S01E01 Level 1
In the 1950s, the Cold War quickly evolved between the world superpowers of the United States and the Soviet Union. Mutually assured destruction enforced an uneasy stalemate, yet also drove computer technology to create missile...
Rise of the Video Game
S01E04: Level 4
Ever since the invention of the computer, man has feared "the machine" and its ability to think. But a computer's unique computational power has also led to the development of unpredictable, intelligent and malleable games. "God games," like SimCity and Civilization, simulate entire worlds and let players experiment with cause and effect. As the 1990s dawned, global turmoil forced gamers to find solace in the world of videogames — a virtual world that offered control at a time when the real one seemed dangerously out of control. Now, videogames have become tools for learning and creative expression. Players use games like Halo and Unreal Tournament 3 to tell their own stories via Machinima or through custom content that is shared with others over the Internet. The line between producer and customer has forever blurred — further proof that videogames are destined to become the dominant form of entertainment. This episode features Will Wright (creator of SimCity, The Sims and Spore), Sid Meier (who developed the game series Civilization) and John Brennan (voice actor from the Jerky Boys and Family Guy).
Overview
A comprehensive and progressive exploration of the past, present and future of videogames and video gamers.
Episodes
S01E02 Level 2
In the late 1970s and 1980s, instead of controlling "things" like spaceships and tennis rackets, videogame technology let players command recognizable characters with real faces and back stories. Game developers were liberated to create more...
S01E03 Level 3
With games like Castle Wolfenstein 3-D and Doom, video games grew from their primitive 2-D roots into richly detailed 3-D worlds. These groundbreaking 3-D games led the industry down new paths, both thrilling and troubling....
S01E04 Level 4
Ever since the invention of the computer, man has feared "the machine" and its ability to think. But a computer's unique computational power has also led to the development of unpredictable, intelligent and malleable games....
S01E05 Level 5
The advent of the Internet has changed everything — including videogames. When ARPNET, a military precursor to the Internet, went live in 1969, gamers almost immediately began using this new technology for gaming. But what...
