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[ManaByte]

Found this while browsing Paramount+ last night, and I vaguely remember seeing stuff about it when it was released during COVID, but I took the time to watch it and everyone on this forum should see it.

This is NOT like that Netflix series that was full of inaccuracies and spent an episode lamenting the loss of that seminal classic and billion-seller Gay Blade.

It's a 90 minute documentary covering the war between Nintendo and Sega, mostly told from the perspective of Kalinske at Sega as they were fighting the Nintendo dictatorship of the late 80s and it does an amazing job at both showing how Nintendo recreated the video game industry, how Sega challenged them, and eventually how Sega stumbled and fell in the 32-bit era. It ends pretty much with the Saturn and Sony's legendary $299 keynote at E3, but the N64 is briefly addressed to again show how Sega failed as SGI went to Sega first and SOJ rejected them.

Some key things they talk about (or ignore):

• It talks about how much of a monopoly Nintendo had on the gaming industry and how if a publisher would put a game out on any system other than Nintendo, they'd be banned from publishing on Nintendo. You think exclusivity agreements are bad today? LOL!
• They actually address Nintendo's price fixing and how they were sued by New York over it, and they have present-day Howard Lincoln giving a nearly Bond villain response to it laughing how the $5 coupons they gave out had to be used to buy more Nintendo games.
• They deal with the Mortal Kombat congressional hearings, but they didn't include Lincoln's great quote about how Night Trap will never appear on a Nintendo system (and it's now on the Switch and was when this was produced).
• Nintendo's shareholder meeting where they're hyping up MK2 having blood and teaming up with the kid's favorite band the Butthole Surfers is hilariously bad.
• There's no mention of how Sony was working with Nintendo on the Super NES CD and the legendary betrayal at CES, but they do talk about how Sony and Sega had a partnership (which came AFTER that betrayal).
• The Sega CD/32X era is just briefly brushed over as they were rushing to get to the Saturn and PlayStation.
• The 32bit era is a bit rushed at the end, and the documentary made a big point about how hard Sega had to work to even get the Genesis on retailer's store shelves (due to the fear of Nintendo), but it missed the chance to point out how Kay-Bee Toys dropped Sega with the early Saturn release.

Overall though it's absolutely worth a watch and nothing like that terrible Netflix series.

 

[AV]

Weren't Rogen and Goldberg going to do a docudrama on this as well? Is that still happening or am I mixing things up?

 

[Pagusas]

Weren't Rogen and Goldberg going to do a docudrama on this as well? Is that still happening or am I mixing things up?

that’s this.

 

[AV]

that’s this.

Not so sure. Check the bottom here. I think they were supposed to do both.

Console Wars (book) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[RAIDEN1]

There should be a documentary about the rise and fall of Sega, stretching back from the 50's to the early 2000, when they threw in the towel...

 

[RoboFu]

There should be a documentary about the rise and fall of Sega, stretching back from the 50's to the early 2000, when they threw in the towel...

Sega is definitely more drama filled.

 

[SeraphJan]

Its much more entertaining when console war was done by the companies themselves.

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

Shit was real back then....kids almost in fist fights over the warring.

 

[RAIDEN1]

Sega is definitely more drama filled.

Exactly and one of the many highlights could be circa 1993 instead of keeping an eye on the BIGGER opponent i.e. Sony they got distracted by an opponent named Atari who had seen better days and the release of their Jaguar got Sega panicking...

 

[Fat Frog]

Found this while browsing Paramount+ last night, and I vaguely remember seeing stuff about it when it was released during COVID, but I took the time to watch it and everyone on this forum should see it.

This is NOT like that Netflix series that was full of inaccuracies and spent an episode lamenting the loss of that seminal classic and billion-seller Gay Blade.

It's a 90 minute documentary covering the war between Nintendo and Sega, mostly told from the perspective of Kalinske at Sega as they were fighting the Nintendo dictatorship of the late 80s and it does an amazing job at both showing how Nintendo recreated the video game industry, how Sega challenged them, and eventually how Sega stumbled and fell in the 32-bit era. It ends pretty much with the Saturn and Sony's legendary $299 keynote at E3, but the N64 is briefly addressed to again show how Sega failed as SGI went to Sega first and SOJ rejected them.

Some key things they talk about (or ignore):

• It talks about how much of a monopoly Nintendo had on the gaming industry and how if a publisher would put a game out on any system other than Nintendo, they'd be banned from publishing on Nintendo. You think exclusivity agreements are bad today? LOL!
• They actually address Nintendo's price fixing and how they were sued by New York over it, and they have present-day Howard Lincoln giving a nearly Bond villain response to it laughing how the $5 coupons they gave out had to be used to buy more Nintendo games.
• They deal with the Mortal Kombat congressional hearings, but they didn't include Lincoln's great quote about how Night Trap will never appear on a Nintendo system (and it's now on the Switch and was when this was produced).
• Nintendo's shareholder meeting where they're hyping up MK2 having blood and teaming up with the kid's favorite band the Butthole Surfers is hilariously bad.
• There's no mention of how Sony was working with Nintendo on the Super NES CD and the legendary betrayal at CES, but they do talk about how Sony and Sega had a partnership (which came AFTER that betrayal).
• The Sega CD/32X era is just briefly brushed over as they were rushing to get to the Saturn and PlayStation.
• The 32bit era is a bit rushed at the end, and the documentary made a big point about how hard Sega had to work to even get the Genesis on retailer's store shelves (due to the fear of Nintendo), but it missed the chance to point out how Kay-Bee Toys dropped Sega with the early Saturn release.

Overall though it's absolutely worth a watch and nothing like that terrible Netflix series.

The Netflix documentary wasn't that terrible until they bring their fat ugly woke propaganda : " i'm a trans blabla", "i'm a black gay"...
Good for you but we want a documentary about VIDEO GAMES

 

[ManaByte]

The Netflix documentary wasn't that terrible until they bring their fat ugly woke propaganda : " i'm a trans blabla", "i'm a black gay"...
Good for you but we want a documentary about VIDEO GAMES

The Netflix series also got a lot of stuff flat out wrong.

 

[OmegaSupreme]

I was there. On the battlefield of the great 16-bit wars.

Didn't know this was on there. I just finished Evil last night so I was looking for something new to watch.

 

[Fat Frog]

• It talks about how much of a monopoly Nintendo had on the gaming industry and how if a publisher would put a game out on any system other than Nintendo, they'd be banned from publishing on Nintendo. You think exclusivity agreements are bad today? LOL!

Nintendo cheated to win the 16bits war

Nonetheless, we, proud Sega Nuts are magnanimous. It's not a big deal.

You know why ?
Because Sega is currently also cheating and continues to sell or allow in house (Megadrive Mini 2) and licensed Genesis (AT Megadrive and probably more publishers in the future).

The OG Nintendo cheat will be one day surpassed by Sega's current cheat:

Back then 20 million people owned Super Mario World, 15 millions owned Sonic but time has passed...

But Sega is cheating by offering Sonic on mobile, the game has been downloaded 50 to 100 million times only on Android.

The 16 bits war is far from over.
Poor Nintendo boys, your children probably have downloaded all genesis Sonic on your fucking mobile

HU HU HU HU

 

[solidus12]

It’s amazing how a newcomer like Sony managed to dominate, as if everything was on the right place on the right time.

It’s like something that might happened only once in a lifetime.
Look how it turned out for Google…

 

[Deerock71]

This is NOT like that Netflix series that was full of inaccuracies and spent an episode lamenting the loss of that seminal classic and billion-seller Gay Blade.

 

[Fat Frog]

It’s amazing how a newcomer like Sony managed to dominate, as if everything was on the right place on the right time.

It’s like something that might happened only once in a lifetime.
Look how it turned out for Google…

Don't worry the GAFAM conspiracy against Sony will happen soon and quick.

Step 1: Microsoft steals from Sony most big publishers and most young gamers with gamepass.

Step 2: Google shadowbans Playstation consoles and games on Google search engine.

Step 3: Amazon delays all playstation consoles and game's shippings arguing Ukrain or taiwan crisis...

Step 4: Xcloud, Stadia, Luna, GFN take control of Smart TVs.

Playstation 5 will shine 5 years and then the mass market will understand consoles are nothing more than charming relic from the past

Your pathetic console wars are almost over

 

[OmegaSupreme]

Don't worry the GAFAM conspiracy against Sony will happen soon and quick.

Step 1: Microsoft steals from Sony most big publishers and most young gamers with gamepass.

Step 2: Google shadowbans Playstation consoles and games on Google search engine.

Step 3: Amazon delays all playstation consoles and game's shippings arguing Ukrain or taiwan crisis...

Step 4: Xcloud, Stadia, Luna, GFN take control of Smart TVs.

Playstation 5 will shine 5 years and then the mass market will understand consoles are nothing more than charming relic from the past

Your pathetic console wars are almost over

The pay must be good to type out all this nonsense. I can't take you seriously in any capacity.

 

[Fat Frog]

The pay must be good to type out all this nonsense. I can't take you seriously in any capacity.

Google just hijacked Sony TVs.
Run, OmegaSupreme , RUN !

Too late, Stadia has already awakened and will be soon everywhere.
From now, consoles will fight for their survival.
Spoiler: They'll be crushed and yeah, that was Jim Ryan's ugly skull under my foot

 

[64bitmodels]

Its much more entertaining when console war was done by the companies themselves.

The idiot fanboys making all the BS console war will never compare to those genesis does commercials.

 

[Nitty_Grimes]

When’s it available?

Looked at UK version of P+ no sign of it, hope it’s not like Nintendo and SEGA whereby it’s out in the US for months before anywhere else

 

[nkarafo]

I don't usually like officially made documentaries about niche stuff like that. The editing and language always seems to cater to the mainstream crowd. You can probably find better Youtube videos for that matter.

 

[Fat Frog]

I don't usually like officially made documentaries about niche stuff like that. The editing and language always seems to cater to the mainstream crowd. You can probably find better Youtube videos for that matter.

I also guess it is america's point of view .
"Tom Kalinski is the best, he saved Sega" but some say he just imitated Sega Europe's strategy.

 

[ManaByte]

I also guess it is america's point of view .
"Tom Kalinski is the best, he saved Sega" but some say he just imitated Sega Europe's strategy.

But the MD wasn't released in Europe until AFTER Kalinske was hired to run SOA.

 

[RetroAV]

The success SoE had was mainly due to Nintendo not really trying in Europe. All of Nintendo's focus was on America and Kalinske and SoA STILL managed to overtake them with less money and less third-party support! Kalinske and SoA deserve all the credit and more for accomplishing what everyone else thought to be impossible! It was one of the greatest moments in gaming and led to the first true console war of all time! It was so good!

 

[Fat Frog]

But the MD wasn't released in Europe until AFTER Kalinske was hired to run SOA.

Good point

 

[Eddie-Griffin]

and led to the first true console war of all time!

This is the mindset a lot of the people who make these documentaries have which results in some distorted information and makes the documentary only accurate to a certain degree.

Many documentaries, not just with Sega but all gaming older than this century, will also use a lot of common folklore and myth to fill in gaps which ruins the effort.

This happens with books too. I remember when Game Over was constantly used an authoritative source, but while it was mostly great for Nintendo specifically, things talked about surrounding them or in other parts of the industry were not done well, and really when the author has an active preference for a company it really makes the impacts the books or videos negatively outside of finding information for that brand they prefer.

It's how the generations got messed too, much of the folklore won't be changed because it's so common all the gaming sites and Wikipedia just leave them there. it took a documentary to dispel the E.T. myth even though there were actual articles describing the landfill before E.T. even released. hat's the power gossip had that carries over form the pre-web years.

 

[Ozzie666]

It’s amazing how a newcomer like Sony managed to dominate, as if everything was on the right place on the right time.

It’s like something that might happened only once in a lifetime.
Look how it turned out for Google…

Give credit to Sony though. I believe Sega and Nintendo both thought Sony had no idea about video games and couldn't make games. So Sony created Sony Imagesoft and also brought in Psygnosis. Now to be fair their SNES and Genesis games were pretty average or terrible, but at least they tried. Sony's raise is just full of great tactics and reading the room. I find it fascinating.

 

[ManaByte]

Give credit to Sony though. I believe Sega and Nintendo both thought Sony had no idea about video games and couldn't make games. So Sony created Sony Imagesoft and also brought in Psygnosis. Now to be fair their SNES and Genesis games were pretty average or terrible, but at least they tried. Sony's raise is just full of great tactics and reading the room. I find it fascinating.

Imagesoft was made out of the partnership with Sega.

 

[Ozzie666]

Does this documentary talk about the first real console wars prior to the crash at all? Atari, Intellivision and Coleco Vision? I know Nintendo was ruthless, but some of things these guys got up to were pretty interesting, some of the legal battles were also very interesting. Without the success of the Coleco, I wonder if there would have been a Nintendo vs Sega war at all.

Imagine having an adapter for your console which let you play most of the competitions games? Unreal. Cut throat, a time when Activision were the good guys, standing up for the little guy. It's like a different reality.

 

[ManaByte]

Does this documentary talk about the first real console wars prior to the crash at all? Atari, Intellivision and Coleco Vision? I know Nintendo was ruthless, but some of things these guys got up to were pretty interesting, some of the legal battles were also very interesting. Without the success of the Coleco, I wonder if there would have been a Nintendo vs Sega war at all.

Imagine having an adapter for your console which let you play most of the competitions games? Unreal. Cut throat, a time when Activision were the good guys, standing up for the little guy. It's like a different reality.

No it briefly addresses the crash to show how Nintendo had to reinvent the industry.

 

[Ozzie666]

Imagesoft was made out of the partnership with Sega.

Very good point, not surprised at all it was Sega of America and not Sega of Japan they worked with.

 

[ReBurn]

Keep seeing this in Paramount Plus when I go to watch Star Trek. I should watch it.

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

I thought it was OK.

Great production values but I never got the feeling I really understood the full picture while watching. I also felt like they should have skipped PlayStation all together or added a 2nd half going into the N64 v PS generation. Entertaining enough based on nastolgia alone though.

 

[Mitsurux]

Just watched this last night, pretty good. Makes a good companion peice to the book.

 

[Sosokrates]

Found this while browsing Paramount+ last night, and I vaguely remember seeing stuff about it when it was released during COVID, but I took the time to watch it and everyone on this forum should see it.

This is NOT like that Netflix series that was full of inaccuracies and spent an episode lamenting the loss of that seminal classic and billion-seller Gay Blade.

It's a 90 minute documentary covering the war between Nintendo and Sega, mostly told from the perspective of Kalinske at Sega as they were fighting the Nintendo dictatorship of the late 80s and it does an amazing job at both showing how Nintendo recreated the video game industry, how Sega challenged them, and eventually how Sega stumbled and fell in the 32-bit era. It ends pretty much with the Saturn and Sony's legendary $299 keynote at E3, but the N64 is briefly addressed to again show how Sega failed as SGI went to Sega first and SOJ rejected them.

Some key things they talk about (or ignore):

• It talks about how much of a monopoly Nintendo had on the gaming industry and how if a publisher would put a game out on any system other than Nintendo, they'd be banned from publishing on Nintendo. You think exclusivity agreements are bad today? LOL!
• They actually address Nintendo's price fixing and how they were sued by New York over it, and they have present-day Howard Lincoln giving a nearly Bond villain response to it laughing how the $5 coupons they gave out had to be used to buy more Nintendo games.
• They deal with the Mortal Kombat congressional hearings, but they didn't include Lincoln's great quote about how Night Trap will never appear on a Nintendo system (and it's now on the Switch and was when this was produced).
• Nintendo's shareholder meeting where they're hyping up MK2 having blood and teaming up with the kid's favorite band the Butthole Surfers is hilariously bad.
• There's no mention of how Sony was working with Nintendo on the Super NES CD and the legendary betrayal at CES, but they do talk about how Sony and Sega had a partnership (which came AFTER that betrayal).
• The Sega CD/32X era is just briefly brushed over as they were rushing to get to the Saturn and PlayStation.
• The 32bit era is a bit rushed at the end, and the documentary made a big point about how hard Sega had to work to even get the Genesis on retailer's store shelves (due to the fear of Nintendo), but it missed the chance to point out how Kay-Bee Toys dropped Sega with the early Saturn release.

Overall though it's absolutely worth a watch and nothing like that terrible Netflix series.

Im guessing you're in America, because this is not on paramount+ uk

 

[Poplin]

very US focused. few of these documentaries cover a global landscape, which is whats truly fascinating about the 16 bit era. Last console generation pre internet, so depending on where you lived you had a very different understanding of the console wars.

In EU, to this day business school teach that sega won the 16 bit war. When i first saw that case study, i felt like i was reading alt-history but nope, thats just how history played out there. Such a fascinating story, some day it will be told properly.