Spirit of America Bookstore

Nostalgic  Video  Games

back on the Nostalgic Toys, Dolls, and Games Page top of page • links Toys Dept. Dolls Dept. Games & Puzzles Dept. works about toys & games movies & TV, other media image gallery

here on Page 1: short history links general books general videos a few important people companies image gallery top of Page 2 topical timeline selected video games selected hardware other media

"Like so many things distinctly human, electronic games were born out of a combination of innovation, necessity, and curiosity."

short history goes here

L i n k s
'toy' entry at Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrogaming
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Developers_Conference
browse the Video Games Dept. {returns over 60,000 items} at Amazon

upcoming retro gaming expos http://www.oldschoolgamermagazine.com/tour/

IGDB: The Internet Games Database - the guiding star in your world of gaming [est. 2015]
is operated by Twitch [est. 6/2011] video game live streaming

Ä         Ä         Ä

         
Regiment Gaming [est. 2020] a community for military veteran gamers
Veteran Gaming League   
Veteran Gaming League Tournament [5/2022] co-sponsored by Regiment Gaming, The American Legion, and The American Red Cross

Ä         Ä         Ä

Games For Change Festival [est. 2004] 501(c)3 non-profit
main company website • entry at Wikipedia
Festival #21 - June 2024 in New York City
Games for Change YouTube Channel [est. 2012]

General Books

	"Replay: The History of Video Games, Illustrated" [2010] by Tristan Donovan, Foreword by Richard Garriott A riveting account of the most important development in entertainment since television; based on extensive research and over 140 exclusive interviews with key movers & shakers from gaming's past, book tells the sensational story of how the creative vision of game designers gave rise to one of the world's most popular and dynamic art forms • NOTE: the ebook is said to have many typos Kindle Edition from Yellow Ant [7/2010] for $4.99 Yellow Ant 9x6 pb [4/2010] for $18.99
	"All Your Base Are Belong To Us : How Fifty Years of Videogames Conquered Pop Culture" [2011] by Harold Goldberg Over the last fifty years, video games have grown from curiosities to fads to trends to become one of the world's most popular and fastest-growing forms of mass entertainment; journalist author captures the creativity, contro-versy, and passion behind the meteoric rise of videogames to the top of the pop-culture pantheon thru extensive interviews with gaming's greatest innovators; book examines history of the games Pong, Donkey Kong, Tetris, Grand Theft Auto, World of Warcraft, Bioshock, King's Quest, Bejeweled, Madden Football, Super Mario Brothers, Myst, Crash Bandicoot, The 7th Guest, Shadow Complex, Everquest, The Sims – and many more! Kindle Edition from Crown Archetype [4/2011] for $7.99 Crown 8x5¼ pb [4/2011] for $15.00
	"Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and The Battle That Defined A Generation" [2014] by Blake J. Harris, Foreword by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg Kindle Edition from Dey Street/HarperCollins [5/2014] for $9.24 Dey Street Books 9x6 pb [6/2015] for $8.98 It Books 9x6 hardcover [5/2014] for $16.00
	"Computer Games, Children, and The Internet: Technology, Educational Uses, and Effects On Cognitive Development" [2014] Edited by Lucas Mitchell Nova Science Publng UK 9¼x6¼ hardcover [12/2014] for $151.88 {sic} Nova Science, Inc. hardcover [12/2014] out of print/used
	"Blood, Sweat, and Pixels: The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made" [2017] national bestseller by Jason Schreier Kindle Edition from HarperCollins Publrs [9/2017] for $10.99 Harper Paperbacks 8x5¼ pb [9/2017] for $9.59
	"The 100 Greatest Retro Videogames: The Inside Stories Behind The Best Games Ever Made, Illustrated" [2020] from Retro Gamer Magazine, Foreword by Iain Lee includes behind-the-scenes stories, developer interviews – Shigeru Miyamoto on 'Super Mario Bros', John Romero on 'DOOM', Toru Iwatani on 'Pac-Man', Alexey Pajitnov on 'Tetris' – and amazing facts & trivia Carlton Books 9¼x7¼ hardcover [4/2020] for $29.49
	"Press Reset: Ruin and Recovery In The Video Game Industry" [2021] New York Times bestseller by Jason Schreier book tells stories of the development of landmark games and the shocking closures of the studios that made them, how real people are affected by game studio shutdowns, and how they recover, move on, or escape the industry entirely Kindle Edition from Grand Central Publng [5/2021] for $11.99 Grand Central Publng 8¼x5½ pb [5/2021] for $15.49
	"From Atari To Nintendo To Sega To The PlayStation: Over 250 Must-Play Retro Video Games From The Seventies, Eighties, Nineties, and New Millennium" [2021] by Jonathan Johnson Kindle Edition from self-publd [11/2021] for $9.99 self-publd 11x8¼ hardcover [11/2021] for $65.00

General Movies & Videos

"War Games" [MGM 1983] /tt0086567/
A young man finds a 'back door' connection into a military central computer in which reality is confused with game-playing, possibly starting World War III. The studio had the Galaxian (1979) and Galaga (1981) arcade machines delivered to Matthew Broderick's home. He practiced for two months to prepare for the arcade scene. David Lightman was inspired by real-life hacker David Scott Lewis, who isn't allowed to discuss whether he ever hacked into a military computer. A video game version of this movie was made in 1984 for the ColecoVision, Commodore 64, and Atari 8-Bit Computer. The game started out greeting you as Professor Falken and you would play a game of Global Thermonuclear War. Your objective was to stop nuclear war from occurring by protecting the country with various military vehicles and weapons in a set time limit without reaching Defcon 1.

sequel "War Games: The Dead Code" direct-to-video release [MGM 2008]

"The Wizard" [1989] Adventure, Comedy, Drama /tt0098663/
A boy and his brother run away from home and hitch cross country with the help of a girl that they meet,
to compete in the ultimate video game championship.

"Nickelodeon Arcade" [1992-1997] /tt0300828/
30 min | Family, Game-Show Two teams vie for a chance to go inside a video game!
Stars: Phil Moore, Andrea Lively, Michael Bower, Melissa Joan Hart

"Once Upon Atari" [2003 Video] 120 min | Documentary /tt0389237/
story of Atari after its fall, from the people who created and escalated Atari to the top
of the computer world: the video game designer and programmers.

"The Video Game Revolution" TV Movie [2004] 120 min | Documentary, History /tt0425619/
A light-hearted look at the worldwide phenomenon of video games, and how they have revolutionized technology and forever changed popular culture.

"Amiga Forever" [2005 Video] 381 min | Documentary /tt0824282/

"High Score" [2006] 52 min | Documentary /tt0808299/
Although technology continues to evolve, a group of die-hard gamers refuses to abandon the classic arcade games of yesteryear.

"Gamer Revolution TV Movie) [2007] 120 min | Documentary /tt0884789/
special documentary look at how pop culture's 'new dark continent,' video games, are changing the world.
Directors: Marc de Guerre, Ian Hannah | Stars: Clive Thompson, Henry Jenkins, Robert Kozinets, Brenda Braithwaite

"The Video Game Years" [Retroware Games Feb 2012-Dec 2015]

61 podcast episodes edited as 13 hour-long year-based YouTube videos; the YouTube series and the DVDs start in 1977, Amazon Instant Video runs 1980-89 • Co-produced by Lance Cortez, Joey DeSena, Ian Ferguson; co-produced, co-written & directed by Pat Contri & John Delia; co-produced & co-written by Lance Cortez; co-written by Joe Redifer & David White; featuring Pat Contri, John Delia, co-producer Ian Ferguson, co-producer Joey DeSena, Eric Lappe, co-producer Lance Cortez, Dan Eardley, writer Joe Redifer, writer David White, John Lester, Billy Chaser, Jay Hatfield, James Rolfe, Jared Knabenbauer, Terence Kelsey, Chris Kohler (Wired), Mike Falkingham, Arin Hanson, Keith Robinson (Intellivision), Justin Carmical, Clint Basinger, Shane Luis, Bob Mackey, composer Tommy Tallarico, Mike Matei, Norman Caruso, Darrell Hatfield, Joe Santulli (Digital Press), David Crane, Mark Bussler, Howard Scott Warshaw, Derek Alexander, James Ronald, Johnny Millenium, Greg M. Johnson, Greg Lesondak, Travis Baker, Brent Black, Jason Lindsey, Paul Quinn, Ben Hall, Kieran MacFarland, Kevin Willingham series credits at IMDb • watch 9/2017 official trailer [2:37] online at YouTube Volume 1 1977-79: Retroware TV color DVD [5/2020] for $11.97 Volume 2 1980-82: Retroware TV color DVD [5/2020] for $19.97 Volume 1 1983-85: Retroware TV color DVD [5/2020] for $13.49 Volume 4 1986-87: Retroware TV color DVD [7/2021] for $13.99 Volume 5 1988-89: Retroware TV color DVD [9/2021] for $13.99 Amazon Instant Video, 1980-1989 [10/2015] - not available in USA YouTube playlist of all 13 compilations, 1977-1989

"Indie Game: The Movie" [BlinkWorks Media/GOG.com May 2012] looks at the underdogs of the video game industry who sacrifice money, health & sanity to realize their dreams and share their creative visions with the world; film follows the creation of several games and captures the tension & drama of these developers' vulnerability & obsessive quest to express themselves; includes clips of Spy Hunter [1983], Tetris [1984], Super Mario Bros. [1985], The Legend of Zelda [1986], Metroid [1986], Bubble Bobble [1986], Castlevania [1986], Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! [1987], F-Zero [1990], Street Fighter II: The World Warrior [1991], Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time [2003], Braid [2008], Castle Crashers [2008], World of Goo [2008], Minecraft [2009], Osmos [2009], Halo 3: ODST [2009], Super Meat Boy [2010], Red Dead Redemption [2010], Limbo [2010], Call of Duty: Black Ops [2010], Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP [2011], Mass Effect 3 [2012], Fez [2012], Journey [2012], and Nidhogg [2014] • Produced, directed & filmed by Lisanne Pajot & James Swirsky; music by Jim Guthrie; featuring Jonathan Blow (Braid), Brandon Boyer, Renaud Bédard, Anthony Carboni, Ron Carmel, Chris Dahlen, Phil Fish (Fez), Gus Mastrapa, Danielle & Edmund McMillen (Super Meat Boy), Jamie & Kim & Tommy Refenes, co-producer Ken Schachter, Jamin Warren, Joe Drilling; winner Editing Award & nominee for Grand Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival • full credits at IMDb • official movie site DVD/Blu-ray not available • Amazon Instant Video [2012] HD rental $3.99, HD purchase $5.99 Dark Flute MP-3 soundtrack album download [5/2012] 24 tracks for $6.99 listen to 1/2013 soundtrack recording [1:10:18] online at YouTube watch 5/2012 official trailer [2:28] online at YouTube "Indie Game: Life After" sequel compilation [BlinkWorks Media/Netflix Aug 2016] credits at IMDb • 2-hour compilation sequel produced, directed & filmed by Lisanne Pajot & James Swirsky Amazon Instant Video [8/2016] not available in USA

"How Video Games Changed The World" TV Movie [2013] 120 min | Documentary /tt3297108/

"The Video Craze" [2013] 90 min /tt2312464/
documentary on classic video arcade collectors across North America, "those who were the first to look into the neon haze
of a vector/raster screen and fall in love, the first quarter poppers, the 'vidiots' who never grew up"

"Gamer Age" [2014] 92 min | Documentary /tt2593562/

"Gaming In Color" [2014] 62 min | Documentary /tt3654026/
Diversity in video games is extraordinarily important - especially to the people who play them. Explore the story of the queer gaming
community, 'gaymer' culture and events, and the rise of LGBTQ themes in video games.

"The King of Arcades" [2014] 100 min | Documentary /tt2395228/

"Video Games: The Movie" [Mediajuice Studios July 2014] 100-minute history of video games docufilm co-produced, written, directed & filmed by Jeremy Snead; music by Craig Richey; narrated by Sean Astin; featuring Al Alcorn, Peter Armstrong, Cliff Bleszinski, co-producer Zach Braff, Jim Brown, Nolan Bushnell, Louis Castle, Wil Wheaton, Chloe Dykstra, Donald Faison, Brian Fargo, Ed Fries, Chris Hardwick, David Crane, Don James, Wyeth Johnson, Max Landis, Cricket/Crix Lee, Casey Lynch, Francis Mao, Peter Molyneux, Rob Pardo, co-producer David Perry, Randy Pitchford, Justin Richmond, Harvey Smith, Kudo Tsunoda, Tim Willits, Warren Davis, Robert Workman, Reggie Fils-Aime; with archive footage of Jimmy Fallon & Conan O'Brien • full credits at IMDb • official movie site LionsGate widescreen color DVD [2/2015] for $8.99 Amazon Instant Video [2014] HD rental $3.99, HD purchase $14.99 watch 6/2014 official trailer [1:43] online at YouTube - 'Press start this summer' watch full movie [1/2020 upload; 1:41:07] online at YouTube

"Us & The Game Industry" documentary [Synergetic Film Nov 2014] Filmed during 'builds' at thatgamecompany from 2009 to 2012; shooting occurred in San Francisco, Los Angeles & Davis in California, and in New York City, Austin, Texas and Copenhagen, Denmark; mostly follows creation of 'Journey' for the PS3, but also discusses games 'SpellTower', 'J.S. Joust', 'Mutazione', 'Antichamber', and 'The Castle Doctrine' • 90-minute docufilm co-produced & directed by Stephanie Beth; featuring computer game developers Jenova Chen, John Edwards, Robin Hunicke, Jason Rohrer, Douglas Wilson (Die Gute Fabrik), Alexander Bruce, and Zach Gage • bare credits at IMDb Synergetic Film color Blu-ray [12/2019] out of prodn/used Synergetic Film color DVD [10/2019] for $19.04 Amazon Instant Video [2014] HD rental $2.99, HD purchase $9.99

"Nintendo Quest" [2015] 91 min | Documentary /tt3063470/
An adventure-filled documentary on Nintendo that follows two gaming enthusiasts as they hit the open road in hopes of buying all
of the 678 official retail-licensed Nintendo games in 30 days with no online purchases.

"Man vs Snake: The Long and Twisted Tale of Nibbler" [2015] 92 min | Documentary /tt2933794/
If you ever played the game "Snake" on your early-model Nokia cellphone, then you're familiar with "Nibbler", the original 'snake' game.

"The Lost Arcade" [2015] 79 min | Documentary /tt3780754/
The story of Chinatown Fair, the legendary arcade located in the heart of New York City's Chinatown; film explores how the arcade
became a shelter to a community as diverse as the city surrounding it - and changed lives in doing so.

"Gameplay: The Story of The Videogame Revolution" [2015] 90 min | Documentary /tt4625320/
From "Pong" to "Pac Man" and "Super Mario" to "Lara Croft", "Doom", "Grand Theft Auto", and everything in between -

"A Gamer's Life" [2016] 85 min | Documentary /tt4231760/

"Surviving Indie" [2016] /tt5869644/
Several independent game creators retell their struggles, failures, and triumphs while discussing what it means to be an 'indie',
and what it means to be creative.

"Unlocked: The World of Games, Revealed" TV series[2016] /tt6021408/
groundbreaking 8-part documentary series that provides firsthand stories by industry icons, celebrities, consumers, and field experts
on the culture, technology, history, and future of the video game industry.

"8 Bit Legacy: The Curious History of Video Games" [2017] /tt8531024/
Emmy-nominated seven-part docuseries features the incredible and untold stories behind the most legendary video games; meet the people
who were on the front line and discover the unique moments that shaped the world of gaming.

"How Making Indie Games Changed My Life" [March 2020]
Check out the official Game Dev Unlocked website, and sign up for the official newsletter to receive a 270 MB asset pack full of game dev goodies!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3Rs1z7it5M 9.02 - with ads

"Break The Game" docufilm [festival circuit 2023] After coming out as transsexual, world-record-holding speedrunner Narcissa Wright lost her massive fanbase; to win them back, she set out to break a new record in "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild" and live-stream every minute of her quest • Co-produced, written & directed by Jane M. Wagner; starring Narcissa Wright; film won Special Jury Mention at the Tribeca Film Festival in NYC credits at IMDb • film not yet released, DVD/Blu-ray not yet available

A Few Important People

"Halcyon Days: Interviews With Classic Computer and Video Game Programmers" [1997 classic] by James Hague First offered as HTML on diskette for $20 in 1997; posted online for FREE download in 2002; reformatted 'modern version' available online in November 2018

Patrick 'Pat' Contri
http://the-punk-effect.myshopify.com/

"Pat The NES Punk" TV series [2008-present?] - last episode listed on IMDb was 10/2021
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3499670/

"Pat The NES Punk" YouTube Channel [est. 6/2008]

"The Video Game Years" [Retroware Games 2012-2015]
Pat was co-director and co-host on this TV show and the DVDs compiled from it - see links just above

c o m p a n i e s

Apple Arcade  Ä  Atari  Ä  Capcom (Kapukon)  Ä  Commodore  Ä  Epic Games (Fortnite)  Ä  Gamestop  Ä  Microsoft / Xbox  Ä  Nintendo  Ä  Sega

Apple Arcade video game subscription service [launched Sept 2019]
offers uninterrupted, unintrusive experiences by excluding in-app purchases & advertisements; priced at US$4.99/month or US$49.99/year
Apple, Inc. [est. 1975] Page • Arcade website • Arcade entry at Wikipedia

          
Atari, Inc. [est. 1972]
The company's products, such as Pong and the Atari 2600, helped define the electronic entertainment industry from the 1970s to the mid-1980s.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari,_Inc._(1972%E2%80%931992) [1972-1984]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_Corporation [1984-1998]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasbro_Interactive [1998–2001]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_SA of France
Infogrames [est. 1983] purchased HI for $100M in January 2001; went thru rebranding in 2009, bankruptcy in 2013-2014,
then convoluted selloffs & restructuring

"Atari: Game Over" documentary [Lightbox/Xbox Ent. Studios Nov 2014] Gamer team tracks down and digs up all of the old Atari 2600 game cartridges of "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" that were tossed into a New Mexico landfill in the 1980s • 66-minute film directed & narrated by Zak Penn; featuring Joe Lewandowski (waste disposal expert & historian), Robert Rentschler (Alamogordo), Paul Sanchez (Alamogordo), Manny Gerard (COO, Warner Commns), Nolan Bushnell (co-founder, Atari), Seamus Blackley (co-creator, Xbox), Howard Scott Warshaw (Game Engineer, Atari), Son Huff-mon (Mesa Verde, Alamogordo), Pat Magill (Mesa Verde, Alamogordo), Mike Mika, Susie Galea (Alamo-gordo), archaeologist Andrew Reinhard, Prof. Raiford Guins (Stony Brook Univ), author Ernest Cline, author George R.R. Martin, Gary Whitta, Deb Lewandowski, Riley Rayburn, Austin Adamson; with archive footage of Harrison Ford, James Rolfe & Steven Spielberg • full credits at IMDb • official Facebook page • movie entry at Wikipedia FilmRise color Blu-ray [11/2015] for $22.99 FilmRise color DVD [4/2015] out of prodn/used documentary is available for free to Xbox Live subscribers; also on the Xbox website: HD rental $3.99, HD purchase $4.99

"Easy To Learn, Hard To Master: The Fate of Atari" [2017] /tt6585674/
Before Google, Yahoo, and even Apple, before the Silicon Valley cliché of informal dress code, skateboards running the corridors,
and wild creativity became commonplace, one company ...

Capcom Company, Ltd. [est. 1979] of Osaka, Japan
Prior companies include I.R.M. Corp. [est. 5/1979] & Japan Capsule Computers Co., Ltd.; name changed to Sanbi Co., Ltd. in 9/1981; Capcom Co., Ltd. (Kapukon) [est. 6/1983]; Capcom merged with Sanbi in 1/1989; company founder Kenzo Tsujimoto is still active; their most commercially successful games are "Ace Attorney" [est. 2001], "Dead Rising" [est. 8/2006], "Devil May Cry" [est. 8/2001], "Marvel vs. Capcom" [est. 1996], "Mega Man" [est. 1987], "Monster Hunter" [est. 2004], historical "Onimusha (Demon Warrior)" [est. 1/2001],
"Resident Evil" [est. 1/1996], historical "Sengoku Basara (Samurai Kings)" [est. 7/2005], and "Street Fighter" [est. 8/1987]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capcom
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Capcom_games

Commodore [1954-94 & 2010-2013]
Commodore International (also named Commodore Business Machines), a computer company that operated from 1954 to 1994
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_International
Commodore USA, a computer company that operated from 2010 to 2013 after purchasing the classic brand name
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_USA

¿   Commodore PET/CBM [1977]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_PET

¿   Commodore VIC-20 [1981-1984]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_VIC-20

Ä   Commodore MAX Machine Games System – predecessor to C64 [1982]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_MAX_Machine

¿   Commodore 64 - 8-bit home computer [launched January 1982, in production to 1994]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_64

¿   Commodore Amiga computer line [launched July 1985, in production to 1996]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amiga

Ä   Commodore 64 Games System [1990]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_64_Games_System

Ä   Commodore Amiga CD32 Games System [1993]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amiga_CD32

"8 Bit Generation: The Commodore Wars" [2016] 100 min | Documentary /tt5706894/

"From Bedrooms To Billions: The Amiga Years!" [2016] 152 min | Documentary /tt4603210/
How the Commodore Amiga helped influence a generation of Developers to take Video Gaming to a whole new level.

"The Commodore Story" [2018] 120 min | Documentary /tt6541512/
Story of the PET, Vic20, C64, and Amiga from engineers & game developers and how Commodore influenced the first 8-bit generation users.

Die Gute Fabrik (The Good Factory) in Copenhagen, Denmark [est. 2008]
best known as developer of games "Johann Sebastian Joust" (included in "Sportsfriends"), "Where Is My Heart?", and "Mutazione"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Gute_Fabrik

Epic Games based in Cary, North Carolina [est. 1991]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_Games
the maker of "Fortnite" (launched 7/2017); Epic Games ann 9/2023 that they will lay off 870 employees, or 16% of its workforce.

      
Gamestop, Inc retail video game stores
[founded as Babbage's in 1984, renamed 1999]
Over the course of four incredible days in 2021, Wall Street tycoons had to reckon with a formidable force they barely understood, let alone saw coming: everyday men and women on WallStreetBets who day-traded the hugely-shorted stock of Gamestop to an inflated value, making millions off the complacent billionaires
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GameStop
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GameStop_short_squeeze 2021

The GameStop Short Squeeze of 2021 spawned a book and then a movie; details were cut to its own page in Fall 2023.

Swedish retailer IKEA [est. 1943]
IKEA announced in April 2024 that it is 'on a quest for the hearts of the world’s 3.3 billion gamers', many of whom need somewhere to sit.
http://www.ikea.com/ IKEA Global
http://www.ingka.com/this-is-ingka-group/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IKEA

Microsoft Gaming [division est. 1/2022]
division was merged from several sub-divisions and the newly-acquired Activision Blizzard; owns Intellectual property for some of the most popular, best-selling, and
highest-grossing media franchises of all time, including Call of Duty" [2003], "Candy Crush", "Warcraft", "Halo", "Minecraft", and "The Elder Scrolls"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Gaming

"Xbox Game Pass" [launched 6/2017] developed by Microsoft Gaming subscription service as part of Xbox; allows users to download and play video games for Xbox video game consoles; discount on games in the Game Pass catalog; offered by some PC makers for free first month (i.e. HP); subscription continues automatically at $9.99/month unless canceled; 34 million members (as of February 2024) • official Game Pass homepage Xbox Game Pass Core Microsoft 3-month membership [10/2023] for $24.99 Microsoft 6-month membership [10/2023] for $39.99 Microsoft 12-month membership [10/2023] for $59.99 Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Microsoft 3-month membership [6/2019] for $44.99

  
Nintendo Company, Ltd. [est. 1889] of Japan
Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa (2024)
http://www.nintendo.com/us/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo

"Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped An Industry, Captured Your Money, and Enslaved Your Child" [1993] by David Sheff classic video game industry history; 16 chapters covering sales totals, market shares, and sweeping comparisons with IBM, Apple, and Disney in an attempt to get inside the workings of this relentlessly competitive high-tech business; in nonacademic & nontechnical language, book does a good job of exploring Nintendo's planning, R & D and engineering, product development, market penetration and development, Japanese business methods, software development, arrival in America & legal issues, business with the Russians, worldwide competition, and plans for staking out the future • book entry at Wikipedia Kindle Edition from Vintage [11/2011] for $14.99 Vintage 8x5¼ pb [3/94] out of print/used Random House 9½x6½ hardcover [4/93] out of print/used Hodder & Stoughton UK hardcover [9/93] out of print/scarce

"Game Over: Press Start To Continue" [rev 1999] by David Sheff, with New Chapters by Andy Eddy and A Photo History of Nintendo 'a fascinating peek behind the pixel curtain' - with all of the changes & additions, this should have been deemed a Second Edition Cyberactive Media Group 7¾x5 pb [4/99] out of print/used

Nintendo Switch hand-held console [released March 2017]
Switch is the third-most-popular gaming console in history, selling over 141 million units, which approaches the company’s own Nintendo DS (154 million) and the current record-holder, PlayStation’s PS2 (155 million). Nintendo sold just over 28 million Switches in 2020, when they were selling out at every major retailer during the COVID-19 epidemic lockdowns; during the fiscal year that ended in March 2024, that number dropped to 15.7 million.
http://www.nintendo.com/us/switch/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_Switch

		"Nintendo Switch Lite" [2019] device measures 2¾ x 7¾ x 7 inches; batteries included Nintendo device in blue [4/2021] for $177.70 Nintendo device in coral [2/2020] for $179.00 Nintendo device in turquoise [7/2019] for $192.49 Nintendo device in yellow [7/2019] for $194.39 Nintendo device in gray [7/2019] for $196.31
		"Rapell Nintendo Switch Dock for Official Nintendo Switch with HDMI Adapter and USB 3.0 Port" [2023] cables not included; made in China Rapell portable 5¾x2x1¼-inch device [7/2023] for $21.99

May 2024: Nintendo's president confirmed that a Nintendo Switch successor (unofficial name Switch 2) will be announced by March 2025;
video game fans are champing at the bit for a new Switch model since the handheld device’s initial release seven years ago.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Boy 4/1989

the Game Boy Color’s triumphant 10/1998 release nine years after its predecessor. Or it could be a Wii U flop
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Boy_Color

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Boy_Advance released in 3/2001

A miniaturized redesign, the Game Boy Micro, was released in September 2005

Wii video game console [released 11/2006, rev 2013]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii
Wii video game controller
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii_Remote

Wii U video game hardware [released 11/2012, discontinued in 2017] was a flop
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii_U
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii_U_GamePad
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii_U_Pro_Controller

Retroware Games / Retroware TV
http://www.youtube.com/user/retrowaretv est. 3/2007 - gone 8/2022
http://www.facebook.com/RetrowareGames/ fb est. 2008
http://www.retroware.com/ - website is landing page only (8/2022), new site expected 9/2022

Sega

"Console Wars"

"Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and The Battle That Defined A Generation" [2014] non-fiction novel by Blake J. Harris, Foreword by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg In 1990, Nintendo had a virtual monopoly on the video game industry; this mesmerizing, behind-the-scenes business thriller chronicles how Sega, a scrappy small gaming company led by an unlikely visionary and a team of rebels, took on the juggernaut Nintendo in a ruthless David-and-Goliath showdown, revolutionizing the video game industry and birthing a $60 billion dollar industry • book entry at Wikipedia Kindle Edition from Dey Street Books [5/2014] for $14.99 Dey Street Books 9x6 pb [5/2014] for $17.99 HarperCollins !t Books 9x6 hardcover [5/2014] for $30.00

"Console Wars" documentary feature [CBS All Access/Paramount+ 2020] " . . . documentary was well put together and highly engaging to watch . . . like a trip thru your childhood years, with a focus on the Nintendo vs Sega wars . . . Anyone in business needs to watch this since the business lessons are highly relevant regardless of industry" • Co-produced by Evan Goldberg, Blake J. Harris, Seth Rogen, Scott Rudin, Jonah Tulis, and others; directed by Blake J. Harris & Jonah Tulis; based on the 2014 book; featuring Ellen Beth Van Buskirk, Jeff Goodby, Steve Race {Nintendo, Sega, Sony America}, Bill White {Nintendo, Sega}; with Sega of America executives Shinobu Toyoda, Paul Rioux, Tom Kalinske, Al Nilsen; with Nintendo of America executives Howard Phillips, Randy Peretzman, Gail Tilden, Peter Main, George Harrison, Howard Lincoln; with archive footage of Don Coyner {Nintendo}, Shigeru Miyamoto {Nintendo Japan}, Olaf Olafsson {Sony Computer Ent.}, Betsy Aaron, Robert Abrams, Bruce Apar, Minoru Arakawa, Ralph H. Baer, actress Roseanne Conner Barr, newsman Tom Brokaw, Zachery Ty Bryan, Michael Cade, Mariah Carey, Bill Clinton, Sam Donaldson, Byron Dorgan, Hugh Downs, Jared Durand, critic Roger Ebert, Dennis Eckart, Christopher Fairbank, Michael Fishman, boxer George Foreman, Brentley Gore, William H. Harrison, Hulk Hogan, Craig Johnson, Michael Jordan, Robert Keeshan {Captain Kangaroo}, John F. Kennedy, Greg Knight, Herbert Kohl, David Lascher, Joey Lawrence, Rosetta LeNoire, Joe Lieberman, actress Nobu McCarthy, Yuji Naka, Hayao Nakayama, actor Bill Nunn, Naoto Ohshima, Paul Rudd, Rich Silverstein, critic Gene Siskel, Harry Smith, Machiko Soga, John Stehr, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, boxer Mike Tyson, David Underwood, Dan Van Elderen, Jenna von Oÿ, athlete Bill Walton, Dawn Wiener, Brian Williams, actor Robin Williams, Paula Zahn • full credits at IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia DVD/Blu-ray not available • Amazon Instant Video [2020] available only to Paramount+ subscribers

"Console Wars" dramatic TV series [CBS All Access - in dev't 2022]   based on the non-fiction novel by Blake J. Harris telling the story of the employees at upstart gaming company Sega taking on the biggest name in the video game industry by making a more popular game console device than the ones made by their industry-dominant rival, Nintendo • Co-produced by Jonah Tulis & Blake J. Harris; co-produced & directed by Evan Goldberg & Seth Rogen; adapted by Evan Goldberg, Blake Harris & Seth Rogen from the book • latest info at IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia

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