All Your History Are Belong To Us Season 2, Episode 9: Creative Assembly Part 2: Seizing the Initiative

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BioWare Part 1: Setting Out

Over the years, BioWare has earned a reputation as one of gaming's greatest storytellers with titles like 'Knights Of The Old Republic' and 'Mass Effect'. Find out how they did it on All Your History. In this first episode, see how a couple of med school grads switched careers to found a gaming studio, and ended up with the RPG legend, 'Baldur's Gate'.

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BioWare Part 2: Gaining Allies

Over the years, BioWare has earned a reputation as one of gaming's greatest storytellers with titles like 'Knights Of The Old Republic' and 'Mass Effect'. find out how they did it on All Your History. In this second episode, see how the success of Baldur's Gate allowed the young company to develop three major titles simultaneously -- and succeed with all of them.

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BioWare Part 3: Levelling Up

Over the years, BioWare has earned a reputation as one of gaming's greatest storytellers with titles like 'Knights Of The Old Republic' and 'Mass Effect'. Find out how they did it on All Your History. In this third episode, learn how Star Wars legend George Lucas collaborated with BioWare to create a gaming franchise that's out of this world.

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BioWare Part 4: Upgrading Stats

Over the years, BioWare has earned a reputation as one of gaming's greatest storytellers with titles like 'Knights Of The Old Republic' and 'Mass Effect'. Find out how they did it on All Your History. In this fourth episode, learn how BioWare shook up the RPG formula with Mass Effect, and see how its buyout by EA affected its products in 2009 and beyond.

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Irrational Part 1: Offshooters

Before you pick up BioShock 2, check out how the series' creator, Irrational, was itself created. In this first episode, watch and see how a couple of disgruntled employees left their old company to start a new one, only to partner back up with them right away. The result was video game legend, System Shock 2.

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Irrational Part 2: Demons & Heroes

Before you pick up BioShock 2, check out how the series' creator, Irrational, was itself created. In this second episode, watch and see how the success of System Shock 2 gave way to two failed projects, before Irrational finally struck gold again with Freedom Force.

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Irrational Part 3: Aftershocks

Before you pick up BioShock 2, check out how the series' creator, Irrational, was itself created. In this third and final episode, watch and see how Irrational left fantasy fare behind for the ultrarealistic SWAT 4. Sadly, their follow-up, Division 9, was never released, but the bad news eventually gave way to awesome as Bioshock blew gamers into the water.

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Creative Assembly Part 1: Opening Salvos

The Total War series has evolved from unlikely newcomer to one of the most successful and innovative strategy series in history. In this first episode, see how its developer, Creative Assembly, was founded as a simple porting company, and then accidentally invented a revolutionary title.

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Creative Assembly Part 2: Seizing the Initiative

The Total War series has evolved from an unlikely newcomer to one of the most successful and innovative strategy series in history. In this second episode, see how the Creative Assembly built on the success of Shogun to create Medieval, and then fully enter the 3D realm with their triumph, Rome.

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Creative Assembly Part 3: Global Conquest

The Total War series has evolved from an unlikely newcomer to one of the most successful and innovative strategy series in history. In this third and final episode, see how the Creative Assembly was bought out by Sega, using the opportunity to expand out into the console space, while still pushing the boundaries of their Total War franchise.

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Sony Santa Monica Part 1: The God from the West

In a time long passed from now, there were only the myths. Then came Kratos, the God of War, to change all that. Watch and see how Sony Santa Monica got to work on God of War II -- only to lose its director -- and then on God of War III -- only to lose its director.

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Sony Santa Monica Part 2: Clash of the Directors

In a time long passed from now, there were only the myths. Then came Kratos, the God of War, to change all that. Watch and see how Sony Santa Monica got to work on God of War II -- only to lose its director -- and then on God of War III -- only to lose its director.

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Splinter Cell Part 1: Stealth Attack

When it comes to stealth games, few franchises compare to Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell. In this first episode of our retrospective, watch and see how French publisher Ubisoft founded a studio in Montreal, which made a name for itself by inventing the exploits of Sam Fisher.

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Splinter Cell Part 2: One Man Army

When it comes to stealth games, few franchises compare to Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell. In this second episode of our retrospective, watch and see how the Splinter Cell franchise punched out two sequels, a novel, and a PSP game, all in a very short time, to varying degrees of success.

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Splinter Cell Part 3: The Many Faces of Sam Fisher

When it comes to stealth games, few franchises compare to Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell. In this third and final episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Splinter Cell Double Agent somehow evolved into two separate games, and then how the hotly-anticipated Splinter Cell Conviction evolved into another game entirely.

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Remedy Part 1: Cars, Guns, and Payoffs

Before Alan Wake releases this May, get to know the studio that brought him to light. In this first episode, see how an ambitious group in Finland found accidental success with a gamemaking tool before making game history themselves with Max Payne.

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Remedy Part 2: Perfection is a Dish Best Served Late

Before Alan Wake releases this May, get to know the studio that brought him to light. In this second episode, see how Remedy sold off their successful Max Payne to Rockstar Games, and after completing Max Payne 2, spent the next seven years making the psychological action thriller, Alan Wake.

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Rockstar Part 1: The Beginning of the Beast

Red Dead Redemption will only the latest in a long line of releases from one of gaming's most storied developer/publishers, Rockstar. In this first episode of our retrospective, see how the giant began when two kids from London joined a music label, and somehow, wound up making games.

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Rockstar Part 2: Overnight Sensation

Red Dead Redemption will only be the latest in a long line of releases from one of gaming's most storied developer/publishers, Rockstar. In this third episode of our retrospective, see how Rockstar continued to push the bounds of what games could achieve with the top-notch cast of Vice City, and the unrestrained violence of Manhunt.

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Rockstar Part 3: Chart Toppers

Red Dead Redemption will only be the latest in a long line of releases from one of gaming's most storied developer/publishers, Rockstar. In this third episode of our retrospective, see how Rockstar continued to push the bounds of what games could achieve with the top-notch cast of Vice City, and the unrestrained violence of Manhunt.

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Rockstar Part 4: In Hot Water

Red Dead Redemption will only be the latest in a long line of releases from one of gaming's most storied developer/publishers, Rockstar. In this fourth episode of our retrospective, see how Rockstar acquired the Western game Red Dead Revolver before unleashing their biggest hit to date, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

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Rockstar Part 5: Cleaning Up Their Act

Red Dead Redemption will only be the latest in a long line of releases from one of gaming's most storied developer/publishers, Rockstar. In this fifth episode of our retrospective, see how Rockstar showed their gentle side with Table Tennis and Bully, before diving right back into hyperviolence with the bloodiest game of all time, Manhunt 2.

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Rockstar Part 6: The Big Score

In the sixth and final episode of All Your History Are Belong To Us: Rockstar we cover Grand Theft Auto IV and their latest game: Red Dead Redemption.

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DICE Part 1: Sleeping Giant

Since 2002, the Battlefield franchise has been dominating the shooter genre on both PCs and consoles. But there's a lot more to its developer, DICE, than the franchise its become famous for. In this first episode of our retrospective, watch and see how a couple of university students with an idea for a side project accidentally found themselves with a gaming company, with an idea for a World War II game.

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DICE Part 2: Time Travelers

Since 2002, the Battlefield franchise has been dominating the shooter genre on both PCs and consoles. But there's a lot more to its developer, DICE, than the franchise its become famous for. In this second episode of our retrospective, watch and see how the success of Battlefield 1942 launched a whole series of games that stretched from Vietnam to the far future.

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DICE Part 3: Unconventional Warfare

Since 2002, the Battlefield franchise has been dominating the shooter genre on both PCs and consoles. But there's a lot more to its developer, DICE, than the franchise its become famous for. In this third episode of our retrospective, watch and see how DICE brought Battlefield back to the modern day -- and single-player -- with Battlefield: Bad Company. But what happened next was a game that nobody saw coming: Mirror's Edge.

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DICE Part 4: Firing on All Cylinders

Since 2002, the Battlefield franchise has been dominating the shooter genre on both PCs and consoles. But there's a lot more to its developer, DICE, than the franchise its become famous for. In this fourth and final episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Battlefield drastically changed styles, from free-to-play casual, to hardcore historical, to mega-selling contemporary, all in the space of only a year. And after all that, see how they were rewarded with one of the biggest reboots in EA's history.

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Assassin's Creed Part 1: Sneaking In

In only two years, the Assassin's Creed franchise has climbed from the shadows to the top of the charts. In this first episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Ubisoft's desire for an HD Prince of Persia somehow morhped into a Crusades-era story that took place in the future.

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Assassin's Creed Part 2: Free-Running Out

In only two years, the Assassin's Creed franchise has climbed from the shadows to the top of the charts. In this second and final episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Ubisoft took all the first game's criticisms and used them to craft themselves a Renaissance.

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Apogee & 3DR Part 1: The Economics of Sharing

Even if you've been waiting for Duke Nukem Forever... forever, you probably don't know about the early days of its creators, and the amazing rise to, and fall from, grace that they achieved. In this first episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Apogee founder Scott Miller invented digital distribution and demos nearly 10 years before mainstream publishers picked up on the idea.

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Apogee & 3DR Part 2: Egos and Ids

Even if you've been waiting for Duke Nukem Forever... forever, you probably don't know about the early days of its creators, and the amazing rise to, and fall from, grace that they achieved. In this second episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Apogee helped a little studio called id Software get started, a studio that changed gaming forever with the first modern first-person shooter: Wolfenstein 3D.

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Apogee & 3DR Part 3: A King Named Duke

Even if you've been waiting for Duke Nukem Forever... forever, you probably don't know about the early days of its creators, and the amazing rise to, and fall from, grace that they achieved. In this third episode of our retrospective, watch and see id Software leave Apogee behind to change the gaming world with Doom, which gave Apogee (and their new brand label, 3D Realms) the motivation they needed to create Duke Nukem 3D.

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Apogee & 3DR Part 4: The Magnitude of the Ineptitude

Even if you've been waiting for Duke Nukem Forever... forever, you probably don't know about the early days of its creators, and the amazing rise to, and fall from, grace that they achieved. In this fourth and final (and on time) episode of our retrospective, watch and see how a major developer like Apogee/3D Realms could NOT make a game for over 11 years, while at the same time, NOT making another game for 12 years.

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Medal of Honor Part 1: Opening a New Front

The Medal of Honor franchise is one of the most significant in shooter history, single-handedly inventing the realistic war shooter. In the first episode of our retrospective, watch and see how the series came from Hollywood filmmaker Steven Spielberg.

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Medal of Honor Part 2: Overwhelming Assault

The Medal of Honor franchise is one of the most significant in shooter history, single-handedly inventing the realistic war shooter. In this second and final episode of our retrospective, watch and see how EA cranked out tons of World War II games over the next years, only to watch the genre they created fall out of favor. But they're coming back now with a new title set in the modern day.

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Capcom Horror Part 1: ...did you hear that?

Publisher Capcom has found success in a lot of different genres, but none greater than horror. In this first episode of our look at Capcom's horrific career, watch and see how they redefined the genre with Sweet Home, before reredefining it with Resident Evil.

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Capcom Horror Part 2: ...was that you?

Publisher Capcom has found success in a lot of different genres, but none greater than horror. In this second episode of our look at Capcom's horrific career, watch and see how they made a second game in the Resident Evil franchise, and then made it a second time.

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Capcom Horror Part 3: ...where'd you go?

Publisher Capcom has found success in a lot of different genres, but none greater than horror. In this third episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Capcom began simultaneous development on three Residents Evil -- and how none of them finished the way they were supposed to.

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Capcom Horror Part 4: ...what happened to the light?

Publisher Capcom has found success in a lot of different genres, but none greater than horror. In this fourth episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Capcom helped Nintendo shake its 'kiddie' reputation by taking their gruesome horror franchise to the GameCube.

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Capcom Horror Part 5: ...who's there?

Publisher Capcom has found success in a lot of different genres, but none greater than horror. In this fifth episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami struggled to find a way to reinvent the series, and ended up with the franchise's best game yet.

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Capcom Horror Part 6: ...is this the end?

In the final installment of the History of Capcom's Horror we examine the latest entry into the Resident Evil series and discover why Capcom took the undead back to their natural habitat... the shopping mall.

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Castlevania Part 1: Overture of the Dawn

Castlevania is one of the oldest franchises that is still active today, and one of the most influential as well.

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Castlevania Part 2: Chorus of Confliction

Castlevania is one of the oldest franchises that is still active today, and one of the most influential as well. In this second episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Konami turned Castlevania from one of the biggest names on Nintendo, to one of the biggest names in gaming.

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Castlevania Part 3: Oratorio of Ovation

Castlevania is one of the oldest franchises that is still active today, and one of the most influential as well. In this second episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Konami turned Castlevania from one of the biggest names on Nintendo, to one of the biggest names in gaming.

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Castlevania Part 4: Crescendo of Chaos

Castlevania is one of the oldest franchises that is still active today, and one of the most influential as well. In this fourth episode of our retrospective, watch and see how a new superstar brought Castlevania's handheld 2D titles to their peak, while another team's 3D games withered on the vine.

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Castlevania Part 5: Epiphany of Epitome

In the final installment of the Castlevania episodes of All Your History Are Belong To Us, find out how the franchise took a gamble in 2010 and released two brand new games in the series.

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Fable Part 1: Hopeful Youths

Since its beginning, Fable has grown into Microsoft's signature RPG. In this first episode of our retrospective, watch and see how "Thingy" began as the brainchild of a couple of hopelessly idealistic gamemakers, who just happened to know a man named Peter Molyneux.

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Fable Part 2: Growing Old

Since its beginning, Fable has grown into Microsoft's signature RPG. In this first episode of our retrospective, watch and see how "Thingy" began as the brainchild of a couple of hopelessly idealistic gamemakers, who just happened to know a man named Peter Molyneux.

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World of Warcraft Part 1: Crafting a World of War

World of Warcraft has become one of the biggest juggernauts in the history of gaming. In this first episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Blizzard Entertainment decided to take their successful strategy franchise and bring it into a genre they'd never explored before.

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World of Warcraft Part 2: Maxing Out

World of Warcraft has become one of the biggest juggernauts in the history of gaming. In this second and final episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Blizzard took their runaway success, expanded on it, and turned it into one of the single greatest icons in the entire medium.