Icons

Icons delves deep into the history of the NES, the console that changed the world. From its beginning in Japan over 150 years ago, through the boom years of the 1980s and 1990s to its present place as one of the most recognizable names in gaming, Nintendo has always been about innovation and visionary gameplay, but nothing they've created was more visionary than the Nintendo Entertainment System. While gamers know the NES as pure fun, the story behind the game is pure drama, from the incredibly risky launch of the NES in America to Nintendo's sometimes contentious relationship with game developers. Videogame luminaries featured include Don James, the Executive Vice President of Operations for Nintendo of America and legendary game designer (and creator of Mario) Shigeru Miyamoto.

George A. Romero was a pivotal figure in the development horror films with his first feature, "Night of the Living Dead" in 1968. We talk with this independent filmmaker about his career and take a look at some of his most memorable work.

Contrary to what you might have been led to believe by fanboys, the father of video gaming is not Shigeru Miyamoto, Will Wright, or even Nolan Bushnell. And it certainly isn't Bill Gates. What you may not know is that the technology that enabled the creation of video games was patented by engineer Ralph Baer in 1968, four years before Pong was ever introduced to gamers worldwide. However, Baer had developed the concept much, much earlier.

Though he's been an influential force in games for over a decade, Tim Schafer hasn't been heard from much in recent years because he's been hard at work forming his own company and working hard on Psychonauts for the past three years. However, Schafer didn't start out at the top but rather worked his way up at LucasArts on projects such as Secret of Monkey Island, Day of the Tentacle, Full Throttle and Grim Fandango. In 2000, Schafer left LucasArts and founded Double Fine Productions in San Francisco along with many members of the Grim Fandango team as well as many new faces. In a first for Icons, watch the staff at Double Fine Productions as they frantically rush to put the finishing touches on Psychonauts during the last week of production and get a firsthand glimpse of what working in a top-notch game studio is really like.

There's no question that racing is one of the oldest and well-loved genres in the game industry, but there is one series out there that truly stands apart from the crowd in the minds of auto enthusiasts and casual gamers alike, and it is Gran Turismo. Named after the European endurance races of legend such as 24 heures du Mans and Targa Florio, Gran Turismo has dominated the racing game genre since the debut of its first game in 1998. However, the inspiration behind this game had its start long before Polyphony Digital's famous racing simulator ever hit the Sony Playstation. Racing games have been around since the very beginning of the arcade era, when casual gamers flocked to arcades to experience the thrill of playing Pole Position using a real wheel. Later on, arcades and home consoles began to carry more sophisticated racing titles such as Ridge Racer and Need for Speed, but Polys Entertainment designer Kazunori Yamauchi had dreams of creating a different kind of racing game. Yamauchi envisioned creating a game where players would drive licensed cars and win money to modify these cars as if they were the real thing; combined with realistic graphics and challenging gameplay, the game sounded like a sure bet, but his supervisors thought otherwise. Instead, Yamauchi's first game was Motor Toon Grand Prix, a game using Tex Avery-style characters that drive racing cars. However, Yamauchi used his experience designing this game to appeal to his supervisors to allow him to make Gran Turismo. Yamauchi was finally granted permission to begin work on his dream game in the early 1990s and began to seek licensed cars to use in the game. He felt that having real cars increased the appeal of the game tenfold over using generic cars, but using real cars meant that they had to handle just like the real thing. Thus, the team at what was called from then on Polyphony Digital began research for the game, taking thousands of photographs of each of the hundreds of vehicles that would be in the game and test driving them as well. When Gran Turismo was released in December 1997, it included 150 real-life cars that gamers could drive by winning races within the game. By 1999, the game had sold 6 million copies and the team prepared for a sequel. Gran Turismo 2 came out in 1999, roughly 2 years after the debut of the first game. However, upon its release it became apparent that the team had hurried through the game--though it was still beautiful, it contained many playability flaws that irked hardcore fans. But regardless of the criticism, GT2 sold 1 million copies in only six weeks. Though a sequel was initially promised for the launch of the Playstation 2, Polyphony Digital decided to learn from their mistakes and take the time to make sure that everything was going right with the next installment of the series. Plus, they had to adjust to the next-generation hardware and the capabilities it contained as well. Gran Turismo 3 became the biggest-selling PS2 game of its time when it was released in April 2001, with fans marveling at its intensely realistic graphics and superb gameplay. Soon, automakers as well began to realize the value of having their cars appear in the game, and special concept versions of the game were produced for certain lines of automobiles. Work began immediately on Gran Turismo 4, but the number of expectations put on the developers added to delays on the project, which ultimately cost the game online play. However, Yamauchi worries not--he prefers that people think of his game as an encyclopedia of cars. Indeed, with over six hundred models included in the game, one has the opportunity to unlock and drive more automobiles in the game than most people will drive in their entire lives.

Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were men with a vision. Icons retraces their steps to find the stories behind the creation of a company and the marketing of a small computer that would take a bite out of the competition.

In celebration of today's release of Half-Life 2, Icons looks at the history of the title. Half-Life changed gaming in that the main character wasn't a soldier or the stereotypical hero, it was a common scientist that just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. This episode looks back at the original game and follows the development of the sequel. And you'll see why Half-Life 2 is "the most important game you'll ever play."

Mark Cuban wasn't given his money, he earned it. "Icons" looks at his humble beginning, to his creating then selling of Broadcast.com which ultimately lead to his purchasing of the Dallas Mavericks NBA team.

No other game can claim that it created such controversy that it lead to the creation of a ratings board. Icons looks at the beginnings and future of the Mortal Kombat series and takes a look at how one game changed the gaming industry forever by adding just a little blood to the genre.

Mortal Kombat may have reinvented the fighting game, but it did so by promoting bloody violence. The Dead or Alive series, while still slightly violent, concentrated on better game-play, detailed backstories and had more woman characters to try and add the female gamer demographic. Tomonobu Itagaki gives Icons the history of his DOA games and a hint to what he has planned for the future.

Learn how Nobuo Uematsu went from playing keyboard in a band to joining Square in 1985. Join us as Nobuo himself tells us about his musical influences in creating the soundtrack for the beloved Final Fantasy series and find out how he has propelled himself into mainstream music today.

For 15 years, it has been the dominate console in the videogame hand-held market. Icons follows the creation of the Nintendo Game Boy; from it's formulation from Gunpei Yoko to it's current place as the best-selling hand-held system.

Was it the challenge? Was it because it was easy? Was it the colorful blocks? Or was it that distinctive music? What ever it was, Alexey Pajitnov's creation has a firm place in the history of gaming, as well as in the history of legal issues. Today's episode takes on the complicated history of Tetris.

In 1992, games like Mortal Kombat and Night Trap pushed the envelope when it came to advancing graphic and technical capabilities... and catching the attention of the federal government. Washington officials cited these two games as the most offending examples of violence and questionable material available to youngsters at the time via electronic games. As a result, Senators Joe Lieberman and Herb Kohl called on game industry officals to come up with a ratings system for all games. The industry responded with the creation of the Entertainment Software Ratings Board. Since its inception in 1994, the ESRB has been widely praised by Washington - and Senator Lieberman - as the most comprehensive ratings system amongst all entertainment mediums.

Suddenly, everyone thinks they can bust a move. In today's episode we look at the movement of Music Games. Parappa The Rapper started the fad of making a game based on music, and not the other way around. This lead to people eventually dancing not in the streets but in the arcades with Dance Dance Revolution.

From the first Final Fantasy to X-2 and beyond, get the story behind one of the most successful and longest running franchises in gaming history. With interviews from the likes of Hironobu Sakaguchi, Tetsuya Nomura, and Nobuo Uematsu, find out about Final Fantasy's rise from its humble beginnings to its stratospheric heights.

It's the story of the little robot that could. Mega Man creator, Keiji Inafune, looks back at the victories and hurdles his team faced with each new game.

We'll follow the Italian pipe-cleaner as he climbs the ladder of success from a bit part to a global celebrity. With over twenty years of gaming experience and six of the top ten best-selling games of all time, this little plumber is a true Icon in every sense of the word.

From Battlezone to Operation Flashpoint, we take a look at gaming in the Military. Find out what happens when a civilian game becomes a military training tool and get a look at how some training tools become games.

Its beginnings were humble, but soon the personal computer would become one of the greatest gaming platforms of all time. Join us as we follow the rise of PC gaming from the early days of text adventures in Ziploc bags to the latest in 3D accelerated first-person shooters.

What happens when Tom Clancy meets up with a former British submarine Commander? Videogame history. Gear up, it's time to learn about how a small game developer in Raleigh North Carolina changed the face of first-person shooters with games like Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon.

It's where we see the games for the first time. It's a celebration of gaming and a testing ground for game companies. We take a look behind the spectacle and bring you the history of E3.

How does a console go from an idea to your living room? Join us as we follow the path the Xbox team took. Learn how a failed game led a young designer to become the voice that would push Microsoft into the video game arena, then hear from the team that started the system and find out what they think about it now. This is the story of how a great idea can change the way we play.

We take an in-depth look at the Intellivision. Get the true story behind how they began, the world's first console war, and who won. With interviews from people who were there, we show you what happened to Intellivision and where it is today.

We get the lowdown from Cliffy B and show you the true story behind the creation and rise of the Unreal series. From the first Unreal to Unreal 2, see how one beautiful first-person shooter spawned a legendary franchise.

We kick off our new season with the real story behind the world's first truly great videogame company: Atari. Find out just how wild they got, what happened to bring it all down, and what the future holds for them.

Introducing the first in a series of Icons specials that feature the latest and greatest games, developers, and companies of today. For our premiere episode we'll take an in-depth look at the creation of the critically-acclaimed stealth action game, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell. Catch a glimpse of how the development team went from the drawing board to the final gold.

Very few people can say that they've honed their gamemaking skills alongside a gaming god. But that's exactly what Bruce Shelley did. After getting a start in the industry by helping Sid Meier create games such as Railroad Tycoon and Civilization, he went on to create the critically acclaimed Age of Empires series. We follow his career from his board game making start to Ensemble's latest game, Age of Mythology.

When did video games start scaring you? Do you remember the first scary game you ever played? We take a look back at the scariest of the scary, from their humble start--and fumble--to their ultimate success in the gaming world. Included are looks at The 7th Guest, Alone in the Dark, Resident Evil, and much, much more

Find out how two Princeton graduates, Ted Price and Alex Hastings, created a budding gaming dynasty with Insomniac Games. Get the history on how Insomniac got off the ground, despite a less than stellar start with their PlayStation first-person shooter, Disruptor. You'll also find out why Spyro is purple, and we've got a special sneak look at their latest hit in the making, Rachet & Clank.

Before they became a part of the biggest-selling PC video game franchise in the world, Will Wright's Sims games were met with skepticism by the very companies who would later launch them. Learn how Wright's endless curiosity led to one of the most curious series of games, how the term "God Game" was coined, and where the seemingly endless series of Sims games and expansion packs are leading. Industry insiders, fellow game creators and family members help Will Wright tell his compelling story.

Fans worldwide have embraced EverQuest since its debut in March of 1999. The enchanting land of Norrath--populated by humans, gnomes, elves and other incredible creatures--is also home to as many as 40,000 players at a given time. On this episode of "Icons," we'll learn the stories behind the conceptualization of EverQuest, how its creators convinced Sony Online Entertainment that Ultima Online was not the ultimate in massive multiplayer online gaming, and what the future holds for this fantasy world.

Founded by four former Atari vets in 1980, Activision dominated the video game industry with smash-hit titles like Pitfall!, River Raid and Kaboom! Rocked by an industry downturn and business missteps, the company floundered until it was purchased by a group headed by Robert Kotick ("Everybody was asking me whether I was mad, you know. Why was I going off and doing this?"). But Kotick proved his doubters wrong and turned the failing game company into one of the world's most successful video game publishers.

In 1979, a young Japanese game designer named Toru Iwatani had the desire to create a non-violent arcade game that would appeal to everyone. Originally called "Puck-Man" in Japan, the name was changed to "Pac-Man" by the time the game hit the United States in October 1980. The moment Pac-Man landed on U.S. shores Americans were hit with "Pac-Man Fever." As the fever grew, so did revenues for arcade owners and Pac-Man merchandise retailers. But by the mid 1980s, the arcade industry saw a sharp drop in profits as the home console era began. Atari's home version of Pac-Man for the Atari VCS was one of the best-selling games in Atari's history. Since then, Pac-Man has been released on almost every console imaginable.

It's an Oddworld after all. Lorne Lanning and Sherry McKenna, co-founders of Oddworld Inhabitants, have created a video game franchise unlike any other. Fans worldwide have embraced Abe and Munch, the spunky characters who battle the forces of evil with little more than their wits. Lorne, Sherry and other insiders reveal long-held secrets behind some of the games' biggest mysteries and recall the fierce backlash that hit when Abe moved from PlayStation to Xbox.