TCW Podcast Episode 237 - Jordan Mechner and Price of Persia We continue our look at Jordan Mechner with the development of Prince of Persia. Its cinematic inspirations include Castles of Dr. Creep, the opening of Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the 1938 Robin Hood. To animate the prince, Mechner filmed his brother performing stunts, then manually painted key frames, painting his brother white and the background black to make the footage compatible with a limited digitizer. Memory constraints force...
Jul 01, 2025•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 237
TCW Podcast Episode 236 - Jordan Mechner and Karateka This episode explores the early life of Jordan Mechner and the making of Karateka. We cover his Jewish family’s escape from Nazi Europe, his years at Yale, and his struggle to choose between careers in film, art, and game design. Drawing on lessons from arcade games, Mechner formed core design principles that shaped his approach. He also worked closely with his father, Francis Mechner—best known for composing the game's music—who served as a ...
Jun 15, 2025•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 236
TCW Podcast Episode 235- Coin-op Legends of Japan Long before they entered the world of video games, a generation of Japanese entrepreneurs built their fortunes in the coin-operated amusement business. In this episode, we trace the early lives and business ventures of five pioneering founders who helped lay the groundwork for companies like Tehkan (later Tecmo), Sammy, and IPM (later IREM). These are personal stories rarely told in English — tales of hustle, reinvention, and the road from postwa...
Jun 01, 2025•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 235
TCW Podcast Episode 234 - Yu Suzuki Often called SEGA’s Shigeru Miyamoto, Yu Suzuki redefined arcade gaming through innovation and ambition. He pioneered immersive cabinets like Hang-On's rideable motorcycle and After Burner’s flight sim, and used sprite scaling to simulate 3D in hits like Space Harrier and OutRun. His work culminated in the R360 G-LOC—a gyroscopic cabinet offering full 360° motion. Suzuki later led SEGA into 3D with Virtua Racing and Virtua Fighter, and pushed console design fo...
May 15, 2025•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 234
TCW Podcast Episode 233 - Baldur's Gate When three doctors, a prolific dungeon master, a database programmer, and a writer come together to make video games, you get Baldur’s Gate! Often credited with saving the Western RPG, Baldur’s Gate became a phenomenal hit, taking full advantage of Microsoft’s new DirectX API and Windows 95. With this technology, the team created massive, beautiful maps for players to explore. They began shopping their new Infinity Engine around—drawing attention from top ...
May 01, 2025•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 233
TCW Podcast Episode 232 - All the Other Home Pongs The home Pong market of the mid-1970s extended far beyond the big three—Atari, Coleco, and Magnavox. Numerous smaller companies entered the scene, not only in the United States but also across Europe and other parts of the world. As the home gaming industry rapidly evolved, many manufacturers introduced unique systems powered by integrated circuits. The market truly took off with the advent of “Pong-on-a-Chip” technology, which made it possible ...
Apr 15, 2025•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 232
TCW Podcast Episode 231- Street Fighter 2 Street Fighter 2 is often credited with reviving the arcade scene in the early 1990s. While it successfully brought back the must-have arcade game mentality, it couldn’t stop the overall decline of arcades. The original Street Fighter was influenced by many sources, including Bruce Lee’s Game of Death, anime like Fist of the North Star, and Space Battleship Yamato. With the rise of beat 'em ups following Double Dragon, Capcom released Street Fighter 89, ...
Apr 01, 2025•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 231
TCW Podcast Episode 230 - Crafting the World of WarCraft World of Warcraft has stood the test of time for twenty years, and now we can explore the fascinating history behind its creation. The developers drew inspiration from MMOs like Ultima Online, EverQuest, Anarchy Online, Dark Age of Camelot, and more, incorporating what they loved while tackling unique challenges. From art style and storytelling to quest design, factions, and PvP, every aspect of the game presented obstacles to overcome. De...
Mar 15, 2025•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 230
TCW Podcast Episode 229 - US Gold US Gold started as an importer of American games before becoming a dominant force in the British gaming industry. Partnering with Ocean Software, they formed a duopoly that shaped the UK and European gaming markets, bringing top titles to 8-bit computers and later expanding into consoles—US Gold backing SEGA while Ocean focused on Nintendo. When competitors began importing Japanese games, US Gold responded by securing a deal with Capcom to port its arcade hits t...
Mar 01, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 229
TCW Podcast Episode 228 - PopCap Games PopCap Games was initially overlooked by the larger gaming industry due to its focus on fun, well-designed, and polished casual games. Their first major hit, Bejeweled, became a consistent source of income, allowing PopCap to invest time in developing new titles. This led to the creation of Peggle, which helped solidify PopCap’s reputation, particularly after developers at Valve became hooked on the game’s deeper skill-based mechanics and puzzles. The succe...
Feb 15, 2025•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 228
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...
Feb 01, 2025•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 227
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 Bu...
Jan 15, 2025•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 226
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 create...
Jan 01, 2025•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 225
TCW Podcast Episode 224 - D&D & Video Games 3E In our final look at D&D & Video Games, we explore the early PC and mainframe computer scene, as well as the games created by fans of D&D. Various aspects of D&D were incorporated into these games, ranging from puzzles and light combat to full-on dungeon dives to claim treasure from the deepest levels. These games grew in popularity and led to others iterating on the aspects they enjoyed. Games on the PLATO system—such as Ped...
Dec 15, 2024•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 224
TCW Podcast Episode 223 - D&D & Video Games 2E In the second part of our exploration of Dungeons & Dragons and its connection to video games, we examine the game’s refinement and rise in popularity. D&D was a groundbreaking experience, brought to life through Gary Gygax’s collaboration with others, particularly Dave Arneson, who developed many of its foundational concepts. The game evolved from miniature wargaming focused on medieval combat, with Tolkien-inspired high fantasy ele...
Dec 01, 2024•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 223
TCW Podcast Episode 222 - D&D & Video Games 1E In the first part of this series, we explore the various influences leading to the creation of Dungeons & Dragons. This episode is an edited version of our livestream, delving into the rise in popularity of war games, board games, and miniatures. Avalon Hill, a major company in this field, published The General magazine, which helped players connect for games. Through opponent-wanted ads resembling today’s unmoderated forums and the disc...
Nov 15, 2024•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 222
TCW Podcast Episode 221 - North to Hellgate London In a pseudo part three of our look at Condor and Blizzard North, we explore the troubles the company faced after a year and a half of crunch. David, Max, and Eric were all burned out along with the rest of the staff. David was going through a divorce and had trouble putting his heart into figuring out what the next game would be. Due to lack of leadership and a proper chain of command, many employees felt frustrated switching games over and over...
Nov 01, 2024•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 221
TCW Podcast Episode 220 - Diablo 2 We continue exploring the Diablo franchise with Diablo 2 and the journey of the team at Blizzard North. This episode covers the history of the Hellfire expansion for Diablo 1 and how it came to be developed by Sierra Online. A directive was issued for Blizzard North to focus on creating Diablo 2. The team aimed not just to create a bigger dungeon but to expand the game’s overall scope. However, the development of Diablo 2 faced challenges like feature creep, ex...
Oct 15, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 220
TCW Podcast Episode 219 - Diablo 1 We explore the monumental game Diablo! Initially a collaborative effort between David Brevik, Erich Schaefer, and Max Schaefer, Diablo brought together elements from games like X-Com, Angband, and surprisingly NHL '94. The trio formed the company Condor, producing NFL games and a Street Fighter clone called Justice League Task Force for the SEGA Genesis. At CES, they discovered another company developing the SNES port of Justice League, Blizzard Entertainment. ...
Oct 01, 2024•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 219
TCW Podcast Episode 218 - The 100 Games Redux - The Revival We’re back to revisit the 100 most influential games, this time with your feedback! We’ve made many changes to the list and even brought back some of the games that were previously cut. A huge thank you to everyone who wrote in, left a comment on YouTube, or reached out to us in other ways. Although we couldn’t read every single comment, we’ve carefully considered all the feedback and appreciate everyone for sharing their thoughts! Many...
Sep 15, 2024•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 218
TCW Podcast Episode 217 - The Games of Ed Logg Ed Logg had a long and distinguished career in Atari's coin-op division. Initially aspiring to be a math professor, his path changed after encountering the Atari 2600 at a friend's Christmas party. While at Atari, Logg created the legendary game Asteroids, which became a massive success. He continued his streak with Super Breakout and co-created Centipede with Dona Bailey. Inspired by his son's love of Dungeons & Dragons, and the game Dandy, Log...
Sep 01, 2024•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 217
TCW Podcast Episode 216 - The 100 Games Redux - The Removal We revisit our list of the top 100 most influential games, making decisions on what to keep, remove, or change. We’ve removed 19 games and altered another—do you agree with our choices? What would you add or remove? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Email us at feedback@TheyCreateWorlds.com to make your case. We’ll use your feedback in our September 15, 2024 episode, where we will revisit the list, add new games, and reorder the top 20. ...
Aug 15, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 216
TCW Podcast Episode 215 - Final Fantasy VII Final Fantasy VII holds a special place in the hearts of many gamers. For some, it was the first time they really connected with a JRPG. For others, it marked the transition from pixel art games to 3D gaming. Final Fantasy VII owes much to the storytelling work of its predecessor, Final Fantasy VI, led by Yoshinori Kitase. Kitase used his love of filmmaking to add an artistic flair to games, improving on the static scenes most games relied on. With Fin...
Aug 01, 2024•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 215
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 199...
Jul 15, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 214
TCW Podcast Episode 213 - The Exidy of the 80's and 90's In our second part, we look at Exidy as we wrap up the 70s and explore their products of the 80s and 90s. They continued developing microprocessor games with a variation on Pac-Man with Mouse Trap. The game was moderately successful during the downturn in the mid-80s. Exidy tried to leverage the power of an Atari 400 computer to create arcade machines with their Max-A-Flex system. Unfortunately, only four games were produced for the system...
Jul 01, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 213
TCW Podcast Episode 212 - The Exidy of the 70's Following our examination of Ramtek, we now turn to Exidy, founded by Pete Kauffman and Samuel Hawes. Exidy began by producing Pong variants during the Pong boom. John Metzler joined in 1975, creating Destruction Darby, later licensed to Chicago Coin as Demolition Derby. After Metzler left, Howell Ivy revamped the game into the notorious Death Race '98, the first nationwide controversial video game for violence. Exidy's first microprocessor-based g...
Jun 15, 2024•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 212
TCW Podcast Episode 211 - Ramtek Ramtek was an unlikely entrant into the video game space. Starting off as employees of Data Disc Corporation, Charles McEwan and John Metzler aimed to use technology to positively impact society. With a focus on high-end displays, money was slow to come in. A local bar, Andy Capp's Tavern, frequented by company's engineers, served as a test site for the new Atari Pong arcade game. Fascinated by Pong, Ramtek's engineers decided to create their own version, marking...
Jun 01, 2024•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 211
TCW Podcast Episode 210 - Accolade Part 2 In our second look at Accolade, we cover the company’s gradual decline in the 90's leading to its acquisition by Infogrames. The desire to expand into console games grew too strong, and Accolade decided to save money on production costs by clean-room engineering the lockout mechanism on the SEGA Genesis. Meanwhile, SEGA was working on an internal revision that would tie their trademarked logo into the startup handshake. This would give them the leverage ...
May 15, 2024•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 210
TCW Podcast Episode 209 - Accolade Part 1 In part one of a two-part retrospective, we explore how the pressures of the North American video game crash combined with the desire to create more sophisticated products for home computer platforms led Alan Miller and Bob Whitehead to leave Activision and establish their own company, Accolade. Publishing a mix of internally developed and third-party product, Accolade finds success through several popular sports franchises, including Hardball, Jack Nick...
May 01, 2024•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 209
TCW Podcast Episode 208 - Two Dunes: The Battle for Arrakis In this episode, we delve into the expansive universe of Dune, a rich tapestry woven with themes, warnings, and boundless inspiration. Its profound impact extends beyond literature, influencing science fiction and serving as a wellspring of creativity for writers, artists, and futurists alike. Our focus shifts to the realm of gaming as we explore the intricate landscape of adaptations, particularly the simultaneous development of two la...
Apr 15, 2024•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 208
