They Create Worlds

TCW 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 col...

TCW 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.co...

TCW 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...

TCW 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 subsidiarie...

TCW 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 playe...

TCW 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,"...

TCW 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 t...

TCW 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 a...

TCW 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...

TCW 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...

TCW 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 usi...

TCW 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....

TCW 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 sho...

TCW 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...

TCW 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 fr...

TCW 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...

TCW 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 o...

TCW 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 turmo...

TCW 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 see...

TCW 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...

TCW 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...

TCW 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...

TCW 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 exp...

TCW 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...

TCW 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 impa...