My Thoughts on "Console Wars" by Blake J. Harris

I finished Console Wars by Blake J. Harris not long ago and wanted to share my thoughts on the book and particularly its subject matter.

What do you remember about the 16-bit console wars of the 1990's? If you're at least in your 30's now you probably remember it as one of the most exciting times and generations for video games. As for the younger folks I've spoken to and interacted online with, I get the impression that this was the generation where Nintendo stomped out all the competition with the Super Nintendo and Super Mario World at the helm.

Speaking from personal experience, this was simply not the case, which is further supported by the content of this book. In a nutshell, whether you lived through this console war or have only heard stories of its greatness, this book is an important history lesson for anyone that loves video games.

Most of the story is delivered from the perspective of Tom Kalinske as he is coaxed into becoming the CEO of Sega of America after leaving Mattel (if you don't know him, seriously look him up. If you grew up in the 80's you have a lot of things to thank him for).

As we join Tom at Sega we learn of the difficulties in making a dent against Nintendo thanks to their iron grip on third party developers through their strict publishing policies.Through recounted and sometimes seemingly contrived dialogue we are introduced to the other key members of the Sega of America team that would eventually carry them to the top, such as Al Nilsen, Shinobu Toyoda, Ellen Van Buskirk Knapp, and Diane Fornasier to name a few.

With a winning team assembled, it quickly becomes evident that they're in for an uphill battle against Nintendo, who at the time was a juggernaut in the gaming world. You don't need numbers to prove that, I mean who didn't have an NES back in the day?

So how exactly do you take down a giant? You exploit and attack its weaknesses, which might possibly have been Sega's greatest talent throughout the 90's. Sega did their homework and quickly discovered that Nintendo's target audience hovered around the 6 to 12 year old range but offered very little to keep older kids playing. This is where Sega would find their footing; their key to success would be to become the cooler new piece of tech, the more "adult" gaming option.

From there the book becomes a treasure trove of inside information on how things like the Sega Scream, Sonic 2sday, WELCOME TO THE NEXT LEVEL, and other ingenious marketing strategies came to be.

Remember this classic commercial? Find out how it was made in Console Wars

You also learn of the shaky origins of Sonic the Hedgehog and how nearly ended up with a spiked collar, leather jacket and busty human girlfriend, Madonna, in tow if it wasn't for the intervention of the Sega of America team. One of my favorite stories from the book is from when Ed Annunziata pitched his idea for Ecco the Dolphin during a victory celebration-but you'll have to read the book for more details.

Throughout the tale of Sega's rise to the top one particular theme becomes clear and grows uglier as the story progresses. If Sega is portrayed as the underdog hero of the story, one would think Nintendo would represent the villain, but sadly it becomes evident that Sega of Japan fits that role best. Even after Sega of America's efforts successfully win 66% of the video game industry market share away from Nintendo, Sega of Japan seems to make every effort to derail them out of what can simply be described as wounded pride. The events that unfold in the book at the hand of Sega of Japan are heartbreaking, but while reading I honestly wasn't surprised due to my first hand experience in seeing how little regard and support they gave for Sega of America as well as their American and European customers in the days of Phantasy Star Online. That's a story for another time though.

It's hard to say what the video game industry landscape would be like today if only Sega of Japan had focused more on partnership, cooperation, and the company as a whole instead of letting their pride get the best of them. I don't know what it would mean for Sony and Microsoft, but I'm confident that Sega would still be producing consoles to this day at least.

I have to recommend this book for any video game enthusiast out there, whether you like Sega, Nintendo, or can't stand either. If you're one of the misinformed out there that view Sega as a failure I think the book will be a real eye opener for you. They were innovators and risk takers who had the guts to go up against a giant, and if they hadn't then video games today might still be something you grow out of when you turn 10.