Being the overachiever I am, I bought two books to do for the reading assignment for my online class, LLSS 536. I chose to start reading "All Your Base Are Belong to Us: How Fifty Years of Videogames Conquered Pop Culture" by Harold Goldberg. While this is a non-fiction text, it reads like a best friend telling you a really hilarious story about the history of their favorite video game. These first six chapters are jam-packed with knowledge, coupled with anecdotal stories connected to the fathers (no mothers or grandmothers of videogaming yet... still a very male-dominated field) of modern video gaming. My favorite thing to do while reading this book is to throw pop quiz questions toward my boyfriend, the biggest video gamer I know. Some of these facts he already knew, but even he is learning along with me, even after playing video games for the majority of his life.
The book starts with the creation of Tennis for Two, in the 1950's. This would eventually lead to the creation of Pong, by a tiny company named Atari. Everyone should recognize the name Atari, even if they didn't get to play on an Atari console. Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Atari, chose the name Atari from an ancient Chinese strategy game called Go, a game he adored. "The definition is the equivalent of the word 'check' in chess but also means 'you are about to become engulfed'" (Goldberg, 25.) And engulf the world it did. Through the good times and the bad, Atari has come to be an icon of the gaming industry.
Enter a curious young artist by the name of Shigeru Miyamoto. Starting from the bottom up, his name will become synonymous with one of the biggest video game companies today: Nintendo. Everybody, young and old, knows Nintendo and their iconic characters; Mario, Princess Peach, Link, Zelda, and many more. Nintendo is responsible for some of the biggest selling video games of all time, and they continue to be at the forefront of video game creation, as well as creating and releasing state of the art gaming consoles.
For me, the theme I keep seeing pop up over and over again in the stories of these early video game CEO's is determination. From Miyamoto to Ralph Baer (creator of Pong and the Odyssey gaming system) to Dr. William Higginbotham (creator of Tennis for two, the very first video game), each of these creators has faced adversity, often very challenging and/or difficult. They were rejected, laughed at, turned aside, and ridiculed. And yet the persevered, changing the history of video gaming forever. If our students learn nothing else from video games or, if we focus on no other aspect of video games in our classroom, we should at the very least try to instill this sense of determination in our students, in every aspect of their lives.
If you hadn't noticed, I'm super digging this book. :) so I can't wait to post more about it as I continue further in to the history of video games! Talk to you later!
Hi Catie. Your blog is inspirational and the book you choose sounds very interesting. I am new to the digital world and not only did the design of your blog page intrigue me, but also your book review. I look forward to hearing more about it!
ReplyDeleteCatie, your book sounds really interesting. I have a niece and nephew who are really into video games and using the computer, more generally. I am often baffled and confused by what they show me but it is clear that their interest is not an anomaly. As an educator, I am interested in how to effectively incorporate students interests in video games and technology into my teaching.
ReplyDeleteI love how you talk about perseverance as a common defining factor of these CEOs. It could be a cool analogy to increase our students' determination. I wonder how gender plays into this- I hear about a lot of men. Are there examples of women in video games so far?
ReplyDeleteChelsea: I haven't read anything yet about women in video games in this book, but hopefully the author will have a chapter or two on them!
ReplyDeleteCatie, what an interesting topic! I confess I have never really played video games, but the fact that they are so ubiquitous makes me want to understand them better. Looking forward to following your impressions of this book. - Elise
ReplyDeleteCatie - It is so cool to hear that you are loving your topic. It is such a huge important one especially because so many of our students have controllers attached to their hips! I look forward to reading more and learning from your reading! - Amanda M.
ReplyDeleteSo a few years ago I was having my students journal about the things they did on the week end. I read one entry were a kid was talking about a really old video game that he played where different colored jelly fish chase you around. I got all the way to the end of the journal before I understood he was talking about pac man. Video games have come a long way, it is rare to find a modern gamer who enjoys the classics. Your book sounds like a good one. The zero wing title reference is enough to bring a smile to this gamers heart.
ReplyDeleteahahaha!!! what a great way to describe Pac-Man!
DeleteThis book is quality! I'm having lots of fun pop quizzing my boyfriend, an avid gamer of classics and new titles.
Hi, as I read your blog, I too, became excited. I'm looking forward to following your blog and learn a thing or two.
ReplyDeleteHi, as I read your blog, I too, became excited. I'm looking forward to following your blog and learn a thing or two.
ReplyDeleteHi, Catie, it is my pleasure to read your blog. I did not know that "Go" is the idea to initiate the invention of the game console. Good book and good writing.
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