Bitmap Books Transports You Back to The Golden Age of Gaming, announcing ‘The Arcade 1971–1999: The Stories Behind Classic Coin-Ops, Told by Their Creators’
A Fascinating History of The Games That Changed an Industry Forever
Credits Where Credits Are Due: Author Paul Drury Brings Twenty Years of Arcade Research to an Unmissable Tome for Coin-Up Lovers Everywhere
London, UK - September 24, 2026 – Bitmap Books, the premium video game book publisher, announced today their latest title, The Arcade 1971–1999: The Stories Behind Classic Coin-Ops, Told by Their Creators, a stunningly comprehensive deep dive into the games that changed an industry forever.
Renowned video game journalist Paul Drury (Edge, Retro Gamer) has spent his illustrious career interviewing hundreds of game developers, artists and musicians, bringing an encyclopaedic knowledge of Arcade culture to this latest publication.
The Arcade 1971-1999 features no less than 120 classic coin-ops, where readers will uncover fascinating insights into the favourite titles. From how Ms. Pac-Man was once a man called Otto, to who actually created Donkey Kong, how Q*bert learned to swear and what really happened on the night when the very first Pong machine was placed in Andy Capp’s Tavern, each title tells its own story in a book that gamers of all ages will find hard to put down.
Along with these firsthand accounts, rare personal photos, design sketches, coding notes and all manner of ‘behind the scenes’ material are beautifully detailed, giving a unique insight into the creativity, imagination and ingenuity that brought these legendary games to life. Discover early concept art, licensed from The Strong National Museum of Play, showing the original plans for such Atari classics as Star Wars, Paperboy, Gauntlet and many more.
The author of The Arcade 1971-1999, Paul Drury, highlighted his feelings about the creation of the title,"Arcade games, like so many of my generation, are what introduced me to video games. Being able to talk to their creators has been such a privilege and this book is a culmination of hundreds of conversations with my heroes."
With a foreword written by Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell and an Afterword by Eugene Jarvis, creator of Defender and Robotron, The Arcade 1971-1999 delivers the definitive text on the first thirty years of the arcade industry.
Dedicated to Arcade collectors and video game historians alike, the giants of arcade gaming have offered their thoughts on this must have history of Arcade gaming:
“Hearing the OG story is always fun. Going from nothing to something feels a bit like magic, and Paul has captured that magic in all these stories.” Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari.
“A very well researched account of how a new industry was created.” Al Alcorn, creator of Pong.
"Hear how legendary digital alchemists turned a blank screen into videogame gold, all in their own words.” Eugene Jarvis, creator of Defender and Robotron.
"Relive the stories behind our favourite games, together in one place." Ed Logg, creator of Asteroids and Gauntlet.
Printed on high-quality paper, thread-sewn binding and with each copy shrink-wrapped, The Arcade 1971-1999 features a hardback cover with a foil blocked illustration, and inside readers are treated to a series of arcade cabinet illustrations by artist Adam Rufino.
The Arcade 1971-1999 is available for global purchase now for an MSRP of £34.99 / $48.00 / €41,95.
For more information and to register your interest, please visit Bitmap Books:
Press Contact:
Overload PR on behalf of Bitmap Books
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Specifications:
408 pages. 250mm × 250mm. Gold foil blocked cover. Edge-to-edge high quality lithographic print. Hardback. Sewn binding for enduring quality and the ability to lay flat for ideal double-page image viewing. Shrink-wrapped. Free PDF for viewing on the go (when purchased at www.bitmapbooks.com).
Includes Contributions From:
Abiko, Akira Fujita, Akira Nishitani, Akira ‘Akiman’ Yasuda, Al Alcorn, Alan Gray, Alan McNeil, Andy Walker, Betty Ryan, Bill Adams, Bob Flanagan, Brian Colin, Dave Sherman, Dave Staugas, Dave Theurer, Dave Thiel , Dennis Harper, Doug Macrae, Ed Logg, Ed Rotberg, Eric Ginner, Frank Gasking, Franz Lanzinger, Fukio ‘MTJ’ Mitsuji, Gary Goldman, Gary Vincent, George Gomez, Hirohisa Komanome, Hiroshi ‘Hiro’ Kawaguchi, Hiroshi ‘Onijust’ Tsujino, Hiroyasu Machiguchi, Hisao Oguchi, Howell Ivy, Jack Haeger, Jamie Fenton, Jeff Lee, John Newcomer, John Ray, John Salwitz, John Szczepaniak, John Tobias, Jonathan Hurd, Kazuma Kujo, Kazunori Sawano, Kenichi Yokoh, Kenji Kataoka, Kenzo Tsujimoto, Kevin Bayliss, Koji Mitsunaga, Koji Obata, Kouichi Yotsui, Larry DeMar, Lyle Rains, Makoto Uchida, Mark Pierce, Mark Turmell, Martyn Carroll, Masaaki Kukino, Masamoto Morita, Masanobu Endou, Matt Householder, Michitaka Tsuruta, Mike Hally, Minoru Kanari, Nolan Bushnell, Owen Rubin, Peter Robinson, Professor Yoshihiro Kishimoto, Robert Weatherby, Ron Milner, Roy Ozaki, Ryuichi Nishizawa, Scott Morrison, Scott Tsumura, Seiichi Nakakuki, Shigeru Yokoyama, Shinichiro Okamoto, Steve Mayer, Steve Wozniak, Takashi Oda, Takeki Nakamura, Tim Skelly, Tokuro Fujiwara, Tomohiro Nishikado, Toru Iwatani, Toshihiro Nagoshi, Toshinobu Komazawa, Warren Davis, Wendi Allen, Yasuhiko Tanaka, Yoshihiko Ota, Yoshihisa Kishimoto, Yoshiki Ooka, Youji Ishii, Yu Suzuki, Yutaka Kounoe, Yutaka Sugano.
Games Featured:
1942, 720°, After Burner, Altered Beast, Area 51, Arkanoid, Asteroid, Asteroids, Battle Garegga, Battlezone, Berzerk, Bomb Jack, Breakout, Bubble Bobble, Cannon Dancer, Canyon Bomber, CarnEvil, Centipede, Chiller, Circus, Computer Space, Cruis’n USA, Crystal Castles, Dance Dance Revolution, Darius, Daytona USA, Death Race, Defender, Die Hard Arcade, Dominos, Donkey Kong, Double Dragon, Dragon’s Lair, Fantasy Zone, Final Fight, Food Fight, Gain Ground, Galaga, Galaxian, Gauntlet, Ghouls ’n Ghosts, Gorf, Gotcha, Gradius, Gran Trak 10, Gun Fight, House of the Dead, Hunchback, I, Robot, Ikari Warriors, In the Hunt, Joust, Killer Instinct, Klax, Krull, Kung-Fu Master, Lunar Lander, Major Havoc, Marble Madness, Marvel vs. Capcom, Metal Slug, Missile Command, Monaco GP, Moon Patrol, Mortal Kombat, Ms. Pac-Man, NARC, NBA Jam, NHL Open Ice, Out Run, Pac-Land, Pac-Man, Paperboy, Pit-Fighter, Point Blank, Pole Position, Pong, Primal Rage, Puzzle Bobble, Q*bert, Quantum, Qwak!, R-Type, Raiden, Rainbow Islands, Rampage, Rampart, Return of the Jedi, RoadBlasters, Robotron: 2084, S.T.U.N. Runner, San Francisco Rush, Satan’s Hollow, Shinobi, Silent Scope, Sinistar, Smash T.V., Solomon’s Key, SoulCalibur, Space Harrier, Space Invaders, Spy Hunter, Star Wars, Street Fighter II, Strider, Super Bug, Tank, Tapper, Tekken, Tempest, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Tetris, The Pit, The Tower of Druaga, Tron, Venture, Warrior, Wonder Boy, Xevious, Zaxxon.
About Bitmap Books:
Founded in 2014 by Sam Dyer, Bitmap Books is a design-led publisher dedicated to producing the highest quality, most visually splendid gaming books ever produced. Renowned for their attention to detail and collaboration with influential outfits, like SEGA, SNK and Atari, as well as industry veterans, including: Mark Cerny, creator of Marble Madness and chief architect of the PlayStation 4 and PS Vita, legendary developer siblings Ste and John Pickford, point-and-click trailblazers Tim Schafer and Ron Gilbert, esteemed SNK producer Yasuyuki Oda, and many more, Bitmap Books celebrates the software, hardware, developers, and studios that shaped the games industry and is committed to preserving and sharing the rich history of video games through exceptional design and storytelling. For more information, please visit: https://www.bitmapbooks.com/pages/our-story
