
Once upon Atari
How I Made History by Killing an Industry
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Narrated by:
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Howard Scott Warshaw
Video games set the world on fire, and Atari lit the match. This is an intimate view into the dramatic rise and fall of the early video game industry, as seen through the eyes of one of its most iconic pioneers. This book offers eye-opening details and insights, laying bare the issues and dynamics still taking place in modern software companies. A must-hear for anyone in high-tech production, delivered in a compelling narrative, with a fresh voice and unorthodox style.
How much fun can you have inventing video games in a creative paradise? What behind-the-scenes corporate intrigue went on while making billions of dollars and launching a new medium? What really caused the video game crash of 1983? Once upon Atari is the inside story of how it all happened and how it upended the life of one of its key players. An innovative work from one of the industry’s original innovators, delivered in a creative style that mirrors the industry it reveals. It is a compelling tale of innocence, joy, greed, devastation, and ultimately redemption.
©2020 Howard Scott Warshaw (P)2022 Howard Scott WarshawListeners also enjoyed...




















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Narration
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Awesome story from start to finish !!!!
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Must Read if You're Into Videogames
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delivered with humor and sarcasm, I found myself chuckling often, which is not something I can say for many books.
higly recommend trip to memory lane
Funny and reminiscent
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Loved it!
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Very funny and insightful
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The wisdom hiding in the pages should be mandatory reading for anyone in game design. The daily workout routine at the arcade I hope is a standard prescription for Dr. Warshaw’s clients in 2023.
Now that we have enough rumination time, how about a re-issue of E.T. with the changes described in Chapter 15? Or even better, a Raiders of the Lost Ark schedule of almost a year to give 2600 fans the E.T. sequel we’ve always wanted. Steven Spielberg is 76 now, and this could make a great reunion. The 45th anniversary is only four years away!
Finally! A memoir of a creative that rivals Stephen King’s On Writing.
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Having said that, I loved listening to HSW. He’s got a nerd’s wit, and he employs it constantly, but, hey, it works for me. He’s is just constantly nuancing the sh*t out of the prose, with all kinds of fun little wordplay. It should be obnoxious. If I were reading this, I’d probably find it insufferable and quit. But when he delivers it (at the 1.2x I use for playback) it’s just so much fun.
And so I found myself liking HSW’s delivery, and how it prolongs what ought to be an article-length little thought piece on the collapse of Atari, into a prolonged time machine into a bygone charmed era that I enjoy living through again, with HSW as my proxy.
So, four stars for this thing. I enjoyed it. And four stars for HSW’s delightful performance. These are solid ratings in my book. I can only give the story two stars because, geez HSW, you really, really, really milked the stuffing out of your little tale. But I did enjoy it.
An Entertaining and Insightful Ramble of a Book
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humorous and insightful
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Loved hearing HSW talk about his history at Atari in his own words!
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