Welcome! Thanks for taking the time to read this. If you’re unfamiliar, I wrote a book called 8-Bit Apocalypse: The Untold Story of Atari’s Missile Command all about Atari and one of their most impactful arcade hits, Missile Command. It covers how Atari went from an idea to the fastest growing company in US history ($2 Billion in annual revenue!) to bankrupt all in a single decade; but most importantly it discusses the story and impact of Missile Command, a game so intense that its creator was haunted by vivid nightmares of nuclear war for years.

To those of you who have already pre-ordered, I thank you and am hopeful this post will be a nice reward. For those of you who haven’t, this is the moment! I want to do as much as I can to help boost pre-orders. In the publishing world, it helps show retailers what people are buying and allow them to get purchase orders done in time for launch day so that no store is left empty handed. Plus, I want to write more gaming books, so I’m trying to show the publishing world just how big the audience is.

To help with this, I wanted to do something special as a thank you. Below you’ll find a few levels of pre-order rewards as a token of my appreciation for your help and purchase!

A few notes before we get into it:

1. This applies to both Digital and Hardcover sales purchased from any platform (Amazon, B&N, Powell’s, etc).

2. You must fill out the form to show proof of purchase.

3. Offer will continue while supplies last

4. See full rules here.

Now, check out the pre-order bonuses below!

1 Copy of 8-Bit Apocalypse ($17 cost, $18 bonus value)



– One (1) random pin from the 8-Bit Apocalypse Pin Set ($8 value)

– An early digital copy of an upcoming short game dev story ($10 value)

MOST IMPORTANTLY, 10 ENTRIES FOR THE ULTIMATE GIVEAWAY

Total value: $18 in bonuses!

Claim bonuses here

3 Copies of 8-Bit Apocalypse ($51 cost, $42 bonus value)

– The full set (4) of the 8-Bit Apocalypse Pin Set ($32 value)

– An early digital copy of an upcoming short game dev story ($10 value)

MOST IMPORTANTLY, 30 ENTRIES FOR THE ULTIMATE GIVEAWAY

Total value: $42 in bonuses!

Claim bonuses here

5 Copies of 8-Bit Apocalypse ($85 cost, $57 bonus value)

– The full set (4) of the 8-Bit Apocalypse Pin Set ($32 value)

– An early digital copy of an upcoming short game dev story ($10 value)

– One (1) Digital Copy of Insert Coin: Inside Midway’s ‘90s Revolution [upon release] ($15 value)

MOST IMPORTANTLY, 50 ENTRIES FOR THE ULTIMATE GIVEAWAY

Total value: $57 in bonuses!

Claim bonuses here

??+ Copies of 8-Bit Apocalypse

Want me to speak with your team about the business lessons of Atari and how to avoid them? Is your studio interested in the story of how one man made something so intensely impactful at a time where narratives in gaming were but mere fantasies? Trying to figure out how to capture the visionary Nolan Bushnell’s spirit of innovation?

I’m available for speaking opportunities and would love it if you bought copies for your team. Hit me up at media@alexrubens.com and we can chat.

* THE ULTIMATE GIVEAWAY

What is THE ULTIMATE GIVEAWAY? Well, if you’re buying this book, you must be a fan of Missile Command or Atari, so I’m going to choose one person who pre-orders…and send them one of Arcade1Up’s upcoming 12-in-1 Atari arcade cabinets ($400 value). Yes, I’m serious. You can enter for free, boost your chances with a pre-order (or 3, perfect for gamer holiday gifts!), and potentially be the lucky winner playing all their favorite Atari classics (including Missile Command and Tempest) from the comfort of their own home.

I’ll ensure delivery wherever you are in the United States, sorry non-US folks — I still love you. Full rules on the sweepstakes can be found here.

ENTER BELOW!

ALEX RUBENS’ ULTIMATE GIVEAWAY



Direct Link to Sweepstakes

That’s it! If one of those options sounds good to you, I’d really appreciate your support. If not, then that’s fine too and I appreciate your time. I’ll also be dropping some additional free entries during my launch campaign, so stay tuned on twitter @alexrubens to find out more. Do note that this is a limited time deal and only while supplies last, I won’t be offering it again — this is your shot at a bundle worth way more than its cost, plus you end up with great holiday gifts for your other gaming friends.

A big shoutout to Josh Tsui and the developers behind the unannounced mystery game I’m currently profiling (it’s not Book 2 fwiw, but still fun) for a short dev story.

*Technically a Sweepstakes, not a giveaway despite the name being way cooler, for legal reasons. 🙂