Ever wonder how Sony got into the video game business? Or maybe you’ve heard rumors that Atari dumped thousands of game cartridges in the New Mexico desert. Hmm.Or maybe you want to know who is who real King of Kong. These are just some of the questions answered in some of the best and most interesting video game documentaries you can watch right now.
It’s fun to get caught up in the fancy marketing of a powerful console like. PlayStation 5 When Xbox Series X Or in the hype surrounding blockbuster releases. But video games have a long history, and even the most casual gamer will find these industry stories compelling.
To discover the intriguing stories behind your favorite games and consoles, rest your thumbs and check out these game-related movies.
picture house
Almost everyone agrees that King of Kong is great. The documentary follows restaurant owner Billy and science teacher Steve in a competition to see who is the best Donkey Kong player in the world. But that description doesn’t belittle the intrigue, quirkiness, and madness of this story.
blinkworks media
AAA games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake require a small group of developers and nine-figure budgets. Independent games are made by far fewer people, usually less than a few people. In some cases, it may be created by one person.
Indie Game: The Movie demonstrates the grit, dedication, and perseverance required of an indie developer. This award-winning documentary is available for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime Video.
The video game market collapsed in the early 80s, much like the dotcom bubble burst at the turn of the 20th century. There were many causes, but many fingers pointing to Atari’s ET, a historic commercial failure. Atari: Game Over is the story of the rise and fall of Atari, and also explores the story of how Atari buried an unsold copy of ET in the New Mexico desert. Buy or rent on YouTube.
CBS
Based on Blake J. Harris’ insightful 2014 book, this feature-length documentary dives into a grisly showdown in the early ’90s as Sega challenged Nintendo’s dominance in the gaming market. Sonic the Hedgehog faced off against Mario, a nasty ad battle fought for your attention, and things got bloody censored versus uncensored Mortal Kombat. For some, it evokes memories, and for others, it creates an extraordinary story.
Console Wars presents a wide variety of figures from the video game industry of yesteryear. Of particular note is former Sega of America CEO Tom Kalinsky. He was also the mastermind behind his He-Man and Barbie revivals at Mattel. Right now, the only way to see it is with a Paramount Plus subscription, which starts at $5/month.
netflix
If you want to dive into the history of video games more generally, Six-part Netflix documentary High scores are the way to go. Each episode covers a specific aspect of the industry, such as the fall of Atari, the rise of Nintendo, and the impact of Street Fighter 2 on esports. A segment about Sega’s challenge has a crossover with Console Wars, and watching both gives a more rounded perspective to the story.
High Score feels unfocused at times, but it makes for an overall satisfying development of games since the ’70s. All 6 episodes are currently available on Netflix.
Amazon
This feature-length documentary focuses on Sony’s entry into the video game market in 1994 with the tiny gray PlayStation.The most famous figures in the brand’s 25-year history – current his PlayStation boss Jim He Ryan, Metal Gear his Solid mastermind Hideo Kojima, lead PS5 architect Mark his Cerny, co-creator of Resident Evil and more Mikami Shinji — Examines the importance of 3D gaming and reveals how marketers keep Sony’s console cool.
The PS2, PS3, and PS4 segments are much shorter, but we’ll see the big picture better as the PS5 gets established. Available now on streaming, Blu-ray and DVD.
