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Racing the Beam

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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.
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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
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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
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The book's title comes from the fact that the Atari 2600, initially branded the VCS (Video Computer System), did not have a
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describing the history and technical challenges of programming for the
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in which to do this, the programmers were "racing" a high-speed
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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:. 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Index


Ian Bogost
Nick Montfort
MIT Press
ISBN
0-262-01257-X
Ian Bogost
Nick Montfort
Atari 2600
video game console
video frame buffer
machine cycles
electron beam
Combat
Pitfall!
Yars' Revenge
Raster interrupt
"Racing the Beam: How Atari 2600's Crazy Hardware Changed Game Design"
Archived
"Speak, Atari: How the 2600 forged the home video game future"
Archived
"Halo for the 2600 Released at CGE!"
"Interview: Will Nicholes"
Archived
Official website
v
t
e
Atari 2600
Games

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