They Create Worlds

https://feed.theycreateworlds.com/feed.xml

523.9K

Downloads

257

Episodes

The games we love reveal something true about who we are, and about the world that made them. They Create Worlds is a podcast about the people, technology, and forces that built the video game industry.

Through video game history, the show looks at how culture, business, and technology shaped what we play, tracing the choices and circumstances that led to the games so many people around the world enjoy.

Each episode digs into where games came from, who made them, and why they were made the way they were. Business decisions, technological shifts, and creative choices all shaped what ended up on screen, and the show covers all of it together, not just one piece in isolation.

Hosted by Alex Smith and Jeffrey Daum, They Create Worlds grew out of long conversations about the strange corners of the industry and the patterns that only show up when you look across companies, platforms, and decades. That conversational feel remains, built on careful research, clear structure and editing that makes even the deepest topics easy to listen to.

History turns out to be less settled than it looks. New documents surface, memories conflict, and the clean stories about why things happened the way they did rarely survive contact with the evidence. The show digs into all of that, following the creative and business forces that pushed and pulled on each other, and uncovering the human stories that lie beneath the games so many people around the world enjoy.

New episodes are released twice a month.

Episodes

Wednesday Feb 01, 2023

Space Invaders and Nishikado

Wednesday Feb 01, 2023

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/invading-taito-part-1/

TCW 078 - Invading Taito Part 2: http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/invading-taito-part-2

Sky Fighter II: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxpCrYBWdtk

Taito Basketball: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiTrWumX00s

Super Road 7: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vO6BZIEZ8xw

Super Road 7 Internals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja8x_ZCklg0

Speed Race US and Japan Ver: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jc9_xrD2_M

Western Gun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbnYBB42J6c

Interceptor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50zEbS2cgEc

Midway Sea Wolf: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipssJjkN2bY

Space Invaders: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJMr36hLY38

Space Invaders Cocktail: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3hyLWCuMew