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A review by ojtheviking
Console Wars: Sega Vs Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation by Blake J. Harris
4.0
3.7 rounded up.
My first read of 2024, and a neat read at that!
For those of us of a certain age who grew up loving video games, we can all remember how there was a constant battle between Nintendo and Sega. Most of us witnessed it through commercials and how they tried to outdo each other in terms of games and gadgets. It's then interesting to get a little glimpse of how things transpired behind the scenes through this book.
The book itself is interesting, too. While it certainly falls under the categories of non-fiction, biographies, and history due to dealing with real events, the story is presented through a fiction-style narrative. It makes it almost feel like a written version of a biopic. And fittingly enough, not unlike a biopic, the author himself admits that some things may have been presented for dramatic effect (although he does assure us that the gist of the real events is still present).
But I think that's a smart approach: This book focuses strongly on the business side of things, so the dramatized narration is a clever tool to prevent the story from being too dry and borderline tedious. The order of events is presented in a way that shows how messy the history of the gaming industry could be, even internal conflicts between Sega of America and Sega of Japan due to different work ethics and marketing strategies, which builds tension and a sense of urgency within the narrative.
It's undeniably worded in a way that emphasizes how Sega took some risks in their David vs. Goliath mission, trying their best to be the cool uncle of the gaming industry. If Nintendo was classical music, Sega was punk rock. That's not to say that the book is completely worded so that Nintendo is the villain of the story, but it makes me respect Sega's efforts all the more.
Again, this book tells the story of a race for the finish line, with both Sega and Nintendo trying to become the most successful and leading video game company, so if you want to read specifically about the history of video games in and of themselves for the sake of nostalgia, this might not entirely be the one that provides this for you. Sure, such franchises as Super Mario Bros. and Sonic the Hedgehog (and more) are mentioned, but only in the context of how profitable and popular these would prove to be for the companies.
All in all, I enjoyed this book!
My first read of 2024, and a neat read at that!
For those of us of a certain age who grew up loving video games, we can all remember how there was a constant battle between Nintendo and Sega. Most of us witnessed it through commercials and how they tried to outdo each other in terms of games and gadgets. It's then interesting to get a little glimpse of how things transpired behind the scenes through this book.
The book itself is interesting, too. While it certainly falls under the categories of non-fiction, biographies, and history due to dealing with real events, the story is presented through a fiction-style narrative. It makes it almost feel like a written version of a biopic. And fittingly enough, not unlike a biopic, the author himself admits that some things may have been presented for dramatic effect (although he does assure us that the gist of the real events is still present).
But I think that's a smart approach: This book focuses strongly on the business side of things, so the dramatized narration is a clever tool to prevent the story from being too dry and borderline tedious. The order of events is presented in a way that shows how messy the history of the gaming industry could be, even internal conflicts between Sega of America and Sega of Japan due to different work ethics and marketing strategies, which builds tension and a sense of urgency within the narrative.
It's undeniably worded in a way that emphasizes how Sega took some risks in their David vs. Goliath mission, trying their best to be the cool uncle of the gaming industry. If Nintendo was classical music, Sega was punk rock. That's not to say that the book is completely worded so that Nintendo is the villain of the story, but it makes me respect Sega's efforts all the more.
Again, this book tells the story of a race for the finish line, with both Sega and Nintendo trying to become the most successful and leading video game company, so if you want to read specifically about the history of video games in and of themselves for the sake of nostalgia, this might not entirely be the one that provides this for you. Sure, such franchises as Super Mario Bros. and Sonic the Hedgehog (and more) are mentioned, but only in the context of how profitable and popular these would prove to be for the companies.
All in all, I enjoyed this book!