Playing is good. But that doesn’t stop you from also learning about your passion. Among the references of the year, here are five books that video game fans can hide under the tree. Enough to tell you everything about your favorite saga, revisit the history of video games and the industry that has become an essential element of pop culture.
Begin! The great history of video games / Editions de La Martinière
Journalist from Release and podcast host Silence! Let’s play, Erwan Cario reviews the origins of video games in 1958 to the latest consoles, through different themes, the star games (Pac-Man, Pong, Doom, Super Mario Bros, Tomb Raider, GTA, Fortnite, etc.), studies and industry personalities. In this new enriched version, Begin! It thus provides a broad vision of the video game industry and its growing impact on pop culture. An exciting book, beautifully illustrated, an ideal gift for the curious and nostalgic.
Price: 29.95 euros
Game Changers – The video game revolution/Phaidon Editions
This video game anthology references more than 300 titles, consoles, and publishers that have created video games for more than 70 years. They are so many small white stones on the path to the success of this pixel art that has become an essential medium. We learn from Nimrod, a tic-tac-toe game that appeared in 1952, to virtual reality and next-generation consoles, through the home console boom in the 80s. The book does not follow a particular chronology and is presented in The form of an alphabetical classification of the events that marked the video game, with text, information and images to better understand why each entry was a strong and decisive moment in the history of video games. We like the presence of a glossary, the portraits of creators and developers who are not forgotten, but also the explanations about the evolution of game design.
Price: 49.95 euros
The secrets of Assassin’s Creed – from 2007 to 2014: Flight / Third edition
Aimed at fans who want to know all the secrets of one of the most famous video game sagas, Assassin’s Creed Secrets offers an immersion in the first titles of the franchise created by Ubisoft. From the first moment Assassin’s Creed has AC IV Black Flag and AC Roguejust before the advent of a new era for gaming with the arrival of PS4 and Xbox One. The opportunity to discover the small stories behind the big one, how the game wanted to push the concept of Prince of Persia offering you a broader playing field – the Story – but also new game mechanics such as parkour and climbing that subsequently changed the way video games were designed. Where did the idea of confronting the Templars and this mysterious brotherhood of assassins come from? Is Ezio AC the most iconic and charismatic hero of Ezio AC? The flight It is proposed to review the first 7 games of the saga.
Price: 24.90 euros
Repetition by Jordan Mechner / Delcourt Editions
Creator of Prince of Persia, Jordan Mechner is a separate character in the history of video games, with his atypical journey. Repetition is not a book about the creation of his games (we recommend the excellent game documentary Doing Karateka know everything about your first game), but of his personal history and that of his family. It is even a comic book that tells a story of exile, uprooting and reconstruction that allows us to better understand the man behind the games. We learn a lot about his father, his grandfather, and him, from the 1940s in busy France to his own life, between Montpellier and the United States. Three generations with quite parallel experiences.
Price: 29.95 euros
The Ultimate Guide to Minecraft: Creative Mode / 404 Editions
It is not an official guide, but it is accessible from 8 years old for younger players. The guide provides all the information about Minecraft Creative mode to help beginners in their builds, making everything fun and affordable. The book distills suggestions, advice, information… to introduce beginners to the art of Minecraft or perfect what you have learned for regular customers.
Price: 12 euros
Source: BFM TV
