Archive for the ‘Lectures’ Category
GH101 Lecture 3: What Games Cost To Make
This episode Fred flies solo with listener request to discuss the actual cost of making games. This means everything that goes into the budgeting for the publisher: development, marketing, and manufacturing. Real world examples are used to explain the history and actuality of what a game costs and why that price tag you see at the store has a very complicated reasoning behind it.
Opening Song: Never Forget – Halo 3
Closing Song: Aerith’s Theme – Final Fantasy VII
GH101 Lecture 2: NES Influence in NA
We return with a (hopefully) bi-weekly lecture series on a high level overview of video games. In this returning episode, Fred and Eli discuss how Nintendo rose to such unrivaled influence in North America. The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was synonymous with the term “video game” through the mid-late 1980s in a way no other console really has since. In this episode we discuss not only how this happened, by why one company was able to command most of a market for such a distinct period of time.
Songs (in order of appearance):
- Training Theme – Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! (NES)
- Act 4, Part 2 Level Theme – Ninja Gaiden (NES)
- Title Theme – Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (NES)
- Stage Theme – Karnov (NES)
- Main Theme – Metroid (FDS)
- Mission 4 Theme – Double Dragon II (NES)
- Stage Theme 01 – Gauntlet (NES)
- Dungeon Theme – Faxanadu (NES)
Lecture: Sonic the Hedgehog (16-bit)
Today’s lecture focuses on Sonic the Hedgehog, specifically the 16-bit releases. Fred and Jam team up to discuss the business status of Sega in the 90s, the Mega Drive/Genesis, and the blue furry mascot that was designed to take on Nintendo’s Mario.
Songs (in order of appearance):
Opening Theme – Sonic the Hedgehog (MD/GEN)
Chemical Plant Zone – Sonic 2
Carnival Night Zone – Sonic 3
Sonic Boom – Sonic CD (NA Version)
Lecture 1: The PC Engine/Turbografx-16
In this first lecture Fred goes back to 1987 and the release of the PC Engine, one of the most “hybrid” consoles of all times. Created by Hudson and NEC to be the versatility of a PC with a sole operation of gaming like a console. The PC engine utilized an 8-bit processor with 16-bit graphics, merging much of the stronger tech from the time without re-inventing the wheel for its developers. It also gave way to the first CD-ROM add-on. The talk wraps up with a discussion on the game library, what you can expect if beginning to collect, and of course the upcoming mini consoles.
Opening Song: Title Screen – The Kung-Fu (PC Engine)
TG-16 Intro Song: Title Screen – Keith Courage in Alpha Zones (Turbografx-16)
CD-ROM Intro Song: Theme of Adol – Ys Book I & II (Turbografx CD)
Library Intro Song: Vampire Killer (Stage 2b) – Dracula X: Chi no Rondo (PC Engine CD)
Closing Song: Boss Theme – Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire (PC Engine CD)
Lecture 0: Introduction
Welcome to the second iteration of Gaming History 101. Always intended to be a lecture series, this new version of the podcast will be a more comprehensive look at specific topics in gaming’s history, ideally covering those less documented arenas. Fred Rojas is your solo host and in this introductory “episode zero” he lays out his background as well as the format for the new show.
Opening Song: Opening – Mega Man 2 (NES)
Closing Song: Beginning – Akumajo Densetsu/Castlevania III (Famicom)
Gaming History 101 