The Book Shelf – Page 5 – Video Game Canon

ETC Press Will Publish Kyle Orland’s “The Game Beat: Observations and Lessons from Two Decades Writing About Games”

Kyle Orland is a veteran game journalist who has also been writing about what it means to be a good game journalist for over 20 years. He recently collected many of those columns in The Game Beat: Observations and Lessons from Two Decades Writing About Games, and it’s now being published in hardcover and paperback from Carnegie Mellon’s ETC Press.

The collection offers an extremely interesting and insightful look back at how game journalism has changed in the last two decades:

Game journalism is young enough that we’re still trying to collectively agree on the answers to some pretty fundamental questions. What makes a good review? Should we be evaluating games as consumer products or works of art? What role should scores or grades play in the review process? How should we deal with Metacritic’s outsized influence?

How close should game journalists be with the publishers and developers they cover? How can journalists get around the information control of the PR machine? How should outlets handle gifts and publisher-sponsored junkets? How are we supposed to make any money off any of this in the age of the Internet?

The Game Beat catalogs years of my own scattered attempts to answer those questions, and many more that continue to vex the field, through dozens of blog posts, columns, newsletters, and interviews focused on the art and craft of writing about games. In the process, this book also serves as a sort of public diary of my own education in and advancement through the world of professional game journalism, from eager outsider blogger to hustling freelancer to entrenched staff writer.

A PDF version of The Game Beat is also available to download for free.

“The Game Console” Explores the Grisly Innards of 86 Different Consoles in November 2018

No Starch Press has announced that they’re publishing The Game Console: A Photographic History from Atari to Xbox, a new book that depicts the “grisly innards” of all your favorite consoles, on November 6th.

Authored by Evan Amos, and featuring an extensive collection of full-color photos and notes about 86 different consoles, The Game Console might just be the most complete catalog of console hardware ever published:

The Game Console is a tour through the evolution of video game hardware, with gorgeous full-color photos of 86 consoles and their grisly innards. You’ll start your journey with legendary consoles like the Magnavox Odyssey, Atari 2600, Nintendo Entertainment System, and the Commodore 64. The visual nostalgia trip continues with systems from the 1990s and 2000s, ending with modern consoles like the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Wii U.

Throughout the book, you’ll also discover many consoles you never knew existed, and get a rare peek at the hardware inside some of history’s most iconic video game systems.

You can find a few preview images from The Game Console at No Starch’s official website, and they certainly do look grisly (and also amazing).

World Video Game Hall of Fame Will Publish “A History of Video Games In 64 Objects” in May 2018

The curators at the World Video Game Hall of Fame will offer a peak behind-the-scenes at some of the historical artifacts found in their collection with A History of Video Games In 64 Objects, an upcoming book from Dey Street Books:

Inspired by the groundbreaking A History of the World in 100 Objects, this book draws on the unique collections of The Strong museum in Rochester, New York, to chronicle the evolution of video games, from Pong to first-person shooters, told through the stories of dozens of objects essential to the field’s creation and development.

Drawing on the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s unmatched collection of video game artifacts, this fascinating history offers an expansive look at the development of one of the most popular and influential activities of the modern world: video gaming.

The hefty 352-page hardcover will include essays and photographs written by the curators that provide insight into how each object contributed to gaming’s history, as well as its impact on “the greater culture.”

A History of Video Games In 64 Objects will be available on May 29, and you can get a sneak peek at some of earliest selections (including Tennis For Two, the Nintendo Love Tester, and Ralph Baer’s Brown Box) at Dey Street‘s official website.

And don’t forget, the inductees from the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018 will be announced on May 3.

Dark Horse Will Publish “Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia” in October 2018

Do you know everything there is to know about Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and the rest of the Mushroom Kingdom? Would you like to?

If you answered “Yes” to the latter question (or even if you said “Yes” to the former), then today is your lucky day. Dark Horse has announced that they’ll be publishing a Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia this October.

Weighing in at 256 pages, this reference work will cover the first 30 years of “Super” Mario’s career, beginning with 1985’s Super Mario Bros.:

The Super Mario Encyclopedia is jam-packed with content from 17 Super Mario games and spans more than 30 years of the franchise’s history—from the original Super Mario Bros. to Super Mario 3D World. Track the evolution of the Goomba, witness the introduction of Yoshi, and relive your favorite levels.

This tome also contains an interview with producer Takashi Tezuka, tips to help you find every Coin, Star, Sun, and Mushroom… even explanations of glitches! With information on enemies, items, obstacles, and worlds from over 30 years of Mario, Super Mario Encyclopedia is the definitive resource for everything Super Mario!

Dark Horse’s Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia will be released on October 23.

Nintendo Will Release Super NES History Book Alongside Super NES Classic in September 2017

Nintendo is teaming up with Prima Games to release a colorful history of the Super NES this Fall.

Playing With Super Power: Nintendo SNES Classics is scheduled to be released alongside the Super NES Classic on September 29th, and it’ll be available in both hardcover (as a Special Slipcase Edition) and paperback.

This encyclopedic work will feature 320 pages of Super NES-fueled nostalgia, as well as a forward from Reggie Fils-Aimé, Nintendo of America’s President and COO. Here’s what fans can expect to find after they flip it open:

The Console: A nostalgic celebration and exploration of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in all its 16-bit glory.

The Games: Discover everything you’ve always wanted to know about some of the most beloved SNES games, including speedrun tips and little-known facts.

The History: Learn about the SNES development and the visionaries behind this groundbreaking console.

The Legacy: An in-depth look at how the SNES has left its mark on the gaming industry, and how its legacy continues.

The Memories: From family stories to fan art to merchandise and more, this book is a love letter to fans of the Playing With Super Power era!

Speedrunning Tips: Some of the best speedrunners around share their tips and strategies for getting the best times in these beloved classic games.

Exclusive Foreword: Written by Reggie Fils-Aimé, President and COO of Nintendo of America.

Playing With Super Power: Nintendo SNES Classics is actually the second partnership between Nintendo and Prima Games. Last year, the two companies published Playing With Power: Nintendo NES Classics to coincide with the launch of the NES Classic.