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We love seeing new books that cover retro gaming, and Bitmap Books is one of the best. Its new tome, The Arcade 1971–1999: The Stories Behind Classic Coin-Ops, Told by Their Creators, charts the history of arcade gaming’s glory years from the perspective of the legends who built it. Written by Paul Drury, known for his work in Retro Gamer Magazine, The Arcade 1971–1999 features 408 pages wrapped in a gold foil blocked cover. It comes as a hardback with sewn binding and high-quality lithographic print. Customers who purchase the book will also receive a complementary PDF to view on digital devices.
The book has already received great feedback from several arcade veterans, with Pong creator Al Acorn saying it’s “a very well-researched account of how a new industry was created”. Atari founder Nolan Bushnell is also impressed, stating that “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”.
It’s not just the firsthand accounts telling the stories; The Arcade 1971–1999 also has personal photos from contributors and other behind-the-scenes material that bring the words to life. It also includes 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. We’ll look forward to slotting our quarter in and having a blast when The Arcade 1971–1999: The Stories Behind Classic Coin-Ops, Told by Their Creators releases. Pre-orders go live on September 22nd, 2026.
