Rephonic
Artwork for They Create Worlds
Atari
Sega Saturn
Commodore 64
Diablo
Video Game Industry
Commodore
Mass Effect
World Of Warcraft
Jack Tramiel
Blizzard North
Street Fighter 2
Dungeons and Dragons
Exidy
Popcap Games
Blizzard Entertainment
Vic-20
Diablo 2
Everquest
Baldur's Gate
RCA Studio II

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 worl... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes258Founded11 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
HistoryGamesLeisure

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Artwork for They Create Worlds

Latest Episodes

TCW Podcast Episode 258 - The Shenanigans of CUC Software

Walter Forbes built CUC International from Comp-U-Card, a phone-in discount shopping club that cut out the middleman with a small markup and annual fee, not unlike a proto-Amazon Prime. As co... more

YouTube

TCW Podcast Episode 257 - Nine Atari Games

The Atari VCS launched with nine games to entice consumers into the new gaming medium, and Combat set the trend of packing multiple "games" into a single cartridge. Featuring a wide array of game modes, Com... more

YouTube

TCW Podcast Episode 256 - Cinemaware

Bob Jacob launched Cinemaware to fuse movies and video games on Amiga, hiring journalist Kellyn Beeck to design Defender of the Crown's medieval themes. Programmer John Cutter led in-house development after massi... more

TCW Podcast Episode 255 - The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind

After Arena and Daggerfall's triumphs, Julian LeFay's Battlespire spinoff marked his last hand in the Elder Scrolls universe. Amid conflicts while working on other projects, LeFay left. Ted Pete... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Hosts

Jeffrey Daum
Host of They Create Worlds; long-running researcher and presenter with a focus on the history and business of gaming.
Alex Smith
Co-host and researcher with a background in gaming history and industry analysis.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 196 ratings
  • The best there is

    Hands down. This podcast covers the entire history of video games on all platforms and does it so well. I’ve learned a lot and enjoy each new episode.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Shadowlord-72
    United States24 days ago
  • Best Video Game History Podcast

    Jeffrey and Alex do an amazing job of walking us listeners through the in-depth history of video games. On par with a PBS documentary, Alex and his encyclopedic knowledge of video games shines lights on forgotten video game history.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Tomstewdevine
    United Statesa year ago
  • Unbelievable gaming history

    Best retro gaming history show hands down!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    forsby
    Finlanda year ago
  • Great show!

    You ability to tell a store is fantastic and always interesting. Thanks for all these podcasts, it’s obvious this is a labor of love from these guys.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    The.worst.of.the.best
    United Statesa year ago
  • Great Show

    A exhaustive look at so many different areas of the video game industry. Deep dives into some of the least-explored areas as well as careful re-examinations of widely-believed stories. These two are the final word on a lot of this stuff, but as they themselves will say, things often change and I really enjoy the episodes where they take a second (or third) look at a topic they’ve already put to bed.

    An incredible show, lots of Simpsons references for us old people, and no annoying podcast perso... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Paimonaeon
    Canadaa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The hosts are knowledgeable and bring deep research to gaming history.
Listeners praise the balanced, insightful approach to industry wars and business decisions.
High-quality production with thorough, evidence-based storytelling.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#137
Argentina/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Nintendo: Wii Were Struggling
Q: How bad truly was it for the N64 and the GameCube? How close to that bankruptcy did we get?
Nintendo was not in any danger of bankruptcy during the N64 and GameCube periods. They were financially stable and sold the GameCube at a profit, but they were in danger of losing cultural relevance.
Jordan Mechner and Price of Persia
Q: Did Jordan give any thoughts about how the video game industry changed at this point, where he just was really thankful that he stuck with video games and didn't end up actually going into the movies?
He expressed gratitude for staying in video games and noted that by the end of 1992, he found the medium of video games to be more interesting than movies.
SEGA Saturn Part 2
Q: What specifically were some of the stuff that you pulled in from Japanese sources that most surprised you?
The Japanese perspective showed a collaborative effort between America and Japan, revealing efforts on both sides to meet the needs of their respective markets for the Saturn.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About They Create Worlds

What is They Create Worlds about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show provides deep, well-researched explorations of video game history, focusing on the people, technology, and business forces that shaped the industry. Episodes span early hardware constraints, publisher strategies, and influential studios, often tying a topic to broader cultural and economic contexts. Listeners can expect thorough research, clear storytelling, and a willingness to reexamine well-known narratives as new information surfaces. Notable strengths include ambitious subject coverage, a balance of technical detail and accessible narrative, and a steady cadence that makes complex histories engaging for both enthusiasts and professionals in related fields.

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How many listeners does They Create Worlds get?

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Which podcasts are similar to They Create Worlds?

These podcasts share a similar audience with They Create Worlds:

1. Retronauts
2. The Retro Hour (Retro Gaming Podcast)
3. Axe of the Blood God: An RPG Podcast
4. Video Game History Hour
5. Video Game Newsroom Time Machine

How many episodes of They Create Worlds are there?

They Create Worlds launched 11 years ago and published 258 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact They Create Worlds?

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