Still playing after all these years

We ourselves can attest to the fact that there have been many times where seemingly small decisions have forever altered our lives and those lives around us. “Hey, Ed! Wanna go to Kauai?” “Sure!”

In the business world, this has been the case for countless industries of all types, where a competitor changes their model and causes ripples that have a lasting impact in the field.

The same has been true for the video game industry. How did companies like Nintendo, Sega, and Sony become household names for gaming entertainment, especially after the video game crash of 1983 when most business experts declared it was the “end of the fad” of home console games? What decision did those who ran those companies make that caused them to have such a lasting impact?

“Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the battle that defined a generation,” by Blake J. Harris, is a fascinating look at how the modern video game era was born, told from the lives of the men and women who spent every working day striving to make their companies and products be the best they could be.

“Console Wars” is an excellent book about business, history, cultural interactions, sociology, and the personal creative struggles of individuals who wanted to find a way to stand out against a competitor who overshadowed their every efforts. Yet even their seemingly small decisions had lasting consequences!

Author Blake Harris has done a terrific job in presenting this work, as we found a compelling mix of styles. At times, “Console Wars” reads like a novel and at others a well-researched engaging dissertation. Who knew the business-side of video games could be so interesting? Well… some knew! In fact,”Console Wars” is slated to be both an upcoming documentary and major motion picture by Sony!

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Ed and Cynthia Justus are owners of The Bookstore in Hanapepe.