Video Game Console Wars

Video Game Console Wars

Author: BBC World Service May 18, 2026 Duration: 17:27

In the 1990s, the video game industry was locked in competition between gaming giants Sega and Nintendo, battling for dominance in living rooms around the world as they raced to deliver the best games on their consoles while attacking one another in advertising. This rivalry reshaped the landscape of gaming, helping it grow into the world’s biggest entertainment industry today. We hear from Sega America CEO Tom Kalinske, who took on Nintendo by targeting a more mature audience, focusing on lower prices. Central to that plan was the creation of Sonic the Hedgehog, a character designed to challenge Mario as the face of gaming. We also travel to the heart of Madrid, to the OXO video game museum to explore the legacy of the console wars and how they helped the industry level up.

Presenter/producer: Sean Allsop

If you’d like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk


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