John Carmack set out to build full 3D, dynamic lighting, and client-server multiplayer in Quake. Michael Abrash left Microsoft to help. As development spanned a year, problems at ID became more apparent. 🎧 #Quake #IDSoftware #JohnCarmack #MichaelAbrash.

Jordan Mechner drew on Castles of Dr. Creep, Robin Hood (1938), Raiders, and Thief of Bagdad (1924) to shape Prince of Persia. He rotoscoped his brother for animation. A re-release after Disney's Aladdin made it a hit. 🎧 #JordanMechner #PrinceOfPersia.

Before Karateka, Jordan Mechner’s journey began with his family fleeing Nazi Europe. At Yale, he blended arcade insight with film ambition—helped by his father, who unexpectedly shaped the game with ideas, movement, and music. 📺

🎙️ New episode!.We spotlight the lesser-known pioneers of Japan’s coin-op scene — the entrepreneurs behind Tecmo, IREM, Sammy & more. Discover how they got their start and shaped early arcade history. 🎧 #videogamehistory #arcadehistory #bizhistory #Japan.

🎙️ Going live now!.Editing episode 235 of They Create Worlds — The Coin-op Legends of Japan!.Come hang out and chat while we work:

Yu Suzuki redefined arcades with rideable cabinets, sprite-scaling “3D” & the gyroscopic R360. With Shenmue, he coined “Quick Time Events” & delivered NPCs, detail & interactivity unheard of in 1999. 🎮 #YuSuzuki #SEGA #TheyCreateWorlds #VideoGameHistory.

What do 3 doctors, a dungeon master, a database programmer, and a writer have in common? They made Baldur’s Gate—an RPG often credited with reviving Western RPGs. Built on DirectX & the Infinity Engine, it launched #BioWare into legend. 🎲🎮.🔗

Street Fighter 2 brought smoother combos, an expanded roster, and arcade hype. Inspired by Bruce Lee, anime, and Final Fight, it became a classic. Which version was your favorite? 🕹️🔥 #StreetFighter2 #RetroGaming.

🕹️ Explore Donkey Kong's origins! Thanks to @katewillaert & @gaminghistorian, we better understand the influences of this foundational game! 🎮. 🎧 Listen: #DonkeyKong #VideoGameHistory #Nintendo.

Happy New Years! Start 2025 right with a look at Games by Apollo! A company with some flaws but put out some interesting third-party titles on the VCS!.#GamesByApollo #VideoGameHistory #Atari #VCS.

Games by Apollo? Why yes, I need to edit that!.

The third part of our live stream is ready for your listening pleasure! D&D & Video Games 3E! See how D&D influenced many early mainframe, and PC games!.

Friday Editing with Jeffrey!.

I'm doing some editing for a few hours!.

This is the third part of our series looking at Blizzard Noth and the aftermath of Diablo 2. What became of them and this new Flagship Studios & Hellgate London?. #BlizzardNorth #HellgateLondon #VideoGameHistory.

Livestream is up!

Alex's book is back on Humble Bundle! Get it now for only $20!.

Want Alex's Book? Want to give to charity? Want to save cash and get a lot of books? We got you!. Humble Tech Book Bundle: Game Architecture, Worldbuilding, and AI by Taylor & Francis (pay what you want and help charity) (.

Prestream is up! Grab your popcorn and come join in!.

Tomorrow we will livestream the recording of a three-part look at the history of handheld games in front of a studio audience. The fun begins at 12:00 PM EDT/4:00 PM UTC and ends when Alex runs out of things to say. Tune in at our Twitch channel.