Console Wars—a book about the Genesis and SNES—will become a TV show

Enlarge / The Sega Genesis. (credit: Diego3336)

One of the great tech and gaming stories of a generation will be told on the small screen soon. Deadline reports that Blake Harris' 2014 non-fiction novel Console Wars will be adapted into a documentary and a short-run TV series, both of which will air on CBS All Access.

The book tells the behind-the-scenes story of the business and technological rivalry between the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) video game consoles in the late '80s and early '90s. The story is told largely from Sega's perspective-specifically that of ex-Mattel CEO Tom Kalinske, who joined Sega's American division to lead pivotal moments in the Genesis' product lifecycle and rise to popularity.

The book is based on interviews with key players in the actual events, but it was written in a novel-like, narrative prose style. It proved popular with readers, though critics felt the author's prose writing style sometimes detracted from the story's impact.

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