by David Sheff
First published 1999
David Sheff chronicles Nintendo's ascent to control the interactive entertainment world. The company battles competitors in courtrooms and boardrooms while executives display bold confidence bordering on arrogance. Sheff details the complex negotiations surrounding Tetris and maps Nintendo's legal wars against rivals seeking market dominance. The narrative reveals how international business deals shaped the gaming landscape through corporate maneuvering and strategic competition. Nintendo's leaders navigate shifting alliances with other companies as they fight to maintain their position atop the industry. Sheff combines business reporting with technical analysis to show how one company conquered an entire entertainment sector. The book captures both the calculated risks and unexpected consequences that defined Nintendo's corporate strategy during its peak years of influence.
Genres: history, business, non-fiction, technology
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: corporate-rivalry, strategic-competition
Setting: Nintendo
Period: 20th-century
240 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Coronet Books