Videogame and Computer Entertainment Systems

While originally designed to merely crunch numbers, computers were adapted in the 1960s to "play games" by programmers looking to blow off steam during work. But as microprocessors got smaller, and as the computers and videogame consoles made their way into the living room, videogames blossomed from a trivial pursuit into a billion-dollar industry.

Videogame and Computer Entertainment Systems is an illustrated tour through the often-sordid history of the more than 40 classic consoles and home computers that launched the video and computer game revolution. The authors revisit popular US home systems from 1972 through 1987, including everyone's favorite, the Atari 2600, and lesser-known systems like the TRS (trash) 80, the Commodore PET, the Mattel Intellivision, and the Coleco Telstar Arcade. Each console and game is rated based on game line up, add-ons, and usability. The emphasis is on which games are still worth playing and the notable features of each system - from the gamer's point of view. Readers will find tips for collecting, and for emulating these systems on modern computers. This is the book that video and computer game fans won't be able to put down.