Console Wars

Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle That Defined a Generation

By: Blake J. Harris

Narrated by: Fred Berman

Length: 20 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

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

Amazing story telling, even better performance!

Masterfully crafted story, and performed like no other Audible book I've heard with the narrator adopting uniquely different voices for each of the many characters all the way through!

Most amazing performance ever

Most amazing voice actor I've ever heard. Amazing story. I have fond memories of the games and systems from this era and it was so awesome to hear some of the behind-the-scenes.

Business meets Pleasure

The console wars is the story of Sega's rise to power in a market dominated entirely by Nintendo. The plot revolves around Tom Kalinsky, from his beginnings at the game manufacturer, to his final days as Sega of America's president. The Console Wars lets the listener see into the world of game marketing, and how a small team of about fifty people, grew into a company of thousands. Anyone interested in video games, marketing, or just good human drama, should give this book a listen. The narrator, while injecting a little too much "ham" into the story for my taste, still does an excellent job separating voice so as to not confuse the listener.

So much information, informative

This was so informative. SOJ ruined things for SOA what it sounds like. things could have been so different and makes me want a Sega comeback.

Great book, but misleading title.

This ended up being a very interesting book, and a great performance by the narrator, but I feel it was very one sided. Most of the in depth tell all of the book is told from the Sega point of view that makes Nintendo out to be the big bad corporation. I was hoping for a more balanced story with juicy details from both sides. Still, the info provided was in depth and a very interesting listen.

Great Story and an even better Audiobook!

Great read for any of us who grew up in the early 90’s when you were either with Sega or Nintendo. Wonderful narrative with a bountiful cast of characters and a compelling story arc. Highly recommend....Sega!!

Fantastic book

Definitely a must listen for anyone that is interested in video games and the history of two of the most influential video game companies.

highly recommend for anyone

This is an excellent listen even if you're not a fan of video games. Great story and one of the best performances of any audio book I ever listened to. Can't recommend highly enough.

Great book and awesome narrator

I was aware of Blake from /Film and How Did This Get Made so grabbed the book. I could not wait to finish it. I lived through the console wars and knew some facts but this really opened my eyes to some big players. This is also my first book read by Fred Harris. He did a fantastic job.

Utterly Engrossing

As a lover of video games, this is a beyond epic story. It delves into the nitty gritty marketing aspect of the first console war without becoming dry due to the author's cinematic storytelling. The narrator is top notch.