Search - Modern Marvels - Video Games - Behind the Fun (History Channel) on DVD

Not bad..... but,

K. Rowley | Austin, Texas United States | 04/23/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Recently purchased this video and thought I'd share some insights on it.

1) The disc itself is a DVD-R, not a standard pressed DVD.

2) There is no menu system - chapter breaks. The DVD starts playing when you stick it in and doesn't stop till it gets to the end. Which isn't that surprising as it is a copy of a television show, but I would have liked it to have a few chapter breaks.

There is another DVD that covers this subject in a lot more depth. It's a PBS special called "The Video Game Revolution". It's 2 hours long and has some 'extras' and it's a bit more up-to-date too.
[...]

Overall the History Channel program isn't too bad - some things I did like about it.

1) It's short - 50 minutes.

2) While it spends some time on the 'history' of the very early computer systems it spends more time covering the more recent (1999-2000) console games and on-line games.

"

Straightforward exposition with little analysis

Dr. W | 10/13/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This DVD gives a good overview of videogames, but offers little in the way of history, sociological and psychological analysis, or even the science behind the games. If you just want an overview of what some games are and roughly when they showed up, it's great, but if you want to know the deeper questions - who, how much, why, gender, industry, education, trends, etc. (in other words, the really interesting parts of videogames), you might not get satisfactory coverage from this DVD. Given the high price, I find it a, well, "high price" to pay for what you get. The KCTS video "The Video Game Revolution" is much more satisfactory in those deeper areas. But still, this is a good introduction."

A passable look at video games, if you are bored.

T. Sim | 11/27/2008

(2 out of 5 stars)

"If you are a fan of video games, this is a look at video games. Nothing especially insightful or interesting. Maybe something to play on the tube while you are doing your homework or ironing.

"

A well-intentioned survey

Jeffery Mingo | Homewood, IL USA | 02/29/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This work had to cover a lot of territory. Whereas I would have spent long periods on Pac-Man and Mortal Combat, this work gives it brief mention. This work focuses on the present and hints at the future of video games, things I haven't played in a long time. MIT is a science and technology Mecca, of course. Still, the college came up so much, I almost wonder if their admission office donated to the making of this documentary. Again the work mentions a lot in a short time, but I wondered about more. This work interviewed far more males than females. I wonder if this industry is still mostly targeted to that gender. I also wondered about the issue of "bowling alone." Back in my day, video games were out of the house and communal then they became things players could use at home and by themselves. In the same way that the Internet has radically re-defined "community," Internet games with its international players may be doing the same thing. A man named Neal Robison is interviewed here and his chin dimple is so deep it could rival that of Kirk Douglas. The work makes no mention of how video games now have ratings and warnings, like CDs and television programs. The work says video games spurred the purchase of home computers and the Internet. Like survey courses in college, this reaches the surface because it touches on so many topics. The narrator here is not seen and has a voice much more deadpan than the former narrator of this cable series."