Videogame history is not just a history of one successful technology replacing the next. It is also a history of platforms and communities that never quite made it; that struggled to make their voices heard; that aggravated against the conventions of the day; and that never enjoyed the commercial success or recognition of their major counterparts. In Minor Platforms in Videogame History, Benjamin Nicoll argues that 'minor' videogame histories are anything but insignificant. Through an analysis of transitional, decolonial, imaginary, residual, and minor videogame platforms, Nicoll highlights moments of difference and discontinuity in videogame history. From the domestication of vector graphics in the early years of videogame consoles to the 'cloning' of Japanese computer games in South Korea in the 1980s, this book explores case studies that challenge taken-for-granted approaches to videogames, platforms, and their histories.

About the Author
Benjamin Nicoll is a Lecturer in Digital Media and Communication in the School of Communication and a member of the Digital Media Research Centre at Queensland University of Technology, Australia.

Reviews
"Benjamin Nicoll sets up his epistemic (work)shop for an inspiring minor game history that aims to make game studies strange again. From cultural studies to media analysis, the book's contribution is not only about past game platforms but it also offers strong methodological insights. The result is a magnificent contribution both to game studies and media archaeology." - Professor Jussi Parikka, University of Southampton, author of *What is Media Archaeology?*



Book Information
ISBN 9789462988286
Author Benjamin Nicoll
Format Hardback
Page Count 212
Imprint Amsterdam University Press
Publisher Amsterdam University Press