Console Wars

Now a documentary on CBS All Access.

Following the success of The Accidental Billionaires and Moneyball comes Console Wars—a mesmerizing, behind-the-scenes business thriller that chronicles the history of video games and 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 that would all change with the arrival of Tom Kalinske, a man who knew nothing about videogames and everything about fighting uphill battles. His unconventional tactics, combined with the blood, sweat and bold ideas of his renegade employees, transformed Sega and eventually led to a ruthless Sega vs. Nintendo David-and-Goliath showdown.

The battle was vicious, relentless, and highly profitable, a touchstone of 90s nostalgia that eventually sparked a global corporate war that would be fought on several fronts: from living rooms and schoolyards 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 US against Japan.

Based on over two hundred interviews with former Sega and Nintendo employees, this detailed corporate history, Console Wars, is the underdog tale of how Kalinske miraculously turned an industry punchline into a market leader. It’s 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, birth a $60 billion dollar industry.

A best book of the year: NPR, Slate, Publishers Weekly, Goodreads

This gripping account of corporate espionage and creative triumph reveals:

• An Underdog Story: Follows unlikely visionary Tom Kalinske as he leads a team of rebels to take on an industry juggernaut.
• Behind-the-Scenes Access: Based on over two hundred interviews with former employees, this book chronicles the console wars that pitted Sonic against Mario and revolutionized a global industry.
• A Pop Culture Phenomenon: Relive the corporate battles that were fought everywhere from living rooms and schoolyards to boardrooms and Congress.
• For Fans of Business Biographies: Discover how a humble family man with a gift for turning problems into advantages inspired a team of underdogs to slay a giant.