy it.
The book will tell readers about what is happening behind the scenes of the studios. They will learn about the moments that developers prefer not to advertise. Although Jason Schreier details the complexities, he is very stingy on details. When it comes to how companies coped with challenges, dedication and hard work are the only things the author talks about.
4. Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture by David Kushner
This is a book for readers not afraid of triggering and detailed narratives. It’s published by David Kushner, a famous author who has written lots of books about computer games.
The Masters of Doom starts with a scene in which young John Romero is beaten by his stepfather because of his addiction to arcade games. At the same time, young John Carmack climbs into the school at night to steal a computer. How did two difficult teenagers, Romero and Carmack, turn the PC industry upside down and become rock stars from the world of video games? This is what David Kushner talks about in his bestseller.
Masters of Doom is not only an exhaustive chronicle of the development of the id Software company. The author also talks much about the glorious acts of its founders. What’s more, it is a well-written novel in the genre of investigative journalism. Kushner doesn’t pay much attention to the dates and technical details of the legendary shooters’ development. He is more dedicated to the vividness of characters and dialogues.
5. All Your Base Are Belong To Us by Harold Goldberg
The book by Harold Goldberg does not pretend to be serious, as you can understand from the joking title. It is a collection of ironic essays about video games, covering their half-century history. Goldberg is not trying to describe everything at once with one work. He writes only about the most interesting stages in this industry. He starts with the development of the world’s first Magnavox Odyssey console and ends with BioShock and World of Warcraft.
All Your Base Are Belong To Us is not only a book of jokes and curiosities about legendary games. This is a fascinating story about their creators. In this case, Goldberg talked to them to learn more secrets.
To sum up, these books will interest even people not engaged in the world of computer games. Readers will enjoy their plot and main characters. Although these stories are not the shortest ones, they are page-turning. That’s why it is possible to read each of these fascinating books in one day.
