Just in case Matt Barton is too shy to mention it himself, his recent book Dungeons and Desktops has been slashdotted.
"Dungeons and Desktops: The History of Computer Role-playing Games chronicles the rise and fall of the Computer RPG industry, from Akalabeth to Zelda and everything in between. While the bulk of the book is devoted to the genre's "Golden Age" in the late '80s and early '90s, author Matt Barton explores the entire history of CRPGs, from their origins in the mid '70s to the very recent past. While not entirely comprehensive, the book covers not only the major players and award-winners, but also dozens of obscure "also-rans" as well as notable games in related genres."
Thanks for posting this,
Thanks for posting this, Dennis, though it's been awhile since anyone accused me of being shy...Well, at least in mixed company. Well, at least in company. Good thing I don't work for a company.
I thought this reviewer did a good job of describing what the book covers, since I knew every comment was going to be along the lines of "This book sucks if he doesn't even know about {insert obscure TI-99/4A game here}." There's also a full-page review in PC Gamer magazine.
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Check out Barton's gaming blog at Armchair Arcade.
Really nice coverage!
Way to go, Matt, though, "it is a bit hard to swallow Barton's dislike for Diablo in the context of a historical overview." Or even, uhm, not in that context. :-> The devil's in the details.