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

Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation by Blake J. Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Blake Harris takes readers on an engaging journey into the history of video games as he explores the history of Sega Genesis from its meteoric rise to its slow unraveling. Harris provides a detailed account of actions, conversations, and key events. His narrative focus is centered on Tom Kalinske, the CEO of Sega America who took up the charge against Nintendo, the juggernaut of video game consoles in the 1980s. For the most part, Harris does a solid job of presenting Kalinske as the protagonist in this drama of RPG proportions but manages to do so without entirely demonizing Nintendo. He brings up the overall criticisms and specific actions of Nintendo and yet avoids painting individuals as simplistic villains. For a gamer like myself who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, it was fascinating to hear and learning about the gaming wars that went on from the corporate point of view as opposed to my own experience. If there was but one flaw in the book, it would only be that Harris' stopped with the Kalinske's exit. It makes perfect sense for the book, but it would be fascinating to get such an in depth history of the gaming industry up through the present.

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