The video game industry has become huge, a multi-billion dollar industry, far from the early days of Pong and Pac-Man. As it has blossomed, it has developed its own trends and set its own records. To commemorate the industry's various accomplishments, the Guinness Book of World Records has published a specific volume just for video games, the Guinness World Records 2010 Gamer's Edition.

Laid out in the style of most video game magazines, this full-color folio-size book features facts and records from the early days of gaming to the present. Its 216 pages offer a fun read for fans of video games and trivia. The illustrations help keep the attention of those used to short game levels. Some game facts include:

• Longest delay between video game installments: 21 years, Bionic Commando
• First tennis videogame: Tennis for Two, 1958
• Best selling game on any platform: Sonic the Hedgehog 2
  

Parents will note that this book covers all video games, including M-Rated ones. Some of the illustrations depict violent scenes or characters with less-than-modest costumes, but as still images, there's nothing extremely controversial that will get this book on banned book lists. Still, you might want to leaf through it a bit before buying.

If you want your child to read or are a fan of gaming yourself, this volume offers an interesting collection of facts. If it sounds interesting to you, you'll likely enjoy it and consider it worth your $15, if you can put the controller down long enough to read it!