
Service Games: The Rise and Fall of Sega
Sam Pettus
Though the game needs some
serious editing (look for 2nd edition, recently kickstarted) this was a great read. It's really not so much a video game history book so much as a study in business. It's also slightly heart-breaking if you're a Sega fan. There's so many minor triumphs, or almost-did-it's. So many moments where you could believe Sega should have come out on top. But of course it didn't.
Really the story kept reminding me of
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie. That is to say -- WHO KILLED SEGA? It's not a simple answer. You can't point at one person. No. Everyone had a hand; be it Sony, Nintendo, Bandai, pirates, DVD's, pirates, jaded consumers, Sega themselves and anyone else who possibly could have any chance to put their prints on the smoking gun.
Recommended.