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TCW Podcast Episode 268 - Dragon Quest Part 2   Yuji Horii continued developing adventure games after The Portopia Serial Murder Case, but his growing interest in Ultima and Wizardry led him to incorporate role-playing elements into his work. Karuizawa Yūkai Annai combined adventure-game investigation with Ultima style overworld exploration and a climactic fighting sequence that included leveling, showing Horii’s desire to bring RPG ideas into a different kind of game. As the Famicom became a phenomenon in Japan, Weekly Shōnen Jump editor Kazuhiko Torishima created Famicom Shinken, a regular feature covering games, tips, and tricks. Its material became so popular that the magazine placed it in special envelopes to prevent readers from copying the information without buying an issue. Enix, meanwhile, brought PC successes including Door Door and The Portopia Serial Murder Case to the Famicom. When dedicated game magazines began competing for that audience, Torishima reshaped Famicom Shinken around an inside look at the creation of a new game. He brought together Horii and Koichi Nakamura, who wanted to make an RPG, with Enix as publisher and Shōnen Jump as the source of exclusive development coverage. Torishima also recruited Akira Toriyama, then at the height of Dragon Ball’s success, to design the game’s characters. Horii and Nakamura combined Ultima’s overworld and exploration with Wizardry’s combat and detailed monsters, while Nakamura developed a menu system inspired by the recently released Apple Macintosh. Composer Koichi Sugiyama joined after responding to an Enix survey card for a Shogi game, bringing a new musical approach to Dragon Quest. The first game succeeded, but its sequels turned it into a cultural phenomenon: Dragon Quest II expanded the party to three characters and added broader storytelling, while word of mouth, a delay, and a cartridge shortage drove demand even higher. By Dragon Quest III, the series had become so popular that it sold one million copies on its first day, and store owners held a midweek resupply until the weekend at the urging of the National Police Agency, helping create the enduring myth that new Dragon Quest games could only be released on weekends.   TCW 114 - The Wizards of Sir-Tech: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW114-the-wizards-of-sir-tech TCW 115 - The Return of the Sdraziw of Sir-Tech: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW115-the-return-of-the-sdraziw-of-sir-tech THE HOKKAIDO SERIAL MURDER CASE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHWnvyK7uvc THE KARUIZAWA KIDNAPPING GUIDE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0WGusYjg0E Harvey Birdman - Not there, there!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeRTo8MuTrw TCW 181 - The Fabric of Koei: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW181-the-fabric-of-koei Karuizawa Yūkai Annai (Part 8): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhKXziP2JwU Karuizawa Yūkai Annai (End): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6m56mYPiauQ TCW 134 - Famicom: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW134-famicom TCW 135 - The Famicom Disc System: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW135-the-famicom-disc-system TCW 253 - Masanobu Endō: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW253-masanobu-endo Door Door (Famicom): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrN0_iGy2DA The Portopia Serial Murder Case (Famicom): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcQhnJxP7qU TCW 011 - The Genesis of JRPGs: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW011-the-genesis-of-jrpgs Slime concept art: https://www.reddit.com/r/dragonquest/comments/1rmxfgy/do_you_know_the_original_idea_behind_the_slime/ Dragon Quest 1 Art: https://dragon-quest.org/wiki/Category:Dragon_Quest_I_official_art Wizardry 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uUHjeWJLUs Dragon Warrior 1 (NES): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmzHrNVelL0 Dragon Quest (Famicom) Cart, Manual, and gamplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f62DSsg9NXU Morita Kazuro no Shogi (PC 98): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oDGHVj5ask How to play shogi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ABrpbjoHCk Wingman 2 (PC 8801): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_M2ARASwps The Road to Dragon Quest: https://archive.org/details/roadtodragonquestmanga/Road%20to%20Dragon%20Quest%20%28Searchable%29/ The Road to Dragon Quest (Translated): https://mangadex.org/title/9d751491-a72d-41ae-8d95-3cb420a9d582/the-road-to-dragon-quest Dragon Warrior NES OST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_jq0eqJKHU&list=PLo-SH6FNUdp3oJua5LbxQ9VL8LOyRVTFl Dragon Quest Symphonic Suite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-ZqUPMwoSg&list=PLhdWViYE-gnm2kSB2wnAPcq7wbbMNohfr 2020 Tokyo Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Dragon Quest Overture: https://youtu.be/6u6uCbe6zh8?t=3080 Dragon Warrior II (NES): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4NsE4tpb6k Dragon Warrior II Map: https://mikesrpgcenter.com/dw2/maps/world.html Dragon Warrior III (NES): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNnlkwdXNow   New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   TCW Email: [email protected]  BlueSky: @theycreateworlds.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com Alex's book: 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/

TCW Podcast Episode 267 - Dragon Quest Part 1   Kazuhiko Torishima is not well known outside Japan, especially in relation to video games, but the Weekly Shōnen Jump editor was instrumental in bringing together many of the people behind Dragon Quest. He encouraged Akira Toriyama early in his career, helping him develop the work that led to his first major hit, Dr. Slump. Torishima’s friendship with Weekly Playboy writer Akira Sakuma, built around their shared interest in video games, introduced him to Yuji Horii. Torishima gave Horii regular opportunities to write about computers and games for Shōnen Jump, which drew Enix’s attention as it prepared a contest for game submissions. Horii entered Love Match Tennis for fun and, while covering the contest, discovered that it had won alongside Koichi Nakamura’s Door Door. The two became friends, while Nakamura went on to port Door Door to multiple platforms and found Chunsoft. Enix later sent the contest winners to AppleFest, where Horii, Nakamura, and Torishima encountered Wizardry. Meanwhile, Horii’s work on adventure games produced The Portopia Serial Murder Case, a hugely influential game often credited with helping establish the popularity of visual novels in Japan. These connections, shared interests, and early successes brought together the people who would create the Dragon Quest phenomenon.   TCW 011 - The Genesis of JRPGs: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW011-the-genesis-of-jrpgs Tomato The Cutesy Gumshoe: https://www.viz.com/shonenjump/akira-toriyamas-manga-theater-chapter-3/chapter/23730 TCW 053 - The History and Merger of Enix and Square: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW053-the-history-and-merger-of-enix-and-square TCW 074 - The Japanese PC Industry: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW074-the-japanese-pc-industry Love Match Tennis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jdbvLs3QgI TCW 101 - The Fabric of Koei: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW181-the-fabric-of-koei TCW 102 - The Koei Dynasty: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW182-the-koei-dynasty Door Door (NEC PC 9801): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiM5d0jWQy8 Door Door (Fujitsu Micro-7): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk4PcFwzQsc TCW 114 - The Wizards of Sir-Tech: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW114-the-wizards-of-sir-tech TCW 115 - The Return of the Sdraziw of Sir-Tech: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW115-the-return-of-the-sdraziw-of-sir-tech Wizard and the Princess (PC Jr): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTbeYX9BVcs The Portopia Serial Murder Case (PC 8801): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSeDy0qCZQU   New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   TCW Email: [email protected]  BlueSky: @theycreateworlds.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com Alex's book: 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/

TCW Podcast Episode 266 - The 10 Best Selling Atari Games   An internal Atari document visible in the background of the documentary Once Upon Atari provides a rare look at the company’s best-selling VCS games during the years leading up to, and just after, the video game crash. The Atari VCS was designed around just two player graphics, two missile graphics, and a ball, yet its most successful games pushed that limited hardware in new directions. These games were created by a diverse group of programmers who found new ways to expand what the system could do. By examining sales figures across multiple years, including the net sales of individual games, the document reveals both the titles that defined Atari’s commercial success and the real impact of the crash on the company. There are also surprises in the list, including a driving game, two takes on the Pac-Man concept, and the fact that Atari’s most successful game was not a failure.   Once Upon Atari: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0389237/ Atari Archive: https://www.youtube.com/@AtariArchive/search Super Breakout (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjpOaPxU0rs Missile Command (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24vQuyrwTQ0 Vanguard (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewQDKtc1i-4 Street Racer (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCSYY1kK9so Yar's Revenge (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBHrU65JDF4 Video Olympics (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZOn9OIN_r4 Circus (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twnPnn_-Rm0 Raiders of the Lost Ark (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLqi0F_wQcs Air Sea Battle (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0l0AQ5LuvQM Bowling (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrvEDIcMZnI Football (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao8PkhQZ8TI Video Pinball (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ycwy0iDjDLw Centipede (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNfhqTGvFWg Asteroids (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgCwCLQFzWs TCW 217 - Ed Logg: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW217-the-games-of-ed-logg TCW 241 - The First 10 Years of European Consoles: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW241-the-first-10-years-of-european-consoles Asteroids Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6oUWACx1Mo Breakout (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5AKyI3neQk ET (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmrQkQsM9FU TCW 104 - A Holistic View of ET: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW104-a-holistic-view-of-et TCW 202 - Advanced Balls and Paddles Part 2: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW202-advanced-balls-and-paddles-part-2 Warlords (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDzQ8QhGJdY Berzerk (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5cXL5fCdK8 TCW 102 - Stern Electronics: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW102-stern-electronics Night Driver (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNk52A0dWto Mrs Pac Man (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us2WUK8bUC8 Defender & Chopper Command (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsWHav1U3lQ Space Invaders (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad3TLYZOI-M Pac-Man (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pop1E2DidVQ Dragon Warrior Commercial 1989: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qL5_3EhqK8   New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   TCW Email: [email protected]  BlueSky: @theycreateworlds.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com Alex's book: 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/

TCW Podcast Episode 265 - Hasbro Interactive   Hasbro began as a family business selling textile remnants and pencil boxes before expanding into school supplies, children’s art products, and toys. Innovations such as Mr. Potato Head established the company as a toy maker, while G.I. Joe became a major success before the Vietnam War damaged its popularity and left Hasbro in a precarious position. The company avoided Atari’s early console market during this period, only to return to prominence in the 1980s through G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, Transformers, and the acquisition of Milton Bradley. Later, Hasbro’s purchase of Tonka brought Tom Dusenberry into the company. His enthusiasm for video games and belief in the potential of Windows 95 led to the formation of Hasbro Interactive, beginning with a successful adaptation of Monopoly developed by Westwood Studios. The division expanded through games such as Frogger, whose appearance on Seinfeld came after the show’s producers sought Dusenberry’s permission. He agreed so Hasbro could ensure stores were heavily stocked with the game when the episode aired. Dusenberry also secured the games.com domain as Hasbro Interactive prepared to launch an internet portal. The company then moved through a rapid series of acquisitions, including Atari Corporation, MicroProse, Avalon Hill, and Wizards of the Coast. Hasbro Interactive became the third-largest game publisher by 1998, but growing concern over retail returns, a downturn in Hasbro’s toy business, and changing priorities within the company ultimately led to its sale to Infogrames as the dot-com bubble burst.   TNG - It is Green: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6k_9qZtzjY Mr. Potato Head (1960s): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICGrjmJouWA The Story of G.I. Joe 1945 Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0XDlHb8w2U The Story of G.I Joe Movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWN0eEgYnuc 1960's G.I. Joe Commercials: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X382bCvVvo&list=PLfajEMFGfE5iOrphlddDTxw4o7wIgWha6 G.I. Joe Marvel Comics Animation Commercials: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXY8BMXDKSA G.I.Joe A Real American Hero (NES): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccctePkN7w4 TCW 133 - Rolling Dice With the Parker Brothers: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW133-rolling-dice-with-the-parker-brothers G.I. Joe Cobra Strike (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrCuBJDPy8Y TCW 262 - Vectrex: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW262-vectrex Why the world went nuts for Windows 95: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ol8ZSE-PEk Monopoly (Windows 95): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EN8bFQwNQuU Risk (PC): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfQI0FxGegk Frogger (PSX): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqL6uqfvtt8 Frogger (Windows): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGoivXOUA-0 Hasbro Interactive Frogger TV News Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYqDRkhmP_8 Seinfeld - The Frogger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5etwHVarNgI Centipede (PSX): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab-F_fCJXiE TCW 192 - Microprose Part 1: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW192-microprose-part-1 TCW 193 - Microprose Part 2: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW193-microprose-part-2 TCW 050 - Civilizing Sid Meier: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW050-civilizing-sid-meier PacMan - Adventures in Time (PC): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF1mSc1tEA4 Q*Bert (PSX): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XvceGQ02mA Roller Coaster Tycoon (PC/Windows): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPSSsU8SXcE Furby Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHWcBbf0Eng TCW 064 - Rise and Fall of Infogrames Part 1: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW064-rise-and-fall-of-infogrames-part-1 TCW 065 - The Rise and Fall of Infogrames Part 2: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW065-the-rise-and-fall-of-infogrames-part-2   New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   TCW Email: [email protected]  BlueSky: @theycreateworlds.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com Alex's book: 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/

TCW Podcast Episode 264 - Knights of the Old Republic Knights of the Old Republic did not simply bring Star Wars to the role-playing game format. It was BioWare’s effort to build a cinematic RPG in a part of the galaxy far enough from the films to tell a new story, while drawing on decades of Expanded Universe worldbuilding, tabletop systems, and the storytelling model popularized by Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn trilogy. This episode examines how BioWare combined a fully voiced cast, real-time-with-pause combat built on the Star Wars d20 system, cinematic presentation, and a story structured around one of gaming’s most famous twists to create a major hit. We then follow the business decision that sent the sequel to Obsidian Entertainment on an aggressive schedule, exploring how The Sith Lords developed its darker ideas about the Force, choice, and predestination, why its unfinished release became central to its legacy, and how the series’ path toward a third game came to an end.   TCW 108 - Adventuring With LucasArts Part 1: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW108-adventuring-with-lucasarts-part-1 TCW 109 - Adventuring With LucasArts Part 2: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW109-adventuring-with-lucasarts-part-2 TCW 204 - Exploring The Mass Effect: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW204-exploring-the-mass-effect TCW 205 - Shepherd's Mass Effect 2 & 3: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW205-shepherds-mass-effect-2-and-3 TCW 233 - Baldur's Gate: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW233-baldurs-gate The Ewok Adventure - Cavern of Courage (Trailer): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2OaBk89KyU Why the Thrawn Trilogy is Great!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haBxgD3vJ4c West End Games - Star Wars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Snh9D_hUp30 West End Games Guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNGGAdVHJcE Celebrating 20 Years of Star Wars: KOTOR With the Iconic RPG's Canadian Creators: https://mobilesyrup.com/2023/07/13/star-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic-20th-anniversary-canadian-developers-interview/ Dark Horse Tales of the Jedi: https://archive.org/details/star-wars-tales-of-the-jedi-collection_20211001_1515/Tales%20of%20the%20Jedi%20%231/ KOTOR 1 - Revelation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc6eDFobJXg Neverwinter Nights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeO6SuOtjUQ The Basics of Cinematography: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rAe8RuICYM Film Making Basics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFwMRVwrKcA The 180 Rule Explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcCbPZUimbc The Secrets to Writing Compelling Plot Twists: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHbOVOZWhZM HK-47 (KOTOR 1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg1gTas7OAA HK-47 (KOTOR 2): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CqpGfWrmc4 The Littlest Hobo (S1 E10): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blDP8AtvyaI KOTOR TV Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7Z2wqSasxU KOTOR Xbox Intro Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F3gGiTfgzU KOTOR 2 - Star Wars Criticism Done Well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIkD35vHZG8 KOTOR 2 Theory Might Blow Your Mind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyEOa1jHaAs WTF Were Kreia's Goals During KOTOR 2?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHUhHDEX0J4 KOTOR 2 Intro Gamplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRY_k5NoS8Y   New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   TCW Email: [email protected]  BlueSky: @theycreateworlds.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com Alex's book: 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/

TCW Podcast Episode 263 - Howell Ivy   Howell Ivy had a knack for taking familiar arcade ideas and pushing them somewhere new. He discovered video games through Computer Space while serving in the Air Force, and in his off time he built a ball-and-paddle game that led to a position at Ramtek. Clean Sweep gave the ball-and-paddle format a new twist and helped inspire Atari's Breakout. Ramtek Baseball pushed that idea further with stronger sound, presentation, and a CRT modified so it could sit perpendicular to the Earth's magnetic field and still work. At Exidy, Ivy kept pressing for what was next. He bought a 6502 processor with his own money to prove that the company needed to move toward microprocessors. That thinking showed up in Car Polo, a soccer game with cars, and later in Circus, which became the biggest hit of his career. Vertigo pushed even further with motion controls and vector displays, but it was too complex to manufacture in that form and was retooled into Top Gunner instead. SEGA was looking to expand into the US arcade space, and Exidy was in financial trouble, so the companies moved toward an acquisition. Howell Ivy and Gene Lipkin went to Japan to negotiate the acquisition, but the deal fell apart. Ivy suspected Lipkin had made a separate deal with SEGA when he became president of SEGA Enterprises USA. When Lipkin left SEGA, the company turned to Ivy because of the work Exidy had already done with them, and he joined as VP of Manufacturing in 1986. Ivy helped SEGA contract out manufacturing to US companies, pushed Japanese designers toward polygonal graphics, consulted on Daytona USA, and negotiated the partnership with GE Aerospace. Ivy later became president of SEGA Enterprises USA before retiring from SEGA in 2004 after Sammy acquired SEGA. In retirement, he volunteered at a school engineering program that helped students send projects to the International Space Station. TCW 051 - Sons of Pong: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW051-sons-of-pong TCW 201 - Advanced Balls and Paddles Part 1: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW201-advanced-balls-and-paddles-part-1 TCW 202 - Advanced Balls and Paddles Part 2: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW202-advanced-balls-and-paddles-part-2 TCW 232 - All The Other Home Pongs: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW232-all-the-other-home-pongs Clean Sweep (Ramtek): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0OTBI9Zagw TCW 211 - Ramtek: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW211-ramtek Ramtak Baseball: https://youtu.be/vZKhpCPc34U?t=83 TCW 212 - The Exidy of the 70's: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW212-the-exidy-of-the-70s TCW 213 - The Exidy of the 80's and 90's: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW213-the-exidy-of-the-80s-and-90s Destruction Derby: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRYduNYRmPY Death Race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmQ_hj21K5k Car Polo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6-xHhi2-nI Circus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFm3b7e2tV8 The Exidy Sorcerer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iMcOY1pH1Y Crossbow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vxd_6vYJWtU TCW 075 - Gunning for Light: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW075-gunning-for-light TCW 028 - Picking up the Pieces: The US Arcade Industry After the Crash: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW028-picking-up-the-pieces-the-us-arcade-industry-after-the-crash Top Gunner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MXYF260JdE Daytona USA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAcMqFTkAs8   New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   TCW Email: [email protected]  BlueSky: @theycreateworlds.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com Alex's book: 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/

TCW Podcast Episode 262 - Vectrex   The Vectrex came with its own screen, plastic color overlays, and roots in the aerospace industry. GCE brought Smith Engineering in to design and develop digital watch games, then calculator games, before the two companies set their sights on a full home console. That console had to include its own display because home televisions could not support vector graphics. The idea took shape when engineer John Ross came across a one-inch CRT designed for aircraft instruments, and that sparked the push toward a vector-based home console. GCE knew they were too small to compete in a saturated market on their own, so they sought out a larger company with the manufacturing and marketing muscle to give the Vectrex a real shot. Milton Bradley acquired GCE in September 1982. The Vectrex launched at $199 that holiday season, right into the Video Game Crash, and cost Milton Bradley $31.6 million before Hasbro bought what was left in 1984.   TCW 199 - The History of Handheld Games Part 2: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW199-the-history-of-handheld-games-part-2 Major Matt Mason: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sNoiDT0BMw Creepy Crawlers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJOd3pPUcEo TCW 025 - Matel Electronics?: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW025-mattel-electronics TCW 177 - The Intellivision Part 1: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW177-the-intellivision-part-1 TCW 178 - The Intellivision Part 2: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW178-the-intellivision-part-2 GCE Game Time Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Bf1ShRP0sU GCE Arcade Time Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sgPMbbyfyw GCE Sports Time Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9K0Ty5MVr0 GCE Chase N Counter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeXaPOwrPq4 GCE Space N Counter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXaBH2hVnZ4 TCW 009 - The History of Mediagenic Part 1: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW009-history-of-mediagenic-part-1 TCW 010 - The History of Mediagenic Part 2: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW010-history-of-mediagenic-part-ii TCW 225 - Games By Apollo: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW225-games-by-apollo Towering Inferno (Atari): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9E4xYtUmqE Entombed (Atari): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D21cBQ8zPI TCW 080 - Vector Lights: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW080-vector-lights TCW 133 - Rolling Dice With The Parker Brothers: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW133-rolling-dice-with-the-parker-brothers Mine Storm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jPFGKVyD6E Starhawk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjv6lnt98zY Solar Quest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzPwfY82Aok Rip Off: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d-fcGnMpI8 Space Wars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTxl8WAr2WI Armor Attack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAShNvM8I9U Blitz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qend3Al4Rw Star Trek: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gzrsb5c8dB4 Cosmic Chasm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkaDXjOKMv0 Cosmic Chasm (Arcade): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-9ZRSs2ATU Berzerk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tarHYgKekeI Scramble: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tDBZwoiblQ Hyperchase: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvHKW7dnIUs Clean Sweep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2jpYm6ZwIs Vectrek Accessories: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9LLEJ63_Rw Star Castle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29ZYcNK_Fe4 Spinball: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpT29NOsASw Fortress of Narzod: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYiWPBljWHk Spike: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNsyOWHQ71s Pole Position: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfxKt4iZgRc     New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   TCW Email: [email protected]  BlueSky: @theycreateworlds.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com Alex's book: 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/

TCW Podcast Episode 261 - StarFox   Before Star Fox, there was a developer in Britain building copy protection tools, a dinner party that opened the right door, and a Game Boy prototype game that could do something it was never supposed to do. Jez San's Argonaut Software caught Nintendo's attention at CES and was invited to Japan. The meeting led to a two million dollar deal to build a custom chip to bring real 3D to the SNES. A team of Argonaut programmers moved to Japan and worked alongside Shigeru Miyamoto and Katsuya Eguchi to build one of the most technically ambitious games on the system. The Super FX chip made it possible, and a Kyoto fox shrine gave it its identity. Star Fox sold well, but its late arrival in the SNES lifecycle meant a nearly completed Star Fox 2 was shelved and not released until the SNES Classic. The collaboration that made it all possible did not end on the warmest terms. Nintendo retained some of Argonaut's programmers, and San walked away feeling the partnership had given Nintendo far more than it had given Argonaut.   TCW 017 - The British 8-bit Computer Market - Hardware: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW017-the-british-8-bit-computer-market-hardware TCW 018 - The British 8-bit Computer Market - Software: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW018-the-british-8-bit-computer-market-software TCW 049 - Old and Elite: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW049-old-and-elite Skyline Attack (C64): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXb1IlVOTVM Star Wars (Atari - Arcade): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJv94FPRddA StarGlider (ZX Spectrum): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0nxTSc-4os TCW - 130: Uncle Clive's Radionics: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW130-uncle-clives-radionics TCW 131 - Sir Clive of ZX: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW131-sir-clive-of-zx Sinclair C5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjiiayrKiuk Micro Men: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXBxV6-zamM TCW 244 - The History of Commodore Pt 1: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW244-the-history-of-commodore-pt-1 TCW 245 - The History of Commodore Pt 2: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW245-the-history-of-commodore-pt-2 TCW 246 - The History of Commodore Pt 3: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW246-the-history-of-commodore-pt-3 TCW 247 - The History of Commodore Pt 4: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW247-the-history-of-commodore-pt-4 Nintendo president Yamauchi gives a speech at Spaceworld 95: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V8tUea4Hbs&t=36s TCW 198 - The History of Handheld Games Part 1: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW198-the-history-of-handheld-games-part-1 TCW 199 - The History of Handheld Games Part 2: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW199-the-history-of-handheld-games-part-2 TCW 200 - The History of Handheld Games Part 3: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW200-the-history-of-handheld-games-part-3 Pilotwings (SNES): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A1hX1rGRfY X (Game Boy): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LETr1NoteMM Scmuplations - Star Fox 1993 Developer Interview: https://shmuplations.com/starfox/ Starblade (Arcade): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqWhFddNopM Starglider 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg3uQM83dl8 Thunderbirds S1E1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLiH4xrCITI Starfox SNES Box Art: https://gamesdb.launchbox-app.com/games/images/1659-star-fox Fushimi Inari Shrine: https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3915.html StarFox Coms (SNES): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkjR_9WVAHc Starfox Prototype: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rsRTCExBLA StarFox (SNES): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EkVHxE0Y8I       New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   TCW Email: [email protected]  BlueSky: @theycreateworlds.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com Alex's book: 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/

TCW Podcast Episode 260 - Vivendi Electric Boogaloo   How does a Canadian liquor company end up owning Universal Studios and, eventually, help create Activision Blizzard? Seagram chased diversification as liquor sales softened, tried to take over Conoco, and instead wound up with a 25% stake in DuPont that generated most of its earnings. Edgar Bronfman Jr. sold that stake to buy MCA from Matsushita, inheriting a mismanaged Universal. He then doubled down on music with a $10.6 billion PolyGram deal just as Napster, the dot com bubble, and changing listening habits blew up the old record business model. With media stocks riding high, the rest of the Bronfman family wanted out, and Jean-Marie Messier at Vivendi stepped in, using Canal+ and an all‑stock transaction to fold Seagram into Vivendi and create Vivendi Universal. On the games side, Havas Interactive and the former CUC and Cendant software assets were combined with Universal’s own games business, including the franchises of Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon, under a new label: Vivendi Universal Games. Then the bubble burst, Vivendi’s debt and deceptive cash accounting caught up with Messier, and he was forced out, leaving his successors to sell assets and manage the fallout. Inside the games group, Blizzard’s success defined the division, culminating in World of Warcraft’s launch and the later decision to combine Vivendi’s games business with Activision. That deal created Activision Blizzard, gave Vivendi a way to tap cash when its telecom business went bad, and set the stage for Activision Blizzard's eventual separation from Vivendi. Vivendi made one last, mostly unsuccessful push into games through moves on Ubisoft and the takeover of Gameloft.   TCW 064 - Rise and Fall of Infogrames Part 1: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW064-rise-and-fall-of-infogrames-part-1 TCW 065 - Rise and Fall of Infogrames Part 2: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW065-the-rise-and-fall-of-infogrames-part-2 TCW 114 - The Wizards of Sir-Tech: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW114-the-wizards-of-sir-tech TCW 115 - The Return of the Sdraziw of Sir Tech: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW115-the-return-of-the-sdraziw-of-sir-tech TCW 251 - Virgin Games: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW251-virgin-games TCW 184 - A Very Naughty Dog Pt 1: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW184-a-very-naughty-dog-pt-1 TCW 185 - A Very Naughty Dog Pt 2: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW185-a-very-naughty-dog-pt-2 Spyro the Dragon (PSX): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrVKjNR0-SE Crash Bandicoot (PSX): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HtPF0ers1w TCW 162 - Spinnaker Software: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW162-spinnaker-software TCW 071 - A Story of Brøderbund: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW071-a-story-of-broderbund TCW 072 - The Mysteries of Brøderbund: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW072-the-mysteries-of-broderbund TCW 039 - On-Line Systems: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW039-on-line-systems TCW 040 - Sierra On-Line: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW040-sierra-on-line TCW 221 - North to Hellgate London: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW221-north-to-hellgate-london TCW 249 - New World Computing: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW249-new-world-computing TCW 055 - Blizzard Hellfire and the World of Warcraft: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW055-blizzard-hellfire-and-the-world-of-warcraft Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment: https://www.amazon.com/Play-Nice-Future-Blizzard-Entertainment/dp/1538725428 Disney's Dreamlight Valley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOuZFZOVLmc   New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   TCW Email: [email protected]  BlueSky: @theycreateworlds.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com Alex's book: 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/

TCW Podcast Episode 259 - A Cendant to Vivendi   CUC International looked like a company that never missed. Quarter after quarter, just barely beating estimates, right up until the moment Henry Silverman got access to their books and found out why. When a new customer signed up, CUC booked a full year of revenue immediately, even though billing was monthly. If that customer left before the year was up, CUC never corrected the books. The money just stayed there. Perfectly functional assets were declared worthless on paper, with the supposed losses paid off using money from merger funds. That same merger money was then counted again as incoming revenue, making the company look larger and more profitable than it was. Over $500 million in income that never existed. Walter Forbes was forced to resign and was eventually convicted of the largest accounting scandal of the time. Cendant realized the software and games division itself had been part of the machinery. They sold it to French media company Havas. That sale landed in the orbit of Vivendi, a sprawling conglomerate that had started as a 19th century French waterworks company. Its CEO Jean-Marie Messier had bigger things in mind. AOL had just merged with Time Warner, and Messier was not going to watch an American walled garden of films, music, and games swallow the market he wanted to own.   TCW 258 - The Shenanigans of CUC Software: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW258-the-shenanigans-of-cuc-software TCW 039 - On-Line Systems: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW039-on-line-systems TCW 040 - Sierra On-Line: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW040-sierra-on-line TCW 054 - Blizzard: Vikings and Warcraft: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW054-blizzard-vikings-and-warcraft TCW 055 - Blizzard: Hellfire and the World… of WarCraft: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW055-blizzard-hellfire-and-the-world-of-warcraft TCW 219 - Diablo 1: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW219-diablo-1 TCW 220 - Diablo 2: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW220-diablo-2 TCW 221 - North to Hellgate London: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW221-north-to-hellgate-london TCW 230 - Crafting the World of WarCraft: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW230-crafting-the-world-of-warcraft Space Jam Website: https://www.spacejam.com/1996/ The Digital Antiquarian - The End of Sierra as We Knew It - Part 1 - The Acquisition: https://www.filfre.net/2025/04/the-end-of-sierra-as-we-knew-it-part-1-the-acquisition/ The Digital Antiquarian - The End of Sierra as We Knew It - Part 2 - The Scandal: https://www.filfre.net/2025/04/the-end-of-sierra-as-we-knew-it-part-2-the-scandal/ The Digital Antiquarian - The End of Sierra as We Knew It - Part 3 - The Dog Days of Oakhurst: https://www.filfre.net/2025/05/the-end-of-sierra-as-we-knew-it-part-3-the-dog-days-of-oakhurst/ The Digital Antiquarian - The End of Sierra as We Knew It - Part 4 - Chainsaw Monday: https://www.filfre.net/2025/05/the-end-of-sierra-as-we-knew-it-part-4-chainsaw-monday/ TCW 139 - Tec Toy and Brazil: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW139-tec-toy-and-brazil   New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   TCW Email: [email protected]  BlueSky: @theycreateworlds.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com Alex's book: 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/

TCW Podcast Episode 258 - The Shenanigans of CUC Software   Walter Forbes built CUC International from Comp-U-Card, a phone-in discount shopping club that cut out the middleman with a small markup and annual fee, not unlike a proto-Amazon Prime. As computer networks like CompuServe, Prodigy, and GEnie rose, CUC pivoted online and Forbes set his sights on the games business, joining the Sierra On-Line board and buying out Ken Williams and Davidson and Associates for a combined 1.7 billion dollars in stock swaps. Despite promises to Williams that he would not be secondary to a competitor, Bob Davidson of Davidson and Associates ended up running the software division, and when Davidson discovered something troubling enough to dump his stock and left. The cracks were beginning to show. Williams tried to take over, was not given the time of day, and eventually left. Forbes meanwhile pursued a merger with Henry Silverman's HFS, a hospitality giant owning Days Inn, Ramada, Howard Johnson, Century 21, Coldwell Banker, and Avis, forming the new conglomerate Cendant. The true depth of the shenanigans were only starting to show. How could a company consistently just barely beat analyst/market estimates?   Comp-U-Card News Brief: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6H5mdSHyNQ Credit Card Impression Machines: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/S5c2mA1cnv4 New Innovations in Credit Cards (1985): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TBD8HTssRA The Simpsons - The Truth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Nc88_ZEfxg TCW 039 - On-Line Systems: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW039-on-line-systems TCW 040 - Sierra On-Line: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW040-sierra-on-line Word Attack (PC-DOS 1983): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJf13H9Wbnk Math Blaster (PC-DOS 1983): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKi_g0g8EWQ TCW 162 - Spinnaker Software: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW162-spinnaker-software TCW 054 - Blizzard: Vikings and Warcraft: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW054-blizzard-vikings-and-warcraft TCW 071 - A story of Brøderbund!: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW071-a-story-of-broderbund TCW 072 - The MYSTeries of Brøderbund! - : https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW072-the-mysteries-of-broderbund   New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   TCW Email: [email protected]  BlueSky: @theycreateworlds.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com Alex's book: 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/

TCW Podcast Episode 257 - Nine Atari Games   The Atari VCS launched with nine games to entice consumers into the new gaming medium, and Combat set the trend of packing multiple "games" into a single cartridge. Featuring a wide array of game modes, Combat holds its own even today and served as the console's official tie-in title. Atari's partnership with Sears, however, rebranded all but one of the launch titles under different names, including Target Fun, released elsewhere as Air-Sea Battle. Many of the launch games carried multiple modes to stretch their value, and even these early titles pulled clever tricks to push past the VCS's five sprite limit. To justify the console's cost to families, Atari aimed squarely at adults with Blackjack while also including the educational game Basic Math. While many of these early titles were forgotten as more advanced games arrived over the course of the Atari VCS's life, their influence on a foundational system cannot be disputed.   Atari Archive: https://www.atariarchives.org/ Atari Archive (Youtube): https://www.youtube.com/c/AtariArchive Combat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNtI90yiOOU Air-Sea Battle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0l0AQ5LuvQM Video Olympics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rie4hsUeDuA Indy 500: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_POr4OdHhiI Street Racer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCSYY1kK9so Star Ship: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4zySJ96a4U Blackjack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nvWBin7_Rc Basic Math: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv7T4ya9hcg Surround: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhZ1wfGLq1w How to do long form Square Roots: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6evC4klO_lI TCW 051 - Sons of Pong: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW051 TCW 201 - Advanced Balls and Paddles Part 1: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW201 TCW 202 - Advanced Balls and Paddles Part 2: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW202 TCW 009 - History of Mediagenic Part 1: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW009 TCW 010 - History of Mediagenic Part 2: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW010   New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   TCW Email: [email protected]  BlueSky: @theycreateworlds.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com Alex's book: 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/

TCW Podcast Episode 256 - Cinemaware   Bob Jacob launched Cinemaware to fuse movies and video games on Amiga, hiring journalist Kellyn Beeck to design Defender of the Crown's medieval themes. Programmer John Cutter led in-house development after massive outside studio delays, tapping coder R.J. Michael for an intense programming marathon to barely hit deadline and make Defender the Amiga's killer app. Lone coders followed with Doug Sharp's janky Macintosh hypercard-style King of Chicago and Bill Williams' Sinbad, creator of Mind Walker. Licensed properties piled on, Rocket Ranger, Three Stooges, and Lords of the Rising Sun, plus TV Sports Football that inspired EA Sports' empire. Jacob chased Academy Award glory with a 1927 Wings adaptation you couldn't lose, featuring a story told by WWI pilot journals where downed fliers were memorialized via an end credits roll. With poor Amiga reception in the US, loyalty to the system cost them dearly. Pivots to consoles like obscure View-Master Interactive Vision and failed TurboGrafx-16 prevented a PC shift. Amid financial difficulties, Jacob sold Cinemaware in parts after just five years.   TCW 082 - An Unlikely Pairing of Siliwood: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW082 TCW 246 - The History of Commodore Pt 3: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW246 Kellyn Beeck - Atari Battlezone for the U.S. Army: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ppv5B6Lwcc Kellyn Beeck - The Pac-Man Zone: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ClEuynw--YQ Kellyn Beeck - Final Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfW6h1_yrvY Commodore Power Play Issue 13 (Page 66 - Who Will Design The Perfect Game? - by Kellyn Beeck): https://archive.org/details/commodore-power-play-13/page/n67/mode/2up TCW 094 - Epyx not Epic: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW094 Defender of the Crown: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1qqoczc0m8 SDI (Amiga): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLOAkpOKWno The King of Chicago (Macintosh): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2Oi6a68MqE The King of Chicago (Amiga): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLaDhmIdvcs Mind Walker (Amiga): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NygI9u_10Vs Sinbad and the Throne of the Falcon (Amiga): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flpTfx0jaMw The Three Stooges (Amiga): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAu-XvxV3zs Rocket Ranger (Amiga): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6vIHcxGyIA Lords of the Rising Sun (Amiga): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAfMrJ3rpSw TV Sports Football (TurboGrafx 16): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKYCgHhHquM TV Sports Basketball (Amiga): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gdIRB-6s_k Wings (Amiga): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL-qtxNgoHU Wings (1927 Film): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jf7Qn1IJsY View-Master Interactive Vision (Sesame Street): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7ZciCfgjmg View-Master Interactive Vision (Muppets - You're the Director): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i56ym5vZpQU View-Master Interactive Vision (Disney Interactive Arcade): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31QN5aT_RHw Green Eyed Lady by Sugarloaf: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYbmls7c8EM Aspen Interactive Movie Map: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hf6LkqgXPMU TCW 042 - Laser Craze: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW042 Them! (1954 Trailer): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4URRp39XOo It Came From the Desert (Amiga): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8LaMMSEs5Q It Came From the Desert (Turbo Grafx 16): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVFQXnukUvQ   New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   TCW Email: [email protected]  BlueSky: @theycreateworlds.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com Alex's book: 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/

TCW Podcast Episode 255 - The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind   After Arena and Daggerfall's triumphs, Julian LeFay's Battlespire spinoff marked his last hand in the Elder Scrolls universe. Amid conflicts while working on other projects, LeFay left. Ted Peterson had already departed after Daggerfall. This left Bethesda Softworks with none of the original creators for the next Elder Scrolls. Development stalled amid Bethesda turmoil, spawning Redguard which introduced the Pocket Guide to the Empire, an unreliable in-universe narrator that sowed mystery and deep worldbuilding for Tamriel's forged empire. New lead Todd Howard ditched procedural generation for handcrafted openness where everything interacted. Morrowind featured quests like the falling wizard and pantsless Hentus, hiding logical lore amid hundreds of books blending mythology, humor, and misdirection. Morrowind launched on PC and Xbox at a dire hour for Bethesda. It's make-or-break success rescued the studio from probable collapse in a dark time.   The Elder Scrolls Legend - Battlespire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk9uKElPCJQ Pensacola Wings of Gold (S1E1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDVuiLIKLAE The Elder Scrolls Adventures - Redguard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7-Hup8Pqms The Terminator - Skynet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD4ZLkbnDCA Pocket Guide to the Empire (1st Edition): https://i.4pcdn.org/tg/1393284074508.pdf RCW 144 - Ascension into the Black Gate: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW144 The-Spolier.com: https://the-spoiler.com/RPG/New.World.Computing/Might..magic.6.html Might & Magic VI - Solution by J Pike: https://rpggamers.com/walkthrough/might-magic-vi-mandate-of-heaven Might & Magic VI - Solution by Mike Marcelais: https://rpggamers.com/walkthrough/might-and-magic-vi-solution Morrowind - A Falling Wizard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWVKMMxCgY4 Morrowind - Hentus Needs Pants: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSSv1mcI_GM The Elder Scrolls - Morrowind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVFyDmd9RsA Morrowind Map: https://en.uesp.net/maps/mwmap/mwmap.html   New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   TCW Email: [email protected]  BlueSky: @theycreateworlds.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com Alex's book: 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/

TCW Podcast Episode 254 - The Elder Scrolls: Arena & Daggerfall   Bethesda Softworks, founded in 1985 by Christopher Weaver with sports titles like Gridiron and Wayne Gretzky Hockey along with licenses like The Terminator, pivoted to RPGs. Demo scene legend Julian LeFay hired Vijay Lakshman as designer and buffer to management so LeFay could focus on games. Together they birthed The Elder Scrolls: Arena, a gladiator combat simulator that morphed, nine months into a 13-month development cycle, into a first-person 3D epic inspired by Ultima Underworld. Arena evolved from a combat management game to a full RPG with a procedurally generated world, unique races like Argonians and Khajiit, and a plot to topple the wizard Tharn. With the second game, LeFay, challenged by Sandy Petersen's claim that CRPGs could never match tabletop RPGs, made Daggerfall a massive world the size of Great Britain: 15,000 cities, towns, and dungeons; 44 regions; 100 factions; skill leveling based on what players actually did; and reputation grinds to unlock quests and plot. Ted Peterson, who took over lead design after Lakshman left, wove a complex plot with gray themes, diverse motivations, and moral quandaries into a simulator packed with layered systems rather than pure RPG simplicity. It sold out the initial run, hit 700,000 units, and became Bethesda's best game yet, bringing fresh air to a fallow RPG era!   TCW 156 - Madden for Some Football: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW156 Gridiron (Amiga): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0q7sc_T3FU Wayne Gretzky Hockey (NES): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1Apj9IRcpQ Tell Me Your Name (Russia Heat): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYpcZ2NfMYU (Explicit) Sodan & Magician 42 - TechTech (Amiga): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mB5CujcTN8A Terminator 2029 (PC/DOS): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-PBi-N1hQo Flesh+Blood (Trailer): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVyLe-k16gw Jason And The Argonauts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq4requMqvY Khajit/Khajiit Has Wares: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/khajiit-khajiit-has-wares Ultima Underworld: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ee4PUcpGSn8 The Elder Scrolls: Arena (Box Art): https://bigboxcollection.com/TESArena.3DBox The Elder Scrolls: Arena: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjEn6ETA7EM What Do You Do With a B.A. in English? (Avenue Q): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYenQEjvlD0 Walk Across the Entire Map in Dragonfall Unity (Timelapse 512x): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xTvdK88cww The Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpX5y6jiafg   New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   TCW Email: [email protected]  BlueSky: @theycreateworlds.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com Alex's book: 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/