27:
159:
is the first in a series of books on early video-game platforms and has been cited by modern Atari 2600 enthusiasts as an inspiration for attempting to write new games for the platform.
241:
135:
discusses the history of the VCS platform and the design decisions that impacted the types of games that could be written for it. Specific games such as
121:
and required the programmers to write each line of video to the TV output, one line at a time. As there were only a limited number of
193:
878:
269:
475:
461:
117:
The book's title comes from the fact that the Atari 2600, initially branded the VCS (Video
Computer System), did not have a
324:
373:
81:
858:
433:
401:
219:
868:
701:
530:
656:
489:
387:
873:
621:
341:
317:
828:
366:
447:
721:
482:
408:
716:
671:
503:
189:
8:
863:
839:
809:
780:
711:
706:
696:
380:
310:
137:
261:
106:
762:
76:
616:
168:
149:
774:
768:
661:
565:
555:
454:
651:
415:
359:
852:
726:
676:
641:
295:
126:
122:
99:
41:
26:
793:
636:
575:
468:
787:
646:
585:
520:
350:
118:
746:
741:
666:
590:
525:
496:
333:
103:
102:
describing the history and technical challenges of programming for the
95:
37:
190:"Racing the Beam: How Atari 2600's Crazy Hardware Changed Game Design"
815:
731:
631:
560:
394:
51:
736:
626:
550:
545:
440:
143:
215:
580:
125:
in which to do this, the programmers were "racing" a high-speed
540:
535:
216:"Speak, Atari: How the 2600 forged the home video game future"
600:
595:
302:
570:
153:
are analyzed from a technical and cultural perspective.
20:Racing the Beam: The Atari Video Computer System
850:
91:Racing the Beam: The Atari Video Computer System
318:
254:
325:
311:
25:
16:2009 book by Ian Bogost and Nick Montfort
233:
851:
187:
306:
239:
213:
242:"Halo for the 2600 Released at CGE!"
207:
181:
13:
14:
890:
287:
879:History books about video games
272:from the original on 2021-05-14
222:from the original on 2010-07-27
196:from the original on 2010-07-27
332:
1:
214:Agger, Michael (2009-03-09).
174:
702:Television Interface Adaptor
531:American Multiple Industries
188:Kohler, Chris (2009-03-19).
7:
162:
10:
895:
262:"Interview: Will Nicholes"
112:
837:
802:
755:
689:
609:
513:
425:
349:
340:
75:
67:
57:
47:
33:
24:
240:Fries, Ed (2010-08-01).
829:Atari video game burial
859:2009 non-fiction books
722:Starpath Supercharger
672:Howard Scott Warshaw
869:Works by Ian Bogost
781:Atari Greatest Hits
756:Emulation and ports
707:Atari joystick port
697:Atari 2600 hardware
129:across the screen.
21:
119:video frame buffer
107:video game console
19:
846:
845:
685:
684:
87:
86:
886:
803:Related articles
617:Steve Cartwright
347:
346:
327:
320:
313:
304:
303:
299:
298:
296:Official website
281:
280:
278:
277:
266:Kittysneezes.com
258:
252:
251:
249:
248:
237:
231:
230:
228:
227:
211:
205:
204:
202:
201:
185:
169:Raster interrupt
59:Publication date
29:
22:
18:
894:
893:
889:
888:
887:
885:
884:
883:
874:MIT Press books
849:
848:
847:
842:
833:
823:Racing the Beam
798:
775:Atari Flashback
769:Atari Anthology
751:
681:
662:Warren Robinett
605:
566:Parker Brothers
556:Games by Apollo
509:
455:Missile Command
421:
336:
331:
294:
293:
290:
285:
284:
275:
273:
260:
259:
255:
246:
244:
238:
234:
225:
223:
212:
208:
199:
197:
186:
182:
177:
165:
157:Racing the Beam
133:Racing the Beam
115:
60:
17:
12:
11:
5:
892:
882:
881:
876:
871:
866:
861:
844:
843:
838:
835:
834:
832:
831:
826:
819:
812:
810:Homebrew games
806:
804:
800:
799:
797:
796:
791:
784:
777:
772:
765:
759:
757:
753:
752:
750:
749:
744:
739:
734:
729:
724:
719:
717:XG-1 light gun
714:
709:
704:
699:
693:
691:
687:
686:
683:
682:
680:
679:
674:
669:
664:
659:
654:
652:Carla Meninsky
649:
644:
639:
634:
629:
624:
619:
613:
611:
607:
606:
604:
603:
598:
593:
588:
583:
578:
573:
568:
563:
558:
553:
548:
543:
538:
533:
528:
523:
517:
515:
511:
510:
508:
507:
500:
493:
486:
479:
472:
465:
462:Space Invaders
458:
451:
444:
437:
429:
427:
423:
422:
420:
419:
416:Video Olympics
412:
405:
398:
391:
384:
377:
370:
363:
360:Air-Sea Battle
355:
353:
344:
338:
337:
330:
329:
322:
315:
307:
301:
300:
289:
288:External links
286:
283:
282:
268:. 2010-08-23.
253:
232:
206:
179:
178:
176:
173:
172:
171:
164:
161:
123:machine cycles
114:
111:
85:
84:
79:
73:
72:
69:
65:
64:
63:March 31, 2009
61:
58:
55:
54:
49:
45:
44:
35:
31:
30:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
891:
880:
877:
875:
872:
870:
867:
865:
862:
860:
857:
856:
854:
841:
836:
830:
827:
825:
824:
820:
818:
817:
813:
811:
808:
807:
805:
801:
795:
792:
790:
789:
785:
783:
782:
778:
776:
773:
771:
770:
766:
764:
761:
760:
758:
754:
748:
745:
743:
740:
738:
735:
733:
730:
728:
727:Coleco Gemini
725:
723:
720:
718:
715:
713:
712:CX40 joystick
710:
708:
705:
703:
700:
698:
695:
694:
692:
688:
678:
677:Bob Whitehead
675:
673:
670:
668:
665:
663:
660:
658:
655:
653:
650:
648:
645:
643:
642:Garry Kitchen
640:
638:
635:
633:
630:
628:
625:
623:
620:
618:
615:
614:
612:
608:
602:
599:
597:
594:
592:
589:
587:
584:
582:
579:
577:
574:
572:
569:
567:
564:
562:
559:
557:
554:
552:
549:
547:
544:
542:
539:
537:
534:
532:
529:
527:
524:
522:
519:
518:
516:
512:
506:
505:
501:
499:
498:
494:
492:
491:
487:
485:
484:
480:
478:
477:
473:
471:
470:
466:
464:
463:
459:
457:
456:
452:
450:
449:
445:
443:
442:
438:
436:
435:
431:
430:
428:
424:
418:
417:
413:
411:
410:
406:
404:
403:
399:
397:
396:
392:
390:
389:
385:
383:
382:
378:
376:
375:
371:
369:
368:
364:
362:
361:
357:
356:
354:
352:
348:
345:
343:
339:
335:
328:
323:
321:
316:
314:
309:
308:
305:
297:
292:
291:
271:
267:
263:
257:
243:
236:
221:
217:
210:
195:
191:
184:
180:
170:
167:
166:
160:
158:
154:
152:
151:
150:Yars' Revenge
146:
145:
140:
139:
134:
130:
128:
127:electron beam
124:
120:
110:
108:
105:
101:
100:Nick Montfort
97:
94:is a book by
93:
92:
83:
82:0-262-01257-X
80:
78:
74:
70:
66:
62:
56:
53:
50:
46:
43:
42:Nick Montfort
39:
36:
32:
28:
23:
822:
821:
814:
786:
779:
767:
637:Larry Kaplan
576:Spectravideo
502:
495:
488:
481:
474:
469:Demon Attack
467:
460:
453:
446:
439:
432:
414:
407:
402:Street Racer
400:
393:
386:
379:
372:
365:
358:
274:. Retrieved
265:
256:
245:. Retrieved
235:
224:. Retrieved
209:
198:. Retrieved
183:
156:
155:
148:
142:
136:
132:
131:
116:
90:
89:
88:
794:Atari 2600+
788:Atari Vault
657:Alan Miller
647:David Lubar
622:David Crane
610:Programmers
586:Tigervision
521:Atari, Inc.
426:Bestselling
864:Atari 2600
853:Categories
747:Atari 7800
742:Atari 2700
667:Carol Shaw
591:U.S. Games
526:Activision
514:Publishers
497:River Raid
367:Basic Math
334:Atari 2600
276:2010-08-24
247:2010-08-05
226:2010-08-09
200:2010-08-09
175:References
104:Atari 2600
96:Ian Bogost
38:Ian Bogost
816:Atari Age
732:CompuMate
632:Rob Fulop
561:M Network
490:Adventure
448:Asteroids
395:Star Ship
374:Blackjack
52:MIT Press
48:Publisher
840:Category
737:GameLine
690:Hardware
627:Tod Frye
551:Data Age
546:CommaVid
483:Atlantis
441:Pitfall!
409:Surround
388:Indy 500
270:Archived
220:Archived
194:Archived
163:See also
144:Pitfall!
581:Telesys
504:Kaboom!
434:Pac-Man
113:Content
763:Stella
541:Coleco
536:Imagic
381:Combat
351:Launch
138:Combat
34:Author
601:Zimag
596:Xonox
342:Games
68:Pages
571:Sega
476:E.T.
147:and
98:and
77:ISBN
40:and
71:184
855::
264:.
218:.
192:.
141:,
109:.
326:e
319:t
312:v
279:.
250:.
229:.
203:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.