They Create Worlds

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

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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.

Episodes

Wednesday Jan 01, 2025

Games by Apollo

Wednesday Jan 01, 2025

TCW Podcast Episode 225 - Games by Apollo

The great video game crash of the mid-1980s had many factors contributing to it. One such factor was the rise of companies like Games by Apollo, which is sometimes seen as an exemplar of the many businesses that entered the video game industry hoping to make quick money. While some criticisms of Games by Apollo are valid, the company was also much more than that, bringing innovative game ideas to the table. Founded by Patrick Roper, who previously created career videos for students, the company grew rapidly and released games at an unprecedented pace. However, many of its games suffered from short production times, leading to control problems, balance issues, and design flaws. Despite these challenges, Games by Apollo consistently tried to push the envelope, creating games that pushed the VCS to new heights!

Smell BAD (Labyrinth): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q6H4e7Kvvw

Fuzzy Bunny's Guide To You Know What (Simpsons): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQn-DwSW-tk

Hands Across America: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnA0uYL4YtI

Games By Apollo PM Magazine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2BhTS-q38A

Skeet Shoot (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UWJFOUBxTo

Spacechase (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdG-v4MY51Q

Racquetball (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWueVYa0HJk

Lochjaw (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GW8HOi1f0G8

Lost Luggage (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qehLDMO_Ncs

Kaboom (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwrZHu-d-vY

Space Cavern (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EILC0vcdnc4

Space Cavern - Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMaMvchzMBI