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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
Monday Jul 15, 2024
Monday Jul 15, 2024
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 System (MVS) for arcades and the Advanced Entertainment System (AES) for home use. Priced at $650 in 1990 (equivalent to $1,562 in 2024), the console was expensive but initially well-received by operators due to a strong lineup of games and the six-month lag between arcade and home releases. Despite an attempt to introduce a lower-priced CD version, it was too late to compete effectively. Ultimately, the Neo Geo could not keep up with the emerging 3D transition and the more affordable Sony PlayStation.
Alex's Book is available on Humble Bundle again! Through July 28/29 2024!
https://www.humblebundle.com/books/game-programming-taylor-francis-books
TCW 028 - Picking up the Pieces: The US Arcade Industry After the Crash: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/picking-up-the-pieces-the-us-arcade-industry-after-the-crash/
Ghouls N' Ghosts (Neo Geo): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taujbsNtNh8
Strider (Arcade): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVOOiCFktU4
UN Squadron (Arcade): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY8yMGefNB8
Final Fight (Neo Geo): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0U8U-yqbOs
Uniwar S (Irem - Arcade): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRrt_OSZnkY
Moon Patrol (Irem - Arcade): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiHQ6OXgP7Y
Spartan X: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsqZs2cQEf8
Street Fighter (1987 Arcade): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVLCv-YgWco
Champion Baseball (1983 - SEGA): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCrd1dM8U44
Rodrigo Copetti - Neo Geo Architecture: https://www.copetti.org/writings/consoles/neogeo/
Riding Hero (SNK - Neo Geo): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwsIuiK7Rjo
Baseball Stars Professional (SNK - Arcade): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmdAMGmP6O0
Magician Lord (SNK - Neo Geo AES): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mTaYFgTlGE
NAM-1975 (SNK Neo Geo): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDjqJDAYA6I
Top Player's Golf (SNK - Neo Geo): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjcD0DWb06g
Ninja Combat (SNK - Neo Geo): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV9bgRRHvNo
SNK Neo Geo 1990 Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=0rEauZSSl6M
Neo Geo Electronic Gaming Monthly Insert: https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Gaming_Monthly_031_February_1992_Neo_Geo_Supplement/mode/2up
Fatal Fury (SNK - Neo Geo): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqcYWJfLdSs
Art of Fighting (SNK - Neo Geo): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Jmt9gvSg-Q
TCW 041 - Beating Them All Up: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/beating-them-all-up/
Johnny Arcade Introduces SNK Neo Geo Save Cards: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ps78EWARBE
Samurai Showdown: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aq9k5Gbh9xg
The making of Samurai Showdown (Polygon): https://www.polygon.com/2017/4/10/15223966/the-making-of-samurai-shodown
Metal Slug (SNK - Neo Geo): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zR2NN05UT8
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 Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com
Alex's book, published Dec 2019, is available at CRC Press and at major on-line retailers: http://bit.ly/TCWBOOK1
Intro Music: Josh Woodward - Airplane Mode - Music - "Airplane Mode" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/song/AirplaneMode
Outro Music: RolemMusic - Bacterial Love: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rolemusic/Pop_Singles_Compilation_2014/01_rolemusic_-_bacterial_love
Copyright: Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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