Console Wars
Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation
by Blake J. Harris · first published 2014
47% recommend41% neutral12% critical
Why HN recommends it
Dramatic, nostalgic account of the Sega vs. Nintendo rivalry in the 80s and 90s, with an insider view of internal corporate tension, including Sega of Japan, and the PlayStation's origins. Suits non-technical readers.
Common criticism: Dramatized dialogue and cliched style; no in-text citations make sourcing unclear
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
From the Forward... Nintendo was king of home videogame entertainment systems, then Sega came in and was a contender for the crown. Sega almost toppled Nintendo with their subversive and more adult-oriented games, and these games have led us to a world where GTA and Call of Duty are the top games, and the next step is to have the games incorporate stuff about us and our personal lives, and then sentient technology will inevitably disassociate from mankind and some robot like Skynet will rise up and destroy us all. Hence: the “Console Wars” between Nintendo and Sega is what began a serie
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Appreciate the suggestions in this thread. Adding recommendations for Blake Harris's "Console Wars" on 90s Sega vs. Nintendo competition, and Jason Schreier's "Blood, Sweat, and Pixels" for more of the development angle. It looks like he has a new book out just last week, "Press Reset" -- seems to…
on “Great books on classic video games” ↗I highly recommend checking out the book "Console Wars" by Blake Harris. It provides an insider's perspective of the Sega v. Nintendo battle during the 80s and 90s. Among other interesting elements explored are the strange and sometimes downright competitive…
on “Nintendo’s iconic logo escaped an “age-up” remake” ↗If you’re interested in David Rosen’s story or Sega history in general I highly recommend Console Wars by Blake Harris. https://amzn.to/4q3YaOl
on “Sega co-founder David Rosen dies aged 95” ↗Automate This by Christopher Steiner. I'd also recommend Console Wars by Blake Harris.
on “Ask HN: Favorite tech-related audiobook” ↗I found http://www.amazon.com/Console-Wars-Nintendo-Defined-Generati... to be a pretty interesting read about this entire history.
on “Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation (2014) [video]” ↗Sort of on topic: Check out the book "Console Wars" by Blake Harris, about the battle between Nintendo and Sega. A really awesome book, in my humble opinion.
on “Sega releasing every console game for free with ads on mobile” ↗Another book (also great audiobook) I'd suggest is Console Wars. I've listened to that audiobook just as much as Masters of Doom. It tells the story of Sega vs. Nintendo in the 80s/90s. https://www.amazon.com/Console-Wars-Nintendo-Defined-Generat...
on “John Carmack: My Steve Jobs Stories” ↗Console Wars[0] was a good book about this. Mostly centers around Sega, but the development of the PlayStation is a major topic covered as well. [0]: https://www.amazon.com/Console-Wars-Nintendo-Defined-Generat...
on “Nintendo Play Station Super NES CD-ROM Prototype” ↗Several years ago, Blake Harris wrote a book called “Console Wars” which is largely about Sega competing against Nintendo. It’s a great read.
on “What made the NES so interesting?” ↗…how I’d describe as well. Nintendo had captured ~90% of the console market in the late 80’s/early 90’s while consoles were basically THE way most people played video games. There’s a great book called Console Wars if anyone is curious about the rise of Nintendo, Sega, etc. It can be a tad dry at times but overall the stories behind these companies are often compelling in their own right. It does a GREAT job of…
on “A history of Hup, the jump sound of shooting games” ↗Highly recommend Console Wars for anyone interested in this. It does a great overview of the first video games and the hardware challenges behind them. It's a little dense but it's good.
on “Video Games Turn 60: How Spacewar Launched a Revolution” ↗…Apple, and also about Google, Facebook,… Hatching Twitter: A True Story of Money, Power, Friendship, and Betrayal by Nick Bilton Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation by Blake J. Harris The Founders: The Story of Paypal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley by Jimmy Soni That Will Never Work: The…
on “Ask HN: Books like Androids:The Team That Built the Android Operating System?” ↗I really enjoyed Console Wars by Blake J. Harris. It doesn't go into very deep technical details but there were some details about how some of the technical decisions were made. And it was very nostalgic read for anyone growing up…
on “Ask HN: What are some must-read books about video games and gaming history?” ↗I loved Console Wars, and while Nintendo is the competition in the book, I think the real antagonist of the narrative is Sega of Japan. It’s really unfortunate that the two groups couldn’t act as a unified company. (Though…
on “The Rise of Nintendo: A Story in 8 Bits (2014)” ↗It's too bad Console Wars (http://www.consolewarsbook.com/) doesn't cover Dreamcast times. This Gamasutra writeup fills in neatly. Otherwise that's a book I can recommend. I'm hopeing there would be a sequel covering PlayStations,…
on “The Rise and Fall of the Dreamcast (2009)” ↗