They Create Worlds

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: feedback@theycreateworlds.com 

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: feedback@theycreateworlds.com 

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: feedback@theycreateworlds.com 

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: feedback@theycreateworlds.com 

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: feedback@theycreateworlds.com 

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/