Console Wars

Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle That Defined a Generation

By: Blake J. Harris

Narrated by: Fred Berman

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 all that would change with the arrival of Tom Kalinske, a former Mattel executive 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, completely transformed Sega and led to a ruthless, David-and-Goliath showdown with Nintendo. Little did he realize that Sega's success would create many new enemies and, most important, make Nintendo stronger than ever.

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 school yards 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 United States against Japan.

Based on more than 200 interviews with former Sega and Nintendo employees, Console Wars is the tale of how Tom Kalinske miraculously turned an industry punch line into a market leader. Blake J. Harris brings into focus the warriors, the strategies, and the battles and explores how they transformed popular culture forever. Ultimately, Console Wars is 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, give birth to a $60 billion industry.

©2014 Blake J. Harris (P)2014 HarperCollins Publishers

Great performance of a great book

I'm a huge fan of video game history and I've read a few books on the subject. This is easily one of the best. A must-read for those interested in the subject, especially those with a soft spot for Sega. Bergman does a great job narrating the book and actually manages to deliver a pretty decent Japanese accent, even if the few other accents he occasionally brings out aren't great. I enjoyed it from start to finish. I would recommend this to anyone interested in the subject matter.

Pronounce Mario correctly.

Really my only issue is the fact that this book is mostly about Sega vs Nintendo but the narrator doesn't even pronounce Mario's name correctly, except when he talks about Mario whatever from saved by the bell. Smh.

Excellent...Even for a non-gamer.

My husbands the gamer, not me, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the narration about as much as I enjoyed the story.

Fantastically performed story with a riveting plot

Console Wars was a totally fascinating story for someone who grew up during the time period. I actually remember the Sega scream, I actually remember the schoolyard arguments, Nintendo vs Sega. As a Nintendo kid, I went in expecting to not exactly be wowed by the Sega side of the story, but by the end of it, I was wishing history got rewritten and the plucky Sega underdogs had won. Sure, it smacks of only being PART of the story, and the reasons for the downfall of Sega are likely not as black and white as this makes it seem, but it's still a great ride.

The dialogue can get really hokey in this, but if you think of all of those scenes as dramatic re-enactments, it does well enough, in my opinion. All in all, well worth the time.

Solid listen of a great, iconic story

I grew up in the middle of the reinvention of the video game industry (I was a Sega fan), so it was both interesting and fun to hear the backstory of how the systems and games I bought back then came to life. The story is great and the narration is awesome. It is a long listen, but worth every minute.

Fantastic all around.

The performance is possibly the best I've ever heard. The story is very interesting and often quite humorous. A must listen for any video game fans or people who enjoy business stories written like novels.

Great book! If you love the VG industry a must!

Loved it.....from the dirty politics ri the triumphant rise from rags to riches. brace yourself.....you may end up not being very fond of some of these companies when finished.

An amazing tale

Fred Berman was amazing in this as the narrator. He managed to pull off accents of all kinds without sounding extremely offensive. Normally I'm not into nonfiction but this one was just a joy to listen to the whole way through.

Great Book that was hard to put down.

Would you consider the audio edition of Console Wars to be better than the print version?

Didn't ready the print.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Tom Kalinske. The man was simply awesome.

What about Fred Berman’s performance did you like?

His funny accents for foreigners

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not in one sitting, but it's hard to put down

Now you know

I was a child during this era of gaming, but I very vividly remember it and how it shaped my youth. Now as an adult it's mind-blowing to see behind the curtain at the events that shaped a lot of my childhood. If you are at all interested in knowing how video games became the phenomenon they are today, then this is a must buy.