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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
Tuesday Dec 01, 2015
Tuesday Dec 01, 2015
TCW Podcast 007 - History of the Arcade
We cover the history of the arcade going over the many versions it has occupied from the late 1800's to present time. The arcade has changed in form and function quite a few times over the last century.
Popeye Mutoscope "Customers Wanted"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sch2d0SOJZQ
Pink Panther Scale "An Ounce of Pink"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoU1fJAQll4
Coin Target Gun picture (ABT - Challenger)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6R4m3NIf9E
Digger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T0e9aafCJQ
Chester Pollard Play Football
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caFq0W_yP-w
Ballyhoo Pinball Tabletop
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGAw4oF5bWA&t=1m21s
Aladdin's Castle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtFGT344h-c
Star Wars Battle Pod
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bob41EQ9ifM
New episodes on the 1st and 15th of every month!
TCW Email: tcwpodcast@gmail.com
Alex's Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com
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/
Sunday Nov 15, 2015
Sunday Nov 15, 2015
TCW Podcast Episode 006 - The Early History of Electronic Arts
We discuss the early history of Electronic Arts. The original founders, how it was financed, the origin of the name, and the initial games made. We go over some of the controversies involved with the founding of EA. We also go over the three core tenants of EA. We go over the plethora of people brought in to staff the company.
Demo of VisiCalc - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii3PDjJCCQ4
TRS 80 Radio Shack - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kT207Jmhq4
Archon - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlPuXT8p2YA
Mule - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uHUckK765I
Pinball Construction Set - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow0X7IrzzO8
New episodes on the 1st and 15th of every month!
TCW Email: tcwpodcast@gmail.com
Alex's Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com
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/
Sunday Nov 01, 2015
Sunday Nov 01, 2015
TCW Podcast Episode 005 - The Untold History of Sega
We discuss the history of SEGA. We go over how the company came to be, and the myriad of names the company was known by. How SEGA started as a distributor, and evolved into making their own coin op-games. We also go over how the coin-op business evolved in the post WW II era. The rivalry between Nintendo and Sega in the console market. We also go over how Nintendo had a stranglehold on the game market in the USA, and Sega beating them out in market share for a year.
Zaibatsu Definition
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaibatsu
Nintendo Training Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYjgHLFZMa0
Genesis does what Nintendon't
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzUlkw6nh6I
New episodes on the 1st and 15th of every month!
TCW Email: tcwpodcast@gmail.com
Alex's Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com
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/
Thursday Oct 15, 2015
Thursday Oct 15, 2015
We discuss the cycles in the video game industry, and the numbering of the generations. We also go over how transitions happen. We go over the market, and technology changes that happen.
Plastic Overlay with Magnavox Odyssey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2EIsnr_cv4
New episodes on the 1st and 15th of every month!
TCW Email: tcwpodcast@gmail.com
Alex's Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com
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/
Thursday Oct 01, 2015
Thursday Oct 01, 2015
TCW Podcast Episode 003 - What makes an industry?
We talk about the three existing industries; arcades, home console, and PC games, and how they merged together to form the "Video Game Industry". How this almost happened in the 80's but was stopped by the video game crash. We also discuss at what point is an industry made, and what has to happen for it to become one.
Atari Game Ad: Vanguard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsH4uuRT2w8
Zaxxon Commercial by Sega: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0bxTjxqwxg
New episodes on the 1st and 15th of every month!
TCW Email: tcwpodcast@gmail.com
Twitter: @tcwpodcast
Alex's Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com
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/
Tuesday Sep 15, 2015
Tuesday Sep 15, 2015
TCW Podcast Episode 002 - You talked to whom?
We discuss Alex's interviewing process. Who has he talked to? How does he find them? How does he prepare, and for that matter why is he interviewing people?
New episodes on the 1st and 15th of every month!
TCW Email: tcwpodcast@gmail.com
Alex's Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com
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/
Tuesday Sep 01, 2015
Tuesday Sep 01, 2015
We introduce ourselves and give an overview of the project.
Release schedule 1st and 15th of each month!
TCW Podcast Episode 001 - All I can do is ask why?
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/
TCW Email: tcwpodcast@gmail.com
Alex's Blog:http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com