Ralph H. Baer releases book.

[gamevet]

From the publishing house that brought us Phoenix: The Fall & Rise of Videogames, comes Ralph H. Baer's final word on how interactive enertainment got its start. Laying out his case to assert himself as the "Father of Videogames" is a collection of sketches, schematics and photos chronicling the fragile birth of gaming and the struggle for one designer to stake his fair claim.

http://www.rolentapress.com

They have a few sample pages from the book on this site. Click on Details.

[PKBMax]

Maybe now he'll finally get the credit he deserves oustide of the super-nerd collective. Unfortunately I doubt this book will reach much of a market beyond those who are already aware if his contriburtions.

I still say Willie Higginbotham got screwed though.

[NeoZeedeater]

I still say Willie Higginbotham got screwed though.

Indeed. Although recent gaming fossil evidence has shown that he wasn't first either as A.S. Douglas' Naughts and Crosses game dates from 1952 which, if it is the first, would make video games technically a British invention rather than an American one. Baer says he came up with the video game in 1951 although he didn't make one back then.

I plan on buying Baer's book. It's a few months too late for the autographed copy deal they had before though.

[K3V]

I got an autographed copy...haven't finished reading it yet (had to polish off Ultimate History first), but seemed neat from what I saw. Lots of Baer's original documentation is included.