Racing the Beam: The Atari Video Computer System (Platform Studies)
"Montfort & Bogost raise the bar on anyone wishing to talk meaningfully about computer culture. Not only must we interpret these machines, we must first know how they work--and yes, sometimes this means knowing assembly code. From chip to controller, the authors lead us with ease through the Atari "2600" Video Computer System, one of the most emblematic devices in recent mass culture."--Alexander Galloway, Associate Professor of Culture and Communication, New York University, and author of Protocol: How Control Exists After Decentralization(Alexander Galloway)"Montfort and Bogost's analysis is both technically detailed and historically contextualized, both informative and methodologically instructive. They write with a rigor and grace that future contributors to the series may be at pains to match." --Seth Perlow,Convergence(Seth Perlow, Convergence)"Read it, it will do you good." --José P. Zagal,Game Studies"Racing the Beamdoesn"t spare the technical details, but is always accessible and compelling. Downright thrilling at times, in fact, a sort ofThe Right Stuffof video game development." Darren Zenko thestar.com (Toronto Star)"Montfort and Bogost raise the bar on anyone wishing to talk meaningfully about computer culture. Not only must we interpret these machines, we must first know how they work -- and yes, sometimes this means knowing assembly code. From chip to controller, the authors lead us with ease through the Atari 2600 Video Computer System, one of the most emblematic devices in recent mass culture."Alexander Galloway, Associate Professor of Culture and Communication, New York University, and author ofProtocol: How Control Exists After Decentralization