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The Ultimate History of Video Games, Volume 2
- Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and the Billion-Dollar Battle to Shape Modern Gaming
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 20 hrs and 8 mins
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Publisher's summary
The definitive behind-the-scenes history of video games’ explosion into the twenty-first century and the war for industry power
“A zippy read through a truly deep research job. You won’t want to put this one down.”—Eddie Adlum, publisher, RePlay Magazine
As video games evolve, only the fittest companies survive. Making a blockbuster once cost millions of dollars; now it can cost hundreds of millions, but with a $160 billion market worldwide, the biggest players are willing to bet the bank.
Steven L. Kent has been playing video games since Pong and writing about the industry since the Nintendo Entertainment System. In volume 1 of The Ultimate History of Video Games, he chronicled the industry’s first thirty years. In volume 2, he narrates gaming’s entrance into the twenty-first century, as Nintendo, Sega, Sony, and Microsoft battle to capture the global market.
The home console boom of the ’90s turned hobby companies like Nintendo and Sega into Hollywood-studio-sized business titans. But by the end of the decade, they would face new, more powerful competitors. In boardrooms on both sides of the Pacific, engineers and executives began, with enormous budgets and total secrecy, to plan the next evolution of home consoles. The PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Sega Dreamcast all made radically different bets on what gamers would want. And then, to the shock of the world, Bill Gates announced the development of the one console to beat them all—even if Microsoft had to burn a few billion dollars to do it. In this book, you will learn about:
- The cutthroat environment at Microsoft as rival teams created console systems
- The day the head of Sega of America told the creator of Sonic the Hedgehog to “f**k off”
- How “lateral thinking with withered technology” put Nintendo back on top
- And much more!
Gripping and comprehensive, The Ultimate History of Video Games: Volume 2 explores the origins of modern consoles and of the franchises—from Grand Theft Auto and Halo to Call of Duty and Guitar Hero—that would define gaming in the new millennium.
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Critic reviews
“Video game geeks, and anyone else who finds the history of electronic games fascinating, will drool over the pages of Steven Kent’s latest history of who did what and why in that magical world. It’s a zippy read through a truly deep research job. You won’t want to put this one down until you reach the back cover.”—Eddie Adlum, publisher, RePlay Magazine
“Steven Kent knows video game history better than anyone, and once again provides a thorough and fascinating look into the stories that shaped a generation.”—Andrew Reiner, editor in chief, Game Informer
“A wonderful chronicle of so many games that have shaped our industry and a must-read for both fans and aspiring developers.”—Ted Price, founder and president, Insomniac Games
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- Hit-making, Risk-taking, and the Big Business of Entertainment
- By: Anita Elberse
- Narrated by: Renee Raudman
- Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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What's behind the phenomenal success of entertainment businesses such as Warner Bros., Marvel Entertainment, and the NFL — along with such stars as Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, and LeBron James? Which strategies give leaders in film, television, music, publishing, and sports an edge over their rivals? Anita Elberse, Harvard Business School's expert on the entertainment industry, has done pioneering research on the worlds of media and sports for more than a decade. Now, in this groundbreaking audiobook, she explains a powerful truth about the fiercely competitive world of entertainment.
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I love the autobook the only thing I have
- By brycesp on 03-31-17
By: Anita Elberse
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Losing the Signal
- The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry
- By: Jacquie McNish, Sean Silcoff
- Narrated by: William Hughes
- Length: 11 hrs and 29 mins
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Performance
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Losing the Signal is a riveting story of a company that toppled global giants before succumbing to the ruthlessly competitive forces of Silicon Valley. This is not a conventional tale of modern business failure by fraud and greed. The rise and fall of BlackBerry reveals the dangerous speed at which innovators race along the information superhighway.
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Fascinating
- By Gerardo A Dada on 09-05-15
By: Jacquie McNish, and others
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Googled
- The End of the World as We Know It
- By: Ken Auletta
- Narrated by: Jim Bond
- Length: 13 hrs and 53 mins
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Performance
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In Googled, esteemed media writer and critic Ken Auletta uses the story of Google's rise to explore the inner workings of the company and the future of the media at large. Although Google has often been secretive, this book is based on the most extensive cooperation ever granted a journalist, including access to closed-door meetings and interviews with founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, CEO Eric Schmidt, and some 150 present and former employees.
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Audio production could have been better
- By David on 11-12-09
By: Ken Auletta
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All the Rave
- The Rise and Fall of Shawn Fanning’s Napster
- By: Joseph Menn
- Narrated by: John Rubinstein
- Length: 13 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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The definitive inside account of the file-sharing revolution that overthrew the music industry, All the Rave reveals the family betrayal, greed, and mismanagement that hijacked one the most fundamental innovations of the Internet era. Named one of the three best books of 2003 by Investigative Reporters and Editors Inc., All the Rave has been out of print until now and unavailable in most formats. Author and veteran technology journalist Joseph Menn also wrote 2010's Fatal System Error: The Hunt for the New Crime Lords who are Bringing Down the Internet.
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The Far-reaching Karma of Napster
- By Susie on 04-29-13
By: Joseph Menn
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Electronic Dreams
- How 1980s Britain Learned to Love the Computer
- By: Tom Lean
- Narrated by: Mark Meadows
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
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Performance
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In Electronic Dreams, Tom Lean tells the story of how computers invaded British homes for the first time, as people set aside their worries of electronic brains and Big Brother and embraced the wonder technology of the 1980s. This book charts the history of the rise and fall of the home computer, the family of futuristic and quirky machines that took computing from the realm of science and science fiction to being a user-friendly domestic technology.
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Awesome outline of electronic history
- By Johnny on 09-28-17
By: Tom Lean
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The Click Moment
- Seizing Opportunity in an Unpredictable World
- By: Frans Johansson
- Narrated by: Erik Synnestvedt
- Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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On the one hand we aren’t surprised by the uncertainty of everyday life, but on the other we believe that success can be analyzed and planned for. It is a revealing paradox. The implications are explosive and they obliterate every common-sense notion we have about strategy and planning. The Click Moment is about two very simple but highly provocative ideas.
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Outstanding book!
- By Anilyn Karel on 08-26-24
By: Frans Johansson
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Designers & Dragons: The '70s
- A History of the Roleplaying Game Industry
- By: Shannon Appelcline
- Narrated by: Colby Elliott
- Length: 14 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Designers & Dragons: The ’70s is a comprehensive picture of the beginnings of the RPG industry. This second edition expands the original single book into a series of four, and we’ve added over 50,000 new words to this volume alone. Learn about the colorful history of TSR and the wave of D&D inspired games (and gaming companies) to follow, and dip your toes into war gaming trivia. Regardless of your gaming background, Shannon Appelcline’s meticulously researched history won’t disappoint.
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the forgotten realm of where RPGs arize
- By RAW-ATX on 01-02-22
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The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs
- By: Carmine Gallo
- Narrated by: Sean Mangan
- Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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In The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs, best-selling author Carmine Gallo reveals the qualities that make the Apple co-founder the most innovative leader in business today. Each principle is backed with research, quotes, and first-person interviews with experts and business leaders, as well as specific ideas for applying those principles to every business, large or small.
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awful
- By Thomas on 10-15-11
By: Carmine Gallo
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Frenemies
- The Epic Disruption of the Ad Business (And Everything Else)
- By: Ken Auletta
- Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross
- Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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An intimate and profound reckoning with the changes buffeting the $2 trillion global advertising and marketing business from the perspective of its most powerful players, by the best-selling author of Googled. Advertising and marketing touches on every corner of our lives, and is the invisible fuel powering almost all media. Complain about it though we might, without it the world would be a darker place. And of all the industries wracked by change in the digital age, few have been turned on its head as dramatically as this one has.
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Good; not for beginners
- By DV on 10-05-18
By: Ken Auletta
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Alibaba
- The House That Jack Ma Built
- By: Duncan Clark
- Narrated by: Jim Meskimen
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
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Story
In just a decade and a half, Jack Ma, a man from modest beginnings who started out as an English teacher, founded Alibaba and built it into one of the world's largest companies, an e-commerce empire on which hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers depend. Alibaba's $25 billion IPO in 2014 was the largest global IPO ever. A Rockefeller of his age who is courted by CEOs and presidents around the world, Jack is an icon for China's booming private sector.
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Strange: Best part of story happens "off-screen"
- By Tristan on 09-02-16
By: Duncan Clark
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Red Carpet
- Hollywood, China, and the Global Battle for Cultural Supremacy
- By: Erich Schwartzel
- Narrated by: Sean Patrick Hopkins
- Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
From trade to technology to military might, competition between the United States and China dominates the foreign policy landscape. But this battle for global influence is also playing out in a strange and unexpected arena: the movies. The film industry, Wall Street Journal reporter Erich Schwartzel explains, is the latest battleground in the tense and complex rivalry between these two world powers. In recent decades, as China has grown into a giant of the international economy, it has become a crucial source of revenue for the American film industry.
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Why modern cinema is a comic experience.
- By Pasternak on 03-11-22
By: Erich Schwartzel
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You Only Have to Be Right Once
- The Unprecedented Rise of the Instant Tech Billionaires
- By: Randall Lane
- Narrated by: Walter Dixon
- Length: 5 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Over the last three years, Forbes has published in depth profiles of this new batch of billionaires, including the founders of Spotify, Dropbox, Tumblr, and Twitter. Now, in a compilation introduced and updated by Forbes editor Randall Lane, fans and critics alike will get a comprehensive look at who these super-entrepreneurs are and what they say about their own success and their plans for the future.
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Awesome book!
- By Jamal Love on 06-17-15
By: Randall Lane
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No Better Time
- The Brief, Remarkable Life of Danny Lewin, the Genius Who Transformed the Internet
- By: Molly Knight Raskin
- Narrated by: Christine Marshall
- Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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No Better Time tells of a young, driven mathematical genius who wrote a set of algorithms that would create a faster, better Internet. It's the story of a beautiful friendship between a loud, irreverent student and his soft-spoken MIT professor, of a husband and father who spent years struggling to make ends meet only to become a billionaire almost overnight with the success of Akamai Technologies, the Internet content delivery network he cofounded with his mentor.
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An Overlooked Hero of 9-11
- By Jean on 05-27-16
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Replay
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A riveting account of the birth and remarkable evolution of the most important development in entertainment since television, Replay is the ultimate history of video games. From its origins in the research labs of the 1940s to the groundbreaking success of the Wii, Replay sheds new light on gaming's past.
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Excellent Book
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All Your Base Are Belong to Us
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Through the stories of gaming's greatest innovations and most-beloved creations, journalist Harold Goldberg captures the creativity, controversy - and passion - behind the videogame's meteoric rise to the top of the pop-culture pantheon. Over the last 50 years, video games have grown from curiosities to fads to trends to one of the world's most popular forms of mass entertainment.
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A History of Game Developers, Not Games
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Fight, Magic, Items
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The Japanese roleplaying game (JRPG) genre is one that is known for bold, unforgettable characters; rich stories; and some of the most iconic and beloved games in the industry. Inspired by early Western RPGs and introducing technology and artistic styles that pushed the boundaries of what video games could be, this genre is responsible for creating some of the most complex, bold, and beloved games in history. In Fight, Magic, Items, Aidan Moher guides listeners through the history of JRPGs.
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Excellent history of the JRPG genre
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What listeners say about The Ultimate History of Video Games, Volume 2
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Joshua H
- 02-06-23
Well Done
I really enjoyed this volume of the history of video games. The author did a good job keeping me entertained while sharing information I've never known about companies like Sega, Nintendo and Sony. The narrator also does a great job. Looking forward to the 3rd book.
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- Pedro
- 10-09-24
Very good book
Good coverage of video games, and good narration. Would definitely recommend to video game fans.
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- Amazon Customer
- 01-20-23
A worthy follow up!
It came as a shock when I found this audiobook recommended to me. The first volume had been absolutely stellar, and covered the game industry very well. I can happily state volume 2 its a perfect continuation, and covers even a few of the milestones in gaming that I had forgotten. Movie based video games, the original launch of the xbox, and the official death of the dreamcast. An amazing follow up that makes for an essential listen!
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- Rodney
- 06-07-23
Really good follow-up
I highly suggest listening to part 1 first since it covers a lot more ground and I found the content more interesting - it that doesn’t mean this book isn’t also great, I guess I just already knew a lot of this so it wasn’t quite as compelling to me. However for the overwhelming vast majority of people I think they’ll learn a ton (to clarify, a lot of the book was still new info to me - it’s not all rehashed stuff). The book is really well written and the reader is fantastic.
The only con is that it can get a little to stuck in the weeds on a few issues and occasionally can get gossipy. For example - I don’t care what a wife of some lazy millennial thinks their husbands job is hard. Go tar a roof in Florida during the summer, that’s a hard job. Thankfully even the parts I didn’t care for went pretty quickly and it was only a minor annoyance.
Overall highly recommended.
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- Anonymous User
- 09-22-22
Fantastic!
mind boggling. Excellent narration. And numerous quotes from the actors in the field. Great work.
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- jmsc1
- 05-19-23
I agree
I recommend this book. It is very informative and fun. I do wish they had 8th and 9th gen consoles like Xbox 1 & series X|S, ps4 & ps5, and pc gaming and VR.
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- Anonymous User
- 03-05-23
Great until the final 2 chapters *spoilers*
Like the first one, Volume 2 is a must-read. My biggest issue, however, is that the final two chapters, talking about how scummy EA is and movie games, are great topics but not worth putting at the end. It should have ended with the Seventh generation. Otherwise, its fantastic.
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- Tony
- 08-11-24
not as good as part 1 but still very good
Book 1 was incredible, so I had high expectations for part 2, but it's just a very good story and not an exceptional one. If you can only get one of these books get Part 1.
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- Raymond Walls
- 03-25-23
awesome history lesson
wonderful gaming on history of gaming. I highly recommend this collection volume 1 and 2.
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- Regan Tackett
- 02-05-23
Engaging and informative
I thoroughly enjoyed the second volume in this series! As someone a little more invested in the gaming industry from the late ‘90s onward, the subject matter in this volume particularly interested me. I loved the narration and felt there was a great mix of informative data, engaging anecdotes, and reflections on the nature of the gaming industry. I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys learning about the industry (and especially anyone who read and enjoyed Volume 1!).
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