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.
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