They Create Worlds

Written by: Alex Smith and Jeffrey Daum
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  • Summary

  • Love of the worlds created by video game designers and personalities drives Alex Smith & Jeffrey Daum (history, law, CS degrees) to provide a scholarly yet light-hearted discussion of how arcade, home console, and PC games merged into a Video Game Industry. Emphasis is on the combination of business and creative elements needed for financial success. Interviews of Atari, EA, Activision, & other execs with detailed source evaluations produce the insights you hear in these 140+ hours!
    Copyright 2015-2019 . All rights reserved.
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Episodes
  • Donkey Kong

    Donkey Kong
    Feb 1 2025
    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, imposed technical limitations that prevented them from securing the desired Popeye license. Donkey Kong drew inspiration from games like Crazy Climber and Space Panic, and its four stages even incorporate elements of the Eastern storytelling structure known as Kishōtenketsu. Join us as we delve into the fascinating origins of Donkey Kong like never before! Futurama - Quarters! A Million Allowances Worth of Quarters!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbPWti2CoRg "Critical Kate" Willaert: https://www.acriticalhit.com/ Norman Caruso "The Gaming Historian": https://thegaminghistorian.com/ In The Year 2525 - Zager & Evans: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb7poHQuMWg Wikipedia (Donkey Kong - 1981 Video Game): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donkey_Kong_(1981_video_game) Space Firebird (Arcade): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0MSz55Ct-0 Radar Scope (Arcade): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kbliYx51ok Galaxian (Arcade): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0OTi8hLYpg How the Famicom was Born: https://glitterberri.com/developer-interviews/how-the-famicom-was-born/ Shmuplations - Shigeru Miyamoto – 2000 Developer Interview: https://shmuplations.com/miyamoto2000/ Shmuplations - Donkey Kong - A Record of Struggle: https://shmuplations.com/donkeykong/ Popeye The Sailor Man - A Dream Walking: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2rt7c6 Crazy Climber (Arcade): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZxndttbLIY Space Panic (Arcade): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLd1xABCsaQ Design Bytes SMB 1-1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La2aGhZxLkQ Barrel Jumping Championship 1957: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvuK8NNSOnI Scramble (Arcade): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yk6BTqzLLfk Kishōtenketsu Explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7to8TC5sJVc Lionel Hutz Explains "The Truth": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Nc88_ZEfxg Gaming Historian - How the Mario Characters Got Their Names: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTyxQfpOEbE Disinclined to acquiesce…: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SLGgIMCUzk Donkey Kong (Arcade): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBHJhla8TO4 Donkey Kong Cereal Commercials: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGvDhBdClFY Donkey Kong Cartoon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zyfayak2djo&list=PLP9LnKF6J6Lod1PYlsQ2zJ9OsZT-ALBga 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: RoleMusic - 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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    1 hr and 28 mins
  • Ray Kassar

    Ray Kassar
    Jan 15 2025

    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. Despite climbing the corporate ladder again, he was passed over for a more tenured executive. Leaving Burlington, Kassar founded a company importing Egyptian cotton for the U.S., where he planned to work until retirement. However, Manny Gerard of Warner Communications recruited him to stabilize Atari after its recent acquisition. Kassar’s leadership introduced a robust marketing strategy, reduced manufacturing defects, and turned Atari into a massive profit center. Though his rapid adaptation to the gaming industry sparked some resentment and controversy, Kassar’s impact on Atari was undeniable. His story is one of nuance and twists, as Atari would not have achieved its success without his visionary leadership.

    TCW 046 - Atari, Ray Kassar, and Warner: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/atari-ray-kassar-and-warner/

    TCW 104 - A Holistic View of ET: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/a-holistic-view-of-et/

    TCW 186 - Atari's Distribution Nightmare: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/atari-s-distribution-nightmare/

    TCW 187 - Atari's Sinking Ship: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/atari-s-sinking-ship/

    Once Upon Atari - How I made history by killing an industry: (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/4fUDNx6

    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: RoleMusic - 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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    1 hr and 27 mins
  • Games by Apollo

    Games by Apollo
    Jan 1 2025
    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 than that, bringing innovative game ideas to the table. Founded by Patrick Roper, who previously created career videos for students, the company grew rapidly and released games at an unprecedented pace. However, many of its games suffered from short production times, leading to control problems, balance issues, and design flaws. Despite these challenges, Games by Apollo consistently tried to push the envelope, creating games that pushed the VCS to new heights! Smell BAD (Labyrinth): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q6H4e7Kvvw Fuzzy Bunny's Guide To You Know What (Simpsons): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQn-DwSW-tk Hands Across America: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnA0uYL4YtI Games By Apollo PM Magazine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2BhTS-q38A Skeet Shoot (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UWJFOUBxTo Spacechase (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdG-v4MY51Q Racquetball (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWueVYa0HJk Lochjaw (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GW8HOi1f0G8 Lost Luggage (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qehLDMO_Ncs Kaboom (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwrZHu-d-vY Space Cavern (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EILC0vcdnc4 Space Cavern - Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMaMvchzMBI Demon Attack (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GwoSr12kxY Kyphus (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtmgsYN1oBI Squoosh (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQR_hgYZPHA Pompeii (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj_9EnYxqvU Play Pompeii: https://atarionline.org/atari-2600/pompeii Infiltrate (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u24ngfVWqA8 Elevator Action (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrBE8iUwgg4 Elevator Action (Arcade): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM5reigEnv4 Final Approach (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcUWNNCCMKE Wabbit (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpJmR9ygI9c Video Game History Foundation -The Woman who Brought Female Representation to Games: https://gamehistory.org/wabbit/ Guardian (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmlwqi_UeEU 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: RoleMusic - 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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    1 hr and 30 mins

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