Computer Games II - Historical Study of Early Machine Play

In this review of Computer Games II the reviewer finds a focused, scholarly look at the origins of programmed play and automated game machines, aimed at readers who want historical and technical perspective. The book traces a clear line from eighteenth century chess automatons through early twentieth century mechanical solutions and into the first decades of computer game research; its biggest strength is the narrative connecting pre-computer curiosities with the first serious programming efforts to teach machines strategy.

Key Features

• Historical scope: Charts developments from the eighteenth century automaton to mid-century computing projects, giving context to early machine play.
• Focus on chess and draughts: Explains why chess and checkers became early testbeds for programming, clarifying technical and conceptual challenges.
• Research synthesis: Collects decades of research into a single narrative so readers can see how ideas migrated between fields.
• Technical narrative: Describes specific milestones such as mechanical endgame machines and early computer programs to illustrate practical progress.
• Accessible prose: Written for an audience comfortable with history and computing, it balances detail without becoming purely academic.

Who It's For

This book is well suited to historians of technology, students of early computing, and game researchers who want a concise account of how automated play evolved before and after the invention of the computer. It is particularly valuable for readers interested in how mechanical curiosities informed later programming work.

Those seeking hands-on programming tutorials, modern AI techniques, or recent machine learning developments should look elsewhere; this is a historical and conceptual treatment rather than a contemporary how-to manual.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Provides a coherent historical narrative linking automata to early computer programs.
• Focus on concrete examples like chess automatons and endgame machines makes abstract ideas tangible.
• Useful synthesis of three decades of pre-home-computer research into a readable account.

Cons

• Does not cover modern AI or recent machine learning breakthroughs, limiting practical applicability for current developers.

Specifications

Our Verdict

Computer Games II is a valuable historical resource for anyone exploring the roots of machine play and early programming efforts; it packs decades of research into an accessible narrative and is a good value for historians and computing students who want context rather than code.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this book explain how early chess machines worked?
The book describes notable automatons and early endgame machines in historical and technical terms to illustrate their capabilities and limits.

Is this suitable for learning modern AI techniques?
No, it is a historical survey and does not teach modern machine learning or current AI methods.

Who benefits most from reading this book?
Historians of technology, students studying the history of computing, and researchers interested in the conceptual evolution of game programming will benefit most.