Five Books You Should Read About Gaming Culture: "

Five Books You Should Read About Gaming Culture

Put away the controllers and dig out your Itty Bitty Book Lights; it's readin' time.

By: Bob Mackey
July 7, 2011

With gaming's focus on the here and now, it's easily to lose track of where we've been -- which could lend some insight on just where the hell we're going. And while the Internet has changed our lives for the better by allowing us to order pizzas without talking to a single living soul, there are still some avenues left uncovered by the all-feeling tentacles of the web. This is why 1UP.com will soon be expanding its coverage to the world of gaming-related books; and to prepare you for this brave new world, we've assembled a list of what should be considered required reading for any gaming enthusiast. Even though you may not be interested in the specific subject matter that each of these books has to offer, digesting these tomes will make you a well-rounded Renaissance gamer, capable of winning any Internet argument in three posts or less. And isn't that what really matters in this world?

Game Over: Press Start to Continue

Author: David Schell | Publisher: Cyberactive Media Group | Publication Date: April 15, 1999

Game Over: Press Start to Continue (originally known as Game Over: How Nintendo Conquered the World) is an odd title to recommend as an essential, mainly because its newest edition has been out of print for the last 12 years. But if you're able to find a used copy floating around out there -- sorry, no e-book version, either -- consider yourself the proud owner of a book containing Nintendo's dirtiest 8-bit secrets. Game Over traces Nintendo's rise to power throughout the '80s and early '90s, exposing the closely guarded company's ruthless business practices -- xenophobia aside, Americans of the Reagan era were wary of Japanese corporate takeovers for a reason. By reading Schell's account of the lawsuits and scandal of Nintendo's most prosperous era before the Wii, you should gain a new understanding -- and perhaps, fear -- of the family friendly video game wizards in Kyoto.

"