Finally, a history book I can use to get my students reading! Video games and sneakers are the way to Gen A's heart.

This was really comprehensive and interesting, even for the non-diehard. I'd love to see more from this author, including going back to look at volume 1, which is much more my era!

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Gamers and game designers will be fascinated looking through "The Ultimate History of Video Games, Volume 2". Volume 1 is just as good! :)

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I found the subject matter really interesting. The book was well written and easy to understand. I highly recommend this book.

When I taught a class on the history of video games in the year 2002, one of the textbooks I assigned was the original Ultimate History of Video Games. At the time, it truly was the ultimate history of games, as very few books on the subject even existed! I thought that Steve had left the games journalism field for good, so I was surprised and pleased when I learned that a second volume of his book was in the offing. In 2021, there are literally hundreds of different takes on gaming history, written from a variety of angles. The unique place that this book occupies is delivering unique, entertaining, and engaging anecdotes and stories from the people who were behind the scenes during the making of history. Primarily about the console wars between Sony, Sega, Microsoft, and Nintendo during the late 2000's and the early 2010's, this book will end up being a breezy read for anyone who wants to relive the key moments of victory (and perhaps learn from the hubris of the past).

The Ultimate History of Video Games Vol. 2 is the companion to the first volume of Steven L. Kent's exhaustive retrospective look at electronic gaming. Due out 24th Aug 2021 from Penguin Random House on their Crown imprint, it's 592 (!) pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately; it makes it so easy to find information with the search function.

I have been playing computer games (literally) since Pong was big. I spent hundreds of hours playing Zork and Rogue and to tell the truth, I haven't slowed down much in my middle age. I eventually (via MUDs MUCKs and MOOs) settled on MMORPGs and have spent the last 20 years mostly in NWN, Everquest, and, today, in World of Warcraft. This entire book was such a blast to read and flip through. It's -exhaustively- researched and annotated. It's full of minutiae and trivia (in a good way). There were stories and anecdotes by the truckload.

The author's style of writing is easy to read and not at all dry or boring. He renders the information in an accessible way without being preachy or overly academic. The chapter notes will provide eager readers a wealth of sources for further reading and research. Interactive footnotes provide context and background without interrupting the narrative flow.

Five stars. This is a master-work and worthy of a place in the gamer's home library (along with the first volume). It would be a superlative selection for school or public library acquisition as well.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.