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The Reading Room

The Ultimate History of Video Games

From Pong to Pokémon

A sprawling oral history of the arcade and console eras — messy, gossipy, irreplaceable as a primary source.

Author
Steven L. Kent
Published
2001
Publisher
Three Rivers Press
Pages
624
Shelved
Recommended

Kent interviewed everyone who mattered while they were still answering their phones. The book is long, digressive, occasionally unreliable, and utterly essential — the closest thing the medium has to a foundational chronicle. Use it as a source, not a verdict.