Console Wars

In 1990 Nintendo had a virtual monopoly on the video game industry. Sega, on the other hand, was a faltering arcade company with big aspirations and even bigger personalities. But that would all change with the arrival of Tom Kalinske, a man who knew nothing about video games and everything about fighting uphill battles. His unconventional tactics, combined with the blood, sweat and bold ideas of his renegade employees, transformed Sega and eventually led to a ruthless David-and-Goliath showdown with rival Nintendo.





The battle was vicious, relentless and highly profitable, eventually sparking a global corporate war that would be fought on several fronts: from living rooms and schoolyards to boardrooms and Congress. It was a once-in-a-lifetime, no-holds-barred conflict that pitted brother against brother, kid against adult, Sonic against Mario, and the US against Japan.



Console Wars is the underdog tale of how Kalinske miraculously turned an industry punchline into a market leader. It's the story of how a humble family man, with an extraordinary imagination and a gift for turning problems into competitive advantages, inspired a team of underdogs to slay a giant and, as a result, birth a $60 billion dollar industry.



Blake J. Harris is a writer/director and co-founder of Flying Penguin Pictures, which has produced such films as The Flying Scissors and Such Great Heights. Currently, Harris is co-directing Console Wars, the documentary based on his book, which is being produced by Scott Rudin, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. He is also serving as an executive producer on the feature film adaptation.



A riveting story full of colorful characters. While the story is presented as a series of contrasts-Nintendo vs. Sega, Mario vs. Sonic -it's also a fascinating, even illuminating, history of the video game industry as seen through the experiences of two influential companies and a host of participants, ending with the advent of the fifth generation consoles. This is an essential read for any interested in the evolution of video games, and the rise and fall of Sega.



[The] book is a highly entertaining behind-the-scenes thriller in which price fixing, psychotically aggressive marketing schemes and, occasionally, genuine innovation all come into play.



I was hooked from the first page. Harris tells the David vs Goliath story of Sega's epic battle against the gaming behemoth Nintendo... Infighting, corporate greed, scrappy genius vs antiquated business models - Console Wars has it all.



lt's a rollicking tale, with more ups and downs than one of their 16-bit platformers.



If you're a video-game fan, Blake Harris's behind-the-scenes snapshot of Sega's battle against Nintendo is compelling reading.