They Create Worlds

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 to gain traction, which led to the development of the C128. It improved on the C64 in many ways, but because so many games relied on C64 quirks, Commodore included a full C64 mode to preserve compatibility, so software support was poor. During this period Amiga was shopping its advanced chipset and entered a tentative agreement with Atari, but Jack’s impending purchase of Atari from Warner disrupted the arrangement. Commodore stepped in to pay off the outstanding note, which led to Commodore acquiring Amiga outright. This set the stage for the Amiga 1000, its famous bouncing ball demo, and a new chapter in Commodore’s history as the company entered the sixteen bit era   TCW 2025 Livestream: https://youtu.be/BXXAhEVD4Lk   Computer Chronicles Revisited - SMOliva: https://computerchronicles.blog/post/computer-chronicles-revisited-038-atari-520st-commodore-128/   Computer Chronicles Revisited - SMOliva: https://computerchronicles.blog/post/computer-chronicles-revisited-052-amiga-workbench-deluxe-paint-neochrome-vip-professional/   Commodore C900: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbVjNInzrw8 Commodore SX-64: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIGjT-RjNbk Commodore Plus 4 C16 & C116: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICiZbUypMlQ XKCD - Workflow: https://xkcd.com/1172/ Star Raiders (Atari 8-bit): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwqMqmo_jho Joyboard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdFzdz3o1hU Boing Demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlAhRJjOhDg Amiga 1000: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjapiUQOi2s Launch Event of the Amiga in 1985: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OeQ5uzm-Qs Amiga 1000 Sidcar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPfArIhoy0s   TCW 172 - The Computer Price Wars Pt 1: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-computer-price-wars-part-1/ TCW 173 - The Computer Wars Pt 2: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-computer-wars-part-2/ TCW 174 - The Computer Wars Pt 3: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-computer-wars-part-3/   New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   TCW Email: feedback@theycreateworlds.com  Twitter: @tcwpodcast Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com Alex's book, published Dec 2019, is available at CRC Press and at major on-line retailers: http://bit.ly/TCWBOOK1   Intro Music: Josh Woodward - Airplane Mode -  Music - "Airplane Mode" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/song/AirplaneMode  Outro Music: RoleMusic - Bacterial Love: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rolemusic/Pop_Singles_Compilation_2014/01_rolemusic_-_bacterial_love    Copyright: Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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 affordable home computer, leading to the VIC-20. Guided by marketing manager Michael S. Tomczyk, Commodore promoted the VIC-20 as “the friendly computer” with William Shatner as spokesman. It first launched in Japan before reaching the United States and Europe, becoming a hit worldwide. Building on that success, Commodore released the C64, featuring the powerful SID sound chip and far more memory than its competitors. Marketed again under Tomczyk’s direction at a price under six hundred dollars, the C64 became one of the best-selling computers of all time, driving Commodore’s revenue past a billion dollars and securing its place in computing history.   TCW 2025 Livestream: https://youtu.be/BXXAhEVD4Lk   TCW 165 - Allied Leisure: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/allied-leisure/ TCW 172 - The Computer Price Wars Part 1: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-computer-price-wars-part-1/ TCW 173 - The Computer Price Wars Part 2: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-computer-wars-part-2/ TCW 174 - The Computer Price Wars Part 3: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-computer-wars-part-3/ TCW 130 - Uncle Clive's Radionics: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/uncle-clives-radionics/ TCW 131 -  Sir Clive of ZX: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/sir-clive-of-zx/   KIM-1 Computer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMxOWngmy8I The 8-Bit Guy - Commodore PET: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP9y_7it3ZM The 8-Bit Guy - Commodore VIC-20: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yg04GyhS3ss The 8-Bit Guy - Commodore C64: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpXFB8ZEH30 Commodore VIC-20 Commercials: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak0YU8ymkBc Wiliam Shatner VIC-20 Commercials: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JAU9Ntpoms Commodore 64 Commercials: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd_yiMhu1DM   New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   TCW Email: feedback@theycreateworlds.com  Twitter: @tcwpodcast Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com Alex's book, published Dec 2019, is available at CRC Press and at major on-line retailers: http://bit.ly/TCWBOOK1   Intro Music: Josh Woodward - Airplane Mode -  Music - "Airplane Mode" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/song/AirplaneMode  Outro Music: RoleMusic - Bacterial Love: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rolemusic/Pop_Singles_Compilation_2014/01_rolemusic_-_bacterial_love    Copyright: Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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 before founding a typewriter import business in Toronto. His early success was nearly undone by the Atlantic Acceptance financial scandal, which forced him into partnership with investor Irving Gould. Commodore’s venture into calculators nearly bankrupted the company, but the acquisition of MOS Technology set the stage for its move into computers. This episode explores the corporate maneuvering, twists of fate, and personal drive that shaped Commodore’s early years. Featuring audience input, it’s the start of a lively three-part (and possibly four-part) deep dive into one of computing’s most fascinating companies.   TCW 2025 Livestream: https://youtu.be/BXXAhEVD4Lk   Jack Tramiel 1983 Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5skpKlVOqc Commodore - A Company On The Edge by Brian Bagnall: https://archive.org/details/commodorecompany0000bagn/page/n1/mode/2up Computer Chronicles Revisited - SMOliva: https://computerchronicles.blog/post/computer-chronicles-revisited-107-koalapainter-the-wine-steward-skate-or-die-master-composer-keyboard-controlled-sequencer/#the-atlantic-acceptance-scandal-and-irving-goulds-takeover   New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   TCW Email: feedback@theycreateworlds.com  Twitter: @tcwpodcast Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com Alex's book, published Dec 2019, is available at CRC Press and at major on-line retailers: http://bit.ly/TCWBOOK1     Intro Music: Josh Woodward - Airplane Mode -  Music - "Airplane Mode" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/song/AirplaneMode  Outro Music: RoleMusic - Bacterial Love: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rolemusic/Pop_Singles_Compilation_2014/01_rolemusic_-_bacterial_love    Copyright: Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Explore the fascinating journey of the RCA Studio II, a home gaming console that aimed to innovate but faltered due to primitive graphics. Dive into Joseph Weisbecker's vision for personal computing and how his basement prototypes led to RCA's entry into the gaming market. Learn about RCA's struggles, the challenges of FCC approvals, and the impact of fierce competition from Atari and others. Discover how the legacy of the Studio II lived on in international markets and how history rediscovered this overlooked piece of gaming lore.

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 environments rich in mood. After early work on D and Enemy Zero, Sony gave him a trial period that led to ICO, a game shaped by surreal landscapes inspired by Giorgio de Chirico and a hand-holding mechanic to convey emotional connection. ICO struggled in Japan but became a critical hit abroad, influencing games from Uncharted 3, The Last of Us, Dark Souls, and Journey. Ueda expanded his ideas in Shadow of the Colossus, a meditation on cruelty and consequence that inspired epic boss battles in other franchises such as God of War. His long-delayed The Last Guardian explored companionship through a giant creature, though with mixed reception. Now independent, Ueda continues to shape gaming with projects yet to be revealed.   Punch Out (Arcade): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1T8hoeVpdV0 Space Harrier (Arcade): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEWGnj12GO4 The Legend of Zelda (Famicom Disc System): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsmXV06PwnM Smash Ping Pong (Famicom): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd5QSxyG3Z0 Flashback (Amiga): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNTnRM77XuE Another World (Amiga): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLC_Un9lNPw D's Diner - Director's Cut (3DO): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7G1NuWciEE Enemy Zero (SEGA Saturn): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmkfgDNihZ0 PaRappa the Rapper (PSX): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97k0Dy8JweM Prince of Persia (Game Boy): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thAmYGc37pA Virtua Fighter (Arcade): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7HQ2vspMHA Hello Pac-Man (SNES): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5IOwrutZmM Lemmings (Amiga): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuiyFXMjGxA Chuck Jones - The Evolution of an Artist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHpXle4NqWI ICO Leap of Faith (PS3): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WWr_7CoIzY Giorgio de Chirico: https://www.wikiart.org/en/giorgio-de-chirico/all-works ICO cover - Japan: https://www.mobygames.com/game/5158/ico/cover/group-79093/cover-214724/ Uncharted 3 (PS5): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZFYTHMsLUc Zelda Twilight Princess: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJPhioaehIY Journey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkL94nKSd2M FEZ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm9XRDlNDK4 The Last of Us (PS3): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJPKTCpL1ws Prince of Persia - The Sands of Time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34s9b6sLMjk Dark Souls (PS3): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdpdkd2eNmE ICO (PS2): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIzZkGP3SUk Grand Theft Auto 3 (PS2): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZMyBAjQ-QE Shadow of the Colossus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiB8MEJN-QU God of War 2 (PS2): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Pgks8w-HK8 The Last Guardian (PS4): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6ssIkVxg_k   New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   TCW Email: feedback@theycreateworlds.com  Twitter: @tcwpodcast Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com Alex's book, published Dec 2019, is available at CRC Press and at major on-line retailers: http://bit.ly/TCWBOOK1     Intro Music: Josh Woodward - Airplane Mode -  Music - "Airplane Mode" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/song/AirplaneMode  Outro Music: RoleMusic - Bacterial Love: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rolemusic/Pop_Singles_Compilation_2014/01_rolemusic_-_bacterial_love    Copyright: Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Dive into the fascinating evolution of European consoles, beginning with the Magnavox Odyssey and local innovations like Spain's Overkal. Learn how early dedicated systems from UK and German companies paved the way for more advanced programmable consoles. Discover the pivotal moment when technology like the 'Pong on a Chip' transformed production, and explore how the influx of American companies changed the landscape, coinciding with the North American video game crash that reshaped gaming in Europe.

The podcast dives into Nintendo's journey from the DS to the revolutionary Wii, highlighting how titles like Nintendogs and Brain Age attracted new players. It reveals the origins of the Wii's motion technology, giving credit to inventor Tom Quinn. The discussion includes exciting moments from E3 reveals, the creation of family-friendly gaming with Miis, and the Wii's overall impact on the gaming culture. Listeners will appreciate insights into Nintendo's strategies to engage diverse demographics and the challenges faced during this transformative era.

Nintendo grappled with its identity as it faced stiff competition and internal power struggles before the Wii's success. The discussion highlights Satoru Iwata's rise and his transformative impact on the company, juxtaposed with the challenges of previous consoles. The innovative leap into motion controls and the cultural shifts that revitalized Nintendo's appeal are explored. Listeners also enjoy nostalgic reflections on gaming history and the excitement of celebrating 40 years of Nintendo at events like DragonCon.

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 client-server multiplayer. This pushed the technical boundaries in a pre-GPU world. To achieve this, he brought in legendary programmer Michael Abrash from Microsoft, selling him on the vision of Quake as a step toward the metaverse as imagined in Snow Crash. Meanwhile, John Romero envisioned Quake as a fantasy RPG inspired by a character from his D&D campaign, but lack of direction and his growing obsession with Deathmatch led to team frustration and eventual fallout. The result was a game that redefined first-person shooters and laid the groundwork for decades of engine development. It also marked the end of an era at ID with the ouster of John Romero.   TCW 030 - DOOM!: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/doom-1479057917/ TCW 197 - The ID of Game Development: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-id-of-game-development/ Doom States and DeHackEd: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTa3diypjv4 P2P vs Dedicated Servers?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt3ZLHKcP2U Token Ring - The Betamax of Networking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjLctlmZSp4 Artie - The Strongest Man In the World: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6Bh3LskNbs Space Strike (DOS): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtDdEuKFQps Cosmic Crusader (DOS): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKOTa5iQAw8 Big Top (DOS): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXUCacgF72M Snack Attack II (DOS): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu-SEjcnnjo So You Haven't Read "Snow Crash": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO64ZhBYy9E Ramblings in Realtime by Michael Abrash: https://www.bluesnews.com/abrash/ QuakeWorld Launch Event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXw6BkZ-gdY Quake (DOS 6.22): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyLC1vR9oGk Quake Longplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7GagGXXUtI Excerpt Quake Postmortem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2OE-74bTQw   New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   TCW Email: feedback@theycreateworlds.com  Twitter: @tcwpodcast Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com Alex's book, published Dec 2019, is available at CRC Press and at major on-line retailers: http://bit.ly/TCWBOOK1     Intro Music: Josh Woodward - Airplane Mode -  Music - "Airplane Mode" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/song/AirplaneMode  Outro Music: RoleMusic - Bacterial Love: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rolemusic/Pop_Singles_Compilation_2014/01_rolemusic_-_bacterial_love    Copyright: Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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 forced creative solutions, like XORing the prince and bit shifting him to create Shadow Man. A promising film project delayed the game’s release, but Prince of Persia launched on the Apple II with groundbreaking animation. A strong Macintosh port and renewed interest following Disney’s Aladdin helped turn the game into a hit across the early 1990s.   The Making of Prince of Persia: https://www.jordanmechner.com/en/books/journals/ TCW 172 - The Computer Price Wars Part 1: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-computer-price-wars-part-1/ TCW 173 - The Computer Price Wars Part 2: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-computer-wars-part-2/ TCW 174 - The Computer Price Wars Part 3: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-computer-wars-part-3/ TCW  019 - The Great Video Game Crash Part 1: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-great-video-game-crash-part-1/ TCW 020 - The Great Video Game Crash Part 2: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-great-video-game-crash-part-2/ TCW 021 - The Great Video Game Crash Part 3: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-great-video-game-crash-part-3/ TCW 071 - A Story of Brøderbund!: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/a-story-of%C2%A0br%C3%B8derbund/ TCW 072 - The MYSTeries of Brøderbund!: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-mysteries-of-br%C3%B8derbund/ The Castles of Dr. Creep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi2dvxcioBw First 10 minutes of Raiders of the Lost Ark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUWYmTpYdP4 The Thief of Bagdad (1924): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTXZSVIIk-c How Prince of Persia Defeated Apple II Memory Limitations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw0VfmXKq54 Prince of Persia (Apple II): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZDAPp61aak Robin Hood (1938): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USpQGE5sVAY Prince of Persia (PC DOS): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKQX75dBlEI Prince of Persia (Amiga): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukSECkajKYA Prince of Persia (NES): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6hylvkCh-8 Prince of Persia (SNES): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZtkPZih-3s Prince of Persia (Macintosh): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjR_AhxPnVM Prince of Persia Re-Release Box: https://bigboxcollection.com/PrinceOfPersia.3DBox   New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   TCW Email: feedback@theycreateworlds.com  Twitter: @tcwpodcast Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com Alex's book, published Dec 2019, is available at CRC Press and at major on-line retailers: http://bit.ly/TCWBOOK1     Intro Music: Josh Woodward - Airplane Mode -  Music - "Airplane Mode" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/song/AirplaneMode  Outro Music: RoleMusic - Bacterial Love: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rolemusic/Pop_Singles_Compilation_2014/01_rolemusic_-_bacterial_love    Copyright: Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/