8-Bit Apocalypse: The Untold Story of Atari's Missile Command

by Alex Rubens

Overview

Step back into the wild silicon frontier of the 8-bit '80s with 8-Bit Apocalypse: The Untold Story of Atari's Missile Command.

Written by tech insider Alex Rubens, this captivating book delves into the electronic history of arcade games, focusing on the iconic game Missile Command.

Discover how this groundbreaking game not only entertained millions but also served as a cultural commentary, putting players in a no-win scenario that mirrored the anxieties of the Cold War era.

Whether you're a gaming enthusiast, a history buff, or simply curious about the origins of video games, 8-Bit Apocalypse: The Untold Story of Atari's Missile Command offers a fascinating look at the people and events that shaped the early days of the video game industry.

Key Features:

• In-Depth Interviews: Features exclusive insights from major figures like Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari, and David Theurer, the creator of Missile Command, who faced personal challenges and frequent nightmares about nuclear annihilation.
• Historical Context: Explores the cultural impact of Missile Command and the rise of the video game industry in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
• Personal Stories: Reveals the toll on programmers who worked tirelessly to create these games, often sacrificing their health and personal lives.
• Nostalgic Journey: Takes readers back to the days of TaB cola, dot matrix printers, and digging through the couch for quarters, capturing the essence of the era.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419738937
Publisher:	Abrams Press
Publication date:	09/10/2019
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Alex Rubens is a strategic partner manager at Google, managing content partnerships for YouTube’s eSports division. He has written articles on video game culture and development for outlets such as Complex and HuffPost, and for video game websites Polygon and IGN. He lives in Los Angeles.

Table of Contents

Foreword 11

Introduction 15

1 At Any Moment 27

2 Atari: The Early Gaming Pioneers 39

3 Coin-Op's Revenge 65

4 The First Concept 81

5 Getting the Green Light 97

6 Finding Meaning in Pixels 107

7 Failure to Innovate Was Anti-Atari 119

8 When Passion Turns to Obsession 125

9 Melting Flesh 133

10 The Tests Begin 141

11 Into the Wild 151

12 The Public Loves It 159

13 From the Ground Up: The Story of Tempest 187

14 The Great Crash 193

15 Lasting Influence 199

16 The Second Cold War 213

17 Defining a New Generation of Games 221

18 "Do You Feel Like a Hero Yet?" 227

19 Pioneering the Future 237

Epilogue 247

Acknowledgments 253

Editorial Reviews

This book brought back the sinking feeling of seeing THE END with that slow closing circle—followed by the sinking of more quarters. An amazing look into the human toll of creating one of the greatest video games of all time.

Josh Tsui

Alex Rubens takes a fascinating deep dive into the making and cultural context ofMissile Command, one of the golden age's greatest arcade games. It's a haunting meditation on obsession and how the creation of one game became the stuff of nightmares for its designer.”

Tim Lapetino

A remarkable snapshot of a moment in time, one whose underlying tension is largely unknown to later generations . . . Rubens captures it all with a deftness that makes for an engaging narrative. . . . thanks to extensive research and some storytelling flair, the book is a sharply-told representation of a specific place and time. That tremendous specificity is a huge part of what makes the book so successful—it is an exceptional piece of retrospect that throws the ultimate importance of a game like ‘Missile Command’ into sharp relief. Fans of video game history—and history in general—will be fascinated by 8-Bit Apocalypse.”

The Maine Edge

A fascinating story . . . That Theurer ended up having nightmares over his own creation speaks to how well he accomplished his mission, and it speaks to Rubens’ ability to discover an utterly captivating piece of early overlooked video game history. . . . if you want to read about one of the secretly smartest retro games around, pick up 8-Bit Apocalypse.”

Geek.com