They Create Worlds

TCW Podcast Episode 188 - Will Wright's Sim City   We look at the life of game designer Will Wright who developed the hit game Sim City. Wright was, and is a very talented individual with a deep passion for learning. As a child, he was not into video games, and only his interest in robotics led him to investigate computers more. From there he was enamored with the original Flight Simulator and the possibilities it promised. Though it was not until his exposure to Conway's Game of Life that he really took an interest in programming.  This led to his development of Raid on Bungling Bay, and from the tools used to make that game, he found more fun in creating a city simulator he call microtopolis. This simulation game would eventually become what we know as Sim City!   Solaris by Stanisław Lem: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solaris_(novel) What is Montessori in 18 Minutes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ljuw3grZ11Q Victor Tugelbend: https://discworld.fandom.com/wiki/Victor_Tugelbend The Cannonball Run: https://

TCW Podcast Episode 187 - Atari's Sinking Ship   In part two of our look at Atari and the reasons behind the crash of the mid-1980 we see how Atari's handling of the excess product led to its downfall. The idea that they could treat this like any other overstock of products and push through did not consider the consumer's lack of knowledge. Together with the massive price reduction in the hardware for not just the VCS, but also the 5200 further eroded consumer confidence and understanding. By the time Atari started taking the drastic measure they needed to right the company they were sold by Warner because Warner could not afford the depression in stock price. Though logistics may not be the most exciting topic. It really is the core of what lead to the crash, and how Atari got into and failed to manage it speaks volumes about what future companies would need to do in order to survive.   ET Commercial Christmas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7LwjROqsQw TCW 133 - Rolling Dice with the Parker Brothers: http

TCW Podcast Episode 186 - Atari's Distribution Nightmare   In this first part deep dive at the fall of Atari and the video game industry, we look closely at the distribution nightmare and the factors forming it. There is a lot of new information here, and we drill down deep on the factors that led to the early 80's video game crash. Though many wish to blame ET, or bad games causing the crash, in reality, it really was an unsustainable distribution problem that some people saw coming, but a variety of factors was not dealt with. Join us in this part one of learning the truth, at least for what we know now, cause of the great video game crash!   Lefty Sells an 8: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfelvI_ikf4 Fleetwood Mac Rumors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLfcwDZ5GzQ&list=PL6ogdCG3tAWjN3nOVWjA6DCwYYKAMk5-f     New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   TCW Email: feedback@theycreateworlds.com  Twitter: @tcwpodcast Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds Alex's Video Game History

TCW Podcast Episode 185 - A Very Naughty Dog Pt 2   In our continuing look at Naughty Dog, we examine the continuing development of Crash Bandicoot and the Jax and Dexter series. After Sony's acquisition of Naughty Dog, and during the development of Jak 2, Andy and Jason decided to part ways with the company to focus more on their personal lives. They did help in training people to take their place. These new people at the helm led to the creation of Naughty Dog's most famous franchises. Uncharted and The Last of Us. Games that really pushed forward what is possible for storytelling in video games.   Polygon Man: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygon_Man Sony E3 1996: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHTNTuiOt7s 1984 Macintosh Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zfqw8nhUwA Crash Bandicoot Nintendo Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTi5EaocGaY All Crash Bandicoot Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLdQczq3NMM Crash Bandicoot PSX: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xK-h4M4Aetg Crash Band

TCW Podcast Episode 184 - A Very Naughty Dog Pt 1   Before "The Last of Us" what eventually became Naughty Dog was founded by two teens Andy Gavin, and Jason Rubin. They were drawn into the uncharted waters of computers by making their first published game Ski Crazed. From there they put on the rings of power to become the youngest game developers for EA releasing a game to outdo Ultima on the Sega Genesis. But EA pulled a thieving move and denied them a reprint of the ambitious game. The dream of them being game developers would have died there had it not been for a new warrior in the console market to challenge them to make a game for the 3DO. With that glorious victory, they went to Hollywood and found that they could get universal recognition by getting Sony to use a Bandicoot to crash onto the world stage.   Internet Archive Byte Magazine: https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine?tab=collection How to use a Drawing Tablet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb8FtNJOGS4 Ski Crazed: https://www.youtube.com/w

TCW Podcast Episode 183 - A Working Model of Vending   The arcade industry had many influences. From traveling fairs, clockmakers, and more. Eventually, with the invention of putting a coin-activated door on tobacco boxes in bars, the idea inspired others to make coin-operated vending machines and cast iron banks that were marked as toys but were used for gambling in bars. This is a deep dive into where the coin-op industry came from and we can see some of these influences that carried on to the modern day.   Penny-in-the-Slot Automata and the Working Model: https://www.amazon.com/Penny-Slot-Automata-Working-Model/dp/0709074085 Glockenspiel in Munich: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsfxTyhCzr8 Cuckoo Clocks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6lCQvEUf-U Lost art of Automatons alive again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7oSFNKIlaM HUGO Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG9rvNhdOX8 Revolutions S3: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/484J9T0QdvFdlaq5M5tUcs Exposition des Produits de I'industrie Française:

TCW Podcast Episode 182 - The KOEI Dynasty   We continue our look at KOE and their move onto the console space. This transition is rocky due to the increased costs of cartridge manufacturing. They were able to secure funding by holding a luncheon at the Imperial Hotel for distributors. They were able to start production on Nobunaga's Ambition for the NES. From there they continue to improve setting up development groups to explore new opportunities. The company was still niche until Dynasty Warriors 2 where they could finally move to mainstream gaming. When KOEI acquired Taito, doors opened to other companies' intellectual properties. This led to games like Dynasty Warriors Gundam, Hyrule Warriors, Dragon Quest Heroes, and Fire Emblem Warriors. The company continues to expand and thrive today by helping Nintendo produce the popular Fire Emblem Three Houses, and the RPG NIOH. Still led by the founders in their 70s Yoichi and Keiko Erikawa are truly the power couple of the video game industry!   Ishin no Arashi

TCW Podcast Episode 181 - The Fabric of Koei   We look at the company KOEI and the power couple Yoichi and Keiko Erikawa. Keiko came from the city and had a love of design and investing. Yoichi came from the Japanese countryside and loved games and local history. Yoichi made board and card games based on historical events and people. They met in college when Yoichi rented a room from Keiko's grandmother, and after some time fell in love. Yoichi was pressured by his father to go into the family's failing textile business. Eventually, he and Keiko struck it out on their own. Yoichi and Keiko founded Koei working as a textile business, but they ended up developing software and games for the NEC PC in Japan. This episode is a fascinating case of the parallel evolution of video games and many firsts for the Japanese market.    We discuss erotic games at a PG 13 level from 0:53:50 to 1:00:55. The material may not be appropriate for younger listeners.   What Magic is This? - The I Ching: https://whatmagicisthis.com/

TCW Podcast Episode 180 - Space Invaders Part II   In part two of our look at Space Invaders we explore the impact of the game on Japan and the world. Space Invaders started off rocky, but operators soon realized that players were crazy for the game. Popularity exploded, and Taito was unable to fulfill the orders coming in. This led to the licensing of popular products to other companies in Japan. A move that would see itself repeated as the golden age of arcades continued. We also clarify the 100 Yen Myth/Truth of Japan. Where the legend came from, and what we think the reality is. Finally, we look at the expansion into the United States and Europe, and how the end of the boom in Japan helped to bring Space Invaders into Europe and other nationalities. Blue Shark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5P692hzleQ I'm in danger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8ZbpxV382U Space Invaders Attract Mode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvomS1YMV90 Disco Space Invaders: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byQnpyLod6Y Best

TCW Podcast Episode 179 - Space Invaders and Nishikado   We look at the life and career of Tomohiro Nishikado, and the life influences that led to his creation of one of the most influential games ever made. Space Invaders! Starting life at the tail end of World War II, Nishikado always had a rebellious streak wanting to get into electronics then follow his mother into education. After some difficulty with school he eventually graduated from Denki University with an electronics degree, during this time, this time he fell in love with coin-op arcade games. Eventually through the help of a friend he landed a job at Taito's subsidiary, Pacific Amusements. Despite not liking his placement at the company, Nishikado continued to work there out of loyalty for his friend. He eventually worked on Sky Fighter, Basketball, and Super Road 7.  Eventually as the industry shifted to microprocessors, and TTL  hardware he eventually made Space Invaders!   TCW 077 - Invading Taito Part 1: http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/

TCW Podcast Episode 178 - The Intellivision Part 2   In part two we look at how Mattel starts aggressively marketing the Intellivision by directly attacking Atari in its advertisements. New leadership by Josh Denham helped to foster this and to rework the production of the Intellivision to make it for cheaper. This lower cost model was released as the Intellivision II. Still some in the company were still wanting to do a computer, but it proved to be too complicated and expensive to bring to market. They settled on releasing a lesser computer attachment that allowed for some peripherals. Ultimately through a combination of their own problems, and the looming home console crash Mattel nearly went out of business, and spun off Intellivision where it continued to limp along in the shadows all the way to the early 90's.   1983 Pepsi Challenge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghMYzo0rgrw 1981 Pepsi Challenge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FhxujFUJlQ Grey Poupon Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvDazr

TCW Podcast Episode 177 - The Intellivision Part 1   In part one of our look at the Intellivision we look at the rocky road that made the system almost not come to market. The system had issues with both settling on chipsets to use as well as production problems. Not only was the system delayed multiple times, but the price kept going up. The Intellivision was marketed as an a gateway into computing in the home. It had a keyboard that was delayed for price reasons that was supposed to ship with the console itself. Software for the console was initially four titles. Though other games came out after launch more towards the late 1980's. The console was met with a luke-warm reception, and it looked like it would be doomed to failure. In part 2 we will see how the Intellivision eventually became a beloved classic console only to be taken out by the great video game crash.   Star Fire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwELyhziVmc Math Fun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6abEkPjF5S0 Backgammon: https://www.youtube.

TCW Podcast Episode 176 - The SEGA Technical Institute   SEGA has had a long history of mixing the west and Japanese ideas. To that end, we look at the SEGA Technical Institute or STI. A project to blend the best of Japanese and American developers to create unique games with worldwide appeal. Many talented people worked for STI, and this blending was realized with the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. However, success was short-lived as interpersonal issues with the staff lead to a fracturing of the team. Each side put out interesting product, but nothing quite like the success of Sonic.   Marble Madness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzlA1JTPMto Captain EO (1986): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qy8w2xRpIIg SEGA Scope 3D: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYUBSV6u0Z8 SEGA Scope 3D Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMoMbXZCbT4 Shinobi Arcade: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFlTWKccFLg Dick Tracey Movie Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4rzqSsqaqA Dick Tracey Mega Drive/Genesis: https://www.

TCW Podcast Episode 175 - Shady Cocktail Cabinets   We look at the formation of cocktail cabinets in lounges and cocktail bars. There was an untapped market in these upscale establishments. The problem came from being able to break into the established coin-op industry. This led to some shady practices by various marketers targeting investors who did not know the industry. The cocktail cabinet design promoted quiet play while sitting down enjoying drinks and food unlike most upright cabinets. Cocktail cabinets were somewhat popular for a few years, but ultimately was a fad that was short lived. The companies involved in the industry mostly went under when their popularity dwindled.   TCW 051 - Sons of Pong: http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/sons-of-pong/ Barrel Pong: https://i.redd.it/w7iyqqalrvk41.jpg Flim Flam: https://www.aussiearcade.com/topic/81095-flim-flam-1975-pong-clone-pcb-by-meadows-games-inc/   New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   TCW Email: feedback@theycreateworlds.com  Twi

TCW Podcast Episode 174 - The Computer Wars Part 3   In our conclusion of the live stream, and our look at the computer price wars we see the implosion of the home computer market in the 1980s. The main players were trapped in a race to the bottom. Eventually, Commodore was able to beat out Texas Instruments. This also took out the smaller players like Coleco and Mattel. In the end Commodore was able to dominate the market for a few years. Eventually, they were overcome by the PC clones. But that is another story.   Commodore 64: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpXFB8ZEH30 TCW 124 - The Visions of Coleco Part 1: http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-visions-of-coleco-part-1/ TCW 125 - The Visions of Coleco Part 2: http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-visions-of-coleco-part-2/ TCW 016 Early Computer Game Platforms: The Trinity, and the Disciples: http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/early-computer-game-platforms-the-trinity-and-the-disciples/   New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   T

TCW Podcast Episode 173 - The Computer Price Wars Part 2   In part two of our look at the computer price wars, we dive deep into the major players. Commodore with the VIC-20 and Texas Instruments with the TI99/4A were the major players. Other players included Apple, the TRS-80 Color, and even the US version of the ZX Spectrum.  As fears mounted that Japanese PC makers would eventually price out the US computer makers, efforts were made to drive the prices of home computers lower and lower. The opening shots of the price war included using celebrity endorsements for the major players. Discover the history of how Commodore and Texas Instruments took down a whole industry!   SRAM and DRAM More in Depth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rNEtAz3wJQ What is DRAM?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waU7U_7-mpk TCW 131 -  Clive of ZX: http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/sir-clive-of-zx/ 8-Bit Guy - The VIC 20: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yg04GyhS3ss TRS-80 Color: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUa1s9uFKHs Commod

TCW Podcast Episode 172 - The Computer Price Wars part 1   Part one of our live recording as we cover the Computer Price Wars. We focus on the development of the PC market. The state of computers in the home. The hobbyist computer market, and the major players involved. We see the rapid development of computers and the shift to pre-assembled PCs. We wrap up by looking at the major players of the late 70s and early 80s.  The build-up to a price war that would eventually devastate the entire industry.   TCW 025 - Mattel Electronics?: http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/mattel-electronics/ The Story of the Mattel Aquarius: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReUNJLwqSbo APF Imagination Machine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvgpcZ1m4XY Atari 800 Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA-euwYrAzw TRS 80 Model 1 Overview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-6_D3cRXws Star Raiders: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxbYwekgRz4   New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   TCW Email: feedback@theycreateworld

TCW Podcast Episode 171 - A Rogue's Survival Part 2   In part two we look more closely at the evolution of rogue and its descendants. The game Hack which lead to the development of NetHack, and Moria.  These games continued down branching paths to have influences on MMOs, Diablo, and others. We then jump ahead to the modern indie scene, and how the random generation aspects were adapted to create Spelunky.  Spelunky in turn inspired other creators to create games using random generation elements. The most notable of these being The Binding of Isaac, FTL, and Crypt of the Necrodancer.  It is through these four games that we can see that the concept of randomly generated maps and scenarios are not limited to dungeon crawls, or ASCII art. The concepts can be brought into other genres including platforming, real time strategy, and rhythm games.     NetHack: https://www.nethack.org/ uMoria: https://umoria.org/ Castle of the Winds: https://archive.org/details/win3_CasWin1 Spelunky: https://spelunkyworld.com/origina

TCW Podcast Episode 170 - A Rogue's Survival Part 1   We start looking into Rogue by looking at the computer systems that helped to spawn its creation. We cover the history of UNIX. The development of UNIX is tied heavily to the development and distribution of Rogue. Rogue was programmed in partnership between Michael Toy and Glenn Wichman. The game featured extensive replayability. The game started to spread through early UseNet and inspired others to create similar games.   TCW 084 - Time Shared: http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/time-shared/ AT&T Archives The UNIX OS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc4ROCJYbm0 C Programing Language with Brian Kernighan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de2Hsvxaf8M AT&T Archive The Bell System: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBPTM_irIco ADM-3A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzmB-Eow5P8 Bill Joy Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEUXI3I_IZg What is ASCII?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB85kTs-sEw Characters Symbols, and the Unicode Miracle: https:/

TCW Podcast Episode 169 - Activision and Kotick Part 3   In our final part on Activision and Kotick we see how Activision continued to develop and acquire new IPs. With Spycraft they were in on the Siliwood era of games a trend that continued with Zork Grand Inquisitor. Attempts were made to gain further ground with games like Interstate '76, Big Game Hunter, and Apocalypse. However it was not until Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Call of Duty, and the eventual acquisition of Activision by Vivendi that Bobby Kotick was able to realize his goal of becoming the largest 3rd party developer!   Spycraft The Great Game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHWFO6SL-wY Zork Grand Inquisitor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sEvzdefXk8 Interstate '76: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLB-dUOUg6Y Pixel Blurring:  https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/rwtc13/not_just_imagination_due_to_pixel_blurring_older/ FF1 CRT VS LCD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z_6Uoea_DI Big Game Hunter 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mH