They Create Worlds

https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/feed.xml

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Love of the worlds created by video game designers and personalities drives Alex Smith & Jeffrey Daum (history, law, CS degrees) to provide a scholarly yet light-hearted discussion of how arcade, home console, and PC games merged into a Video Game Industry. Emphasis is on the combination of business and creative elements needed for financial success. Interviews of Atari, EA, Activision, & other execs with detailed source evaluations produce the insights you hear in these 140+ hours!

Episodes

3 days ago

Fumito Ueda

3 days ago

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