Console Wars (film)

❧

Wikipedia

Console Wars
Directed byJonah Tulis
Blake J. Harris[1]
Based onConsole Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle That Defined a Generation
by Blake J. Harris
Produced by
Music byJeff Beal
Production
companies
Distributed byParamount+
CBS All Access
Release date
  • September 23, 2020 (2020-09-23)
Running time
92 minutes
CountryUnited States

Console Wars is a 2020 documentary film directed by Jonah Tulis and Blake J. Harris, exploring the 1990s console wars between Nintendo and Sega and Sega's rise and fall in the home console market. Based on Harris's 2014 book Console Wars, it was the first original film for CBS All Access, which became Paramount+.[1]

Premise

Console Wars examines the late 1980s and early 1990s rivalry between gaming giants Sega and Nintendo. The documentary highlights Sega's strategies to challenge Nintendo and its eventual decline by decade's end.[citation needed]

Development

In 2010, Blake J. Harris received a retro Sega Genesis console, sparking nostalgia and curiosity about the console wars.[2] Noting the lack of media attention on the topic, he began researching.[2] In 2012, Harris and his business partner, Jonah Tulis, met with producers and game enthusiasts Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who supported publishing a book and producing a documentary.[3] Producer Scott Rudin secured financing through a book auction with HarperCollins and helped Sony acquire documentary rights.[3]

The 2014 Sony Pictures hack, linked to North Korea and possibly triggered by Seth Rogen's film The Interview, leaked Sony's plans, including Spider-Man's integration into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, threatening the documentary's progress.[4] Sony transferred the rights to Legendary studios in 2018, and the documentary premiered on CBS All Access in 2020.[3]

Harris used a VHD-to-DVD converter to obtain archival footage depicting the Nintendo-Sega rivalry.[5]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 85% of 13 critics' reviews are positive.[6] Critics noted the documentary's late introduction of Nintendo and its heavy focus on Sega, describing it as intriguing but unfocused.[7][8] Others praised the interviews for capturing the unique spirit of Sega America's employees.[9] The film was described as a nostalgic David and Goliath story.[10]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Kile, Meredith B. (September 11, 2020). "'Console Wars': Go Behind Nintendo & Sega's '90s Feud in New Doc". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  2. 1 2 Tach, Dave (June 7, 2014). "Why a Sega kid wrote 'Console Wars' for his grandmother based on 'Game of Thrones'". Polygon. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 Couch, Aaron (October 16, 2020). "How 'Console Wars' Took a Winding Path to the Screen". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  4. ↑ Siegel, Tatiana (November 25, 2019). "Five Years Later, Who Really Hacked Sony?". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  5. ↑ Meers, Whitney (October 1, 2020). "Documenting The Console Wars: A Q&A With Co-Directors Jonah Tulis And Blake J. Harris". TheGamer. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Console Wars". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Revisiting the Old Video Game Console Wars Ahead of the New Ones". www.theringer.com. September 23, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Smart but unfocused, Sega doc Console Wars might have played too many video games as a kid". AV Club. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  9. ↑ Good, Owen S. (September 23, 2020). "In the rousing doc Console Wars, the good guys win… and lose, too". Polygon. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  10. ↑ Meers, Whitney (October 1, 2020). "Console Wars Review: Sega, Nintendo And The Feud That Transformed Video Game History". TheGamer. Retrieved December 3, 2024.