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Video games have come a long way since the early days of Pong, the Atari 2600 and Pac-Man. With the development of powerful new technology, video games today look far more realistic than their 8-bit ancestors. The video game industry has rooted itself deep within popular culture, and with growing yearly revenue, it is poised to overtake the film industry. This week, we’ll take a look at titles that reflect video game history, its controversies, and fond memories of those who grew up with them.

•?“The Encyclopedia of Game Machines,” by Vinnie Forster: Forster’s book is an entertaining piece of work that charts the history of video games from its humble beginnings. Filled with images of many game machines and screenshots from a handful of titles as well as technical specs, sales figures and life cycles, Forster’s work is an entertaining and educational read for those looking into the history of the industry. The material presented here also touches on the world of classic-game collecting, where gamers will spend upward of $1,000 or more in order to obtain old systems and games.

•?“Gamers: Writers, Artists & Programmers on the Pleasures of Pixels,” edited by Shanna Compton: “Gamers” is a collection of essays by numerous journalists who share their fondest memories of playing video games as children. It will appeal to those who grew up in the Atari and Nintendo generations. It may bring back a touch of nostalgia and perhaps a longing to replay the games.

•?“Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created An Empire And Transformed Pop Culture,” by David Kushner: Kushner presents the life story of two of video gaming’s first celebrities, John Carmack and John Romeo, who created the industry’s most famous (and infamous) first-person shooter, Doom. “Masters” is a tale of two divergent programmers finding immediate success and became media darlings (with all the troubles that come with it). Readers wanting a look at the ups and downs of video game design will enjoy this narrative about one game’s impact on an entire industry, which is still felt today.