They Create Worlds

TCW Podcast Episode 236 - Jordan Mechner and Karateka   This episode explores the early life of Jordan Mechner and the making of Karateka. We cover his Jewish family’s escape from Nazi Europe, his years at Yale, and his struggle to choose between careers in film, art, and game design. Drawing on lessons from arcade games, Mechner formed core design principles that shaped his approach. He also work...

TCW Podcast Episode 235- Coin-op Legends of Japan   Long before they entered the world of video games, a generation of Japanese entrepreneurs built their fortunes in the coin-operated amusement business. In this episode, we trace the early lives and business ventures of five pioneering founders who helped lay the groundwork for companies like Tehkan (later Tecmo), Sammy, and IPM (later IREM). Thes...

TCW Podcast Episode 234 - Yu Suzuki   Often called SEGA’s Shigeru Miyamoto, Yu Suzuki redefined arcade gaming through innovation and ambition. He pioneered immersive cabinets like Hang-On's rideable motorcycle and After Burner’s flight sim, and used sprite scaling to simulate 3D in hits like Space Harrier and OutRun. His work culminated in the R360 G-LOC—a gyroscopic cabinet offering full 360° mot...

TCW Podcast Episode 233 - Baldur's Gate   When three doctors, a prolific dungeon master, a database programmer, and a writer come together to make video games, you get Baldur’s Gate! Often credited with saving the Western RPG, Baldur’s Gate became a phenomenal hit, taking full advantage of Microsoft’s new DirectX API and Windows 95. With this technology, the team created massive, beautiful maps fo...

TCW Podcast Episode 232 - All the Other Home Pongs   The home Pong market of the mid-1970s extended far beyond the big three—Atari, Coleco, and Magnavox. Numerous smaller companies entered the scene, not only in the United States but also across Europe and other parts of the world. As the home gaming industry rapidly evolved, many manufacturers introduced unique systems powered by integrated circu...

TCW Podcast Episode 231- Street Fighter 2   Street Fighter 2 is often credited with reviving the arcade scene in the early 1990s. While it successfully brought back the must-have arcade game mentality, it couldn’t stop the overall decline of arcades. The original Street Fighter was influenced by many sources, including Bruce Lee’s Game of Death, anime like Fist of the North Star, and Space Battles...

TCW Podcast Episode 230 - Crafting the World of WarCraft   World of Warcraft has stood the test of time for twenty years, and now we can explore the fascinating history behind its creation. The developers drew inspiration from MMOs like Ultima Online, EverQuest, Anarchy Online, Dark Age of Camelot, and more, incorporating what they loved while tackling unique challenges. From art style and storyte...

TCW Podcast Episode 229 - US Gold   US Gold started as an importer of American games before becoming a dominant force in the British gaming industry. Partnering with Ocean Software, they formed a duopoly that shaped the UK and European gaming markets, bringing top titles to 8-bit computers and later expanding into consoles—US Gold backing SEGA while Ocean focused on Nintendo. When competitors bega...

TCW Podcast Episode 228 - PopCap Games   PopCap Games was initially overlooked by the larger gaming industry due to its focus on fun, well-designed, and polished casual games. Their first major hit, Bejeweled, became a consistent source of income, allowing PopCap to invest time in developing new titles. This led to the creation of Peggle, which helped solidify PopCap’s reputation, particularly aft...

TCW Podcast Episode 227 - Donkey Kong   Donkey Kong, a game and character that stands as one of the foundational elements of video game history, has a popular narrative with some inaccuracies that need correction. Thanks to the efforts of Kate Willaert and Norman Caruso, we can better understand the influences and origins of Donkey Kong. Nintendo’s use of hardware from another game, Radar Scope, i...

TCW Podcast Episode 226 - Ray Kassar   Ray Kassar rose from humble beginnings to become a talented, savvy, and personable executive. He began his career in the textile industry at Burlington Industries, where he eventually became president of its most profitable division. However, after the unexpected passing of Burlington’s head, Kassar faced ageism and cronyism, which stifled his advancement. De...

TCW Podcast Episode 225 - Games by Apollo   The great video game crash of the mid-1980s had many factors contributing to it. One such factor was the rise of companies like Games by Apollo, which is sometimes seen as an exemplar of the many businesses that entered the video game industry hoping to make quick money. While some criticisms of Games by Apollo are valid, the company was also much more t...

TCW Podcast Episode 224 - D&D & Video Games 3E   In our final look at D&D & Video Games, we explore the early PC and mainframe computer scene, as well as the games created by fans of D&D. Various aspects of D&D were incorporated into these games, ranging from puzzles and light combat to full-on dungeon dives to claim treasure from the deepest levels. These games grew in pop...

TCW Podcast Episode 223 - D&D & Video Games 2E   In the second part of our exploration of Dungeons & Dragons and its connection to video games, we examine the game’s refinement and rise in popularity. D&D was a groundbreaking experience, brought to life through Gary Gygax’s collaboration with others, particularly Dave Arneson, who developed many of its foundational concepts. The ga...

TCW Podcast Episode 222 - D&D & Video Games 1E   In the first part of this series, we explore the various influences leading to the creation of Dungeons & Dragons. This episode is an edited version of our livestream, delving into the rise in popularity of war games, board games, and miniatures. Avalon Hill, a major company in this field, published The General magazine, which helped pla...

TCW Podcast Episode 221 - North to Hellgate London   In a pseudo part three of our look at Condor and Blizzard North, we explore the troubles the company faced after a year and a half of crunch. David, Max, and Eric were all burned out along with the rest of the staff. David was going through a divorce and had trouble putting his heart into figuring out what the next game would be. Due to lack of...

TCW Podcast Episode 220 - Diablo 2   We continue exploring the Diablo franchise with Diablo 2 and the journey of the team at Blizzard North. This episode covers the history of the Hellfire expansion for Diablo 1 and how it came to be developed by Sierra Online. A directive was issued for Blizzard North to focus on creating Diablo 2. The team aimed not just to create a bigger dungeon but to expand...

TCW Podcast Episode 219 - Diablo 1   We explore the monumental game Diablo! Initially a collaborative effort between David Brevik, Erich Schaefer, and Max Schaefer, Diablo brought together elements from games like X-Com, Angband, and surprisingly NHL '94. The trio formed the company Condor, producing NFL games and a Street Fighter clone called Justice League Task Force for the SEGA Genesis. At CES...

TCW Podcast Episode 218 - The 100 Games Redux - The Revival   We’re back to revisit the 100 most influential games, this time with your feedback! We’ve made many changes to the list and even brought back some of the games that were previously cut. A huge thank you to everyone who wrote in, left a comment on YouTube, or reached out to us in other ways. Although we couldn’t read every single comment...

TCW Podcast Episode 217 - The Games of Ed Logg   Ed Logg had a long and distinguished career in Atari's coin-op division. Initially aspiring to be a math professor, his path changed after encountering the Atari 2600 at a friend's Christmas party. While at Atari, Logg created the legendary game Asteroids, which became a massive success. He continued his streak with Super Breakout and co-created Cen...

TCW Podcast Episode 216 - The 100 Games Redux - The Removal   We revisit our list of the top 100 most influential games, making decisions on what to keep, remove, or change. We’ve removed 19 games and altered another—do you agree with our choices? What would you add or remove? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Email us at feedback@TheyCreateWorlds.com to make your case. We’ll use your feedback in o...

TCW Podcast Episode 215 - Final Fantasy VII   Final Fantasy VII holds a special place in the hearts of many gamers. For some, it was the first time they really connected with a JRPG. For others, it marked the transition from pixel art games to 3D gaming. Final Fantasy VII owes much to the storytelling work of its predecessor, Final Fantasy VI, led by Yoshinori Kitase. Kitase used his love of filmm...

TCW Podcast Episode 214 - The Neo Geo   The Neo Geo was SNK's attempt to create a versatile hardware system for operators, allowing them to swap out games at a reduced cost while also bringing an authentic arcade experience into homes. The system's development was influenced by Capcom, with Street Fighter creator Takashi Nishiyama moving to SNK. The Neo Geo came in two versions: the Multi Video Sy...

TCW Podcast Episode 213 - The Exidy of the 80's and 90's   In our second part, we look at Exidy as we wrap up the 70s and explore their products of the 80s and 90s. They continued developing microprocessor games with a variation on Pac-Man with Mouse Trap. The game was moderately successful during the downturn in the mid-80s. Exidy tried to leverage the power of an Atari 400 computer to create arc...

TCW Podcast Episode 212 - The Exidy of the 70's   Following our examination of Ramtek, we now turn to Exidy, founded by Pete Kauffman and Samuel Hawes. Exidy began by producing Pong variants during the Pong boom. John Metzler joined in 1975, creating Destruction Darby, later licensed to Chicago Coin as Demolition Derby. After Metzler left, Howell Ivy revamped the game into the notorious Death Race...