The Console Wars -- XMas 1990 

Those kids gave pretty good descriptions of why playing video games is so great.

"Nintendo's on its last legs!" Funny how I hear that even today.

I love seeing vintage stuff like this. It's like looking in a time machine

those kids are nearly 40 now.

Just wow. The kid at 1:41 is me. Josh. I haven't seen this special for a good decade and more. I remember when the Good Morning America crew came to over too, they were pretty nice if I remember. I also remember all of us being so excited to show off our "skills" in mario, as if they would actually be impressed. Ah man, now I'm all nostalgic. Keep playing!

"Sega's Genesis is Nintendo's nemesis" - brilliant line. I was half expecting a 23-year younger Michael Pachter to appear telling us how Nintendo would never survive that holiday season.

"but will it be its last" - 25 years later, people are saying the same thing.

I like how the little kids had the "Nintendo Player" label under them. Oh, 1990, you were so quaint!

Mom shocked my brother and I with a Sega Genesis at Christmas in 1990 (or thereabouts). One of the best Christmas. Love her.

Why do the kids in these old videos come out as more intelligent than the grown-ups?

“It’s not the hardware it’s the GAMES that matter” are you listening Microsoft???

I love how they thought Sega would outlast Nintendo. Yeah... About that...

"This might be Nintendo's last Xmas..." Funny story about that...

I was here in 2020 wishing i could travel back 30 years. I so miss the 90's.

These kids know what videogames are really about. Wish there were more people like that today.

"Will parents be willing to shell out the money.." Dude just said that over 40% of the market was adults. That's nearly half the market. Oy.

"It's games. It's always games." Boom. The reason that, despite haters, Nintendo is still around and will always be.

Meanwhile, Reggie's body is getting ready.

Spending on games Entire industry XMAS 1990: $150 MILLION GTA V Production : Over half a billion.

What that guy said about its all about the games and not the graphics gave me chills

'when I do get a new game it's fun to play it a lot, because you get to explore new places you've never been before'. Well said, 1990's kid, well said.

I was at the same age as the kids in this video. I was 9 in 1990 and I got Super Mario Bros. 3 on that Christmas. This brings back great memories, mullets and all.

Kids these days....they don't know the horrors of the Great War of the 90s. Those of us who live through it we still wake up screaming....I still remember the battle of the Mortal Kombats 20,000 SNES and Genesis Gamers went over the top in only 10 SNES gamers and 5 Genesis Gamers returned...the pizza boxes, the wasted mt. dew, the broken catridges and melted consoles...the horror, the horror

A nintendo Game master? Why couldn't I have this as a job?

18 years later and Howard Phillips is still right. It's always been about the games. But I'm glad to see Tom Kalinske because without him, Sega never would have made it in America.

It's interesting that video games, were merely considered to be toys. They weren't prepared for what is out now.

2:50 Nintendo hasn't changed at all. And I'm glad they didn't!

"President, Sega Genesis" public perception of the industry has changed so much

2:53 this guy fucking gets it, it has always been about THE GAMES! Even today, how much this remains true. I don't give a flying fuck if a PS4 or X1 can play movies, browse the internet, play football, wash my dishes and maw my lawn, if good games aren't there then I won't buy a system. Its funny how these companies seem to strive for other markets and audiences with each new console and yet they forget what it has always been about, the Gamers and their Games.

war, war never changes

While everyone fighting on Nintendo and Sega in 1990, im sure none of them never realize their worst nightmare is yet to come..... Playstation....

I wish I could go back in time and show them Super Mario Galaxy, or GTA 5... Their heads would explode

Always loved this video as it's quite wholesome, the kids talking why they love the games, the businessman showing what's in store for the future, and to make it better, the news reporter talking about it in a natural manner, without mockery or showing that she has no idea of what she's talking about Maybe she didn't, but still having a professional stance

1990: The Genesis is 16-bit, is it the end of Nintendo? 1996: The Nintendo 64 uses cartridges, is it the end of Nintendo? 2001: The GameCube is too kiddy, is it the end of Nintendo? 2006: The Wii is too gimmicky, is it the end of Nintendo? 2013: The Wii U is barely selling at all, is it the end of Nintendo? Noticing a trend? Reply to me if you do.

I was one of those kids playing nes back in the day. I remember how awesome the Super Nintendo was when it came out. The good days🙂

"That you cant do in real life" kid wait till you see gta 3

It is so interesting to me how much gaming has changed in culture. It has gone from an expensive toy for children to a industry giant in the world of entertainment.

I don't know if I should get a Sega Genesis or wait for the Super Nintendo to arrive. :) *btw I can't believe I actually got to see Tom Kalinski and he looks focused, after reading Console Wars I have huge respect for the guy. Sega was a real fighter.

born in 92 and missed the experience of early Nintendo consoles. my first ever console was the ps4 and I had to pay for it myself. 😞

"it's all about the games" nintendo's mindset from day one

I bet those same analysts no longer have jobs lol.

It's mind blowing to me to think that there are kids growing up today only knowing what the current generations of systems can do as video games and not experiencing the magic of the 16-bit era. Makes me feel old at 21...

Incredible level of nostalgia. A video that came out 14 years ago showcasing a 1990s video. Stupendous~

Damn you, history! Always repeating yourself.

Well I started playing Video Games at the age of 3 in 1988, my parents had an Atari 2600. In 1990 I got my Nintendo Entertainment System for Christmas. Now I'm 28 years old, and i still play all my Nintendo games.

I remember my stepdad taking me to mall and made me wait in the car for an hour. I had no idea why. He comes strolling out with a clear GameBoy playing Tetris. I never wanted one or even knew what it was. He just wanted it for himself.

I remember as a young teen going to the mall to kill a day's worth of potential boredom (the bowling alley and pool hall were not busy until night time). You had the top five singles to listen to before you buy at Camelot records, you had the food court, the arcade, and Christmas time always meant the Nintendo display set up at both Sears and Venture with Nintendos and the hottest games available. Of course the security guards ensured a strict time limit on play per kid. I bought an emulation station a year or two ago at Christmas for my family (for those few who may not know, it is a small computer about the size of a deck of cards that has tens of thousands of video games from gaming systems spanning the Gen x era (Commodore, Apple, Atari, Sega, Turbo Grafix, as well as popular arcade games from that tme era). My oldest was bored to tears, my other kids were mildly entertained. I was a six pack of Jolt cola, a greasy pizza, and a cassette tape of Appetite For Destruction from Christmas Break 1986. Watching this video was instant time warp. So simplistic compared to today. The things today's kids will never get to experience

this is amazing! thanks for the upload

Wow, seeing those NES games in their boxes being purchased for the first time in mint condition made me tear up a bit.

I wish I was a Child for the 80s/90s. Being able to experience gaming back when you had to go to arcades to play your games would be so cool. Playing through the classics back when they were still new. Arcades also seem like such a fun environment/social space. Being able to experience the rise of consoles and home gaming would also be great, especially in an economy in which the video game market wasn't littered with copycats and killfests.

Even as a tiny kid I never considered my Genesis a toy. It was its own thing.

Interesting how often the call video games “toys” back then

It's funny just how uptight Tom Kalinske is compared to the childlike behavior of Howard Phillips. Howie is even wearing a bow tie for crying out loud. XD

These days games aren't superhits unless their body counts surpase most major wars

Watching this video today is a powerful lesson about the tremendous gap between hindsight and how things feel in the moment.

thanks for sharing Grooveraider, The History of Sega with Ken Horowitz - The Retro Hour EP131 brought me here.

"First and foremost, it's games." I like how even 23 years later, they haven't changed their idealistic motto about putting fun before toting their hardware.

"Sega's Genesis is Nintendo's nemesis." So much better than doing what Nintendon't

I’m Tom Holtzer (the actual spelling is Holzer) in this video. Can’t believe this was over 30 years ago! It’s great to revisit this wonderful snippet in time. Thanks for posting this and for being back good memories.

this video was nostalgic when it was uploaded and now it's 14 years later which makes the upload itself nostalgic

I love watching these news programs as an adult and seeing the adults not understand video games.

Back when parents where looking at video games as investments. Rofl

A very interesting news special about a game system that was about to come out soon after I was born, and that I ended up playing very frequently throughout my childhood.

Man to think this is over 30 years ago is wild. I wonder if any of these people knew just how insane it would become so fast. We'll be able to simulate physically being inside video games in the next 30 years at the rate we're going.

"Will it be its (Nintendo) last?" HAHAHAHA...that's rich!

we where those damn kids....wow, when did i turn 30??....

Good Analytics Sean, You nailed it!

I just finished Console Wars. It was a really interesting look into the early 90s and the battle between Sega and Nintendo and all the people behind the marketing and the game companies. Really interesting read and brought back a lot of memories and gave a lot of context to games I remember playing and pining over as a kid.

I wish below my name read "Nintendo Player" like these kids.

Damn I miss these days!!

Ahhh...remember when it took YEARS for things to get to other global markets? It is now instant. The world has shrunk so fast in the last 30 years.

Also, a nice shout-out to the Game Boy, which was THE big thing during the 1990 holiday season.

50 to 70 bux some of those games still cost that much just for the dam cartridge

I personally miss all the competition of the great console war of the 90s: snes vs genesis vs turbografx 16 vs Neo Geo vs atari jaguar vs panasonic 3DO vs Philips CD-i

Those kids nailed what makes video games good.

I wasn't even born when this was filmed. This is old. My oh my how times have changed - not always for the better though.

Tom is so right when he says better graphics can’t believe I was playing on Nintendo instead of Sega that song Genesis does Nintendo don’t makes a lot of sense still today Nintendo doesn’t give achievements same graphics from Nintendo 64 I hope Sega comes back I miss Sega it’s to bad I didn’t have the money to decide which console I wanted my parents chose Nintendo well now I have Xbox PlayStation and Nintendo and Xbox is the best it beats Nintendo 1000 times

They forgot.. "And you could get fired if you don't stop playing on the job" ^^

The nostalgia, oh how i miss it

I was a bit late to the party (born '86, got an NES at around 1991), but it feels so strange this days imagining one platform having more than 90% market share..

Sega fan 4 life here!! My whole family had Genesis, and 3 months ago I got Dream Cast with Crazy Taxi, controller and memory stick for 70 bucks. My brother is donating his old games to me, well except House of the Dead, he ain't parting with that game.

2:34 16-bit systems, serious business.

Seeing this feels so nostalgic. Despite the fact I was only 3 months old at the time... 🤣 I still grew up with these classic same consoles later. NES, SNES, and PS1!

"It's no longer a boy toy, its a form of entertainment"

"Is it Nintendo's LAST Christmas"?!?!?! Nope :)

3:43 "really popular ones like this play action football can cost $50" lol

That " hot " system that was throwing it down in Japan was actually the SUPER FAMICOM. Released in November 1990, over 300,000 units were sold in less than 72 hours.

I love that the kids give such good and honest answers why they like to play video games.

Yep, everyone who still remembers Nintendo and how great it was recalls the 90's as the time of its demise! Never would we see another Mario game (he does appear in Sonic Runners 8 but it's just not the same). Nowadays it's Sega this and Sega that - almost nobody even recollects poor Nintendo.

Don't know why they added Michael Jackson to the opening roll that credits all of Nintendos power... Moonwalker was a Sega release. Regardless the game was a blast to play. #DancingZombieDogs 💃

It was SUCH A COMPETITIVE TIME

Still remember when I got the Sega Genesis & Super Nintendo for Christmas! Those two were the best consoles ever made imo just so many good games and fun with friends

2:52 - 3:02 that's to you Xbox.

'Ninendo's on it's last legs!' ...Oddly enough, they're still around almost 30 years later making a mint along with new Hardware and Software. And Sega? Well...'Genesis Does...' games on Nintendo systems now lol

These videos are neat. It’s fun to take a look backwards

Watching this in 2020 thinking back it was fun

DAMN games used to be cheap! Nintendo was only 100 bucks back then?! Never realized it.

0:40 hmmm its 2014 nintendo still is around and dominate for years

I'm seizuring over the amount of nostalgia

I miss the old days of gaming so much