Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation

Blake J. Harris

May 2014 · Sold by Harper Collins

About this eBook

Now a documentary on CBS All Access. 

Following the success of The Accidental Billionaires and Moneyball comes Console Wars—a mesmerizing, behind-the-scenes business thriller that chronicles how Sega, a small, scrappy gaming company led by an unlikely visionary and a team of rebels, took on the juggernaut Nintendo and revolutionized the video game industry. 

In 1990, Nintendo had a virtual monopoly on the video game industry. Sega, on the other hand, was just 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 videogames 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.

Based on over two hundred interviews with former Sega and Nintendo employees, 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.

A best book of the year: NPR, Slate, Publishers Weekly, Goodreads

Ratings and reviews

Not a bad read but not particularly outstanding either. My main disappointment is that it focuses almost exclusively on the rise of Sega in the first few years of the 1990s. There's some decent background on Nintendo and bits and pieces about the birth of the Playstation, but otherwise it's all about Sega trending up under Kalinske. Not much about the downward spiral or them getting out of hardware after the Dreamcast. Also did a pretty deep dive into the personal lives and backgrounds of many of the players involved; would've rather those mini-bios stay on the cutting room floor to make room for more of the historiography. Those complaints aside, it's certainly very well researched and written, with plenty of heart and humor woven into in. Those interested in the evolution of the industry during the 90s would certainly do well to read it; just don't expect anything too comprehensive.

I have read a bit of it and I liked but the fact that sony is devolping a movie about their biggest rivals means they probably didn't tell nintendo. Hey nintendo I smell a lawsuit unless you gave them permission.

Definitely read this book if you grew up in the Nintendo/Sega age. A little long winded but was surprised to learn how many current practices are now in place due to Tom Kalinski and Sega efforts to beat Nintendo.

About the author

Blake J. Harris is the bestselling author of History of the Future and Console Wars, which is now a CBS All Access feature film by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. He has written for ESPN, IGN, Fast Company, The Huffington Post, /Film and The AV Club. He is also a regular guest on Paul Scheer’s How Did This Get Made? podcast, where every week he interviews some the biggest names responsible for some of the worst movies ever made. Harris lives in New York with his wife.