Tom Kalinske
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Tom Kalinske
Thomas Kalinske (born July 17, 1944) is an American businessman, best known as having worked for Mattel from 1972 to 1987, where he was credited with reviving the Barbie and Hot Wheels brands, launching Masters of the Universe, then being promoted to CEO from 1985 to 1987. He next became CEO of Matchbox, and then was recruited to be the president and CEO of Sega of America, Inc. from 1990 to 1996, and the CEO and COB of Leapfrog 1997-2006. His aggressive marketing decisions during his time at Sega, such as price drops, anti-Nintendo attack ads, and the famous "Sega Scream" TV campaign, are often cited as key elements in the success of the Sega Genesis video game console. The book ''Console Wars'' and the documentary film of the same name chronicles Kalinske’s strategies and success in competing with Nintendo. Tom was inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame in 1997 and received a lifetime achievement award from People of Play in 2021. He has also been honored as ”Man of the ...
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Executive Chairman
The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the group, presides over meetings of the group, and conducts the group's business in an orderly fashion. In some organizations, the chairperson is also known as ''president'' (or other title). In others, where a board appoints a president (or other title), the two terms are used for distinct positions. Also, the chairman term may be used in a neutral manner not directly implying the gender of the holder. Terminology Terms for the office and its holder include ''chair'', ''chairperson'', ''chairman'', ''chairwoman'', ''convenor'', ''facilitator'', '' moderator'', ''president'', and ''presiding officer''. The chairperson of a parliamentary chamber is often called the ''speaker''. ''Chair'' has been used to refer to a seat or office of authority ...
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Next Generation (magazine)
''Next Generation'' was a video game magazine that was published by Imagine Media (now Future US). It was affiliated to and shared editorial with the UK's ''Edge'' magazine. ''Next Generation'' ran from January 1995 until January 2002. It was published by Jonathan Simpson-Bint and edited by Neil West. Other editors included Chris Charla, Tom Russo, and Blake Fischer. ''Next Generation'' initially covered the 32-bit consoles including 3DO, Atari Jaguar, and the then-still unreleased Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn. Unlike competitors ''GamePro'' and ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'', the magazine was directed towards a different readership by focusing on the industry itself rather than individual games. Publication history The magazine was first published by GP Publications up until May 1995 when the publisher rebranded as Imagine Media. In September 1999, ''Next Generation'' was redesigned, its cover name shortened to simply ''NextGen''. This would start what was known as "Lif ...
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Console Wars (film)
''Console Wars'' is a 2020 documentary directed by Jonah Tulis and Blake J. Harris. The film is about the 1990s console wars between Nintendo and Sega in the 16-bit era and the rise and fall of Sega in the home console market. It is based on Harris's 2014 book and is the first original film for CBS All Access, now Paramount+. Premise The documentary chronicles the story of how Sega stepped up to take on Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ... during the 1990s, the console war between the two companies, and the eventual down fall of Sega during the late 90s. Reception The documentary received generally favorable reviews. It currently holds approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on reviews. See also * '' GameStop: Rise of the Players'' Referen ...
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Fourth Generation Of Video Game Consoles
In the history of video games, the fourth generation of game consoles, more commonly referred to as the 16-bit era, began on October 30, 1987, with the Japanese release of NEC Home Electronics' PC Engine (known as the TurboGrafx-16 in North America). Though NEC released the first console of this era, sales were mostly dominated by the rivalry between Sega and Nintendo across most markets: the Sega Mega Drive (''Sega Genesis'' in North America) and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES; ''Super Famicom'' in Japan). Cartridge-based Handheld game console, handheld consoles became prominent during this time, such as the Game Boy, Nintendo Game Boy (1989), Atari Lynx (1989), Game Gear, Sega Game Gear (1990) and TurboExpress (1990). Nintendo was able to capitalize on its success in the previous, third generation, and managed to win the largest worldwide market share in the fourth generation as well. Sega, however, was extremely successful in this generation and began a new fran ...
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Console Wars (book)
''Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle That Defined a Generation'' is a 2014 non-fiction novel written by Blake J. Harris. It follows businessman Tom Kalinske in his venture as CEO of video game company Sega of America from 1990 to 1996, and details the history of the fierce business competition between Sega and Nintendo throughout the 1990s as well as the internal conflicts that took place between Sega of America and its Japanese parent company, Sega Enterprise. Harris wrote the book in the style of a novel by compiling several interviews with people who were involved with the events, using the information gathered to create a dramatic interpretation of the events. A documentary of the book directed by Harris and Jonah Tulis was released on CBS All Access on September 23, 2020. A miniseries adaptation is in development with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg executive producing with Jordan Vogt-Roberts directing. Synopsis A few years after stepping down as CEO of M ...
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Cambium Learning Group
Cambium Learning Group is an American technology company which creates computer software and hardware products serving students ranging from pre-kindergarten to adult; and enabling educators who help them learn. As of December 2018, it is owned by Veritas Capital, a New York-based private equity firm. The company's business units are Learning A-Z, Lexia Learning, Voyager Sopris, ExploreLearning, Cambium Assessment, Kurzweil Education, and VKidz: Learning A-Z– Personalized instructional tools for Pre K-6 education in reading, writing, science, and vocabulary. Lexia Learning– Blended learning solutions for educators to personalize learning for every student. Voyager Sopris– Innovative, evidence-based instructional intervention solutions and teacher professional development services. * ExploreLearning – Interactive online math and science simulations for education in grades 3–12. Cambium Assessment– Statewide, district, and school level K-12 assessments. * Kurzweil E ...
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LeapFrog Enterprises
LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (commonly known as LeapFrog) is an educational entertainment and electronics company based in Emeryville, California. LeapFrog designs, develops, and markets technology-based learning products and related content for the education of children from infancy through grade school. The company was founded by Michael Wood and Robert Lally in 1994. John Barbour is the chief executive officer of LeapFrog. History Founding: 1990–1997 The history of LeapFrog traces back to the late 1980s when LeapFrog co-founder Michael Wood, an attorney at Cooley LLP, had difficulties teaching his son how to read. He began researching phonics and marketing while continuing as a partner at Cooley. By 1994, Wood had developed the first prototype of what would become Phonics Desk, LeapFrog's first product. The prototype utilized a Texas Instruments chip that was previously used by one of Wood's clients to develop talking greeting cards. Wood solicited feedback on his protot ...
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CSK Holdings Corporation
is a Japanese information technology company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, offering IT services and computer software. Outside of Japan, It is widely known for its acquisition of Sega in 1984, ended in the sale to Sammy in 2004, through which Sega Sammy Holdings was established. History In 1969, Sumitomo Computer Service Corporation was established by Sumitomo Corporation. In 2005, Sumitomo Computer Service Corporation and Sumitomo Electronics Corporation were merged into Sumitomo Computer System Corporation. Separately, in 1968, CSK Corporation was established by Japanese entrepreneur Isao Okawa in 1968. The acronym CSK was derived from "Computer Service". CSK established CSK Research Institute, later renamed as CRI Middleware, in 1983. At its peak, the company, the largest independent software company in Japan until it being acquired, was called the CSK Group. In the 2000s, its real estate investment business failed, resulting in heavy losses to the company after Okawa's deat ...
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Isao Okawa
(May 19, 1926 – March 16, 2001) was a Japanese businessman and the former Chairman of Sega. History Okawa was born in Osaka, Japan. As a young adult, he studied at Waseda University in Tokyo. After graduating from Waseda, he formed Computer Service Company, which later became known as CSK Holdings Corporation (CSK). Involvement with CSK Holdings CSK is a Japanese technology company formed by Okawa in 1968. The company mainly provides ICT services to numerous businesses throughout Japan. Okawa was the chairman from 1968 until his death in 2001. Involvement with Sega From 1984 until 2004, CSK had the majority of Sega shares. As a result, Okawa was the Chairman of Sega Enterprises. In 2004, CSK's shares were bought by Sammy, making Hajime Satomi the new CEO of Sega (Sega and Sammy merged to form Sega Sammy Holdings). Okawa provided over US$40 million towards Sega Enterprises, mainly to fund the Dreamcast. He forgave the debts Sega owed him and gave Sega Corporatio ...
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Electronic Entertainment Expo
E3 (short for Electronic Entertainment Expo or Electronic Entertainment Experience in 2021) is a trade event for the video game industry. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) organizes and presents E3, which many developers, publishers, hardware, and accessory manufacturers use to introduce and advertise upcoming games and game-related merchandise to retailers and to members of the press. E3 includes an exhibition floor for developers, publishers, and manufacturers to showcase their titles and products for sale in the upcoming year. Before and during the event, publishers and hardware manufacturers usually hold press conferences to announce new games and products. Over time, E3 has been considered the largest gaming-expo of the year by importance and impact. Before 2017, E3 was an industry-only event; the ESA required individuals wishing to attend to verify a professional relationship with the video game industry. With the rise of streaming media, several of the press ...
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Sega Saturn
The is a home video game console developed by Sega and released on November 22, 1994, in Japan, May 11, 1995, in North America, and July 8, 1995, in Europe. Part of the fifth generation of video game consoles, it was the successor to the successful Sega Genesis. The Saturn has a dual- CPU architecture and eight processors. Its games are in CD-ROM format, and its game library contains several ports of arcade games as well as original games. Development of the Saturn began in 1992, the same year Sega's groundbreaking 3D Model 1 arcade hardware debuted. The Saturn was designed around a new CPU from the Japanese electronics company Hitachi. Sega added another video display processor in early 1994 to better compete with Sony's forthcoming PlayStation. The Saturn was initially successful in Japan but failed to sell in large numbers in the United States, where it was hindered by a surprise May 1995 launch, four months before its scheduled release date. After the debut of the Ninte ...
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Game Gear
The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console released by Sega on October 6, 1990, in Japan, in April 1991 throughout North America and Europe, and during 1992 in Australia. The Game Gear primarily competed with Nintendo's Game Boy, the Atari Lynx, and NEC's TurboExpress. It shares much of its hardware with the Master System, and can play Master System games by the use of an adapter. Sega positioned the Game Gear, which had a full-color backlit screen with a landscape format, as a technologically superior handheld to the Game Boy. Though the Game Gear was rushed to market, its unique game library and price point gave it an edge over the Atari Lynx and TurboExpress. However, due to its short battery life, lack of original games, and weak support from Sega, the Game Gear was unable to surpass the Game Boy, selling 10.62 million units by March 1996. The Game Gear was discontinued in 1997. It was re-released as a budget system by Majesco Entertainment in 2000, under li ...
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