They Create Worlds

TCW Podcast Episode 203 - Alone In The Dark

 

Despite appearing outdated by today's standards, Alone in the Dark remains a highly influential game in the survival horror genre. Numerous franchises, including Silent Hill, Resident Evil, and Eternal Darkness, either cite or incorporate tropes popularized by Alone in the Dark. Spearheaded by Frédérick Raynal, the game drew inspiration from Giallo films and Alfred Hitchcock's suspenseful works. It pioneered the use of 3D models in a pre-rendered environment with fixed camera angles, a technique later adopted as a staple on the first Sony PlayStation. Despite its significant success, Raynal departed Infogrames due to a lack of recognition, inadequate compensation, and the directive to create a new game with the same engine within a year. Subsequently, he founded his own company, Adeline Software.

 

Content Warning: The movies and genres referenced may not be suitable for some audiences.

 

Can You Hack Your Eyes to See Upside Down: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Euwp4C6Wt8A

Dawn of the Dead (1978) Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_EviQj5tvA

The Amityville Horror: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwa120o7m7k

No Film School - Giallo Firm: https://nofilmschool.com/giallo-film-genre-explained

Horror Press - Horror 101 - Giallo: https://horrorpress.com/misc/5539/horror-101-what-is-giallo-and-why-does-it-matter/

Dario Argento: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dario_Argento

Mario Bava: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Bava

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UztVF1nJTBo

Suspiria: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPs2ExUL_bc

Alfred Hitchcock: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Hitchcock

Top 10 Alfred Hitchcock Movies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVoVdKOLP04

10 Things You Don't Know About Alfred Hitchcock: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9BS9SJxbxc

12 Common Camera Angles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlNviMsi0K0

Popcorn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ea5-eFU3oA

Drakken: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5RlWuY3gXU

TCW 064 - The Rise and Fall of Infogrames Part 1: http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/rise-and-fall-of-infogrames-part-1/

TCW 065 - The Rise and Fall of Infogrames Part 2: http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-rise-and-fall-of-infogrames-part-2/

Star Glider 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg3uQM83dl8

Alpha Waves (DOS): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9qAtVwSIV8

PBS Monstrum - The Origins of the Zombie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIGmsxBMnjA

Shadow of the Comet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Dwukeu8alE

The Case of Charles Dexter Ward: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va7WZT1lVsc

44 Lovecraftian Monsters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDPqZUja9wU

Alone in the Dark - Artwork - Goomba Stomp: https://goombastomp.com/in-retrospect-the-original-alone-in-the-dark/

Alone in the Dark - Retrospective, Analysis and Critique: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51YNZV5QAFc

 

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: RolemMusic - Bacterial Love: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rolemusic/Pop_Singles_Compilation_2014/01_rolemusic_-_bacterial_love 

 

Copyright: Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/