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Console Wars
- Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle That Defined a Generation
- Narrated by: Fred Berman
- Length: 20 hrs and 41 mins
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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.
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Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- CORTL
- 2018-09-19
Fantastic!
Absolutely loved it. Narrator performs voices for each main person. Written based on facts but presented in a way that keeps it exciting and driven. #Audible1
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2 people found this helpful
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- Alexandre J.
- 2019-06-03
Reader kind of spoils it...
Fred Berman can be very annoying by moments. Overly intense and expressive. Don't expect this to be relaxing whatsoever.
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- Mitchell
- 2020-04-21
Great view
Great story of gaming history love relearning it . The narrator did a great job .
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- Amazon Customer
- 2021-02-04
Vivid and captivating
Love the scene based style of story telling. It was like watching a movie. Narrator was also stellar with different voices for each character.
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- Gerry Corcoran
- 2020-10-22
Great insight into a pivotal time in game history
I'm a big gamer but also find the business behind gaming fascinating. Even if you're someone who isn't into the business nuances of the industry, this is a fascinating look back at one of the most pivotal moments in the industry's maturation. It shows how some brilliant and determined businesspeople took what was something too small to even be an underdog and turn it into a force to be reckoned with.
It also showcases how the well known tropes of Japanese business management arrogance and xenophobia can turn a thriving company sour overnight. If you're like me and was wondering how SEGA managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory after the Genesis, this does a great job at explaining why.
While the primary focus of the story is of SEGA's journey, it also does chronicle parts of Nintendo's and even Sony's. The insights it provides into the minds of those who ran these companies gives one a new appreciation of just how challenging a business video games always was.
Fred Berman does a supreme job at reading, so much that I went looking for other books he read on Audible and wishlisted a couple. He's quickly become one of my favourite readers on the service. Even if he does chronically mispronounce some commonly used words in the book, such as Yamauchi and Mario.
This is a great listen if you're into the business of video games or just nostalgic for them in general.
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- Will
- 2019-04-05
memory lane
Great trip for any kids born in the 80s! Game Gear will always be the superior handheld!
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- Dan Flood
- 2023-04-30
Excellent narration excellent writing
I find myself registering to this one. Very well written and the story is fascinating.
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- Amazon Customer
- 2018-10-04
wow
I have heard allot of books but this one just sucked me in from start to finish. Fred Berman did a masterful job on this.
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- Darren
- 2019-09-01
Good, not Great
Good book, not great. The author tends to repeat information often, which I found annoying. I'd also like to know how the subjects if the book felt about their portrayals.
Narration was great though! I loved how the narrator used a different voice for the characters. It made it much easier to follow, and also made some people more sympathetic than they might have come across.
Would recommend a listen but just remember the actual conversations are probably more fiction than truth.
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- Fry0410
- 2018-03-12
SEGA!!
Fantastic start to finish. Lots of great details about sega and some about Nintendo. If you experienced the genius at all its a good read.
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