All Your History Are Belong To Us Season 3, Episode 36: MMO Part 1: Crawling Through the MUD

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Command & Conquer Part 1: Supply & Demand

Command & Conquer was one of the earliest entries into the Real-Time Strategy genre, and has defined it for 15 years afterwards. In this first episode of our retrospective, watch and see how a Las Vegas developer named Westwood Studios invented the modern RTS with Dune II, before perfecting their formula with Command & Conquer.

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Command & Conquer Part 2: Corporations & Communists

Command & Conquer was one of the earliest entries into the Real-Time Strategy genre, and has defined it for 15 years afterwards. In this second episode of our retrospective, watch and see Westwood expanded the C&C series into other timelines while they themselves were conquered by Electronic Arts.

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Command & Conquer Part 3: Diverging & Merging

Command & Conquer was one of the earliest entries into the Real-Time Strategy genre, and has defined it for 15 years afterwards. In this third episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Westwood tried to branch the C&C brand out to a number of other genres, and how their failure to make it work killed the company.

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Command & Conquer Part 4: New & Old

Command & Conquer was one of the earliest entries into the Real-Time Strategy genre, and has defined it for 15 years afterward. In this fourth episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Command & Conquer moved beyond its founding studio Westwood.

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Command & Conquer Part 5: Death & Beyond

Command & Conquer was one of the earliest entries into the Real-Time Strategy genre, and has defined it for 15 years afterward. In this fifth and final episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Command & Conquer tried to reinvent itself, and ended up sending out the series with a whimper. This video will teach you: HOW TO take wackiness to unimagined levels HOW TO end a beloved 15 year old series...

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The Video Game Crash of 1983

In 1982, the video game industry was a booming juggernaut, one of the fastest-growing in the history of the United States. In 1983... it was dead. In our retrospective, watch and see how a medium died and then resurrected.

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id Software Part 1: Scrolling Around

From 3D gaming to first-person shooters, many of modern gaming's biggest sellers have their roots in the legendary id Software. But id was never a mammoth corporation with tons of capital, but rather, a couple of dudes with no money and no reputation. In this first episode of our retrospective, watch and see how a couple of gamers took their first steps on a journey to change the world.

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id Software Part 2: The Third Dimension

From 3D gaming to first-person shooters, many of modern gaming's biggest sellers have their roots in the legendary id Software. But id was never a mammoth corporation with tons of capital, but rather, a couple of dudes with no money and no reputation. In this second episode of our retrospective, watch and see how the guys behind the friendly Commander Keen shocked the world with the bloody, and bloody brilliant, Wolfenstein 3D.

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id Software Part 3: The Game That Stopped The World

From 3D gaming to first-person shooters, many of modern gaming's biggest sellers have their roots in the legendary id Software. But id was never a mammoth corporation with tons of capital, but rather, a couple of dudes with no money and no reputation. In this third episode of our retrospective, watch and see how the guys expanded on the success of Wolfenstein 3D to create one of the most legendary and influential games of all time. In this video you will see...

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id Software Part 4: Aftershocks

From 3D gaming to first-person shooters, many of modern gaming's biggest sellers have their roots in the legendary id Software. But id was never a mammoth corporation with tons of capital, but rather, a couple of dudes with no money and no reputation. In this fourth episode of our retrospective, watch and see how the guys continued their world domination with the Quake series, but in the process, lost another one of their founding voices. In this video you will see...

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id Software Part 5: The Silent Decade

From 3D gaming to first-person shooters, many of modern gaming's biggest sellers have their roots in the legendary id Software. But id was never a mammoth corporation with tons of capital, but rather, a couple of dudes with no money and no reputation. In this fifth and final episode of our retrospective, watch and see how the kings of the 1990s found the 2000s to be a vastly changed marketplace, and how id evolved into the next millennium. In this video you will see...

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Blizzard Part 1: Opening Build Order

The mammoth Blizzard Entertainment began life as nothing more than a gleam in the eyes of three students from UCLA. Over time, they have reshaped their industry and produced some of the most legendary game in the medium's history. In this first episode of our retrospective, watch and see how a couple of kids with nothing but passion and talent survived their first years in the business.

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Blizzard Part 2: Harvesting Resources

The mammoth Blizzard Entertainment began life as nothing more than a gleam in the eyes of three students from UCLA. Over time, they have reshaped their industry and produced some of the most legendary games in the medium's history. In this second episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Blizzard produced a sequel that blew its predecessor away, while acquiring its first new studio.

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Blizzard Part 3: Zerg Rush

The mammoth Blizzard Entertainment began life as nothing more than a gleam in the eyes of three students from UCLA. Over time, they have reshaped their industry and produced some of the most legendary games in the medium's history. In this third episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Blizzard saved the floundering Starcraft project and turned it into a masterpiece.

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Blizzard Part 4: World War

The mammoth Blizzard Entertainment began life as nothing more than a gleam in the eyes of three students from UCLA. Over time, they have reshaped their industry and produced some of the most legendary games in the medium's history. In this fourth episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Blizzard hit a rough patch with failed projects and major resignations, only for their Warcraft franchise to drive them right back to the top.

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Blizzard Part 5: The Golden Throne

The mammoth Blizzard Entertainment began life as nothing more than a gleam in the eyes of three students from UCLA. Over time, they have reshaped their industry and produced some of the most legendary games in the medium's history. In this fifth and final episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Blizzard finally got a handle on its massive Warcraft MMO, so that they could at last move on to their Starcraft and Diablo franchises, and new franchises beyond.

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Volition Part 1: Degrees of Freedom

Through the years, Volition, Inc has crafted beloved franchises and survived some low moments. In this first episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Volition unexpectedly spun-off from the studio that created the flight combat hit Descent.

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Volition Part 2: Gangbusters

Through the years, Volition, Inc has crafted beloved franchises and survived some low moments. In this first episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Volition unexpectedly spun-off from the studio that created the flight combat hit Descent.

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Interplay Part 1: Meteoric Rise

Once upon a time, Interplay was a titan of gaming, one of the strongest publisher/developers around. Today, they practically do not exist. How did it happen? In this first episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Interplay was inspired by a fistfight, and gave Blizzard and BioWare their starts.

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Interplay Part 2: Meteoric Crash

Once upon a time, Interplay was a titan of gaming, one of the strongest publisher/developers around. Today, they practically do not exist. How did it happen? In this second episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Interplay overextended itself, to the point that even successes like Baldur's Gate couldn't keep it afloat.

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Interplay Part 3: Life in the Crater

Once upon a time, Interplay was a titan of gaming, one of the strongest publisher/developers around. Today, they practically do not exist. How did it happen? In this third and final episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Interplay tried to keep itself alive without any games at all, before selling Fallout off to Bethesda.

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Metroid Part 1: Power Ups

The Metroid series is both one of the most beloved and one of the most financially troubled series in gaming history. In this first episode in our retrospective, watch and see how it came to be when a couple of guys wanted to make a game scarier than Mario. This video will show you...

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Metroid Part 2: Super Hero

The Metroid series is both one of the most beloved and one of the most financially troubled series in gaming history. In this second installment we follow Metroid as it starts off on two new consoles, one of which while considered a critical success was far from a commercial smash. This video will show you...

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Metroid Part 3: Comeback Kid

The Metroid series is both one of the most beloved and one of the most financially troubled series in gaming history. In this third installment a troubled American second party studio is handed the Metroid brand. Can it shake the curse that has followed Metroid thus far, or will it make another under performing Metroid title? This video will show you...

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Metroid Part 4: The Cursed Franchise

The Metroid series is both one of the most beloved and one of the most financially troubled series in gaming history. In this fourth and final video in our retrospective, watch and see how the genius of the Prime series spawned a huge number of console and handheld games, before the series was handed off to Team Ninja in Other M. This video will show you...

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Bethesda Part 1: Open World

Bethesda Softworks publish some of the most critically acclaimed RPGs of all time. In this first episode of our retrospective, watch and see how the company got its start making the least geeky games of all -- football games. This video will show you...

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Bethesda Part 2: Overload

Bethesda Softworks publish some of the most critically acclaimed RPGs of all time. In this second episode of our retrospective, watch and see how the company's confidence in their Elder Scrolls franchise nearly sunk the studio. This video will show you...

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Bethesda Part 3: Rebirth

Bethesda Softworks publish some of the most critically acclaimed RPGs of all time. In this second episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Bethesda came back from the brink to produce one of the greatest games of all time. This video will show you...

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Bethesda Part 4: The Next Level

Bethesda Softworks publish some of the most critically acclaimed RPGs of all time. In this fourth episode of our retrospective, watch and see how shot forward from their Morrowind success and published a slew of games alongside the classic Oblivion. This video will show you...

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Bethesda Part 5: Maxed Stats

Bethesda Softworks publish some of the most critically acclaimed RPGs of all time. In this fifth and final episode of our retrospective, watch and see how the Fallout franchise brought Bethesda into the upper echelons of the industry. This video will show you...

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Rare Part 1: Unusual

Rare has produced some of the most acclaimed games of their time, like GoldenEye and Banjo-Kazooie. In this first episode of our retrospective, watch and see how two brothers made a hit company all on their own -- before tossing it aside to found Rare. This video will show you...

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Rare Part 2: In Demand

Rare has produced some of the most acclaimed games of their time, like GoldenEye and Banjo-Kazooie. In this second episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Rare swung back into the forefront of gaming with the unbelievable graphics of Donkey Kong Country. This video will show you...

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Rare Part 3: One of a Kind

Rare has produced some of the most acclaimed games of their time, like GoldenEye and Banjo-Kazooie. In this third episode of our retrospective, watch and see how a bunch of first-timers unexpectedly redefined the first person shooter. This video will show you...

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Rare Part 4: Invaluable

Rare has produced some of the most acclaimed games of their time, like GoldenEye and Banjo-Kazooie. In this fourth episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Rare ended its incredible run with Nintendo. This video will show you...

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Rare Part 5: Unique

Rare has produced some of the most acclaimed games of their time, like GoldenEye and Banjo-Kazooie. In this fifth and final episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Rareware became Rare once more under the auspices of their new owners, Microsoft. This video will show you...

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MMO Part 1: Crawling Through the MUD

The Massively Multiplayer Online genre is one of the most profitable in all of entertainment. In this first episode of our retrospective, watch and see how the genre got its start in the MUD. This episode will show you...

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MMO Part 2: Expansions

The Massively Multiplayer Online genre is one of the most profitable in all of entertainment. In this second episode of our retrospective, watch and see how the introduction of graphics and established franchises exploded the genre. This episode will show you...

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MMO Part 3: High Level

The Massively Multiplayer Online genre is one of the most profitable in all of entertainment. In this third episode of our retrospective, watch and see one game dominated the subscription market, while another proved the power of a free lunch. This episode will show you...

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MMO Part 4: End Game Content

The Massively Multiplayer Online genre is one of the most profitable in all of entertainment. In this fourth and final episode of our retrospective, watch and see how the success of WOW and the free model forced a change through the whole genre. This episode will show you...

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Crytek Part 1: Cryating Worlds

Crytek is one of the biggest and most visible FPS developers in the world today, whose engines are considered among the finest ever made. In this first episode of our retrospective, watch and see how it all started with a couple of college kids who thought they could make an engine. This episode will show you...

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Crytek Part 2: Cryating Worlds

Crytek is one of the biggest and most visible FPS developers in the world today, whose engines are considered among the finest ever made. In this second episode of our retrospective, watch and see how Crytek has grown into its own little empire. This episode will show you...