“Pornography is the secret engine that drives the adoption of most modern technology, videogames included. By connecting the dots (or rather, pixels) between interactive media and that most interactive of human experiences, Brown shows the pivotal role erotic content has played in the evolution of this new medium, as well as the furor and controversy it inevitably stirs up.”
SCOTT ALEXANDER,
Senior Editor, Playboy

“A stimulating look at two of today’s most controversial subjects… Sure to amaze and titillate anyone who’s ever hoisted a videogame controller.”
SCOTT STEINBERG,
CNN Tech Correspondent and Author of “Videogame Marketing and PR”

“Damon Brown tells the tale of the marriage of pop culture, video games, and porn with a geek’s glee and a historian’s attention to detail.”
AUDACIA RAY,
Author of “Naked on the Internet: Hookups, Downloads and Cashing In on Internet Sexploration”

“I have no idea why Damon Brown included Leisure Suit Larry in this book about all those dirty games, but I must agree with the U.S. Supreme Court: I can’t define a good game, but I know one when I see one!”
AL LOWE,
Creator of Leisure Suit Larry, www.allowe.com

“A thorough, meticulously researched history of video games and other adult entertainment, providing much food for thought about a generation that grew up taking all of it for granted. Just how many of today’s best games do we owe to sex, anyway?”
REGINA LYNN,
Wired.com Sex Drive columnist and author of “The Sexual Revolution 2.0″

Download PORN & PONG PRESS KIT w/ book summary and hi-res pics

AUTHOR: damon [at] damonbrown [dot] net
REVIEW COPIES/SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS: jessica [at] feralhouse [dot] com

Need a pic of the author and book cover or a summary of the book? DOWNLOAD THE (small) PRESS KIT HERE!

Press

San Francisco Examiner: Book Review: ‘Porn & Pong: How Grand Theft Auto … and Other Sexy Games Changed Our Culture’

Popular Science: Sex, Thighs and Video Games (December 10, 2008)

Alternet.org: Virtual Sex: How Online Games Changed Our Culture (November 27, 2008)

Publishers Weekly: Porn & Pong Review (November 10, 2008)

Gay.com: Hot New Book for Gamers, Geeks and Pop Culture Addicts (October 31, 2008)

Salon.com: The joystick of sex (October 6, 2008)

BoingBoing: Interesting books in my stack by Mark Frauenfelder (September 20, 2008)

Miami Herald: Video games not just a guy thing anymore by James H. Burnett III (September 15, 2008)

Sounds Like Me: Virtuelles Schlsselloch (Virtual Keyhole) by Gregor Wildermann (September 5, 2008)

Village Voice: Videogame Sex Beyond Grand Theft Auto by Bonnie Ruberg (June 3, 2008)

Coin-Op TV: Discussing “Porn & Pong” with Robert Welkner (April 24, 2008)

Summary

McDonald’s has “Fast Food Nation,” the fish industry has “Cod,” but no book has successfully weaved the cautionary tales and humorous history of the world of video games into our modern society… until now. In Porn & Pong: How Grand Theft Auto, Tomb Raider and Other Sexy Games Changed Our Culture (September 2008, Feral House), Playboy Magazine journalist Damon Brown spent five years exploring how the $20 billion video game industry traces our evolution in sexual mores, technological dependence and personal interaction.

The VCR and the dawn of the modern porn industry parallels the first Atari systems, Reality TV skyrocketed the same year as The Sims, and the surgically-endowed Pamela Anderson was only outshined by one other woman: Lara Croft. In one of the most stimulating moments, Brown examines Presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton’s 2005 tirade against Grand Theft Auto, and how politics, hidden agendas and financial pressure affect all controversial art forms. “From TiVo to Google to Match.com, technology is now part of our everyday lives,” Brown says. “Technology is officially sexy now.”

The timing is perfect: Aside from the 2008 Presidential election, Porn & Pong’s publication will be galvanized by the release of several adult oriented games, including a new Leisure Suit Larry, Tomb Raider, and the sequel to the most controversial video game of all time, Grand Theft Auto. Set for release April 29th, Grand Theft Auto IV is expected to sell six million copies during its first week.

Fans of pop culture, technology and modern sexual history will be addicted from page one. Author and regular CNN tech correspondent Scott Steinberg calls it “A stimulating look at two of today’s most controversial subjects,” while Playboy Senior Editor Scott Alexander says “…Brown shows the pivotal role erotic content has played in the evolution of this new medium, as well as the furor and controversy it inevitably stirs up.”

Buy Porn & Pong at Amazon.