This Week in Video Game History

TheRobustOne
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Video Games
  • Updated Weekly

I'm just a guy combining his life-long love of video games with his love of history! Join me as we go down memory lane and talk about some of the greatest moments in Video Game history that happened during the week!

  1. 4d ago

    Game On | This Week in Video Game History Ep 40

    In 1972, about twenty programmers at Stanford played Spacewar for a title, and the winner took home a year of Rolling Stone. In 2016, the voices behind our favorite characters went on strike for the first time. This week: when playing games stopped being a party of one.This week we're covering October 19th through October 25th, and the theme is game on: the moment video games became something we share, compete in, and watch together. Plus the people who make those worlds feel alive.Metal Gear Solid hides us under a cardboard box, with a voice cast credited under made-up names. Grand Theft Auto III** turns 25 and drops us into a whole city in 3D. **Grabbed by the Ghoulies** is Rare's first game for Microsoft, with the Grim Reaper on our heels. **Civilization IV gets narrated by Leonard Nimoy and makes Grammy history. Borderlands pitches "Halo meets Diablo." Fallout: New Vegas, one of my all-time favorites, misses its Metacritic bonus by one point. Batman: Arkham Origins gives us a brand-new voice under the cowl. And Lethal Company sends four friends to haul scrap on abandoned moons.Then three deep dives: the Intergalactic Spacewar Olympics, the first video game tournament on record; the 2016 video game voice actor strike; and Club Penguin the snowy online world three friends built for their kids.Games have always been about the people. The ones we play with, the ones we play against, and the ones who bring the whole thing to life. Save your game, nerds.Chapter Markers00:00 -- Cold Open — "When did playing video games stop being a party of one?"02:00 -- Theme by Shane Madani02:17 -- Intro — welcome + this week's lineup04:37 -- Timeline Intro04:47 -- Timeline: Metal Gear Solid (1998)06:27 -- Timeline: Grand Theft Auto III (2001)07:57 -- Timeline: Grabbed by the Ghoulies (2003)09:16 -- Timeline: Civilization IV (2005)10:34 -- Timeline: Borderlands (2009)11:49 -- Timeline: Fallout: New Vegas (2010)13:58 -- Timeline: Batman: Arkham Origins (2013)15:12 -- Timeline: Lethal Company (2023)16:56 -- Timeline Outro17:27 -- Deep Dive 1 — The First Champion (Spacewar Olympics)21:31 -- Deep Dive 2 — The Voices Walk Out (Voice Actor Strike)26:57 -- Deep Dive 3 — Waddle On (Club Penguin)30:23 -- Outro + credits + next-week teaserVideo Credits**Timeline**- Metal Gear Solid ... (PS1) Gameplay --  @10minGameplay1  - GTA 3 | PS2 Gameplay --  @BenedictPlays  - Grabbed by the Ghoulies Walkthrough Part 5 (XBOX One) 100% --  @WishingTikal  - Civilization IV: Playthrough (No commentary) --  @MoonRushers  - Borderlands Gameplay Walkthrough Part 1 No Commentary --  @GamesMediaLA - Let's Play Fallout: New Vegas Part 16 - Meeting Mr. House --  @Grohlvana  a- [HD] Batman: Arkham Origins Free Roam Gameplay PC (1080p) --  @crymal2814  - Lethal Company - Funniest Game of The Year! --  @VanossGaming - Lethal Company is Very Lethal --  @Kzle  **Deep dives**- Spacewar! - PDP-1 - One of the First Video Games (MIT 1962)--  @doteaters - Opening Ceremony - 2014 World Championship Final --  @lolesports  Artwork by MizTink. Music by Shane Madani (Twitch & Spotify). Written, produced, and hosted by Doug Coleman.👉 Subscribe on YouTube, and follow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.#VideoGameHistory #RetroGaming #GamingPodcast #Esports #VoiceActing #ClubPenguin #FalloutNewVegas**Fair Use & Content Attribution Notice:**Video game gameplay clips featured in this video are included in brief, transformed segments (with original audio muted and on-screen attribution provided) strictly for the purposes of news reporting, critical commentary, and educational analysis under Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act (Fair Use). All gameplay assets remain the property of their respective developers, and footage source credits belong to the tagged creators.**Apology in Advance**I acknowledge that I am going to make a lot of mistakes in my speech. For anyone's name, culture, or language I have butchered, I do sincerely apologize.

  2. Oct 11

    First Contact | This Week in Video Game History Ep 39 Oct 12 – 18

    In 1958, a physicist built a tennis game for a lab open house, and people lined up to play. In 1985, Nintendo shipped 100,000 NES consoles to one city and made stores an offer they couldn't refuse. This week: how games first find their way to you.This week we're covering October 12th through October 18th, and every story is about first contact: the moment a game finally meets the people it was made for.The way games find us keeps changing. The feeling when they do never has. Save your game, nerds.Chapter Markers00:00 -- Cold Open — "How does a game find its way to you?"02:11 -- Theme by Shane Madani02:28 -- Intro — welcome + this week's lineup04:52 -- Timeline Intro05:00 -- Timeline: Computer Space (1971)06:43 -- Timeline: Sega CD (1992)08:13 -- Timeline: Age of Empires (1997)09:26 -- Timeline: Devil May Cry (2001)10:47 -- Timeline: Shadow of the Colossus (2005)12:20 -- Timeline: Dead Space (2008)14:09 -- Timeline: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009)15:47 -- Timeline: Four VR Headsets (2016–2024)17:29 -- Timeline: Marvel Snap (2022)18:40 -- Timeline: ROG Xbox Ally (2025)19:54 -- Deep Dive 1 — The Lab Open House (Tennis for Two)23:34 -- Deep Dive 2 — The 100,000-Unit Gamble (NES Test Launch)26:56 -- Deep Dive 3 — The Whole World at Once (Pokémon X & Y)30:13 -- Outro + credits + next-week teaserVideo Credits**Timeline**- Computer Space — Computer Space (1971) - First video game with sound (Real Hardware) --  @ultimatehistoryofvideogame4160  - Sega CD — Sega CD Console Startup (Model 1) --  @Obsoletegaming  - Age of Empires — Age of Empires (Campaign Gameplay) -05--  @ezezgame - Devil May Cry — Devil May Cry - Gameplay PS2 HD 720P (PCSX2) --  @JohnGodGames - Shadow of the Colossus — Shadow of the Colossus Playthrough Part 12 - Pelagia (No Commentary) --  @Livershot_ - Dead Space — Dead Space - w/ My Girlfriend - Chapter 7 - Part 2 --  @theRadBrad - Uncharted 2: Among Thieves — Uncharted 2 Gameplay Walkthrough Part 1 (PS3) --  @Generikb - PlayStation VR — PlayStation®VR | Coming October 2016 --  @PlayStationEurope - Windows Mixed Reality — Introducing Using Windows Mixed Reality Experience -[2017] --  @technoexploit9326 - Oculus Quest 2 — Introducing Oculus Quest 2 --  @metavr - Meta Quest 3S — Introducing Meta Quest 3S --  @metavr - Marvel Snap — MARVEL SNAP | Gameplay Trailer--  @marvel - ROG Xbox Ally (commercial / gameplay) — ROG Xbox Ally World Premiere Reveal Trailer | Xbox Games Showcase --  @XBOX **Deep dives**- Tennis for Two — Tennis for Two (1958) - First tennis video game -  @ultimatehistoryofvideogame4160 - Pokémon X & Y — Pokémon X and Y - Episode 1 | Welcome to Kalos! --  @MunchingOrange Artwork by MizTink. Music by Shane Madani (Twitch & Spotify). Written, produced, and hosted by Doug Coleman.👉 Subscribe on YouTube, and follow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.#VideoGameHistory #RetroGaming #GamingPodcast #NES #Pokemon #TennisForTwo #Uncharted2**Fair Use & Content Attribution Notice:**Video game gameplay clips featured in this video are included in brief, transformed segments (with original audio muted and on-screen attribution provided) strictly for the purposes of news reporting, critical commentary, and educational analysis under Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act (Fair Use). All gameplay assets remain the property of their respective developers, and footage source credits belong to the tagged creators.

  3. Oct 4

    Worth the Wait | TWIVGH Ep 38 (Oct 5 - 11)

    Nintendo dreamed up Metroid Dread around 2005, then shelved it. Fans waited sixteen years to play it. This week, we're asking whether the wait makes a game better, starting with the Mario sequel that wasn't really a Mario game.This week we're covering October 5th through October 11th, and almost every game on the list comes with a wait attached.**Super Mario Bros. 2** finally reaches America, and it's hiding a secret. **Mortal Kombat** hits arcades and helps give us the ESRB. **Doom II** takes id Software's shareware sensation to store shelves, and **Final Fantasy III** (yes, it's really VI) gives the West a villain for the ages. **Jedi Knight** puts a lightsaber in your hand, **Viewtiful Joe** slows down time, **The Orange Box** packs five games into one, **Dishonored** lets you play it your way, and **Alien: Isolation** gives fans the terrifying Alien game they'd been waiting for. And we close on the longest wait of all: **Metroid Dread**, sixteen years from the drawing board to your Switch.Then three deep dives: how **Doom stopped being free**, how Nokia's **N-Gage** became "the taco phone," and how a **student project** became **Portal** and stole the spotlight from Half-Life 2.Some things are worth the wait. Some things really aren't. Save your game, nerds.**📅 Week of October 5 – October 11****Games this week:** 🕹️ Super Mario Bros. 2 — NES (1988) 🕹️ Mortal Kombat — Arcade (1992) 🕹️ Doom II: Hell on Earth — MS-DOS (1994) 🕹️ Final Fantasy III (VI) — Super Nintendo (1994) 🕹️ Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II — PC (1997) 🕹️ Viewtiful Joe — GameCube (2003) 🕹️ The Orange Box — Xbox 360 / PC (2007) 🕹️ Dishonored — PS3 / Xbox 360 / PC (2012) 🕹️ Alien: Isolation — PlayStation / Xbox / PC (2014) 🕹️ Metroid Dread — Nintendo Switch (2021)**Deep dives:** 🎙️ Doom Goes Retail — Doom II leaves shareware behind (Oct 10, 1994) 🎙️ The Taco Phone — Nokia's N-Gage (Oct 7, 2003) 🎙️ The Cake Is a Lie — from student project to Portal (Oct 10, 2007)— Artwork by MizTink. Music by Shane Mandani (Twitch & Spotify). Written, produced, and hosted by Doug Coleman.👉 Subscribe on YouTube, and follow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. #VideoGameHistory #RetroGaming #GamingPodcast #MetroidDread #SuperMarioBros2 #Doom #portal Chapter Markers00:00 -- Cold Open — "Was it worth the wait?"02:23 -- Theme by Shane Madani02:40 -- Intro — welcome + this week's lineup04:54 -- Timeline Intro05:10 -- Timeline: Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988)06:59 -- Timeline: Mortal Kombat (1992)08:23 -- Timeline: Doom II (1994)09:30 -- Timeline: Final Fantasy III / VI (1994)10:45 -- Timeline: Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II (1997)11:57 -- Timeline: Viewtiful Joe (2003)13:04 -- Timeline: The Orange Box (2007)14:24 -- Timeline: Dishonored (2012)15:38 -- Timeline: Alien: Isolation (2014)16:44 -- Timeline: Metroid Dread (2021)18:38 -- Deep Dive 1 — Doom Goes Retail21:08 -- Deep Dive 2 — The Taco Phone (N-Gage)23:16 -- Deep Dive 3 — The Cake Is a Lie (Portal)25:21 -- Outro + credits + next-week teaser**Fair Use & Content Attribution Notice:**Video game gameplay clips featured in this video are included in brief, transformed segments (with original audio muted and on-screen attribution provided) strictly for the purposes of news reporting, critical commentary, and educational analysis under Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act (Fair Use). All gameplay assets remain the property of their respective developers, and footage source credits belong to the tagged creators.**Apology in Advance**I want to apologize in advance for any names, places, studios, characters, and games I may mispronounce throughout this series and this episode.

  4. Sep 27

    Founders & Farewells | This Week in Video Game History Ep 37 (Sept 28-Oct 4)

    We're covering September 28th – October 4th — and this week, the games take a back seat to the people who made them. It's the week four programmers walked out of Atari and founded Activision, inventing the third-party studio; the birthday (and the just-announced retirement) of immersive-sim godfather Warren Spector; the Bandai–Namco merger; and the anniversary of the loss of Gunpei Yokoi, the quiet genius behind the Game Boy and the D-pad. Around them: Super Mario 64's leap into 3D, Pokémon Red & Blue's American debut, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Cuphead, Astro Bot, and Cut the Rope — plus an October Round-Up back to the Atari 2600. Founders, and farewells. Beginnings, and goodbyes. Save your game, nerds.— Artwork by MizTink. Music by Shane Madani (Twitch & Spotify). Written, produced, and hosted by Doug Coleman.👉 Subscribe on YouTube, and follow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. #VideoGameHistory #RetroGaming #GamingPodcast #SuperMario64 #Pokemon #GunpeiYokoi #Activision**Fair Use & Content Attribution Notice:**Video game gameplay clips featured in this video are included in brief, transformed segments (with original audio muted and on-screen attribution provided) strictly for the purposes of news reporting, critical commentary, and educational analysis under Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act (Fair Use). All gameplay assets remain the property of their respective developers, and footage source credits belong to the tagged creators.** Early Apologies ** I know I have a tendency to mispronounce well, everything, so I sincerely apologize to anyone and everyone for any and all names, words, or areas I mispronounce.** Chapter Markers **00:00 -- Cold Open — "Name one person who actually made it"01:57 -- Theme by Shane Madani02:14 -- Intro — welcome + this week's preview04:45 -- Timeline Intro05:01 -- Timeline: Pokémon Red & Blue (1998)06:42 -- Timeline: Super Mario 64 (1996)08:11 -- Timeline: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (1999)09:55 -- Timeline: Cuphead (2017)11:31 -- Timeline: Astro Bot: Rescue Mission (2018)12:38 -- Timeline: Cut the Rope (2010)14:05 -- Monthly Round-Up — October classics (Breakout → Punch-Out!!)17:10 -- Deep Dive 1 — The Rebels Who Put Their Names on the Box (Activision)21:06 -- Deep Dive 2 — Play It Your Way (Warren Spector)23:56 -- Deep Dive 3 — Two Giants Become One (Bandai + Namco)25:23 -- Deep Dive 4 — The Man Who Fit a Console in Your Pocket (Gunpei Yokoi)29:15 -- Outro + credits + next-week teaser** Video Credits **Pokémon Red/Blue || Complete (100%) Walkthrough Part 1 - To Viridian Forest --  @cckaamos4158 Super Mario 64 - N64 Gameplay --  @N64guide  Let's Play Tony Hawk's Pro Skater: Part 1 - Warehouse --  @CrystalFissure Cuphead (2017) PC Gameplay 4K - No Commentary --  @MProChannel2  ASTRO BOT Rescue Mission – Launch Trailer | PS VR --  @PlayStation  Cut the Rope - Walkthrough #2 --  @OmNomStories Atari 2600 - Breakout - Game 1 (1 Player)--  @retrosmack8871  Swordquest: Earthworld (Atari 2600) - 01 Full Playthrough --  @evilryangames [ColecoVision] Frogger (1983) Longplay --  @DolmaKalem [ColecoVision] Pitfall II: Lost Caverns (1984) Longplay --  @DolmaKalem  Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! (NES) Playthrough --  @NintendoComplete ​

  5. Sep 20

    The Week Games Grew Up | TWIVGH Ep 36 (Sept 21-27)

    We're covering September 21st–27th — the week games grew up. It runs from Myst (1993), the no-enemies puzzle island that became the best-selling PC game of the decade, through Baldur's Gate II, Katamari Damacy, and Halo 3's Finish-the-Fight blockbuster launch, to Fortnite's free battle royale that ate the industry, a real lightsaber in VR with Vader Immortal, and Cyberpunk: Phantom Liberty completing modern gaming's greatest comeback. Plus two deep dives: how Myst, Silent Hill 2, and Ico proved games can be art, and how battle royale swallowed the whole business. Also featuring Wing Commander (1990). Be sure to save your game, nerds. 00:00 -- Cold Open — "For forty years they called it just toys…"01:39 -- Intro Theme by Shane Mandani01:56 -- Welcome + this week's preview03:32 -- Timeline Intro03:47 -- Timeline: Wing Commander (1990)05:02 -- Timeline: Myst (1993)06:21 -- Timeline: Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn (2000)07;31 -- Timeline: Katamari Damacy (2004)08:45 -- Timeline: Halo 3 (2007)09:57 -- Timeline: Fortnite: Battle Royale (2017)11:06 -- Timeline: Vader Immortal – Episode II (2019)12:17 -- Timeline: Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (2023)13:38 -- Deep Dive 1 — The Day Games Became Art (Myst, Silent Hill 2, Ico)16:27 -- Deep Dive 2 — How Battle Royale Ate the World (Fortnite)18:36 -- Outro + next-week teaser + credits Fair Use & Content Attribution Notice: Video game gameplay clips featured in this video are included in brief, transformed segments (with original audio muted and on-screen attribution provided) strictly for the purposes of news reporting, critical commentary, and educational analysis under Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act (Fair Use). All gameplay assets remain the property of their respective developers, and footage source credits belong to the tagged creators.

  6. Sep 13

    The Week the Calendar Goes Blockbuster | TWIVGH Ep 35 (Sept 14–20)

    We're covering September 14th–20th — the most expensive week on the calendar, the seven days the industry saves its biggest guns for. It's anchored by one date, September 17th, which gave us both Kingdom Hearts (2002) and Grand Theft Auto V (2013) — the biggest entertainment launch in history, over $1 billion in three days. Plus Halo: Reach and Bungie's goodbye, Gears of War 3, Borderlands 2, the buried Vita gem Killzone: Mercenary, and two lovingly remade Game Boy classics: Metroid: Samus Returns and Link's Awakening. Three deep dives: GTA V vs. Hollywood, the Kingdom Hearts elevator legend, and Bungie's long goodbye to Halo. Be sure to save your game, nerds.

  7. Sep 6

    9-9-99 — How One Date Crowned Sony and Buried Sega | TWIVGH Ep 34

    We're covering September 7th–13th — maybe the most stacked week on the calendar — anchored by a date the industry keeps circling to change everything: the ninth of September. The PlayStation launch, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, the Dreamcast's 9-9-99 debut with Soul Calibur, and Destiny's half-billion-dollar day all landed on it. Plus Mortal Monday's bloody arrival, Final Fantasy VII's jump from Nintendo to Sony, and Insomniac's Marvel's Spider-Man. Two deep dives: how the ninth crowned Sony and buried Sega, and the plumber who rebuilt the industry after the crash. Be sure to save your game, nerds.

  8. Aug 30

    Where It All Began | TWIVGH Ep 33 (Aug 31 – Sep 6)

    We're covering August 31st – September 6th by running the whole arc of the medium in one week — from the Magnavox Odyssey, the first home console ever sold, to Bethesda's thousand-planet Starfield. Along the way: our month-level rundown (Wizardry, the Sega Master System, Out Run, the TurboGrafx-16, the Atari Lynx, and Civilization), plus the brutal Ghosts 'n Goblins, the industry-rewiring Jetpack Joyride, a stacked week in 2013 (Outlast, Diablo III on console, Total War: Rome II), and Hideo Kojima's swan song, Metal Gear Solid V. Two deep dives: how mobile ate the world, and gaming's thirty-year VR fever dream. Be sure to save your game, nerds. Chapter Markers 00:00 -- Cold Open — "Imagine it's September, 1972…"01:24 -- Theme01:41 -- Intro — welcome + this week's preview02:40 -- Timeline Intro02:49 -- Timeline: Ghosts 'n Goblins (Sept 5, 1985)04:12 -- Timeline: Jetpack Joyride (Sept 1, 2011)05:11 -- Timeline: Diablo 3 (console release) (Sept 3, 2013)06:38 -- Timeline: Total War: Rome II (Sept 3, 2013)07:53 -- Timeline: Outlast (Sept 4, 2013)09:13 -- Timeline: Metal Gear Solid V (2015)10:15 -- Timeline: Starfield (2023)11:21 -- Deep Dive 1 — One More Run (how mobile ate the world)12:39 -- Deep Dive 2 — Gaming's 30-Year VR Fever Dream13:54 -- Monthly Round Up14:22 -- Magnavox Odyssey15:11 -- Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord15:48 -- Sega Master System16:06 -- Outrun16:23 -- TurboGrafix-1616:50 -- Atari Lynx17:26 -- Sid Meiers Civilization18:00 Outro + credits19:37 Next time on… (Ep. 34 bumper) → sign-off

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I'm just a guy combining his life-long love of video games with his love of history! Join me as we go down memory lane and talk about some of the greatest moments in Video Game history that happened during the week!

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