Racing the Beam The Atari Video Computer System Platform Studies
Racing the Beam The Atari Video Computer System Platform Studies
The Atari Video Computer System dominated the home videogame market so completely that “Atari” became the generic term for a videogame console. The Atari VCS was affordable and offered the flexibility of changeable cartridges. Nearly a thousand of these were created, the most significant of which established new techniques, mechanics, and even entire genres. This book offers a detailed and accessible study of this influential videogame console from both computational and cultural perspectives.
Studies of digital media have rarely investigated platforms—the systems underlying computing. This book (the first in a series of Platform Studies) does so, developing a critical approach that examines the relationship between platforms and creative expression. Nick Montfort and Ian Bogost discuss the Atari VCS itself and examine in detail six game cartridges: Combat, Adventure, Pac-Man, Yars’ Revenge, Pitfall!, and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. They describe the technical constraints and affordances of the system and track developments in programming, gameplay, interface, and aesthetics. Adventure, for example, was the first game to represent a virtual space larger than the screen (anticipating the boundless virtual spaces of such later games as World of Warcraft and Grand Theft Auto), by allowing the player to walk off one side into another space; and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back was an early instance of interaction between media properties and video games.
Montfort and Bogost show that the Atari VCS—often considered merely a retro fetish object—is an essential part of the history of video games.
Platform Studies series
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars great book - informative and enlightening
This book is great fun for the Atari Generation, but more generally, a good read for anyone who is delighted by cleverness and ingenuity. The descriptions of how the early videogame writers surmounted the technical limitations of their platforms are fascinating. (I still remember, even as a kid, wondering just *why* those darn Pac-Man ghosts flickered so much — now, thirty years later, I know the answer.) Well-written and well-researched, I think this book is a worthy history of the early years of what is now one of the world’s largest industries. Highly recommended!
Wii For Dummies New Edition For Dummies Computers
Wii For Dummies New Edition For Dummies Computers
Just got a Nintendo Wii game console? Thinking about one? Wii offers video games, exercise tools, the opportunity to create a cool Mii character, and lot of other entertainment options. Wii For Dummies shows you how to get the most from this fun family game system.
This book shows you how to get physical with Wii Sports, turn game time into family time, make exercise fun with Wii Fit, and discover Wii’s hidden talents, like displaying photos and browsing the Web. You’ll learn how to:
- Hook up the Wii to your TV, home entertainment setup, or high-speed Internet connection
- Get familiar with Wii’s unique controllers and learn to use the Nunchuk, Balance Board, Wheel, and Zapper
- Explore the Wii Channels where you can shop for new games, play games online, check the news, and even watch videos
- Create Mii avatars you can share, enter in contests, and use in games
- Learn to use your whole body as a controller and get fit while you play
- Identify the best games for parties, family events, nostalgia buffs, and even non-gamers
- Build your skill at Wii tennis, golf, baseball, bowling, and boxing
- Use the Wii Message Board and full-featured Web browser
With tips on choosing games, hot Wii Web sites, how to enjoy photos and slideshows on your Wii, and ways to prevent damage to (and from) Wii remotes, Wii For Dummies makes your new high-tech toy more fun than ever.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars The Best Book You’d Never Think You’d Need
Wii for Dummies might seem a bit redundant at first glance. The Wii has hit critical mass at this point, with grandparents, parents and siblings alike all waggling joyfully with Nintendo’s latest masterpiece. With this new system seemingly designed with the technolgically impaired, casual non-gamer in mind, could it possibly warrant its own For Dummies entry?
Short answer: Yes! While Nintendo has made the Wii relatively simple for pick up and play, Wii for Dummies is all about helping you to take the next step. How do make this thing connect to my home network? What accessories are available, and do I really NEED them? What’s a Mii and why should I care? This book is all about helping you max out your experience.
Even the seasoned gamer should be interested in this book. Orland includes an interesting (if brief) section about the history of Nintendo, the Wii, and how it all came to be that is very reminiscent of the excellent Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life by Chris Kohler. Additionally, the final section includes some game buying advice, including a selection of downloadable games, and suggestions on games with which to reel in friends and non-gamers alike.
5 Stars Getting to know your Wii
If you’ve purchased a Wii this book is just what you need to get to know what your Wii is all about. The Perfect book and highly recommended.
1 Star Not as good as expected
I thought this book would be much more helpful. It was not as good as i thought it might be.
5 Stars Extremely Informative
Kyle’s “Wii for Dummies” is a very detailed resource for those looking to get or just starting out with their Wii. Even if you already own one, this book is good to have: it points out all the features your console has. From setup, to creataing Mii’s, contacting friends and using all the included ‘Channels’, “Wii for Dummies” has step by step instructions for everything.
It’s NOT a dry book by any means. There are tips, reminders and info boxes throughout each chapter as well as coverage on Wii Sports, Wii Fit and has game recommendations (even explanations of each genre) for those just stepping into games for the first time. Lots to explore by reading this book.
5 Stars Not Just For Dummies
At first, I thought this book was only for people who bought the Wii as their first video game console. This book is definitely aimed at them and includes great information for first time users. There are chapters on how to set up the system (with troubleshooting tips), how to use the controller, and how to choose games, all written in simple, easy to follow instructions. The chapters assume the reader doesn’t have any video game knowledge and holds their hands through processes such as reading the ESRB ratings and reading reviews of new games.
However, even with the writing for a new user, there are still nuggets and useful information for more experienced readers. For instance, the section on Channels in the Wii is extremely helpful, uncovering information I didn’t know about the console. The list of websites specifically optimized for the Wii and setting up a specific Channel for Wii Fit was information I didn’t know and found really fun. The book also includes suggestions for games on both the Virtual Console and Wii for all types of play: party, solo, and in between.
I think the most useful parts of the book for both new and experienced players are the suggested resources that are included in each section. Links to websites that cover kid-friendly games, links to mainstream video game review sites, and tips to find out new information on the console are invaluable for the book and teaches the reader where to find information the book can’t cover. It’s definitely a good primer about how to become informed about video gaming in general.
I found Wii for Dummies to be chuck full of useful information that both applies to the Wii and gaming in general. The writer does a great job of writing simple to follow instructions that are entertaining and witty. Sometimes I read a section I already knew just to see his funny take on it. I definitely would recommend the book for users who just got the Wii and don’t know exactly what to do with it or as a gift for a relative or friend who is not a gamer. For more experienced players, I would still recommend it for all the great content on using all of unexplored features of the console.
26 in 1 for Nintendo Wii remote controller sports pack
26 in 1 for Nintendo Wii remote controller sports pack
Product Description
This listing is for a 26 pack sports pack for the Wii system. Great Super deal. Wii system is not included. Wii system sold seperately. Wiimote is not included. Wii mote is sold seperately. Wii Video games are not included. Wii Video games are sold seperately. * The 26-in-1 Mega Sports Bundle pack for Wii includes: o Golf Club o Baseball Bat o Tennis Racket o Silicone Glove o Silicone Nunchuck cover o Steering Wheel o Multi-color protector sheet o Combat Joystick o Rubberized Battery Cover o Remote Controller Crystal Professional Case o Cleaning Cloth o and much more! * A must have accessory for Nintendo Wii * These accessories are very simple to attach. All you have to do is insert your Wii remote through the separate handle bar then connect a sports accessory of your choice to the handle bar! * Extremely light wight * Professional quality construction! * All parts are made to snap perfectly and easily with each other and Nintendo wii remote * One of the hottest accessories made for the Nintendo Wii system. * Quantity: 1 * Wii remote not included Package Content * The 26-in-1 Mega Sports Bundle pack for Wii includes: o Golf Club o Baseball Bat o Tennis Racket o Silicone Glove o Silicone Nunchuck cover o Steering Wheel o Multi-color protector sheet o Combat Joystick o Rubberized Battery Cover o Remote Controller Crystal Professional Case o Cleaning Cloth o and much more!
The Ultimate Blackjack System Blackjack SECRETS Casinos Dont Want You To Know About
The Ultimate Blackjack System Blackjack SECRETS Casinos Dont Want You To Know About
Discover the 100% Legal Secrets Las Vegas Professional Blackjack Gamblers Use to Make Literally Thousands of Dollars Every Week…I’ll Teach You the Ultimate Step-by-Step Blackjack System, Casino’s Don’t Want You to Know About! That’s Right, I’ll show you step-by-step how to have the blackjack odds in your favor, guaranteed! Are you sick and tired of taking trips to casino’s and at the end of night, go home with an empty wallet? People think, in order to make a killing at the blackjack tables, you need to be a mathematical genius…But that’s simply not the case. What if I told that there’s a another way - a simple approach to winning at blackjack. What if I told you, you don’t have to be a genius to have the blackjack odds in your favor! Blackjack is very simple to learn, and believe me, very simple to master. But I know what your thinking…there’s absolutely no such system that guarantees a profit at the end of the day. I’ll tell you the truth, when it comes to gambling, risk is always involved. It’s a matter of being consistent with your winnings that makes you successful. You’ll have your share of being unlucky, but by following my system, I guarantee you’ll be winning more than experiencing loses. That’s right! I’ve just completed my new eBook called, “The Ultimate Blackjack System” that gives you complete control and the complete edge over blackjack live and online! It’s my unique approach to the game and is different from anything else you’ve ever seen! This program has taken me years to master, but I’ve narrowed down my experience into a simple to read format, I’m sure you’ll enjoy!
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Racing the Beam The Atari Video Computer System Platform StudiesRacing the Beam The Atari Video Computer System Platform Studies The Atari Video Computer...
