In the past sixty-five years, video games have evolved from primitive computer-lab experiments into one of the world's most popular forms of entertainment andmany would sayan important new art form. Video Games traces every step of this fascinating journey, from Pong to the Atari 2600; to the 8-bit and 16-bit consoles; to Wolfenstein 3D and Doom; to Playstation and Xbox; to MMORPGs; to Minecraft and Fortnite; to Twitch streaming. The lively text gives equal attention to the games, the gaming platforms, and the personalities and subcultures of the gaming world. It is illustrated throughout with beautiful color photographs of mint-condition retro hardware and cartridges from one of the world's finest collections, and with screenshots of classic games.