Dungeons and Dreamers: The Rise of Computer Game Culture from Geek to Chic

by John Borland and Brad King

Book Overview

Before the multibillion computer game industry, there was Dungeons & Dragons, a tabletop game created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson in 1974. D&D captured the attention of a small but influential... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0072228881
• ISBN13: 9780072228885
• Release Date: August 2003
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media
• Length: 273 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

WHOA!!!

This book taught me alot about how the games got started and how video, board, and pen and paper games bring people to gether if any ones looking for an interesting read this is for you. im going to buy and apple2 just so i can play some of those games. ITS GREAT!

In-depth exploration of *why* gaming is the way it is

What first surprised me about Dungeons & Dreamers is that it's entertaining. I picked it up intending to get a quick sense of it then couldn't put it down--this book is funny, from Richard Garriott's whacky childhood projects before he developed games to the inside spats that tore up later, successful developer teams. What continued to surprise me is the book's scope. All the history is there, from star developers, companies, and even players like PMS (psycho men slayers) and LAN party-goers who shaped the gaming world. But the book pushes further to tell why people play games, why games have progressed the way they have, and why they're here to stay. Gaming is elevated from just a "mind-numbing weird thing" to the creative, productive community it is; I don't think anyone--gamers or anti-gamers or anyone in between--can read this book without gaining a deeper understanding and respect for the community and where it's headed.

A great read about Computer Gaming history

This book is a well-crafted and focused look at the rise of computer games in popular culture. Anything involving the gaming community will generate flaming and name-calling but this book tries, and succeeds, in writing some of the early history of the gaming culture. Rather than cover too much, it limits its focus to mainly Richard Garriott and his Ultima series and Doom. It examines the people, decisions, accidents and politics that brought these two gaming worlds into existence. As I read it I remembered the great fun I had playing the early Ultima games and the sheer amazement I felt the first time I played Doom. I have played computer games since Carter was President. Reading this book brought back some of the great memories of that early gaming and some of those "wow" moments. The culture and rise of computer games so closely mirrors the rise of the computer culture. I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in both.

A thoroughly enjoyable read

I am a 41 year old gamer. I was around for Pong! to Atari to Colecovision to the PC of today. Although I thoroughly enjoy playing computer games, I never knew how this whole medium got started. By drawing from interviews of the gaming pioneers, who played endless nights of Dungeons and Dragons, to the dreamers of new virtual worlds, this book lays out how the electronic games industry got to be the multi-billion dollar entertainment monster that it is today. Most notably, Richard Garriot and his rise from computer programming hobbyist to one of the most succesful "Dreamers" of the Role Playing Games genre. Other stories, such as how John Carmack, John Romero, and Warren Spector are considered game gods. As we strive for more avenues of entertainment today, this book has the insitefulness of sharing what drives these digital storytellers to dream up new worlds for gamers to play in. Pick up this book if you are interested in an entertaining history behind computer games roots. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

A thoroughly enjoyable read

I am a 41 year old gamer. I was around for Pong! to Atari to Colecovision to the PC of today. Although I thoroughly enjoy playing computer games, I never knew how this whole medium got started. By drawing from interviews of the gaming pioneers, who played endless nights of Dungeons and Dragons, to the dreamers of new virtual worlds, this book lays out how the electronic games industry got to be the multi-billion dollar entertainment monster that it is today. Most notably, Richard Garriot and his rise from computer programming hobbyist to one of the most successful "Dreamers" of the Role Playing Games genre. Other stories, such as how John Carmack, John Romero, and Warren Spector are considered game gods. As we strive for more avenues of entertainment today, this book has the insightfulness of sharing what drives these digital storytellers to dream up new worlds for gamers to play in. Pick up this book if you are interested in an entertaining history behind computer games roots. I thoroughly enjoyed it!