In addition to working on the nerdily anticipated Preacher TV show for AMC, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are teaming up for a movie based on Blake Harris’ Console Wars book. Rogen and Goldberg will be directing and writing the movie. The book’s subtitle is “Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation,” so as you can imagine, the Console Wars movie will cover that chapter in the never-ending saga known as Robotech The Console Wars.
Console Wars focuses on former Sega of America CEO Tom Kalinske. Known for his brash and aggressive moves, Kalinske helped Sega thrive from 1990 to 1994. At the time, it was unusual for a Westerner to have such a prominent role in a business that revolved around Japan. Of course he also contributed to Sega’s demise with the mishandling of the Saturn console (1995-1996). It will be interesting to see how the book is adapted and what portions of videogame history will be covered.
Here’s a clip from the press release:
Sony Pictures and Scott Rudin (Moneyball, The Social Network) are developing Console Wars as a feature film to be directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (Knocked Up, Superbad). Rogen and Goldberg are also writing the screenplay. Harris is serving as Executive Producer, and is also co-directing a documentary on the same subject, with Rudin, Rogen and Goldberg producing as well.
Of course I’m excited for the Console Wars movie. The subject matter is near and dear to my heart. I’m also a big fan of the Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg duo. I’m sure they’ll treat the topic and the people involved with reverence. Those guys seem like nerds at heart.
How about you? Are you interested and excited for the Console Wars movie? Have any of you read the book? Kindly use the comments section for casting ideas.
I’ll see it. This is near and dear to me.
Say what you will about the Saturn but Daytona and VF2 were amazing.
I loved the Saturn, especially in its last year (1998). Shining Force III, Panzer Dragoon Saga, and Burning Rangers were great fun. The launch was absolutely stupid. “Surprise! It’s in stores tomorrow instead of three months from now when it was supposed to launch,” is not a good strategy.
I’d prefer that strat over the “here is a new gadget shown in Feb that will be available in November with everything else in the world!”
By November the tech is outdated and I don’t care as much. I feel even more disdain for games announced years in advance and that are only shown at E3.
So you want more companies to lie about launch dates?
I don’t consider an earlier than advertised launch a lie.
I would prefer you to show off your item and then launch it in short order. Like Apple. Samsung is getting better.
Not many companies can operate the way Apple does now, especially in 1995 when the Saturn launched. There are also huge differences between a phone launch and a console launch. All that aside, the surprise launch of the Saturn was poorly executed. Everyone thought it was a mistake then and history shows that it was.
In 1995 yes. I’m referring to how that would contrast presently.
I understand the logistics of two product categories. That doesn’t change the fact that I lose interest in your product when you show it to me in January (MS phones and tablets) and still take a year to get to market (MS phones and tablets).
Then again i’ve always been the proponent of “you don’t need to focus on the holiday market to introduce new consumer electronics” crowd. Maybe game theory works out against me but it seems that consumer electronics sell well at any time of the year and despite a sagging economy.
Agreed that it didn’t work. I’m not sure it would have worked out any better had they launched at the same time as the PS. I surely forgot about my Saturn when I saw RidgeRacer and Battle Arena Toshinden.