Nintendo has one of the most fascinating stories of any company out there, video games or otherwise, and Playing With Power: The Nintendo Story is the latest examination into its long history. The five-part documentary series is coming to Crackle on March 1 and takes a deep dive into Nintendo’s founding as a playing card manufacturer over a century ago to resurrecting and redefining the video game industry and beyond.
The series is written and directed by Jeremy Snead (Video Games: The Movie) and executive produced by actor Sean Astin, who also narrates. Playing With Power sits down the several gaming luminaries, historians, and former Nintendo employees as they discuss the company’s success, like the famous Wii craze, as well as its controversies, such as its perceived monopolization of the game industry in the 80s and early 90s. Appearances include Wil Wheaton, Alison Haislip, Reggie Fils-Aime, Phil Spencer, Tom Kalinske, Nolan Bushnell, Tommy Tallarico, and Cliff Bleszinski. IGN has the exclusive trailer (in the embedded tweet below), and it’s well worth watching.
In a statement shared by Deadline, Snead had this to say about the series. “Producing and directing Playing with Power has been a lifelong ambition of mine as an artist, gamer and filmmaker,” Snead said. “To see my show not only come to life with such loving care through my team and I’s efforts but to also have the opportunity to partner with such a talented and experienced team like Screen Media and Crackle to release the series to the public has just been a dream come true.”
Nintendo is one of those subjects that no matter how many times I learn about it, whether it be in books, articles, or quick four-minute videos, I never get tired of hearing about its history. I’ll be keeping an eye on this (and, I guess, looking into a Crackle free-trial or something). What do you guys think of Playing With Power? Let us know in the comments!