Book Reviews 273 evidence from other sciences (psychology tory. The contributors, however, also pres- and behavioral ecologists) that examine ent a much broader perspective for their the link between cognition and “magi- data by illustrating archaeological connec- cal thinking” and discusses why it can be tions to the oral traditions, ethnohistories, adaptive. Just as contemporary gamblers linguistics, and ethnographies of the vari- believe in the lucky numbers, colors, ous societies they study. Ultimately, this socks, or totems like elephants or trolls book should provide readers with a great they bring to bingo games, all humans deal of information about the differences seem both to enjoy gambling and seek and similarities of the aboriginal peoples ways to benefit from it. of Native America through their games Finally, Catherine Cameron and and their commonalities with contempo- Lindsey Johansson examine the downside rary societies. of gaming and gambling—losing. In “The Biggest Losers: Gambling and Enslave- —Susan Stebbins, State University of New ment in Native North America,” they York at Potsdam, Potsdam, NY present data from oral tradition, ethno- history, and ethnographies about the con- sequences of the loss of luck in gaming and gambling. In addition to losing resources, Native Americans gambled away their The Sega Arcade Revolution: wives, children, and their own freedom. A History in 62 Games The authors pay particular attention to the Ken Horowitz conditions of this type of slavery, which New York: McFarland, 2018. 43 photos, was not life long, much less multigenera- bibliography, and index. 310 pp. $39.95 tional. Often, extended kin would provide Paper. ISBN: 9781476672250 the resources to free both the gambler and his family (data indicates it was usually Few scholars have studied Sega longer male gamblers who risked their families). than Ken Horowitz. Since 2003, Horow- Data also indicates it was difficult for men itz has administered the Sega-16 website and their families to recover whatever sta- while interviewing dozens of program- tus they had after losing their freedom. mers, designers, producers, and executives Cameron and Johansson claim that the who created games for Sega-console plat- stories of men losing everything through forms. The culmination of this research gambling often became part of the oral arrived in 2016 in the form of Playing tradition of a society, warning others of at the Next Level: A History of American the risks of gambling. Sega Games, which covered the exploits The archaeological data throughout of Sega of America from its founding in the work are very detailed, but the chap- 1986 to the conclusion of the Dreamcast ters presume previous knowledge of arche- era. In 2018 Horowitz returns to tell the ological methods. As such, this book is other side of the Sega story—the thriv- intended for those who have a familiarity ing arcade game development divisions with archaeology, anthropology, or prehis- that redefined the medium on numerous 274 AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PLAY • WINTER 2019

occasions. The result is a book remark- subsidiary renamed Sega Enterprises, Inc. ably broad in its coverage but uneven in in 1974. This arrangement persisted until its depth and focus. 1984, when following the divestiture of the In the preface, Horowitz indicates majority of Sega Inc.’s North American that, although he intends to create a com- operations, Gulf & Western sold the Sega prehensive history of Sega’s arcade exploits Enterprises, Ltd. Japanese subsidiary to a around the world from its inception to its consortium led by Isao Okawa of the CSK merger with Sammy Corporation in 2003, Corporation, which became Sega’s new he will not attempt to chronicle completely parent company. Sega then re-entered the the origins of the company. This decision North American arcade market in 1985 feels eminently reasonable, because these and remained relatively stable until the origins are a particularly tangled mess. end of the millennium. The company we know today as Sega had Although Horowitz does not devote its genesis in an international, coin-oper- extensive time to these various corporate ated distribution network called Service reshuffles, he has produced what currently Games, originally founded in Hawaii, stands as the best and most coherent over- headquartered in Panama, and master- view of Sega’s early history. He also does an minded by two men—early pinball distri- admirable job of explaining the relation- bution magnate Irving Bromberg and his ship between Sega and the U.S. game man- son Marty Bromley (née Martin Jerome ufacturer Gremlin Industries, a subsidiary Bromberg). Japan Service Games was just of Sega between 1978 and 1983. Less suc- one of several distribution companies the cessful are his attempts to track the further duo established across Asia, Europe, and changes in the structure of Sega’s devel- North America to bring slot machines, opment teams and marketing subsidiar- jukeboxes, and coin-operated amuse- ies after 1984. He relies on no firsthand ments to U.S. military bases. In 1960 the accounts to describe Sega Europe, and a company was terminated and replaced by single such account informs his discussion two new firms, Nihon Goraku Bussan and of Sega Enterprises USA—that of the late Nihon Kikai Seizo, which inherited their Tom Petit, who ran the subsidiary from predecessor’s distribution and nascent 1986 to 1994. Furthermore, his attempt to manufacturing operations respectively. provide an overview of Sega’s various AM Recombined in 1964, the company became development teams results in contradic- Sega Enterprises, Ltd., upon the purchase tory information about the various teams of Rosen Enterprises a year later and established and in the perpetuation of the turned its focus away from slot machines myth that an AM8 existed at Sega during and military bases to jukeboxes and game the late 1980s that developed both Phan- centers under David Rosen. tasy Star and Sonic the Hedgehog. Sega’s twists and turns continued When Horowitz focuses on the arcade over the next decade as it was acquired by games produced by Sega, the results are Gulf & Western in 1969 and subsequently somewhat mixed. In Playing at the Next transformed into an American company Level, the author draws on dozens of inter- under the control of a former cosmetics views with the programmers and produc- Book Reviews 275 ers of first-party Sega console games to book spends more time chronicling the provide a cogent overview of how Sega of development of these games than analyz- America organized its product develop- ing their significance, The Sega Arcade ment and how its many partner studios Revolution should be required reading for brought numerous beloved games to life. any scholar aiming to contextualize Sega’s The result is a monograph as comprehen- vast influence on the development of the sive as it is enlightening. coin-operated video game. In The Sega Arcade Revolution, how- ever, the author largely recounts the his- —Alexander Smith, Six Mile Regional tory of games developed in Japan, and here Library, Granite City, IL the language barrier often betrays him. He focuses on sixty-two games ranging from Sega’s first video game,Pong Tron (1973), to Planet Harriers (2000), but a lack of English-language sources leads to uneven A Play of Bodies: How We coverage. Entries on seminal games like Perceive Videogames Turbo (1981) and Zaxxon (1982) feature Brendan Keogh relatively little information about their Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, development, while Horowitz explores 2018. Introduction, notes, references lesser, though still noteworthy, games (bibliography and ludography), and like Flicky (1984) and Columns (1990) in index. 225 pp. $39.95. Cloth. ISBN: greater depth merely because interviews 9781138189485 with their creators have been conducted in or translated into English. His analysis Brendan Keogh’s A Play of Bodies: How We of the impact of these games in the mar- Perceive Videogames is an interesting read, ketplace is also occasionally problematic, particularly for its minute observations of because he often relies on Sega’s own, how digital play actually happens, drawn inherently biased proclamations in trade from a massive knowledge of games. It is magazines like Replay and Play Meter somewhat limited in references to game without appearing to subject them to criti- ethnography and play experience beyond cal scrutiny. the United States and Australia, but nev- Despite these concerns, Horowitz is ertheless, the connections Keogh makes to be commended for creating the most between embodied play and contempo- comprehensive examination of Sega’s rary game culture are strong and original arcade output yet attempted. By draw- contributions to the literature. ing on virtually every English-language One of the consistent dreams of video source pertaining to Sega arcade game games has been—at least since Janet Mur- development and conducting fresh inter- ray’s Hamlet on the Holodeck (1997)—the views of his own where practicable, the total integration of player and game to the author has melded piecemeal revelations point that the player lives the story in full about seminal arcade games into detailed body immersion. This is the topic Brendan and informative write-ups. Although the Keogh tackles head on in this interesting