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Play Value
Season 1 • Episode 15 • Gaming Mascots: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
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Play Value Season 1, Episode 15: Gaming Mascots: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
Follow the various video game mascots during the late '80s to the late '90s. Video game mascots used to be all the rage in the late '80s to the late '90s. Similar to the Hollywood "star system" of the 1940s, back in the day, there was a tremendous drive to create and push mascots by game companies. What happened? Watch Play Value Season 1, Episode 15 Gaming Mascots: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly in HD free online. Enjoy high-quality streaming of Play Value Season 1, Episode 15 and share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Episodes
22 episodes
You Can Keep Your Quarters: The Death of Arcades
Back in the day, people left their homes to play video games! Hosts discuss the rise of arcades and all the old school games: Space invaders, Asteroids, Pac Man, Donkey Kong, Frogger, and many more! Enjoy this blast from the past while you learn how and why home gaming eliminated arcades.
8 min
Up from the Ashes: The Rise of Nintendo
Nintendo's long trek from playing cards to gaming monopoly. While most Americans thought video games were a fad, Nintendo was pushing their way to the top of the gaming world. Learn how Nintendo created their gaming monopoly and revisit the game systems of the past.
8 min
Ashes to Ashes: The Fall of Atari
The stunning rise and steep decline of Atari. Atari started the home video game, quickly becoming the fastest growing company in American history. In the last six months of 1982, however, it all fell apart even faster than it started. Here’s why...
7 min
Splitting the Iron Curtain: A Brief History of Tetris
You won't believe the drama behind one of the best loved games of all-time. Tetris is not only one of the most universally loved games ever created, it also has one of the most fascinating histories. This episode covers everything from its invention by a Russian government programmer to its phenomenal success in the world market.
8 min
Atari-gate!: The Theft of Nintendo's Code
The history of the bitter feud between Atari and Nintendo. In the high-stakes world of early console gaming, Nintendo knew it would have to think outside the box to prevent crappy games from being compatible with its new system. Atari wasn't having any of it.
8 min
The Dirty Dozen: 12 Failed Consoles — Part One
The trashcans of the past are stuffed with consoles that didn't catch on. From the Atari 5200 and the ill fated Nintendo Virtual Boy, to the Atari Jaguar and the poorly timed Sega CD, the trashcans of the past were stuffed with consoles that simply failed to catch on. This episode examines why some of them didn't become the next big thing.
8 min
The Dirty Dozen: 12 Failed Consoles — Part Two
More video game consoles that failed to attract fans. The continuing saga of consoles that couldn't cut the mustard. From the ill-fated and poorly conceived Atari Jaguar, to the doomed Panasonic 3DO, bad decisions and a lack of foresight hobbled these machines right outta the starting gate.
8 min
The Fight of the Century: Sega vs. Nintendo
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8 min
I am Outraged!: Controversy in Gaming
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8 min
Two Gorillas and a Leather Company: ColecoVision
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You Don't Know Jack: Introducing the Commodore 64
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8 min
From Score to Story and Back: Return of the Arcade!
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8 min
We Have Awakened a Sleeping Giant!: Nintendo Angers Sony
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8 min
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8 min
Gaming Mascots: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
Follow the various video game mascots during the late '80s to the late '90s. Video game mascots used to be all the rage in the late '80s to the late '90s. Similar to the Hollywood "star system" of the 1940s, back in the day, there was a tremendous drive to create and push mascots by game companies. What happened?
10 min
30 Years in the Making: Women in Gaming
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10 min
From Dust to Doom: The Two Johns
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10 min
Nolan & Ralph: The Founding Fathers
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The Unsung Heroes: Game Controllers
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10 min
Mine!: Gaming and Copyright
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10 min
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Two students, without money or contacts, found their own way into the game business. In 1981, A couple of MIT students named Doug Macrae and Kevin Curran started a small company called General Computer. These guys loved video games, played video games, bought a few arcade games, and even had their own coin-op route on campus. But the two kids were just engineering students and didn't have the factory resources to make big arcade games from scratch. So instead, they just made enhancement boards that would connect to the circuit boards of existing arcade games and modify them into new and improved versions. Thus began the start of their amazing video game career.
16 min