Game On!, Dustin Hansen
Game On!, Dustin Hansen
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Game On!
Video Game History from Pong and Pac-Man to Mario, Minecraft, and More

Author: Dustin Hansen

Narrator: Ryan Burke

Unabridged: 9 hr 16 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 02/09/2021

Synopsis

Veteran video game designer Dustin Hansen takes YA listeners on a fun and fascinating trip through the brief but intensely innovative history of video games.

Find out about the fast and furious growth and evolution of video games (including how they are quickly taking over the world!) by looking at some of the most popular, innovative, and influential games ever, from Pong, the very first arcade game ever, to modern hits like Uncharted.

Learn about the creators and inspiration (Mario was named after Nintendo's landlord after he barged into a staff meeting demanding rent), discover historical trivia and Easter eggs (the developers of Halo 2 drank over 24,000 gallons of soda while making the game), and explore the innovations that make each game special (the ghosts in Pac-Man are the first example of AI in a video game).

Finally, here's a young adult nonfiction book about video games. Whether you consider yourself a hard-core gamer or are just curious to see what everyone is talking about, Game On! is the book for you!

About Dustin Hansen

Dustin Hansen, author of Game On! and the Microsaurs series, was raised in rural Utah, surrounded by the great outdoors. But even the beautiful mountains couldn't keep him away from his passion, video games. His love of pixels and controllers led him into a career in video games. He has made titles for everything from a 386 PC to the iPhone, and from the PlayStation One to the Xbox One. Now he's working on the future, creating virtual reality experiences that blend real life with the digital world. Dustin and his family live in rural Utah once again, where he is the current king of the family Mario Kart circuit.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Johan on November 26, 2016

Fascinating tidbits on the inside history of the games I love and grew up playing. Written in an easy to follow and entertaining way (lots of humor from the author/narrator). A great read for gaming nuts of all ages.......more

Goodreads review by Starr on April 25, 2023

Wow, I just read an entire non-textbook nonfiction book for the first time since elementary school 😳 I picked up this book solely to check out if it would be a good addition to the YA Nonfic shelves at my library, and totally meant to just flip through but now, several hours later, I have read every......more

Goodreads review by Robin on November 13, 2016

Absolutely my favourite non-fiction book of the year, and one that I've been recommending to everyone who has ever played any computer game. I thought I wasn't a big gamer, but this had me gripped and laughing. It's written with kids in mind, but kids AND parents (and adults without kids) should hav......more

Goodreads review by Alicia on March 09, 2020

This fun exploration isn't meant to be an end-all, be-all compilation of video game history, instead it is an entertaining romp into the best and the brightest (and the biggest failures) of video gaming and how they left their mark. The flow of the book is a testament to its organization and layout......more

Goodreads review by Ashley on March 19, 2020

A light, easy, fast read that I think teens will particularly enjoy. I was expecting something akin to Thomas Game Docs (YouTube channel)— an in-depth look at how various consoles came about— but Hansen chose breadth over depth, focusing on a handful of landmark games and what innovations they contr......more

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