'Extra Lives' and other videogame books

[The Boston Crab]

This is a book by a guy called Tom Bissell, a pretty celebrated writer of fiction who turns his hand to what is effectively a series of essays about his experiences as a gamer. It explores lots of questions, none especially new, about the value of games, their relation to other art forms, their failings and the frustrations they cause as well as a celebration of their unique and imitative achievements. It touches on lots of issues about the industry, about the problems with well-worn routes into the industry and the limitations and strengths of collaborative process. It's about a lot of things, really, but it's mostly about his experiences of playing a select group of recent celebrated AAA games. I'd recommend it. It's not always thoroughly satisfying but there are lots of enjoyable, thought-provoking and motivating moments along the way, just like with GAMES.

I've also got Replay - The History of Videogames, which meant to be very good/comprehensive.

Anyone got any other recommendations?

[madhair60]

While it has a few inaccuracies in its text, I really enjoy Supercade, which is basically a load of really evocative images from the golden age of arcades, and early console gaming.

Masters of Doom is good too, though it's written with a little bit too much hyperbole.  That one's about John Carmack and John Romero about the rise of id Software, Doom and Quake.