Former Nintendo UK Exec Pens Handheld Thriller

From London, former Nintendo UK general manager David Yarnton has published a new novel, GameTrap, a financial thriller inspired by the handheld console battles of the 2000s. The book takes cues from the Nintendo DS era and the strange, short-lived story of Gizmondo.

Yarnton worked at Nintendo UK from 2003 to 2012, so he had a front-row seat for the launch years of the Nintendo DS and Wii. In GameTrap, he uses that experience to shape a fictional contest between Nintendo and a made-up rival device called Vantix.

The real-world shadow behind Vantix is Gizmondo, the handheld that launched in 2005 in the UK and the US. It featured a 2.8-inch TFT screen, a Samsung ARM9 processor running at 400 MHz, and built-in GPS. Backed by Tiger Telematics, it drew heavy promotion but never became profitable, and Gizmondo Europe was liquidated in 2006.

The Gizmondo story also carried serious controversy. Press reports linked several executives to organised crime, including Stefan Eriksson, who headed Gizmondo Europe. He was later deported from the US after a high-profile Ferrari Enzo crash in California, and was later jailed.

Yarnton told VGC that he wanted to write a fictional account rather than a factual one, so he could capture the emotional and psychological reality of the period without the limits of non-disclosure agreements. He said the book is rooted in reality, but fiction gave him room to combine real-world dynamics into stronger characters and scenes.

For readers in the UK who followed the handheld wars closely, GameTrap looks set to tap into the mix of ambition, hype, pressure, and collapse that defined that era. If you want more retro gaming coverage, keep an eye on our news page for the latest updates.