A PLAYABLE PAST: A LENS THROUGH POLITICS, CULTURE, TECHNOLOGY, AND GAME HISTORY

Ivan Barroso

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Why did video games emerge when they did? When did Japan emerge in the industry? Why did Europe become the birthplace of bedroom coders, while North America pioneered the commercial games business? And what do the Cold War, the Marshall Plan, Reaganomics, the Plaza Accord, punk culture, anime expansion, grunge music, and personal computers all have in common?

This book explores the history of computer and video games from a different perspective. Rather than presenting a chronology of consoles, companies, and bestselling titles, it examines games as products of their political, economic, technological, and cultural environments.

Beginning in the aftermath of the Second World War, it traces how the reconstruction of Europe, the North American technological revolution, Japan's economic miracle, and the rapid globalisation of the late twentieth century created the conditions that allowed this new form of entertainment to flourish. Along the way, it explores the rise of home consoles, microcomputers, role-playing games, Japanese animation, electronic music, the demoscene, online gaming, independent development, and the emergence of today's digital entertainment industry.

Particular attention is given to Europe's often-overlooked contribution to game history. From British bedroom coders and German computer pioneers to the French touch and the Portuguese game development industry. The book challenges the traditional narrative that focuses almost exclusively on Japan and North America, demonstrating that the modern computer and video game industry was built through continuous international collaboration.

Drawing upon academic research while remaining accessible to a broad audience, this book argues that computer and video games are far more than technological achievements or commercial products; they are reflections of the societies that created them.

For students, game developers, hobbyists, game scholars and anyone interested in understanding how one of the world's largest entertainment industries came to shape modern culture, this book offers a new interpretation of the history of computer and video games.

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PUBLICATION DETAILS

LANGUAGE	BINDING	EDITION	ISBN	YEAR	PAGES
English	Hardcover		9798191902470	2026	295
English	Paperback		9798188818968	2026	361
English	eBook		N/A	2026	319

OTHER NAMES

A Playable Past: A Lens Through Politics, Culture, Technology, and Game History

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Authors: #IvanBarroso

Publishers: #SelfPublished (Self-Published)

Languages: #English

Format: #eBook #Paperback #Hardcover

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Year: #Year2026

Genres: #GameStudies #WorldHistory

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