Steven L. Kent

Nicholas Kaufmann

"1983. The US nuclear submarine USS Roanoke embarks on a classified spy mission into Soviet waters. Their goal: to find evidence of a new, faster, and deadlier Soviet submarine that could tip the balance of the Cold War. But the Roanoke crew isn't alone. Something is on board with them--something cunning and malevolent"--Publisher marketing.

100 Fathoms Below

A clone bred to be an ultimate fighter, Lt. Wayson Harris heeds the call of battle and helps the Unified Authority, which controls Earth's colonies, defeat the separatist rebels who are waging war on the galaxy.

Rogue Clone

Microsoft Age of Empires Inside Moves

The definitive behind-the-scenes history of video games’ explosion into the twenty-first century and the war for industry power “A zippy read through a truly deep research job. You won’t want to put this one down.”—Eddie Adlum, publisher, RePlay Magazine As video games evolve, only the fittest companies survive. Making a blockbuster once cost millions of dollars; now it can cost hundreds of millions, but with a $160 billion market worldwide, the biggest players are willing to bet the bank. Steven L. Kent has been playing video games since Pong and writing about the industry since the Nintendo Entertainment System. In volume 1 of The Ultimate History of Video Games, he chronicled the industry’s first thirty years. In volume 2, he narrates gaming’s entrance into the twenty-first century, as Nintendo, Sega, Sony, and Microsoft battle to capture the global market. The home console boom of the ’90s turned hobby companies like Nintendo and Sega into Hollywood-studio-sized business titans. But by the end of the decade, they would face new, more powerful competitors. In boardrooms on both sides of the Pacific, engineers and executives began, with enormous budgets and total secrecy, to plan the next evolution of home consoles. The PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Sega Dreamcast all made radically different bets on what gamers would want. And then, to the shock of the world, Bill Gates announced the development of the one console to beat them all—even if Microsoft had to burn a few billion dollars to do it. In this book, you will learn about • the cutthroat environment at Microsoft as rival teams created console systems • the day the head of Sega of America told the creator of Sonic the Hedgehog to “f**k off” • how “lateral thinking with withered technology” put Nintendo back on top • and much more! Gripping and comprehensive, The Ultimate History of Video Games: Volume 2 explores the origins of modern consoles and of the franchises—from Grand Theft Auto and Halo to Call of Duty and Guitar Hero—that would define gaming in the new millennium.

Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and the Billion-Dollar Battle to Shape Modern Gaming

The Ultimate History of Video Games, Volume 2

Wayson Harris discovers that it is deadly to be different in a military unit of clones when he staves off a rogue general's attack, which gains him a promotion and negative attention from Unified Authority leaders.

The Clone Republic

As a child, Philip Sherlock loved to listen to folk tales. Since then he has made a significant contribution to Caribbean folklore by recording many of them in print for the first time. Here are fables of the birds and animals of the West Indies: jaguar, snake, crested curassow, wild pig, parrot, wise owl, and of Anansi--the spider who can assume human form. These twenty-one stories are a wonderful mixture of early tales from the Arawak and the Carib people, the original inhabitants of the Caribbean, and from the Ashanti people of West Africa. Read together they help to provide a background to the history of the West Indies. The stories are retold here in a warm, rich style--some tales gentle and philosophical, some humorous and full of action.

A 25-year History of Video Games

The First Quarter

Inside the Games You Grew Up with but Never Forgot With all the whiz, bang, pop, and shimmer of a glowing arcade. The Ultimate History of Video Games reveals everything you ever wanted to know and more about the unforgettable games that changed the world, the visionaries who made them, and the fanatics who played them. From the arcade to television and from the PC to the handheld device, video games have entraced kids at heart for nearly 30 years. And author and gaming historian Steven L. Kent has been there to record the craze from the very beginning. This engrossing book tells the incredible tale of how this backroom novelty transformed into a cultural phenomenon. Through meticulous research and personal interviews with hundreds of industry luminaries, you'll read firsthand accounts of how yesterday's games like Space Invaders, Centipede, and Pac-Man helped create an arcade culture that defined a generation, and how today's empires like Sony, Nintendo, and Electronic Arts have galvanized a multibillion-dollar industry and a new generation of games. Inside, you'll discover: ·The video game that saved Nintendo from bankruptcy ·The serendipitous story of Pac-Man's design ·The misstep that helped topple Atari's $2 billion-a-year empire ·The coin shortage caused by Space Invaders ·The fascinating reasons behind the rise, fall, and rebirth of Sega ·And much more! Entertaining, addictive, and as mesmerizing as the games it chronicles, this book is a must-have for anyone who's ever touched a joystick.

from Pong to Pokemon and beyond...the story behind the craze that touched our li ves and changed the world

The Ultimate History of Video Games: Volume Two

Earth, 2519 a.d. The clone soldiers of the Enlisted Man's Empire, formerly members of the Unified Authority's powerful military, believe they have finally secured their freedom. They may not live to learn how wrong they are... After launching an unsuccessful invasion of Washington, D.C., the Unified Authority is on the verge of defeat. Then the clones discover the U.A.'s last-ditch plan for survival: a super weapon, a virus designed to attack the clones' internal architecture. Only one clone is immune to the virus—Wayson Harris, an outlaw model with independent thoughts and an addiction to violence. As his empire collapses, Harris begins a one-man war against the government that created, betrayed and ultimately destroyed his brothers. But fighting the war becomes more difficult as the rush from the constant combat drives Harris increasingly insane...

The Clone Apocalypse (The Clone Rebellion Book 10)

"As video games evolve, only the fittest companies survive... In volume 1 of The Ultimate History of Video Games, [Steven L. Kent] chronicled the industry's first thirty years. In volume 2, he narrates gaming's entrance into the twenty-first century, as Nintendo, Sega, Sony, and Microsoft battle to capture the global market. The home console boom of the '90s turned hobby companies like Nintendo and Sega into Hollywood-studio-sized business titans. But by the end of the decade, they would face new, more powerful competitors. In boardrooms on both sides of the Pacific, engineers and executives began, with enormous budgets and total secrecy, to plan the next evolution of home consoles. The PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Sega Dreamcast all made radically different bets on what gamers would want. And then, to the shock of the world, Bill Gates announced the development of the one console to beat them all-even if Microsoft had to burn a few billion dollars to do it... [This volume] explores the origins of modern consoles and of the franchises-from Grand Theft Auto and Halo to Call of Duty and Guitar Hero-that would define gaming in the new millennium"--

Earth, 2516 A.D. The Unified Authority spread human colonies across the six arms of the Milky Way Galaxy, ruling with an iron fist and a powerful military made up almost entirely of clones. Then the alien Avatari invaded—and when the fighting was over, the U.A. retained control over only two planets: Earth and New Copenhagen. Like the thousands of clones born before him, Lt. Wayson Harris was born and bred as the ultimate soldier. But he is unique, possessing independence of thought—and an addiction to the rage of battle. So when he and other clone survivors of the New Copenhagen debacle are sent to cool their heels in an isolated "relocation camp," Harris feels on edge. And with good reason. The military brass are looking for someone to blame for the decimation of the U.A. republic. And who better to scapegoat than those who were born to be sacrificed? But Lt. Harris is about to respectfully disagree—with all the firepower he can muster.

The Clone Betrayal

Highlights the new features of Doom, such as new characters, weapons, and locations, and includes a technical chapter on the new engine of Doom as well as a discussion of what players can create using the level editor. Original. (All users)

The Making of Doom 3

100 fathoms below ... The depth at which sunlight no longer penetrates the ocean. 1983. The US nuclear submarine USS Roanoke embarks on a classified spy mission into Soviet waters. Their goal: to find evidence of a new, faster, and deadlier Soviet submarine that could tip the balance of the Cold War. But the Roanoke crew isn't alone. Something is on board with them. Something cunning and malevolent. Trapped in enemy territory and hunted by Soviet submarines, tensions escalate and crew members turn on each other. When the lights go out and horror fills the corridors, it will take everything the crew has to survive the menace coming from outside and inside the submarine. In the dark. Combining Tom Clancy's eye for international intrigue with Stephen King's sense of the macabre, 100 Fathoms Below takes readers into depths from which there is no escape. "100 Fathoms Below is deliciously creepy and deeply unnerving. Kent and Kaufmann take a real bite out of the horror genre with this killer of a book!"-Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author "[A] chilling, tension-driven thriller...Readers will not be able to turn away."-Publishers Weekly "Full of claustrophobic horror...and hardcore evil, 100 Fathoms Below creates a powerful sense of place and a tension that festers in your gut throughout."-Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author of Ararat "Between potential attacks from enemy boats and the paranormal danger lurking among the crew, readers will wonder which will destroy the USS Roanoke first."-Booklist

Steven L. Kent

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