Published Articles

TRAGIC IMAGIC

Videogaming and Computergaming Illustrated – December 1983 While I was writing my first book, ABC To the VCS, I wrote a letter about something to Videogaming & Computergaming Illustrated. They didn’t publish my letter but they asked me to write an article about the downfall of the third-party company, Imagic. Even though I received my…

THE STRATEGIC SCENARIO

Video and Computer Gaming Illustrated – January 1984 Even though the editors of Videogaming and Computergaming Illustrated weren’t happy with my first article, they decided to give me a second chance. They asked me to do a feature about strategic videogames and I told them I only really knew about the Atari 2600 games. They…

THE ELECTRONIC GAMEMAKER

Games Magazine – May 1999 In December 1994, I published my book Phoenix: The Fall & Rise of Home Videogames, the first-ever comprehensive book about the history of videogames. Because it was self-published, it didn’t make it into stores. Somehow, Ralph Baer, the inventor of the home videogame console, learned about the book and he…

JOURNEY BACK: INSIDE THE CLASSIC GAMING EXPO

Gamespot – August 1999 When they learned I was attending the first Classic Gaming Expo in 1999, the editors of the website Gamespot (which, like EGM, was owned by Ziff-Davis Media) asked me to write this report.

THE HISTORY OF VIDEO GAMES

Gamespot – December 1999 I don’t remember the exact details regarding the genesis of this piece. All I know is I was surprised to see the names Jer Horowitz and Steve Kent in the byline because I thought I wrote it solely.

by rolenta

THE BAER ESSENTIALS

Electronic Gaming Monthly – December 2000 The following is an email sent from the editor-in-chief of EGM to his entire staff. The editor of EGM wasn’t the only person who had enjoyed my Ralph Baer article. Ralph Baer himself told me that he felt this was the best article that had ever been written about…

THE ULTIMATE VIDEOGAME COMPANY?

Classic Gamer Magazine – Summer 2000 Fanzines were magazines that fans produced on their own. Classic Gamer Magazine was a step-above fanzine. It wasn’t slick like a professional magazine but the layout and content was on par with such outstanding magazines as Electronic Games. Produced by Chris Cavanaugh, the magazine was eventually sold in Tower…

THE GAMES WE LOVE TO HATE!

Classic Gamer Magazine – Fall 2000 My favorite part of this piece was the inclusion of the text from the back of the box of two Taiwanese game. I wish I had included more as they are hilarious.

3 STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL COMPATIBILITY

Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine – November 2000 My first column, pre-Game Scholar. It only lasted two issues but I was given complete autonomy about what I wanted to write. This was a freedom that I had enjoyed in all my Game Scholar columns.

THEY LIVED!

Electronic Gaming Monthly – December 2000 Another article proposed to me by Crispin Boyer of EGM. I remember they sent a photographer from New York City to my house on a nice hot summer day and everything was set out on my front lawn. The Jaguar VR helmet had been lent to me by Curt…

CAUGHT UP IN THE HYPE

Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine – January 2001 This was my second and final column for the Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. I wrote one final column for the Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine but it was never published. Truthfully, it wasn’t very good. It’s included here and you could see for yourself. Incidentally, I answered those final…

I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND

Pocket Games – Summer 2001 My editors at Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine asked me to do this piece about the history of handhelds for this special Pocket Games magazine, in anticipation with the release of Nintendo’s Gameboy Advance.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Electronic Gaming Monthly – December 2001 This piece is a mystery to me as I had nothing to do with it and yet I received co-billing. It looks like it was pieced together from my earlier Ralph Baer article but the question I’ve always asked myself is why? This was published less than two years…

WHEN PLAY TIME’S OVER

Electronic Gaming Monthly – May 2002 Another piece that I remember very little about. I don’t know if I proposed it to EGM or if they proposed it to me. Here’s two emails regarding the article. And here’s the article in work. I don’t think this was completed and I don’t have a record of…

INSTANT EXPERT: COLLECTING

Electronic Gaming Monthly – December 2003 Where do ideas for articles come from? In some cases I come up with them and propose them to the magazine, or in other cases an editor at a magazine may approach me. In this case, my editor at EGM approached me about an article about collecting videogames. The…

THE NINTENDO… WORKBOY!

Manci Games – May 2004 Manci Games was a new magazine founded by Jason Mercer. Unfortunately it only last two issues. For this first issue I wrote this article called The Nintendo… Workboy. The second issue featured my first Game Scholar column. And in case you were wondering, the title of the magazine came from…

THE UNTOLD ATARI STORY

Edge – April 2009 Ted Dabney was the cofounder of Atari along with Nolan Bushnell. Unfortunately Nolan was the voice of the company and anything that was said concerning the company came from Nolan, whether it was true or not. Ted sold his half of the company to Nolan after two years but for the…

GOING FOR THE RECORD

Video Game Trader – Fall 2013 I was an editor for Video Game Trader and this is the only article that I penned for them. Michael Thomasson is a close friend and I was invited as an expert witness to his house to count his large videogame collection for the Guinness Book of Records. As…

A TRIBUTE TO RALPH BAER

Game informer – February 2015 After Ralph Baer passed away on December 6, 2014, Game Informer asked me to write this tribute to him. This is one of my favorite pieces that I have ever written. And the photo I provided is also one of my favorites of him. In 2010 I was invited to…