Video Invaders

This is a history and review book for videogames. It's 'Introduction' tells how the author came to play pinball games, and traces these games back to 1871 and other coin operated electronic games. In the next few chapters it looks at the growth of computer and home video games starting with the 'Spacewar!' game at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It then goes on to tell Ralph H. Baer's idea for home video games and the Odyssey home system. It then looks at 'Computer Space' by Nolan Bushnell, and the founding of Atari. From there it explores the arcade and home videogame markets, and some of the most popular games. There is a full chapter on the game Pac-Man from it's creation to it's breakout in other media. Interviews with 10 designers (inventors) of video games. An entire chapter on the founding and rise of Atari. A Chapter on the legal debates that surrounded video games and their Pinball predecessors. The next to last chapter looks at the then future of games, including advances in technology and films like 'Tron,' and the unreleased 'Starblasters'. The last chapter reviews and gives tips on 17 Arcade games, and 9 games for the Atari Video Computer System (VCS or Atari 2600), 2 games for the Odyssey2, 1 game-software for the Bally Professional Arcade (Bally Astrocade or Astrovision), and lastly 2 games for the Intellivision. A 'Bibliography' of other related books and magazine articles ends the book. The book has 10 full page cartoon type illustrations, and 14 illustrations of the arcade games' front screen, boarder displays, and control panels.