They Create Worlds
Technology
About
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
Episodes
- The Shenanigans of CUC Software
This episode discusses Walter Forbes's CUC International, starting as Comp-U-Card and evolving with online services and acquisitions in the games industry. It covers the formation of Cendant and hints at financial irregularities within the…
- Nine Atari Games
The They Create Worlds podcast, Episode 257, reviews the nine Atari VCS launch games. It details how Combat set a trend for multi-game cartridges and discusses other titles like Air-Sea Battle, Blackjack, and Basic Math, noting their modes…
- Cinemaware
Bob Jacob founded Cinemaware to merge film and video games, beginning with Defender of the Crown on Amiga. Despite challenges including internal development, licensed properties, and platform pivots to consoles like View-Master Interactive…
- The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind
This episode discusses the development of The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind, noting the departure of original creators, Bethesda
- The Elder Scrolls: Arena & Daggerfall
This episode covers the creation of The Elder Scrolls: Arena and Daggerfall. Arena began as a gladiator simulator before becoming a first-person RPG with procedural generation. Daggerfall expanded on this with a massive world, skill-based…
- Masanobu Endō
TCW Podcast Episode 253 - Masanobu Endō Masanobu Endō is one of Japan's most important game designers, yet remains relatively unknown in the West. Starting from an uncertain role at Namco, he first made his mark by turning Dig Dug play not…
- A Guitar Hero
TCW Podcast Episode 252 - A Guitar Hero The rise and fall of the Guitar Hero franchise and the rhythm game craze of the mid to late 2000s. Red Octane got its start making Dance Dance Revolution pads, but a partnership with Harmonix Music S…
- Virgin Games
TCW Podcast Episode 251 - Virgin Games As a companion piece to our Mastertronic episode, we look at the rise and fall of Virgin Games. Beginning with Richard Branson’s mail-order record business and the success of Virgin Records, the compa…
- Mastertronic
TCW Podcast Episode 250 - Mastertronic From budget software publisher to the gateway for SEGA’s entry into Europe, we look at the rise and fall of Mastertronic. Initially shunned by high street retailers, the company found success supplyin…
- New World Computing
TCW Podcast Episode 249 - New World Computing We look at the rise and fall of New World Computing through the career of Jon Van Caneghem. Coming from the era of the lone programmer as the industry shifted toward larger development houses,…
- An Act of Control
TCW Podcast Episode 248 - An Act of Control We look at Japan’s Act on Control and Improvement of Amusement Business and its impact on the arcade industry in Japan. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, video games became increasingly popular…
- The History of Commodore Pt 4
TCW Podcast Episode 247 - The History of Commodore Pt 4 The final chapter of our Commodore series covers the company’s chaotic decline. After early success with the Amiga line, internal conflict grew under President Tom Rattigan, who wante…
- The History of Commodore Pt 3
TCW Podcast Episode 246 - The History of Commodore Pt 3 After Jack Tramiel left Commodore and founded Tramel Technology, the company pressed on with mixed results. Systems like the SX 64, the C900, the Plus/4, the C16, and the C116 failed…
- The History of Commodore Pt 2
TCW Podcast Episode 245 - The History of Commodore Pt 2 Commodore’s shift from calculators to computers began with the PET, which found success in Europe as a business machine. After seeing the ZX80 in Britain, Jack Tramiel pushed for an a…
- The History of Commodore Pt 1
TCW Podcast Episode 244 - The History of Commodore Pt 1 We kick off our look at Commodore with the story of its founder, Jack Tramiel. A Holocaust survivor who emigrated to the United States, Tramiel began repairing lamps and typewriters b…
- RCA Studio II
TCW Podcast Episode 243 - RCA Studio II The RCA Studio II emerged from the company’s faltering computer division and the vision of engineer Joseph Weisbecker, who had long dreamed of personal computing after reading "Giant Brains or Machin…
- Fumito Ueda
TCW Podcast Episode 242- Fumito Ueda Fumito Ueda entered game design through art rather than a love of traditional play. Influenced by titles like Flashback and Another World, he sought to tell stories with minimal interfaces and expansive…
- The First 10 Years of European Consoles
TCW Podcast Episode 241 - The First 10 Years of European Consoles The first decade of European consoles began with imports of the Magnavox Odyssey, but soon local experiments took shape. In Spain, the Overkal may have been tied to a possib…
- Nintendo: Playing with Mii & Wii
TCW Podcast Episode 240 - Nintendo: Playing with Mii & Wii From DS touch-and-stylus play to living-room motion, we trace Nintendo's road to Wii. Nintendogs and Brain Age broadened the audience to parents and grandparents. After cold recept…
- Nintendo: Wii Were Struggling
TCW Podcast Episode 239 - Nintendo: Wii Were Struggling Nintendo’s struggle for cultural relevance in the lead-up to the Wii was marked by the N64’s poor fit for Japanese homes and the GameCube’s failure to outsell even the fledgling Xbox…
- Quake
TCW Podcast Episode 238 - Quake We dive into the development of Quake, the ambitious and turbulent follow-up to Doom from ID Software. John Carmack set out to build a groundbreaking engine featuring full 3D rendering, dynamic lighting, and…
- Jordan Mechner and Price of Persia
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…
- Jordan Mechner and Karateka
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 b…
- Coin-op Legends of Japan
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 l…
- Yu Suzuki
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,…
- Baldur's Gate
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…
- All the Other Home Pongs
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 ac…
- Street Fighter 2
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…
- Crafting the World of WarCraft
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 Ulti…
- US Gold
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 gamin…
- PopCap Games
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 i…
- Donkey Kong
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 Ka…
- Ray Kassar
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 o…
- Games by Apollo
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 b…
- D&D & Video Games 3E
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 g…
- D&D & Video Games 2E
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, bro…
- D&D & Video Games 1E
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…
- North to Hellgate London
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…
- Diablo 2
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 develop…
- Diablo 1
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 surpris…
- The 100 Games Redux - The Revival
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 previousl…
- The Games of Ed Logg
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 p…
- The 100 Games Redux - The Removal
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 ch…
- Final Fantasy VII
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…
- The Neo Geo
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 s…
- The Exidy of the 80's and 90's
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 w…
- The Exidy of the 70's
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,…
- Ramtek
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 foc…
- Accolade Part 2
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 de…
- Accolade Part 1
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 platfor…