Good news for all you Sony PlayStation (PS1) fans out there--a 436 page book filled with PS1 retrospectives. It's a print-on-demand book from GameSpite Quarterly, put together by one Jeremy Parish. It's an attractive volume available in paperback ($20) and hardcover ($44). Here's a little blurb from the intro to set the tone: Perhaps more importantly, the PlayStation grew up alongside the World Wide Web, making it the first game console whose audience was connected both to one another and to the latest news the world over. PlayStation was where gaming grew up -- not in the sense of its newfound “mature” content, but rather in the breadth and sophistication of its software. It wasn’t 32-bit technology that marked the birth of gaming’s modern age. No, it was very specifically the PlayStation.

In my Matt Chat interviews with Fred Ford and Paul Reiche, the duo proposed updating their 1991 list of science fiction novels and stories for aspiring game designers. They've also added a few fantasy authors to "keep us guessing!" How many of these fine authors have you read?

Pete's Game Room has done a nice unboxing video with 5 great videogame books.

Unit OperationsI just finished reading Ian Bogost's book Unit Operations: An Approach to Videogame Criticism, a book that is probably already considered a foundational work for game studies. The book is clearly written for professional academics steeped in literary theory and with some smattering of reading in computer science, philosophy, and other fields. I can't tell if his tongue is in his cheek or not when he writes in the preface, "Jargon and obfuscation is a way of laying groundwork for novel production" and that his theory, like any other, "can't be obvious" (ii). However, there are plenty of kernels of interest to anyone with a serious interest in understanding games and, perhaps more importantly, the role they play and can play in our society and culture. In this review, I'll try to break down the book's key ideas.

Donnie (aka Soulgotha) has just posted a very detailed and accurate review of our book Vintage Games. Check it out, and while you're there, be sure to subscribe to this man's channel. I've never been disappointed by any of his videos. He does a range of topics, not just videogames, though all of them are entertaining and worth watching (I especially love his rants, comedies, and magic tricks).

Be sure to mention you heard about him on Armchair Arcade!

There's an interview up at Gnome's Lair called Ten Gnomish Questions, an interview with Matt Barton. I had a great time answering these questions; enjoy. I've posted a few additional thoughts below.

Rampant Coyote has posted a new review of my book Dungeons & Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games. It's a very positive and detailed review and really gets at the heart of what I was attempting with the book: Bottom line (again): I loved the book. If you are a serious computer RPG fan who doesn’t believe the genre began with Oblivion or Diablo II, and especially if you are at all involved in making or reviewing RPGs, you should give it a read. I have a response below.

I was browsing the excellent Tales of the Rampant Coyote blog and was pleasantly surprised to find a great mention of my book on a post called Game Design: How CRPGs Warped My Brain, Part 1. After complimenting my book, R.C. goes on to mention the role-playing games that made the most impact on his design philosophy. Here's a snippet from the Temple of Apshai blurb:

The thing that stuck with me from that game is that while a picture may be worth a thousand words, sometimes those words in text descriptions can evoke thoughts, feelings, and understanding that a picture alone cannot convey – even with the best of modern graphics.

How true! I also remember enjoying the entries in the printed journal that accompanied Pool of Radiance and other goldbox games. It was so much fun when the game referred to you an entry; it was always worth taking the time to read it and gave the game a more authentic D&D like feeling. What CRPGs have "warped your brain?" Here's a brief list of my personal favorites and what they taught me.