A downloadable book

Download NowName your own price

** Preview: Introduction + first three chapters **


This ebook is a journey through the early days of computer gaming.

I plan to write two parts, one from 1977 to 1986 (the early years and the 8-bit era, with the Apple II, TRS-80, Commodore 64, and many others) and the second from 1986 to 1995 (the 16-bit generation with Atari ST, Amiga, and MS-DOS).

As a researcher and lifelong gaming enthusiast, I'll share personal stories and insights into the evolution of computer games, from the creative minds behind the first games to the new genres that emerged over time.

The book's first part is almost ready, but I'm still improving it, adding more details and stories. Both researching and writing take a lot of time, so I don't know when the ebook will be finished.

Anyway, since I'm satisfied with the introduction and the first three chapters, I decided to release them here so you can give me your feedback. Please read it and let me know! Thanks!

Since writing this book is a significant undertaking, I accept small donations as a token of appreciation and encouragement to continue.


Download the first three chapters (1977-1979) below. You can choose between white background or dark background:

Download

Download NowName your own price

Click download now to get access to the following files:

Brief History of Computer Games v0.1.pdf 932 kB
Brief History of Computer Games v0.1-dark.pdf 908 kB

Comments

Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.

I just read the first line of the book, and immediately resonated with it. I got the VIC-20 for Christmas 1981, when I was 14. Just prior to that, I had "trained" a bit with BASIC on some TRS-80s at our middle school. Later, I upgraded to the C-64. So I already can tell I'm going to enjoy reading whatever comes next. :-)

Thanks a lot for reading it! I plan to publish 1980 very soon :) 

Looking forward to it. I ended up flying through what you'd written so far, and it triggered my own memories of the time. Between using the TRS-80s at school, owning a VIC-20 and C-64 (although not a PET), and having access to my friend's Apple IIe, I managed to experience all three of the "Trinity" computers. And now these days, I'm a web developer who does a fair amount of coding, all thanks to the many hours I spent trying (and usually failing) to program my own games.