They Create Worlds
213 episodes - English - Latest episode: 14 days ago - ★★★★★ - 50 ratingsLove 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!
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Episodes
Primordial Computer Game Industry
May 01, 2020 00:00 - 1 hour - 78.5 MBTCW Podcast Episode 113 - Primordial Computer Game Industry A big episode looking at two major companies that bridged the gap between the mainframe time sharing age, and the trinity of home computers. We also look at the lead up to those companies with type in listings in books, and magazines. We look at the evolution of early PCs, and the eventual development of video display cards designed to hook up computers to television sets. An almost forgotten era of PC development, pioneering...
And Landing on it!
April 15, 2020 00:00 - 1 hour - 55.8 MBTCW Podcast Episode 112 - And Landing on it! We continue our dive into platforming games. We look at the three main "schools" of thought brought about in the 2-D era. We start with the fast platforming pioneered by Sonic with Crash Bandicoot. The cinematic platformer of Prince of Persia is continued with Tomb Raider. Nintendo, makes its shift into 3-D with Starfox, and the development of the N64. This culminates with the release of Super Mario 64. These early transitions continue t...
Jumping to It!
April 01, 2020 00:00 - 1 hour - 54.1 MBTCW Podcast Episode 111 - Jumping to It! We leap around to the myriad of games that were influential in the development of platformer genre. Starting with an evolution from Space Invaders into Heiankyo Alien; the concept was thrown onto its side with Space Panic. Further refinement brought in jumping with Donkey Kong. Platformers were not as suited for the arcade scene, and ended up truly finding a place in the home on consoles and computers. Load Runner: https://www.youtube.com/...
Books of History
March 15, 2020 00:00 - 1 hour - 52.8 MBTCW Podcast Episode 110 - Books of History We look at the many books dealing with video game history. Starting off with books that were primarily strategy guides, and had tidbits of historical interest woven in. As time progressed journalists, and industry insiders started to write books that included more history and even interviews with the people involved. As time moved on more comprehensive books, written by journalists, tried to capture the entire history in a complete narrative....
Adventuring with LucasArts Part 2
March 01, 2020 00:00 - 1 hour - 61.9 MBTCW Podcast Episode 109 - Adventuring with LucasArts Part 2 This our second half looking at LucasArts adventure games. We look at a company that for a time could do no wrong! Innovative storytelling, and gameplay with Monkey Island 2, Day of the Tentacle, and Sam & Max hit the Road being prime examples. However due to retail outlets, competition, and the continuing technological advancement of the computer industry; LucasArts was unsuccessful in transitioning into the 3-D space. The ...
Adventuring with LucasArts Part 1
February 15, 2020 00:00 - 1 hour - 46.8 MBTCW Podcast Episode 108- Adventuring with LucasArts Part 1 We look at LucasFilm games, AKA LucasArts. Not the company as a whole, but their influence on adventure games. Not only were they instrumental in advancing adventure games, they were able to affect the industry as a whole. We look briefly at the formation of the company, and get into some of their early projects. A young contractor, Ron Gilbert, joined the team by helping to convert some early games to the Commodore 64. Gilb...
Storytime with a Book
February 01, 2020 00:00 - 1 hour - 52.1 MBTCW Podcast Episode 107 - Storytime with a Book We read from chapter 18 of "They Create Worlds: The People and Companies that Shaped the Video Game Industry Vol. 1," which discusses the impact of Breakout on Japan. There are some tangents, other story times, and we bring a lot of things discussed over the years into a more complete perspective. We also learn about the mysteries of magnets. Steve Wozniak's Blue Box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHZnvN_JCas Breakout & Super Break...
The Small Voice of Magnavox
January 15, 2020 00:00 - 1 hour - 57 MBTCW Podcast Episode 106 - The Small Voice of Magnavox Magnavox continues to strive for survival as an axillary of Philips. While people close to the video game division continue to be optimistic about their offerings; management at Philips was not so. The company continued to be plagued with production shortfalls with new chips, FCC approval problems, and new competition. They were able to make a few games of note developing some interesting ideas on where to take home consoles. Ulti...
The Big Voice of Magnavox
January 01, 2020 00:00 - 1 hour - 52.9 MBTCW Podcast Episode 105 - The Big Voice of Magnavox We look at the company of Magnavox. Started around the turn of the century getting into electronics with voice amplification, and eventually radios. Magnavox continued with home electronics in televisions and stereo systems. Unfortunately their visionary leader died unexpectedly, and with the rise of non-American television manufacturers put a lot of pressure on the company. With all this pressure Magnavox is bought by Philips in 1...
A Holistic View of ET
December 15, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 59.6 MBTCW Podcast Episode 104- A Holistic View of ET The game that has become so shrouded in myth and legend is brought to light in this holiday episode! We look at how E.T. was thrust upon Atari by Warner in a bid to bring Stephen Spielberg in to makes movies for Warner. With a massive royalty overhead, a short five week production time, and a massive brain drain at Atari Howard Scott Warshaw stepped up to the challenge. He took the ambitious task of programing E.T. for Atari, having done ...
Elite Systems
December 01, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 52.6 MBTCW Podcast Episode 103 - Elite Systems We look at one of the British software companies Elite Systems. The company was originally named Richard Wilcox software, and was founded as a collaboration between two brothers with the encouragement of their father. Owing to Richard still being a teenager, had schooling, and could not make programing a full-time career at the time the decision was made to rebrand the company. Steve renamed the company to Elite Systems in 1984, and hired bedro...
Stern Electronics
November 15, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 52 MBTCW Podcast Episode 102 - Stern Electronics We look at the short history of Stern Electronics. A company that has influenced and been influenced by multiple other companies through its people. We cover the paths of many of these people including the founder Gary Stern. During the transition to video games in the late 70's and early 80's Stern was the American arm for Konami bringing over many of their games. With financial difficulties from having to buy out one of the major investor...
Infocom
November 01, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 61.8 MBTCW Podcast Episode 101 - Infocom We look at the short life of Infocom. A company that fell into the videogame sphere. Best known for their text adventure games, including the renowned game Zork. They started off as a company to keep creative minds together from MIT, and brought forth unique developments including using virtualization for video games. Due to lack of innovation, combined with its acquisition by Activision, the failure of their database Cornerstone, and saturating the ma...
The 100 Most Influential Games Part 3
October 15, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 62.7 MBTCW Podcast Episode 100 - The 100 Most Influential Games Part 3 And at long last, TCW Episode 100! To celebrate our 100th episode, we finish our countdown of the 100 most influential video games of all time. This time, we look at only 20 games, but these are the games we have deemed the absolutely most essential for shaping the video game industry as it exists today. We present these final twenty games in chronological order by original release date. Now that we have made all our pic...
The 100 Most Influential Games Part 2
October 01, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 63.3 MBTCW Podcast Episode 099 - The 100 Most Influential Games Part 2 And now, forty more games drawn from our list of the 100 most influential games of all time! Presented in no particular order, this list of hits and obscurities provides an overview of video game history through some of the most important milestone titles. This batch of forty games tend to be of more recent vintage, with RPGs, MMOs, Real-Time strategy, and shooters dominating the list. Games Rescue Raiders: https:...
The 100 Most Influential Games Part 1
September 15, 2019 00:00 - 2 hours - 85.6 MBTCW Podcast Episode 098 - The 100 Most Influential Games Part 1 In a completely arbitrary order we look at what we feel are the 100 most influential games. Starting off with the first 40 games! These are 100 games that we consider influential or important to the development of the modern industry. Some are popular, some are obscure, some you will wonder why we were crazy enough to pick them, but here they are. This episode covers largely early video games on time-sharing systems, in t...
Revisions and Updates 2
September 01, 2019 05:00 - 1 hour - 67.2 MBTCW Podcast Episode 097 - Revisions and Updates 2 The podcast is four years old! We celebrate by looking back at past episodes, and revising subjects that Alex has found new information on! There is, of course, more and new information in regards to Atari. We also do some speculation into the origin of Scramble, some commentary on what has been going on at Blizzard Entertainment, and some new information in relation to the origins of Galaxian. We make a note of the earliest known com...
Hello Big Blue
August 15, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 73.4 MBTCW Podcast Episode 096 - Hello Big Blue We look at Big Blue and their continuing development of computers in both business, and the home. We see how IBM had to deal with the eye of the government still looking at them for monopolistic practices. Eventually IBM found out they needed to enter the micro-computer market. They spun off a group that had a mandate to get a computer together in a year. However because of this it led to the rise of the PC clones. Compaq, for instance, comp...
Hello Little Blue
August 01, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 63.3 MBTCW Podcast Episode 095 - Hello Little Blue A sorted history involving scams, monopolies, and acts of petty revenge predate the company the world would see dominate the computer industry in the 70's and 80's. What started as an umbrella company became, under Tom Watson St's leadership, a tabulating company that grew to prominence in the great depression. Later on his son Tom Watson Jr would lead the company forward in the transition from punch card tabulation machines into computers th...
Epyx not Epic
July 15, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 60.2 MBTCW Podcast Episode 094 - Epyx not Epic This is an epic story about Epyx. But don't confuse it with Epic! We look at the computer game company, and the many bits of software that had influences at the dawn of home computing. Everything from the first RPGs to action games that are remembered fondly, especially in Europe. Not to mention the worldwide appeal of the Games series featuring Olympic events. Sadly the company lost sight of its goals with management changes, and was gone by...
Books-B-Ware
July 01, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 58.8 MBTCW Podcast Episode 093 - Books-B-Ware We look at what was largely a footnote in video game history. However it is notable as an early attempt at the integration of traditional media and the computer revolution. There are parallels between bookware and the Siliwood era that came after. Many of the games were stifled by the limitations in hardware at the time. Still there are some notable collaborations between programmers and writers that provide an interesting take on what was to co...
Citing Apologies
June 15, 2019 00:00 - 30 minutes - 21.4 MBTCW Podcast Episode 092 - Citing Apologies A filler episode, with some updates on upcoming podcast items, and Alex's first book. Due to Alex trying to meet a deadline for the book we were unable to record until a few days before release. Nothing really historical covered, however a few interesting tidbits in this short episode! Simpsons "Brownest of the brown liquors": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n39897a9hNk Nokia Snake Game from the 90's: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9Rk4...
Bally: The Road to Fitness
June 01, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 72.2 MBTCW Podcast Episode 091 - Bally: The Road to Fitness In our continuing look at Bally we see the shifting landscape ad they evolve and develop gambling machines. This is not to mean that pinball was neglected. Bally, with an eye to innovation and technology, introduced some of the first sold state pinball machines! They were also, through some luck, brought in with licensing deals with The Who, and Elton John. This led to some of the most popular pinball machines in the post WWII era....
Lion and Bally Manufacturing
May 15, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 53.9 MBTCW Podcast Episode 090 - Lion and Bally Manufacturing What will they do in '32? Ballyhoo! We examine the origins of the Bally Manufacturing Company, makers of pinball and slot machines and operators of fitness centers. While Bally rarely ever created video games under its own name, the company was a domineering force in the coin-operated amusement and gambling spaces and through its subsidiaries nurtured a diverse array of talent that introduced many video game innovations. In this fir...
The Dawn of Computers and Gaming
May 01, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 63.2 MBTCW Podcast Episode 089 - The Dawn of Computers and Gaming We look at the dawn of computers. Not just people; but analog, electronic, and digital computers! We look at how the early games on the computer were not so much games as demonstration programs or simple AI to play games like tic-tac-toe, NIM, checkers, and, of course, chess. We look at how the work done during WWII around RADAR played a role in how both computers and computer games developed. Next we look at some of the fear...
Gotta Go Fast!
April 15, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 56.9 MBTCW Podcast Episode 088 - Gotta Go Fast! Since we covered Mario a few episodes ago, it is only fair that we cover his great rival, not Bowser, but Sonic! We go at not quite sonic speed over the creation of the character and franchise. Sonic's interesting inception was brought about through a character submission process. Sonic is the melding of a rabbit, a character called "Mr. Needlemouse," and Michael Jackson! Yes, this is true. Look there is a music video referenced below. Thoug...
Virtual History
April 01, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 67.5 MBTCW Podcast Episode 087 - Virtual History And now we discuss at the technology that has been just a few months away from revolutionizing video games for the past thirty years, virtual reality. While a hot topic again due to the emergence of the Occulus Rift and the PS4 VR, virtual reality has been a Holy Grail of computer graphics research since the early 1960s. We examine the origins of VR at the University of Utah and its refinement at Atari and VPL Labs before looking at several attem...
Itsa Me Marioooo!
March 15, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 71.9 MBTCW Podcast Episode 086 - Itsa Me Marioooo! Itsa the most iconic character in video game history: Mario. We explore the origins of Mario and examine how his entire design was born of necessity. We discuss how the character evolved through the Donkey Kong series and Mario Bros. before taking a deep dive into the design of Super Mario Bros. Then it’s a quick tour through the rest of Mario's NES and SNES adventures, setting the stage for his transition into 3D worlds. Nintendo Radar Sc...
Computer Game BASICs
March 01, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 65.2 MBTCW Podcast Episode 085 - Computer Game BASICs Now that we have explained how timesharing works, it's time to discuss games! In the 1960s, students and professional programmers alike created computer games that were played by dozens, if not hundreds of their peers on timeshared computers. In the early 1970s, some of these programs began to spread across the country thanks to the efforts of early pioneers in computer book and magazine publishing like Bob Albrecht and David Ahl. By the tim...
Time Shared
February 15, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 51.8 MBTCW Podcast Episode 084 - Time Shared We lay the groundwork of computer development that led to some of the earliest influential games that would shape the industry. We cover how computers were one-program-at-a-time systems, and it was only through experimentation that were computers developed that could handle multiple inputs at once. We see how Sputnik scared the USA into spending a lot more in the sciences in order to keep up with Russian space development, which benefited computer-...
The Silliwood Era now in FMV!
February 01, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 68.3 MBTCW Podcast Episode 083 - The Silliwood Era now in FMV! Now that we have set the stage, it's time for glorious FMV! We examine the critical games released in 1993 that began the interactive movie craze and attracted serious attention from the media companies just beginning to establish "interactive divisions." We analyze how both media companies and existing video game companies approached using FMV in their products and conclude by discussing how the sudden entrance and exit of the me...
An Unlikely Pairing of Siliwood
January 15, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 59.3 MBTCW Podcast Episode 082 - An Unlikely Pairing of Siliwood We take a look at the circumstances and leadup to what become known as the Siliwood Era. We discuss how changing technology and an increased focus by certain video game companies on emulating blockbuster movies attracted the attention of the major media companies and set the stage for an unlikely alliance of Hollywood and Silicon Valley. This pairing led to the interactive movie fad and also led to changes in retail that would a...
The Meeting of Spacewar
January 01, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 57.2 MBTCW Podcast Episode 081 - The Meeting of Spacewar We go over the history of Spacewar, and the event at the Smithsonian. We take a close look at the people involved in bringing Spacewar into existence. We also look at some of the systems that were the predecessors to the PDP-1 that was used for Spacewar. We also discuss why games were used to demonstrate the capabilities of computers. In short an interesting look at one of the first video games. TX-0 Mouse: https://www.youtube.co...
Vector Lights
December 15, 2018 00:00 - 1 hour - 67.6 MBTCW Podcast Episode 080 - Vector Lights We look at the arcade industry and the circumstances that led to the use of vector monitors in arcade games. While not as well remembered today, and with fewer systems still around, vector played an important role in the development of video games. Vector provided the detail and capabilities that were not yet available in traditional raster-based systems. However in due time Raster met, and then exceeded, the capabilities of vector systems, and ...
The Six Children of EA
December 01, 2018 00:00 - 1 hour - 57.9 MBTCW Podcast Episode 079 - The Six Children of EA We take a closer look at the six launch titles from EA. We cover each in more detail going into the background of the creators, as well as the development of each game. We take a look at how the games were received both commercially, and historically. Today Archon, Pinball Construction Set, and M.U.L.E. are the games that are best remembered from the initial six titles. Worms, Axis Assassin, and Hard Hat Mack are not well remembered to...
Invading Taito Part 2
November 15, 2018 00:00 - 1 hour - 58.2 MBTCW Podcast Episode 078 - Invading Taito Part 2 We go into part two of Taito. We start off looking at Space Invaders which is arguably the highest point of success and fame for the company. The company continued on with many notable hits in the following years. They continued to survive despite not having a succession plan with the death of Michael Kogan. The company was hurt by their delay in transitioning to 3d, and a lack of direction in regards to the home market. Taito still li...
Invading Taito Part 1
November 01, 2018 00:00 - 1 hour - 54.7 MBTCW Podcast Episode 077 - Invading Taito Part 1 We look back at the history of the company Taito. Started by a Russian who through unique circumstances in World War II managed to grow up, and become educated in Japanese society. The name Taito means "Far East", and the company went through three iterations before it became the icon we know it today. We wrap up part one just before the release of the iconic Space Invaders in 1978. Pachi-Slot in Japan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5LI...
A Fairchild Story
October 15, 2018 00:00 - 1 hour - 57.6 MBTCW Podcast Episode 076 - A Fairchild Story We cover the history of the Fairchild company and their console the Fairchild Channel F. It is a fascinating journey of how a company was thrust into a role where they could get in on the ground floor of the new video game industry. Although through bad experiences in other industries, an epic struggle to ger FCC approval, and observations on the turmoil of the video game industry, Fairchild was defeated. Fairchild's exit from the scene was not...
Gunning For Light
October 01, 2018 00:00 - 1 hour - 58.2 MBTCW Podcast Episode 075 - Gunning for Light We look at how shooting peripherals entered the gaming scene. We start with their introduction in arcades, and move all the way up to today. We see the technology change, and how different applications were applied to get interesting effects. With the height of light guns in the 80's and 90's, and their decline in the 2000's, light guns are only seen in the few remaining arcade and fun centers still in operation. In the home they really say...
The Japanese PC Industry
September 15, 2018 00:00 - 1 hour - 51.1 MBTCW Podcast Episode 074 - The Japanese PC Industry We cover the Japanese PC industry from the initial pioneers up to the mid 1980's. The early innovators on the PC, while never having many international successes, laid the groundwork for games that would later be seen on the Famicom, and other platforms. It is further interesting to note the people who got their start in the video game industry through computer clubs in college, and by programing at department stores. With the computer i...
Adventuring in the Arcade
September 01, 2018 00:00 - 1 hour - 49.6 MBTCW Podcast Episode 073 - Adventuring in the Arcade We look at the British PC Software market, specifically the Arcade Adventure genre. With the popularity of the ZX Spectrum as a home computer, and its hardware limitations lent itself to the development of the Arcade Adventure. With multiple influences the Arcade Adventure enjoyed side scrolling, top down, and isometric gameplay. We also see the start of the career of Tim and Chris Stamper with Sabre Wulf, Knight Lore, and Alien 8. ...
The MYSTeries of Brøderbund!
August 15, 2018 00:00 - 1 hour - 70.8 MBTCW Podcast Episode 072 - The MYSTeries of Brøderbund! We cover the later years of Brøderbund looking at their "evergreen" products. Print Shop being the first one to really put them on the map. We then look at the series of successes, and challenges that the company faced throughout the 80's and 90's. We then see how the meteoric success of MYST ultimately dead to the downfall of Brøderbund in 1998. Still Brøderbund was a fascinating company which was willing to take risks on some o...
A Story of Brøderbund!
August 01, 2018 00:00 - 1 hour - 57.7 MBTCW Podcast Episode 071 -A Story of Brøderbund! We cover the founding of Brøderbund by the Carlston brothers. We delve into their initial forays into the PC game market. The used a unique business model that supported developers, and creators, but did not bring them on as employees. However they did retain staff to assist in polishing up games that showed potential. Brøderbund even started exploring consoles with a few of their games until they decided to transition to evergreen product...
Sega VS Nintendo Round 3
July 15, 2018 00:00 - 1 hour - 74.2 MBTCW Podcast Episode 070 - Sega VS Nintendo Round 3 The fight heats up with the 16 bit era in the United States. Sega being first to market was able to take control, and dominate the market for a few years. However this short lived victory was bought at a price. With the low margins on consoles Sega was unable to sustain the growth once things started to change in Europe. Nintendo meanwhile was always able to turn a tidy profit even without a controlling market share. Nintendo's control...
Sega VS Nintendo Round 2
July 01, 2018 00:00 - 1 hour - 53.1 MBTCW Podcast Episode 069 - Sega VS Nintendo Round 2 We cover Nintendo and Sega entering the US Market with their 8-bit consoles. With the early release, marketing, and connections Nintendo dominated the market. Sega tried to break in with a technologically superior system, but due to lack of third party software, due to Nintendo's exclusivity contracts, they were unable to make a significant impact. Briefly partnering with Tonka, of Tonka trucks, they tried to get a larger penetration ont...
Sega VS Nintendo Round 1
June 15, 2018 00:00 - 1 hour - 64.8 MBTCW Podcast Episode 068 - Sega VS Nintendo Round 1 Recorded live in front of fans on YouTube Live! Alex and Jeffrey start the dive into the Sega VS Nintendo rivalry. We lay the groundwork of how Sega came to enter the console market in Japan. We see the first clash with Nintendo, and the reasons that Nintendo won the first round cementing their hold on Japan in a way that would not be broken until the PlayStation era. Sega was able to convert their home computer hardware into a console,...
The Birth of the Japanese Consoles
June 01, 2018 00:00 - 1 hour - 47.9 MBTCW Podcast Episode 067 - The Birth of Japanese Consoles We cover the start of Japanese home consoles beginning with the early dedicated systems and working up to the development of the Famicom and the Sega SC-3000. Japan differed from the US in that companies had the opportunity to sell consoles that bridged the gap from dedicated consoles to programable consoles with LSI-cartridge-based consoles. Epoch was the only company that stuck with home consoles during this era. Always remember t...
Half of a Life
May 15, 2018 00:00 - 1 hour - 60 MBTCW Podcast Episode 066 - Half of a Life We cover the founding of Valve and the development processes that led to Half-Life 1 & 2. Originally made using the Quake II engine, Half-Life was an ambitious project that ran into the same kind of hurdles other companies have experienced. Valve was able to take the needed time to create a truly outstanding product. This was due in no small measure to the founders being Microsoft millionaires. Even today, the sophistication in technology, storyt...
The Rise and Fall of Infogrames Part 2
May 01, 2018 00:00 - 1 hour - 51.8 MBTCW Podcast Episode 065 - The Rise and Fall of Infogrames Part 2 We go into the mass consolidation that sprung Infogrames into an international powerhouse. It was due to these quick consolidations that led them to have a high value on the stock market. When the tech bubble burst in the early 2000's the stock value plummeted, and Infrogrames was unable to service the massive debt consolidation has built up. This eventually led to the outer of Bruno Bonnell from Infrogrames. We go over th...
Rise and Fall of Infogrames Part 1
April 15, 2018 00:00 - 56 minutes - 40 MBTCW Podcast Episode 064 - Rise and Fall of Infogrames Part 1 The rise and fall of a French company founded by Bruno Bonnell. We cover the rocky start of the company and the games that helped them gain notoriety. Through some chance connections through family and fellow employees Infogrames was able to skyrocket onto the international stage with their game Alone in the Dark. Captain Blood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od3jvPPugGc Sim City: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A54blk-oj...