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Love of the worlds created by video game designers and personalities drives Alex Smith & Jeffrey Daum (history, law, CS degrees) to provide a scholarly yet light-hearted discussion of how arcade, home console, and PC games merged into a Video Game Industry. Emphasis is on the combination of business and creative elements needed for financial success. Interviews of Atari, EA, Activision, & other execs with detailed source evaluations produce the insights you hear in these 140+ hours!
Episodes
Monday Jan 01, 2018
Monday Jan 01, 2018
TCW Podcast Episode 057 - Foundation of the Japanese Video Arcade Game Industry
We go over the games, companies, and events that lead to the foundation of the Japanese Video Arcade Game Industry. We extensively cover breakout, and how the cloning of that game lead to the start of many companies that would come to power during the 90's. With Space Invaders, we see a full blown encouragement of smaller manufactures to make enough games to meet demand. Finally with Galaxian, and Head On we see the introduction of sprite technology that allows each of these smaller companies to stand on their own.
Breakout Arcade: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW7Sg5pXAok&t=290s
Taito Space Invaders Arcade (UK): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJMr36hLY38
Namco Galaxian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz9_1al9N70
History of Graphics Pt1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzN2pgL0zeg
Head On: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYDrd9jE4WU
New episodes on the 1st and 15th of every month!
TCW Email: feedback@theycreateworlds.com
Twitter: @tcwpodcast
Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com
Intro Music: Josh Woodward - Airplane Mode - Music - "Airplane Mode" by Josh Woodward. Free download:http://joshwoodward.com/song/AirplaneMode
Outro Music: RolemMusic - Bacterial Love - http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rolemusic/Pop_Singles_Compilation_2014/01_rolemusic_-_bacterial_love
Copyright: Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Friday Dec 15, 2017
Friday Dec 15, 2017
TCW Podcast Episode 056 - Revisions and Updates
We go over our past episodes and provide updates, if we have any, on each one. There are a lot of little tidbits, and expansion on a variety of topics. Some of the big ones are Namco, the Nutting Associates, and James Morgan. Happy Holidays everyone!
Episode 1 "All I can do is ask why?": 0:02:54
Episode 2 "You talked to whom?": 0:07:07
Episode 3 "What makes and Industry?": 0:12:49
Episode 4 "A Tale of Cycles": 0:13:54
Episode 5 "The Untold History of Sega": 0:20:03
Episode 6 "The Early History of Electronic Arts": 0:22:55
Episode 7 "History of the Arcade": 0:31:22
Episode 8 "Birth of the Japanese Game Center": 0:31:45
Episode 9 & 10 " History of Mediagenic Parts I &II": 0:32:11
Episode 11 "The Genesis of JRPGs": 0:39:25
Episode 12 & 13 "History of Acclaim": 0:40:45
Episode 14 "Nintendo Playing with Power!": 0:42:40
Episode 15 "The Story of Chuck E Cheese": 0:43:24
Episode 16 "Early Computer Game Platforms: The Trinity, and The Disciples": 0:45:03
Episode 17 & 18 "The British 8-Bit Computer Market Hardware & Software": 0:45:20
Episode 19, 20, & 21 "The Great Video Game Crash": 0:46:00
Episode 22 "The Galaxy Game": 0:51:40
Episode 23 "The Complete Tetris Story": 0:52:12
Episode 24 "The Project and Others in the Field": 0:52:45
The Digital Antiquarian: https://www.filfre.net/
Sega-16: http://www.sega-16.com/
Episode 25 "Mattel Electronics?": 0:56:01
Episode 26 & 27 "The Magnavox Odyssey & Patent Lawsuits": 0:58:05
Episode 28 "Picking up the Pieces: The US Arcade Industry After the Crash": 0:58:25
Episode 29 "50 Years of Namco": 0:58:40
Episode 30 "Doom!": 1:09:17
Episode 31 "An Epic Game": 1:09:47
Episode 32 "History of the Atari Brand": 1:09:59
Episode 33 "The Saga of Sega": 1:12:02
Episode 34 The Nutting Associates": 1:12:11
Episode 35 "EA - The Teenage Years": 1:27:38
Episode 36 "Raiding Eidos": 1:30:25
Episode 37 "Nintendo and Gunpei Yokoi": 1:30:33
Episode 38: "Origin Story": 1:30:40
Atari James Morgan Update: 1:31:15
New episodes on the 1st and 15th of every month!
TCW Email: feedback@theycreateworlds.com
Twitter: @tcwpodcast
Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com
Intro Music: Josh Woodward - Airplane Mode - Music - "Airplane Mode" by Josh Woodward. Free download:http://joshwoodward.com/song/AirplaneMode
Outro Music: RolemMusic - Bacterial Love - http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rolemusic/Pop_Singles_Compilation_2014/01_rolemusic_-_bacterial_love
Copyright: Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Friday Dec 01, 2017
Friday Dec 01, 2017
TCW Podcast Episode 055 - Blizzard: Hellfire and The World… of WarCraft
Part two of our look into Blizzard Entertainment. We start in the late 90's with the finishing of Diablo, and the development of StarCraft. We see the evolution and cross influences of the Blizzard cinematics department on the course of Diablo. This is also the same time we learn of how Blizzard is not afraid to kill an essentially finished game if it is not up to their standards, Lord of the Clans, and StarCraft: Ghost being the more famous examples of this. We see how Blizzard employees' love for games influences where they take projects. The influence of the game Sacrifice on WarCraft III, Quake on Overwatch, and EverQuest with World of WarCraft. On the business side of things we see how Blizzard is not fully immune from the influences of the parent company that controls them at the time. Conversely, we see how Blizzard's success, specifically with WoW, managed to reshape the entire game industry before finishing with the creation of Activision-Blizzard. We will see how their decisions involving modern game trends may affect things in the future!
Diablo 1 Lore Books: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWXozMHrxrM
Diablo 1 Intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w44SmMFy5Dc
Diablo 1 Ending: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGRGxt2-7rc
StarCraft Development Pictures: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52XKCuxDMzo
StarCraft Remastered: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOW9uACXPTo
Lord of the Clans trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gslAG2OEO1c
Curse of Monkey Island Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nh3R8SC6PMc
Diablo II Retrospective: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv12StvWjX8
Sacrifice Gameplay and Commentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7jw6tord7Q
The Wrathgate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ch4rc5W4dKY
Everquest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJJT-PZIUwU
World of Warcraft Evolution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8tAa-MsNjY
Quake Rocket Jump: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw7xztglYyw
Overwatch Development: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH0GsOKZHMQ
New episodes on the 1st and 15th of every month!
TCW Email: feedback@theycreateworlds.com
Twitter: @tcwpodcast
Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com
Intro Music: Josh Woodward - Airplane Mode - Music - "Airplane Mode" by Josh Woodward. Free download:http://joshwoodward.com/song/AirplaneMode
Outro Music: RolemMusic - Bacterial Love - http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rolemusic/Pop_Singles_Compilation_2014/01_rolemusic_-_bacterial_love
Copyright: Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Wednesday Nov 15, 2017
Wednesday Nov 15, 2017
TCW Podcast Episode 054 - Blizzard: Vikings and WarCraft
Part one of our dive into one of the most influential computer game companies in existence. We cover the founding of Blizzard, which started as Silicon and Synapse, with their start by being independent contractors for PC and console. With the company wanting to transition into being full developers, they accepted an offer to be acquired by Davidson and Associates. Blizzard's first big hit was WarCraft: Orcs and Humans. The first game saw the start of the Blizzard cinematics department, and the voice studio. With Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness we saw the true founding of the legendary Blizzard Lore that accompanies all their games that followed. We wrap up with Blizzard meeting another company at CES, Condor, that was working on a little game called Diablo…
Battle Chess II: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz4_5Wv6yiY
R.P.M. Racing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JFofJsuEFM
Swords and Serpents: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXlt0XY1tOY
Adventures of Rad Gravity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b3-LSC4Vko
Rock N' Roll Racing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8OgEzbJY7s
The Lost Vikings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZItppVpUwwc
Blackthorne: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPsJEtO86VI
WarCraft Orcs and Humans: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqczlhTpT2I
WarCraft II Cinematic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU-n8UZM5Cc
WarCraft III All Cinematics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfkiJXnSRM8
SNES Justice League Task Force: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJgY9BCYP8o
Genesis Justice League Task Force: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q42W0cD7OKk
Diablo Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGaYW-6zOKk&list=PLC6688FBC7423D09A
TCW Email: feedback@theycreateworlds.com
Twitter: @tcwpodcast
Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com
Intro Music: Josh Woodward - Airplane Mode - Music - "Airplane Mode" by Josh Woodward. Free download:http://joshwoodward.com/song/AirplaneMode
Outro Music: RolemMusic - Bacterial Love - http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rolemusic/Pop_Singles_Compilation_2014/01_rolemusic_-_bacterial_love
Copyright: Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Wednesday Nov 01, 2017
Wednesday Nov 01, 2017
TCW Podcast Episode 053 - The History and Merger of Enix and Square
We cover the individual histories of the companies Enix and Square. Everything from early projects to influences that helped shape them into the companies they would become. We delve into the dream teams for each company that created their seminal hits, Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy. We cover how they each had problems getting market penetration in the West until Square was able to with the release of Final Fantasy VII. We cover the massive financial disaster that was Final Fantasy The Spirits Within and how it led to Square being acquired by Enix.
The Portopia Serial Murder Case: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh0Vg0s-pR8
Dragon Quest/Warrior Random Facts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvCVAp2jE1E
Final Fantasy VII Intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TD_GqlNtNjo
Final Fantasy IV (II US) Intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi7So5VlB6M
Final Fantasy VI (III US) Intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDMWp1oLoA0
Cruise Chaser Blassty: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXwLebC8s2I
3D World Runner NES: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTbH25YNxE4
Rad Racer NES: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6ngD3ZC1z8
Final Fantasy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veEn0k5u5Ko
Dragon Warrior Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qL5_3EhqK8
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lxl_-WPwA0A
7th Saga: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XihYszbkf60
Secret of Evermore: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdV79VbxWOc
Final Fantasy The Spirits Within: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaI7ZPA9I1c
New episodes on the 1st and 15th of every month!
TCW Email: tcwpodcast@gmail.com
Twitter: @tcwpodcast
Alex's Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com
Intro Music: Josh Woodward - Airplane Mode - Music - "Airplane Mode" by Josh Woodward. Free download:http://joshwoodward.com/song/AirplaneMode
Outro Music: RolemMusic - Bacterial Love - http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rolemusic/Pop_Singles_Compilation_2014/01_rolemusic_-_bacterial_love
Copyright: Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Sunday Oct 15, 2017
Sunday Oct 15, 2017
TCW Podcast Episode 052 - The Many Faces of Konami
We go over the whole history of Konami at the macro level. The origin, founding, and the initial setup that continues to influence the company to the present day. Though much of the history is shrouded behind a language barrier, or simply lost, there is still plenty of information out there. We cover the hits they had in the video game arena, and show how they are in the middle of another transition to mobile.
Konami Logo: https://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/logopedia/images/7/70/Old-Konami-Logo.jpg
Scramble: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pmC_reyGpI
Defender: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjgu1JtWbA4
Why VHS beat Betamax: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddYZITaxlTQ
Frogger Cabinet Overview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ebybyW-ozE
Track and Field: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKPYPV4BuFo
Gradius: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hz9OkKo9rW0
Metal Gear NES VS MSX: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMLDAxu5Tmg
The Goonies NES: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn63XyKp80U
The Goonies 2 NES: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdpmDqR4ZDc
Top Gun NES: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCXNXGvYfVk
Original Comic TMNT Overview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuuHANeSLxg
TMNT NES: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kK8mFYbl1s
Simpsons Arcade: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yw43-DbT84
DDR Modern Japan Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jywza4So-eU
New episodes on the 1st and 15th of every month!
TCW Email: tcwpodcast@gmail.com
Twitter: @tcwpodcast
Alex's Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com
Intro Music: Josh Woodward - Airplane Mode - Music - "Airplane Mode" by Josh Woodward. Free download:http://joshwoodward.com/song/AirplaneMode
Outro Music: RolemMusic - Bacterial Love - http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rolemusic/Pop_Singles_Compilation_2014/01_rolemusic_-_bacterial_love
Copyright: Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Sunday Oct 01, 2017
Sunday Oct 01, 2017
TCW Podcast Episode 051 - Sons of Pong
Starting off with a discussion of the unique setting of the time leading into Pong's debut, we transition over to the various companies that created clones of Pong, and their reasons for doing so. We discover that the company that created the most Pong-style games was not Atari, nor one of the big Chicago companies, but a company based in Florida called Allied Leisure. We then cover the various innovations that occurred to try to keep the fad market alive as long as possible ending with a stop at Big Jeffery's Cocktail Pong Emporium.
Pong Cabinet in detail: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGu7sMAoOUo
Computer Space Ball: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U33oajPSzyc
Wild Cycle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjSKnPjnhyc
Paddle Battle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu7LAP3ug6E
Pong Doubles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqtp1bxIA8s
Ramtek Volly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAc41mFmP3k
Elimination: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOV9c8WkWsw
Ramtek Wipe Out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_TmOD0IHFM
Clean Sweep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTO5JjwbXv0
Flim Flam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVKOjKl3dPU
New episodes on the 1st and 15th of every month!
TCW Email: tcwpodcast@gmail.com
Twitter: @tcwpodcast
Alex's Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com
Intro Music: Josh Woodward - Airplane Mode - Music - "Airplane Mode" by Josh Woodward. Free download:http://joshwoodward.com/song/AirplaneMode
Outro Music: RolemMusic - Bacterial Love - http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rolemusic/Pop_Singles_Compilation_2014/01_rolemusic_-_bacterial_love
Copyright: Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Friday Sep 15, 2017
Friday Sep 15, 2017
TCW Podcast Episode 050 - Civilizing Sid Meier
We go over Sid's transition into the video game industry. Starting with meeting "Wild Bill" and their break out game HellCat Ace, and the iterations that lead to F-15 Strike Eagle that cemented MicroProse as a company. We cover the how/why of Sid Meier's name being on the boxes particularly for the simulation and 4X games. We wrap it all up with the seminal piece Sid Meier's Civilization, the industry changing concepts it brought to the table, and Sid's leaving to form Firaxis where he works today!
Interview with Sid Meier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyH24CHTlHA
Atari Red Baron: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oa7_mdJLUw
HellCat Ace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwYaQS59UGQ
Solo Flight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqjQscY_IZQ
F-15 Strike Eagle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC0FPKCSWhM
Floyd of the Jungle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKuH6oXD8Pg
Seven Cities of Gold: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57qE1arvo3U
Sid Meier's Pirates!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ro-1dXuRBM
Covert Action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-VAwGlghoU
Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ths0tQL2qu4
Sid Meier's Civilization: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3bA818U15c
Sid Meier's Gettysburg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS986jTnWBA
FreeCiv: http://www.freeciv.org/
New episodes on the 1st and 15th of every month!
TCW Email: feedback@theycreateworlds.com
Twitter: @tcwpodcast
Alex's Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com
Intro Music: Josh Woodward - Airplane Mode - Music - "Airplane Mode" by Josh Woodward. Free download:http://joshwoodward.com/song/AirplaneMode
Outro Music: RolemMusic - Bacterial Love - http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rolemusic/Pop_Singles_Compilation_2014/01_rolemusic_-_bacterial_love
Copyright: Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Friday Sep 01, 2017
Friday Sep 01, 2017
TCW Podcast Episode 049 - Old and Elite
We go over a classic from Great Britain! Elite is unique in the ambition and execution of creating a massive open world space, complete with a 3d perspective, on such limited hardware. The game has influenced a variety of others most notably Grand Theft Auto.
Demo of Elite on a BBC B: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owz7XExO-Wk
Elite Comparison of BBC B VS Zx Spectrum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov4OAteeGWs
Elite Gameplay Starting Out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cni8ZInHQXs
Procedural Generation In Games: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRfdN4L2SUg
Elite on the NES: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSPmQYI4ju8
Frontier Elite 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqhP_e855C4
Elite Dangerous Alien Encounter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vsga26eiDPE
New episodes on the 1st and 15th of every month!
TCW Email: tcwpodcast@gmail.com
Twitter: @tcwpodcast
Alex's Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com
Intro Music: Josh Woodward - Airplane Mode - Music - "Airplane Mode" by Josh Woodward. Free download:http://joshwoodward.com/song/AirplaneMode
Outro Music: RolemMusic - Bacterial Love - http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rolemusic/Pop_Singles_Compilation_2014/01_rolemusic_-_bacterial_love
Copyright: Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Tuesday Aug 15, 2017
Tuesday Aug 15, 2017
TCW Podcast Episode 048 - Driving Games and Technology
We go over the wild ride of driving games. These games were used as a vehicle to demonstrate advances in graphics technology. Starting with electro-mechanical games, and ending up with textured polygons; we cover the whole track of an era where cars were king! There are a lot of examples in this episode drawn from the arcade, consoles, and computer games.
Drive Mobile: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw_N10xuv2Q
Speedway: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97DAio1M1xc
Super Road 7 Projection System: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xU0HkKUQ-0
Super Road 7 Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vO6BZIEZ8xw
Wild Cycle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjSKnPjnhyc
Gran Track 10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R014taK2pZM
Life inside Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP5-iIeKXE8
Taito Speed Race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BRDxZiK-1s
History of Racing Games: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IoGZ-4tAww
Night Driver: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqZlxpLKm_E
Sega Turbo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWhcBydheRE
Namco Pole Position: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeYZGtwydIA
Mach Rider NES: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M18w8fL28Ho
Sega Monaco GP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZY_LPhkzUk
Sega Hang On: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rUsQdd39_o
Sega Outrun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMv0Pg1AxFc
Revs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L18wG4p5fQE
F-Zero: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlA3vEB0jzY
Hard Drivin': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6JC-HCNcio
Namco Winning Run: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7KIXb0U2oc
Sega Virtua Racer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js8tZhKcfWc
Namco Ridge Racer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qkXMZYQfiA
Sega Daytona USA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAcMqFTkAs8
Wipe Out PSX: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XASEBvDri4U
Gran Turismo PSX: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49CpLM81TvM
New episodes on the 1st and 15th of every month!
TCW Email: tcwpodcast@gmail.com
Twitter: @tcwpodcast
Alex's Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com
Intro Music: Josh Woodward - Airplane Mode - Music - "Airplane Mode" by Josh Woodward. Free download:http://joshwoodward.com/song/AirplaneMode
Outro Music: RolemMusic - Bacterial Love - http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rolemusic/Pop_Singles_Compilation_2014/01_rolemusic_-_bacterial_love
Copyright: Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/