Bit by Bit: How Video Games Transformed Our World

by Andrew Ervin

Overview

An acclaimed critic argues that video games are the most vital art form of our time
Video games have seemingly taken over our lives. Whereas gamers once constituted a small and largely male subculture, today 67 percent of American households play video games. The average gamer is now thirty-four years old and spends eight hours each week playing--and there is a 40 percent chance this person is a woman.
In Bit by Bit, Andrew Ervin sets out to understand the explosive popularity of video games. He travels to government laboratories, junk shops, and arcades. He interviews scientists and game designers, both old and young. In charting the material and technological history of video games, from the 1950s to the present, he suggests that their appeal starts and ends with the sense of creativity they instill in gamers. As Ervin argues, games are art because they are beautiful, moving, and even political--and because they turn players into artists themselves.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780465039708
Publisher:	Basic Books
Publication date:	05/02/2017
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Andrew Ervin is the author of Extraordinary Renditions and Burning Down George Orwell's House. He has written essays and reviews for the New York Times Book Review, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, and others. He teaches part time at Temple University and lives with his wife in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Purpose of Playing 1

1 Epic Origins 13

2 Era of Innovation 27

3 Atari 39

4 Call to Adventure 53

5 Arcade Projects 73

6 The First Auteur 89

7 The Renaissance 103

8 Dialing Up 117

9 An American Master 129

10 World of Warcraft 147

11 Trigger Warnings 165

12 Exile and the Kingdom 181

13 New Auteurs 195

14 The Art Question 211

15 Restart 221

Appendix My 11 Favorite Games 235

Acknowledgements 235

Notes 237

Index 275

Editorial Reviews

03/20/2017
In a contemplative ode to electronic entertainment, Ervin (Burning Down George Orwell’s House) ventures into the world of video and computer games. Starting with arguably the first video game, 1958’s Tennis for Two, and traveling right up to modern juggernauts such as Minecraft and World of Warcraft, Ervin examines numerous aspects of the industry, including its unlikely origins during the Cold War and the ongoing argument about the artistic value of video games. His affection for the subject is obvious, especially in his detailed descriptions of his research for the book, which involves playing each game in as close to its original state as he can manage: tracking down a vintage Donkey Kong cabinet, borrowing his neighbor’s Xbox to play Halo. Ervin’s philosophical ruminations occasionally verge on the abstract, and the book is by no means an exhaustive history; it’s a personal journey that speaks volumes on how video games have grown, evolved, and multiplied to fill myriad roles over the years. Agent: Markus Hoffmann, Regal Hoffmann & Associates. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"Believe it or not, all those hours playing Super Mario Bros. or Sonic the Hedgehog really meant something. Andrew Ervin takes a brilliant look at the effects of those games—which did not, in fact, rot our brains."—Rolling Stone

"A fun and insightful analysis of the cultural, educational, and historical value of video games. Ervin deftly traces the evolution of our most interactive art form from Adventure to Minecraft, while offering riveting first-hand accounts from many of the men and women who made it all happen. Bit by Bit is an essential addition to every video game lover's library."—Ernest Cline, author of Ready Player One and Armada

"Not many books about video games allow Denis Johnson to rub shoulders with Monkey Island or Vladimir Nabokov with Peter Molyneux. Ervin's taste in games is excellent, his points are thought-provoking, and his cultural omnivorousness (take note, aspiring game journalists) is thrilling. A terrific book."—Tom Bissell, author of Extra Lives and Apostle

"Ervin brings a literary sensibility to his study... [he] makes an affable guide through the history of the medium... For me, the book's key statement is this: 'Today, if there is in fact a distinction between mass entertainment and the fine arts, it gets complicated more effectively by video games than any other medium.' Bit by Bit plumbs these complications with welcomed intelligence."—Washington Post

"Andrew Ervin slaloms through their cultural and technological history, from physicist William Higinbotham's 1958 analog simulation Tennis for Two to Atari classics, arcade stalwart Pac-Man and the Warcraft franchise. Ervin even plays the original games, research that involves the installation of vintage computer drives and an 'obscenely loud' Donkey Kong machine. A vivid foray into alternative worlds." —Nature

"An engrossing and necessary read."—Electric Literature

"Literary and playful... Bit by Bit provides a fascinating exploration of the world of video games, their history and importance to modern culture." —Winnipeg Free Press

"[Bit by Bit] is a contemplative ode to electronic entertainment...It's a personal journey that speaks volumes on how video games have grown, evolved, and multiplied to fill myriad roles over the years."—Publishers Weekly

"An urbane, witty, passionate, and eminently literate history of video games from their infancy in the 1950s to today... Ervin, who gives equally satisfying treatment to game sounds, special effects, and music, is a terrific storyteller, and he provides profiles of dozens of game developers and fanatics."—Philadelphia Inquirer

"A brisk, thoughtful tour of video game history. Ervin is an ideal guide... Bit by Bit might persuade holdouts just how awesome video games are."—Games World of Puzzles

"It's unusual for a history of video games to feature multiple quotes from Rilke, references to philosophy and Zen Buddhism, and comparisons to great works of art. But that's exactly what Ervin serves up to support his compelling argument: video games can be art."—Booklist

"Bit by Bit is the perfect video game book: it's part gamers' history, part history of games, and by a writer inclined to philosophical insight and literary reference. Extra hearts for a history that actually includes the contributions of women, too!"—Amber Sparks, author of The Unfinished World: And Other Stories and May We Shed These Human Bodies

"Like spaceships or skyscrapers, video games are a collaboration of humans and machines, of art and commerce. One part flesh, one part metal, one part markets, one part truth. Andrew Ervin composes a winsome but measured portrait of games from all these pieces, bit by bit."—Ian Bogost, author of Play Anything: The Pleasure of Limits, the Uses of Boredom, and the Secret of Games

From the Publisher

★ 04/15/2017
Ervin (Burning Down George Orwell's House) traces the lineage of video games with engaging reportage that includes interviews, personal experience, and critical analysis. This work covers similar ground to Simon Parkin's Death by Video Game yet offers a unique range of examples and a fresh voice. From the charming position of a newly minted old fuddy duddy, Ervin describes his encounters with the most significant video game creators and their games, explaining their contribution to the genre. He also tells personal stories with contagious enthusiasm: restoring a Donkey Kong arcade cabinet, getting to play Adventure again on the original Atari 2600, on being slaughtered by Minecraft zombies (hidden from the prying eyes of his nephews) to name just a few. Not every pixelated encounter is sweet, however. His distaste for first-person shooters is strong, which makes sense as his analysis takes shape. He believes artful games aim to build empathy in their players and "offer a new means of thinking about more timeless existential problems." VERDICT A thoughtful, personal, and enlightening look at the past, present, and future of video games.—Paul Stenis, Pepperdine Univ. Lib., Malibu, CA

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