Video games have been the source of inspiration for a ton of other pieces of media from film, TV, novels, comics, and more, and while some adaptations might be better than others, the best-selling novel Console Wars is taking a more historic approach when it arrives on the small screen in the near future.
Deadline reports that CBS All Access is moving forward with bringing a feature-length documentary adaptation of Console Wars, which will be directed by author Blake J. Harris and Jonah Tulis (Such Great Heights) and executive produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. The book is also being produced into a limited drama series at CBS All Access, though that project will instead be directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts (Kong: Skull Island) and written by Mike Rosolio (American Vandal).
Console Wars: SEGA, Nintendo, and the Battle That Defined a Generation was originally published in 2014 and chronicles the famed "console wars" of the 1990s between Nintendo and SEGA, along with the behind-the-scenes business turmoil and situations that arose between SEGA's various companies across the world. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (who wrote the book's introduction) had interest in adapting it early on when it was first published, and originally intended to turn it into a feature film for theatrical release. However, the project ended up shifting into a television series, which now appears to be diverging into two projects with CBS All Access.
Given the heated competition that arose between SEGA and Nintendo at that time between their competing systems, it's easy to imagine how this volatile time period in the history of gaming would potentially make for an interesting adaptation. While it's unusual that CBS All Access will be producing two works based on the same source material, the documentary seems like it would make sense as a more straightforward, historical account of the book, while the upcoming TV adaptation would give room for a more dramatic interpretation of what happened between two of the gaming industry's giants.