Game Over (Sheff book)

Last updated

Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children
Game Over (First Edition).jpg
First edition
Author David Sheff
LanguageEnglish
Publisher Random House, Inc. (New York)
Publication date
 1993
Publication placeUnited States
Media type Hardcover, paperback
Pages445 (first edition)
ISBN 0-679-40469-4
OCLC 26214063
338.7/617948/0952 20
LC Class HD9993.E454 N577 1993

Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children is a non-fiction book written by David Sheff and published by Random House, New York in 1993. It is dedicated to the history of the Nintendo electronic gaming company company. Based on many extensive interviews of high level historical figures, it has provided a research foundation for subsequent works, with a positive critical reception.

Contents

Overview

The book details the modern history of Nintendo and its rise to become the most powerful electronic gaming company in the world as of 1993. It provides a history of the worldwide electronic gaming industry as a whole from the 1960s to the 1990s. [1] [2] [3]

Sheff describes the history of Nintendo since its founding in 1889, [4] focusing in particular on the company's operations in the United States. Seeking to answer how Nintendo became a dominant force in the U.S. video game market, the author describes its business practices and strategy, [5] [6] as well as the controversies surrounding it, including accusations of anti-competitive practices [7] or harmful effects of games on young people. [6] The book also briefly describes the history of other game companies, such as Atari [8] or Electronic Arts. [9]

Beyond its very specific title, the book is fairly neutral; it mainly relates the history of the company to the positives and negatives of its business practices. [10] Sheff attributes many of Nintendo's successes to what reviewer James Fallows termed "the Japanese system's tolerance for monopoly". [11] Sheff defends the accuracy of the "enslaved your children" portion of the subtitle, stating that "kids will play the games compulsively and non-stop". [12]

The book provides a foundation for subsequent historical research because the author extensively interviewed numerous historical industry figures, such as Howard Lincoln, Nolan Bushnell, Shigeru Miyamoto (misspelled as "Sigeru" if regarding Hepburn romanization as definitive), Hiroshi Yamauchi, Minoru Arakawa, Alexey Pajitnov, and anonymous sources. [13] [2] [14]

Background

David Sheff was a journalist previously best known for his interviews with John Lennon and Yoko Ono for the Playboy magazine. He became interested in the topic of Nintendo after his son received a Nintendo Entertainment System console for Christmas, which – according to Sheff – quickly became an "obsession" for the boy and his friends. Sheff convinced the editor-in-chief of Men's Life magazine of his idea, who then sent him on his first trips to Nintendo's headquarters in America and Japan. Initially, Sheff planned to write only an article about Nintendo, but the plan ultimately evolved into writing an entire book. [15]

Publication

Prior to the book's publication, its excerpts appeared in San Francisco Focus , Men's Life, Playboy and Rolling Stone magazines. [16] The first edition of the book was published by Random House on March 1, 1993, with the subtitle How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children. [17]

Game Over: How Nintendo Conquered the World, an edition published by Vintage Press in 1994, [18] contains a new foreword written by author David Sheff pertaining to the controversy over video game content in the early 1990s. New subjects discussed in this edition include the controversy over the censored SNES release of Mortal Kombat , the growing competition from Sony, Atari and 3DO, and the announcement of the new Nintendo 64 console. [15] [19]

In 1999, a revised edition of the book titled Game Over: Press Start to Continue – The Maturing of Mario (referencing Nintendo's flagship character Mario) was published by GamePress. It has error corrections, as well as photographs and a new chapter written by Andy Eddy. The new chapter summarizes important events in the game industry since the first edition, such as the advent of video game content rating systems or the inauguration of the Electronic Entertainment Expo. [20] An edited version was printed by Coronet Books and given away free with the May 1999 issue of Arcade magazine. [21]

Reception

The book had a mostly positive reception. Christopher Lehmann–Haupt of The New York Times wrote that the book is "irresistible ... Game Over tells a remarkable series of stories ... And maybe that is its hidden message. Maybe that is what makes it, at its best, almost as hypnotic as a successful video game." [22] Alex Kozinsky of The Wall Street Journal called it "the bible of the videogame industry" and "ultimately less absorbing than Tetris , but not by much". [23] Clarence Petersen of the Chicago Tribune called it "a cross between Barbarians at the Gate and The Soul of a New Machine ", [18] while Steven L. Kent from that same newspaper, reviewing a later edition, described it as "an excellent read for anybody" and "the best look at Nintendo ever given to the public." [14] People magazine said, "Writing with the playful pluck of Mario [...] Sheff unfolds an engrossing tale." [24] Fellow technology historian Steven Levy said, "Mr. Sheff is comprehensive and instructive. ... Whoever those future billionaires are, they would do well to read this book." [25] Alan Deutschman of Fortune said, "Finally, a book as provocative as its title, Game Over is a detailed, fascinating, and instructive case study". [26] Deirdre McMurdy of Maclean's said, "Sheff painstakingly documents the history of Nintendo and its relentless rise to dominance of the global toy industry." [27] Next Generation gave a positive review for the breadth, quality of research, and easy readability. It remarked that the one flaw is that the frequent detours from the Nintendo story give the reader the feeling that the book is an overview of gaming history in general with an unbalanced focus on Nintendo. It concluded, "Next Generation uses Game Over as a reference guide on a day-to-day basis, and we really can't give any higher recommendation than that." [28] Publishers Weekly criticized the book as "overlong" and "overwhelmed by an excess of superfluous details and scene-setting". [29] Similarly, William Leith from The Independent criticized Game Over for its abundance of anecdotal detail, stating that the book "would have been better at half the length. At a quarter of the length, it might even have been brilliant." [30]

Legacy

Game Over quickly gained a reputation as one of the best sources of information on Nintendo. In 1999, IGN described the book as a "constant reference point" for many publicists writing about video games, as well as "the ultimate Bible for a videogamer". [15] In 2015, Jeremy Parish of US Gamer stated that Sheff's high level of interview access to major historical figures was "unprecedented (and unduplicated)". He described Game Over as "the definitive work" which has been referenced by nearly all other subsequent books and articles about Nintendo's history. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo</span> Japanese video game company

Nintendo Co., Ltd. is a Japanese multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes and releases both video games and video game consoles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virtual Boy</span> Video game console by Nintendo

The Virtual Boy is a 32-bit tabletop portable video game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. Released in 1995, it was marketed as the first console capable of displaying stereoscopic 3D graphics. The player uses the console like a head-mounted display, placing the head against the eyepiece to see a red monochrome display. The games use a parallax effect to create the illusion of depth. Sales failed to meet targets, and Nintendo ceased distribution and game development in 1996, having released only 22 games for the system.

<i>Pong</i> 1972 arcade game

Pong is a table tennis–themed twitch arcade sports video game, featuring simple two-dimensional graphics, manufactured by Atari and originally released on 29 November 1972. It was one of the earliest arcade video games; it was created by Allan Alcorn as a training exercise assigned to him by Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell, but Bushnell and Atari co-founder Ted Dabney were surprised by the quality of Alcorn's work and decided to manufacture the game. Bushnell based the game's concept on an electronic ping-pong game included in the Magnavox Odyssey, the first home video game console. In response, Magnavox later sued Atari for patent infringement.

<i>Super Mario Bros. 3</i> 1988 video game

Super Mario Bros. 3 is a 1988 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It was released for home consoles in Japan on October 23, 1988, in North America on February 12, 1990, and in Europe on August 29, 1991. It was developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development, led by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka.

<i>Super Mario World</i> 1990 video game

Super Mario World, known in Japan as Super Mario World: Super Mario Bros. 4, is a 1990 platform game developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The player controls Mario on his quest to save Princess Peach and Dinosaur Land from the series' antagonist Bowser and the Koopalings. The gameplay is similar to that of earlier Super Mario games; players control Mario through a series of levels in which the goal is to reach the goalpost at the end. Super Mario World introduces Yoshi, a ridable dinosaur who can eat enemies.

<i>The Legend of Zelda</i> (video game) 1986 video game

The Legend of Zelda, originally released in Japan as The Hyrule Fantasy: Zelda no Densetsu, is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo. The first game of The Legend of Zelda series, it is set in the fantasy land of Hyrule and centers on an elf-like boy named Link, who aims to collect the eight fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom in order to rescue Princess Zelda from Ganon. The player controls Link from a top-down perspective and navigates throughout the overworld and dungeons, collecting weapons, defeating enemies and uncovering secrets along the way.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gunpei Yokoi</span> Japanese video game designer (1941–1997)

Gunpei Yokoi, sometimes transliterated as Gumpei Yokoi, was a Japanese toy maker and video game designer. As a long-time Nintendo employee, he was best known as creator of the Game & Watch handheld system, inventor of the cross-shaped Control Pad, the original designer of the Game Boy, and producer of a few long-running and critically acclaimed video game franchises such as Metroid and Kid Icarus.

<i>The Wizard</i> (1989 film) 1989 film by Todd Holland

The Wizard is a 1989 American family film directed by Todd Holland, written by David Chisholm, and starring Fred Savage, Jenny Lewis, Beau Bridges, Christian Slater, and Luke Edwards. It was also Tobey Maguire's uncredited film debut.

Minoru Arakawa is a Japanese businessman best known as the founder and former president of Nintendo of America, and the co-founder of Tetris Online, Inc.

1992 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Dragon Quest V, Final Fantasy V, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Street Fighter II: Champion Edition, Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, and Super Mario Kart, along with new titles such as Art of Fighting, Lethal Enforcers, Mortal Kombat and Virtua Racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Color TV-Game</span> Video game console series by Nintendo

The Color TV-Game is the first video game system ever made by Nintendo. The system was released as a series of five dedicated home video game consoles between 1977 and 1983 in Japan only. Nintendo sold three million units of the first four models: one million units of each of the first two models, Color TV-Game 6 and 15; and half a million units of each of the next two models, Block Breaker and Racing 112. The Color TV-Game series has the highest sales figures of all the first generation of video game consoles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo Research & Development 1</span> Japanese video game developer

Nintendo Research & Development No. 1 Department was a division of Nintendo, and is its oldest development team. Its creation coincided with Nintendo's entry into the video game industry, and the original R&D1 was headed by Gunpei Yokoi. The developer has created several notable Nintendo series such as Metroid, Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong.

Donkey Kong is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo. The franchise follows the adventures of Donkey Kong, a large, powerful gorilla. Donkey Kong games include the original arcade game trilogy by Nintendo R&D1; the Donkey Kong Country series by Rare and Retro Studios; and the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series by Nintendo Software Technology. Various studios have developed spin-offs in genres such as edutainment, puzzle, racing, and rhythm. The franchise also incorporates animation, printed media, theme parks, and merchandise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo Entertainment System</span> Home video game console

The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the Family Computer (Famicom). It was released in US test markets as the redesigned NES in October 1985, and fully launched in the US the following year. The NES was distributed in Europe, Australia, and parts of Asia throughout the 1980s under various names. As a third-generation console, it mainly competed with Sega's Master System.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hacker International</span> Japanese video game developer

Hacker International was a Japanese video game company that developed and published games from 1990 to 2001 for the Nintendo Famicom, NEC PC Engine, Sony PlayStation consoles, and Microsoft Windows PCs. The company was known for its play-for-porn approach to gaming, with such games as AV Pachi-Slot and Soap Panic featuring female nudity as a reward for skilful playing. These games were usually distributed through mail order and sold approximately 30,000 to 50,000 copies each. Many of their games were developed by Taiwanese companies and were released in non-pornographic form elsewhere in the world; however, three were released in the United States for the Nintendo Entertainment System with pornography intact by another Taiwanese company, Panesian.

Andy Eddy is an American video game journalist and critic. He resides in Redwood City, California.

<i>Nintendo of America, Inc. v. Blockbuster Entertainment Corp.</i> Court case

Nintendo of America, Inc. v. Blockbuster Entertainment Corp. is a 1989 legal case related to the copyright of video games, where Blockbuster agreed to stop photocopying game instruction manuals owned by Nintendo. Blockbuster publicly accused Nintendo of starting the lawsuit after being excluded from the Computer Software Rental Amendments Act, which prohibited the rental of computer software but allowed the rental of Nintendo's game cartridges. Nintendo responded that they were enforcing their copyright as an essential foundation of the video game industry.

References

  1. ↑ Coates, James (May 18, 1993). "How Super Mario conquered America". Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on July 21, 2014. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
  2. 1 2 Juster, Scott (February 23, 2012). "'Game Over': A Look at Nintendo's Past and Future". PopMatters . Retrieved November 21, 2015.
  3. ↑ Sheff, David; Eddy, Andy (1999). Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children. GamePress. ISBN   978-0-9669617-0-6. OCLC   26214063.
  4. ↑ Sheff 2011, 2. In Heaven's Hands.
  5. ↑ Sheff 2011, 8. Enter the Dragon.
  6. 1 2 Sheff 2011, 9. The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.
  7. ↑ Sheff 2011, 12. Game Over.
  8. ↑ Sheff 2011, 7. Reversal of Fortune.
  9. ↑ Sheff 2011, 10. The Game Masters.
  10. ↑ Levy, Steven (July 18, 1993). "Hey, It's More Than a Game". The New York Times Book Review. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
  11. ↑ Fallows, James (March 24, 1994). "The Computer Wars". The New York Review of Books. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
  12. ↑ Corr, O. Casey (July 18, 1993). "Nintendo: From Collapse to Empire". The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
  13. 1 2 Parish, Jeremy (May 7, 2015). "Essential Reading: 'I Am Error' Brings New Insight to the History of the NES". VG247. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  14. 1 2 Steven L. Kent (October 7, 1999). "3 Books Offer A Look At Video-game History". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016.
  15. 1 2 3 Dexter Sy (August 14, 1999). "Game Over: Press Start to Continue". IGN. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  16. ↑ Sheff 2011, Acknowledgments.
  17. ↑ "Game Over". Kirkus Reviews. February 1, 1993. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  18. 1 2 Petersen, Clarence (July 17, 1994). "Game Over: How Nintendo Conquered the World,..." Chicago Tribune . Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  19. ↑ Sheff 2011, Afterword to the Vintage Edition: The Real Game is Just Beginning.
  20. ↑ "Talking Game Over: IGN64 freelancer Dexter Sy chats with industry Veteran Andy Eddy about his updates to Game Over". IGN. September 9, 1999. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
  21. ↑ "Game Over - Arcade Edition". LudoScience. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  22. ↑ Lehmann-Haupt, Christopher (May 13, 1993). "Books of The Times; Taking the Frivolity of Games Seriously Indeed" . The New York Times . Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  23. ↑ Kozinski, Alex (May 11, 1993). "The Nintendo Story" (PDF). Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  24. ↑ "Picks & pans - Game Over by David Sheff" . People . Vol. 40, no. 3. New York: Time, Inc. July 19, 1993. p. 26. ISSN   0093-7673 . Retrieved January 23, 2022– via ProQuest.
  25. ↑ Levy, Steven (July 18, 1993). "Hey, It's More Than a Game". New York Times . Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  26. ↑ Deutschman, Alan (May 31, 1993). "Why Nintendo Rules". Fortune . Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  27. ↑ McMurdy, Deirdre (June 21, 1993). "Playing for Keeps". Maclean's. p. 61. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  28. ↑ "Essential Reading". Next Generation . No. 4. Imagine Media. April 1995. p. 26.
  29. ↑ "Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children". Publishers Weekly. March 29, 1993. Archived from the original on May 10, 2020.
  30. ↑ Leith, William (October 2, 1993). "BOOK REVIEW / All you ever wanted to know about Nintendo: 'Game Over' - David Sheff: Hodder, 19.99". The Independent.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.