The book details the history of Nintendo Company, Limited and its rise to become the most powerful electronic gaming company in the world as of 1999. The book also provides a history of the worldwide electronic gaming industry as a whole from the 1960s to the 1990s.
The book is notable in that the author extensively interviewed numerous established figures in the industry, such as Howard Lincoln, Nolan Bushnell, Shigeru Miyamoto (spelled as "Sigeru" in the book), Alexey Pajitnov, and others, including people who spoke anonymously. Despite the title, the book is fairly neutral; it mainly relates the history of the company while looking at both the positives and negatives of their business practices.
The 1999 version features some pictures and new chapters by Andy Eddy.