The Book Every Arcade Legend Says Finally Gets It Right
Four of arcade gaming’s most respected creators are putting their names behind a brand-new history book, and the message from all of them is the same: this is the one that finally tells the real story. Bitmap Books has released The Arcade 1971-1999: The Stories Behind Classic Coin-Ops, Told by Their Creators, and it’s already earning praise from the very people who built the industry.
The book comes from veteran video game journalist Paul Drury, who has written for Edge and Retro Gamer throughout his career. Drury spent years interviewing developers, artists and musicians to compile firsthand accounts behind 120 classic coin-op games.
Untold Arcade Stories, Straight From the People Who Built Them
Rather than retelling familiar arcade history, the book leans on interviews to reveal details even longtime fans may not know. That includes the origin of Ms. Pac-Man’s early design, once internally referred to as “Otto,” and the disputed story of who actually created Donkey Kong.
Other stories dig into how Q*bert’s signature gibberish curses came to be, and what really happened the night the first Pong cabinet was installed at Andy Capp’s Tavern. Each entry is treated as its own self-contained tale, not just a footnote in a broader timeline.
The book is also packed with visual material, including personal photos, design sketches and original coding notes straight from the developers. Readers also get access to rare concept art, licensed from The Strong National Museum of Play, showing early designs for Atari titles like Star Wars, Paperboy and Gauntlet.
Arcade Icons Nolan Bushnell, Al Alcorn and Eugene Jarvis Back the Book
The endorsements come from names synonymous with the arcade era. Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell wrote the book’s foreword and said Drury “captured the magic” of watching an industry go from nothing to something.
Al Alcorn, the creator of Pong, called the book “a very well researched account of how a new industry was created.” Eugene Jarvis, known for creating Defender and Robotron, wrote the afterword and described the featured creators as “digital alchemists” who turned a blank screen into “videogame gold.”
Ed Logg, who created Asteroids and co-created Gauntlet, praised the book for gathering these stories “together in one place” for the first time. Adding to the collectible appeal, the hardback edition features foil-blocked cover art and interior arcade cabinet illustrations by artist Adam Rufino.
The Arcade 1971-1999 is available now for £34.99 / $48.00 / €41.95.
