The Ultimate History of Video Games

Steven L. Kent worked as a video game reviewer and journalist for publications such as Electronic Games, The Seattle Times, and USA Today. In the course of his press work, he interviewed many major players in the video game industry and began work on a comprehensive history of video games, originally titled Electronic Nation. Though his initial plan was to publish the book in 1995, he was unable to find an interested publisher. Research collected for the book started appearing in Next Generation magazine as articles starting in 1996. After failing to interest a publisher, Kent decided to self-publish the book as The First Quarter: A 25-Year History of Video Games on November 1, 2000, under the label BWD Press. These sold quickly and attracted the interest of Prima Publishing, a division of Random House. Kent revised the text, added an index, and pushed the narrative forward into 2001 - though he regretted not being able to cover the impending launches of the Xbox and GameCube consoles. The book was published in October 2001 and titled The Ultimate History of Video Games, which the author did not initially like. The original volume was republished as The Ultimate History of Video Games, Volume 1. ==Reception==

The First Quarter: A 25-Year History of Video Games was well received by the game enthusiast press, though it was criticized for lack of editorial rigor. Brian Deuel of Syzygy Magazine gave it 4/5 stars, saying "Notwithstanding the problems within the text, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better book about the history of video games." LudoScience called it "an absolute must-read for anyone interested in the history of video games". Computer Gaming World described it as "Packed with interesting stories and anecdotes from all the key players on any game you could think of, it's a fascinating book for the well-read gamer." Mark Androvich writing for Classic Gamer Magazine praised its prescience as a foundational work in the young subject of video game history. The Ultimate History of Video Games received much more attention upon its release. Next Generation gave the book five out of five stars in their a 2001 holiday buying guide reviewing several game history related books. Charles Ardai wrote in Computer Gaming World praised its nuanced coverage of certain subjects, though criticized its black and white photographs and said the later part of the book "gets a little dry". Tim Rotertson at MyMac.com called Kent a "gifted writer" and gave the book a 5/5 rating, but suggested that it should have been multiple volumes for more depth. Retrospective reviews have largely praised the breadth of the book's coverage. Nintendo Life in 2020 called the book Kent's "seminal work". Publishers Weekly noted Kent's "infectious enthusiasm" and called the book "a loving tribute" to the videogame industry. The Ultimate History of Video Games has been widely cited by other work covering video games including academic publications. The First Quarter was adopted as a textbook by the DigiPen Institute of Technology soon after its release. ==References==