Earlier today Bitmap Books confirmed via their website that their new title The Arcade 1971–1999: The Stories Behind Classic Coin-Ops, Told by Their Creators by Paul Drury will be available for purchase on October 1st. A source close to the publication has also informed Old School Gamer Magazine that a pre-order window will open a couple of days before the official launch for those interested readers who want to be sure they’re at the front of the queue. As Paul Drury, and Bitmap Books, are both located in the United Kingdom, readers in other parts of the world will likely have to wait a moment in any case to receive their copy.
Now confirmed for a length of over 400 pages, The Arcade 1971–1999 profiles 120 classic coin-op titles. Among the many stories discussed, Drury identifies via interviews with original developers the answers to questions such as who actually created Donkey Kong, how Q*bert learned to swear, what really happened on the night when the very first Pong machine was placed in Andy Capp’s Tavern, and why Ms. Pac-Man was originally a man called Otto. Personal photos, design sketches, coding notes and all manner of ‘behind the scenes’ material are also included in the book which has been developed in a high-quality lithographic print.
Among the industry luminaries giving firsthand information are Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell and Eugene Jarvis of Defender and Robotron, who wrote the foreword and afterward respectively. The Arcade 1971–1999: The Stories Behind Classic Coin-Ops, Told by Their Creators is being sold on the Bitmap Books website for $48. Purchasers will also receive a free full PDF copy as they wait for their physical book to arrive in the mail.
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Original article by www.oldschoolgamermagazine.com
