They Create Worlds Podcast Por Alex Smith and Jeffrey Daum arte de portada

They Create Worlds

They Create Worlds

De: Alex Smith and Jeffrey Daum
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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 makes even the deepest topics easy to listen to.

History turns out to be less settled than it looks. New documents surface, memories conflict, and the clean stories about why things happened the way they did rarely survive contact with the evidence. The show digs into all of that, following the creative and business forces that pushed and pulled on each other, and uncovering the human stories that lie beneath the games so many people around the world enjoy.

New episodes are released twice a month.

Copyright 2015-2026 . All rights reserved. Mundial
Episodios
  • Howell Ivy

    Howell Ivy
    Aug 1 2026
    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/
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    1 h y 28 m
  • Vectrex

    Vectrex
    Jul 15 2026
    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/
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    1 h y 33 m
  • Starfox

    Starfox
    Jul 1 2026
    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/
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    1 h y 13 m
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Alex Smith and Jeffrey Daum get to the heart of the story by speaking with those involved in the creation of the systems and games we have loved and hated. I enjoy the banter as these two communicate who, what, why, and how entertainment systems and game systems succeeded and failed over the decades

CEO/CIOs, creative/marketing Success & Failure

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