We’ve come a long way since the first digital computers. Our machines now can modify genetic data, monitor nuclear reactions, and guide hundreds and thousands of planes to safe landings across the world.
It’s much more fun to play games on them, though.
If you grew up in a world with video games, you know their appeal: deceptively simple rules, colorful characters, and the chance that you might finally win with one more try. In a few short decades, video games have changed from simple sprites shooting each other to massively multiplayer fragfests with players shooting each other from different continents. Could Space Invaders be a quarter-century old? Did DOOM really come out a decade ago? Certainly something has matured.
Through all of this, games and publishers, machines and platforms have all come and gone. Some live on in arcades and collections, and some stay buried, better forgotten. This isn’t a book about any particular era, though. Instead, it explores and celebrates a few of the most interesting nooks and crannies of the gaming world, whether new, old, or positively ancient.
We’ve collected a hundred hacks for gamers from game developers, expert players, and fans, representing dozens of rabbit holes related to playing, collecting, modifying, and enjoying the world of video games. Some talk about classic games. Others explore modern consoles. Still more cover PC games. There’s something for everyone—from an old idea in a new dress to an unknown concept or wacky idea you’d never have considered . . . until now.
After all, the goal is to have fun.
The term hacking has an unfortunate reputation in the popular press, where it often refers to someone who breaks into systems or wreaks havoc with computers. Among enthusiasts, on the other hand, the term hack refers to a “quick and dirty” solution to a problem or a clever way to do something. The term hacker is very much a compliment, praising someone for being creative and having the technical chops to get things done. O’Reilly’s Hacks series is an attempt to reclaim the word, document the ways people are hacking (in a good way), and pass on the hacker ethic of creative participation to a new generation of hackers. Seeing how others approach systems and problems is often the quickest way to learn about a new technology.
It’s also fun.
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