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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…

For decades Nolan Bushnell, the originator of Pong and ATARI, has pushed the boundaries with inventions that were sometimes a bit ahead of their time. After amassing a personal fortune by selling ATARI to Warner Communications, Bushnell…

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…

Dubbed "Indiana Jane" before her 1996 release in the United States, Lara Croft kicked the door open for open for an army of other video game heroines who are tough - and beautiful. The Tomb Raider series, which continues with the upcoming…

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…

Mr. Miyamoto has created characters such as Donkey Kong, Zelda and, of course, Mario. But with each success, the pressure on Mr. Miyamoto has increased to continually be innovative. He has met the challenge each time and become an…

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…

In just seven short years, the video game company Bioware, formed by Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk, has become one of the most respected and fastest-growing companies in the video game business. Best known for their submersive role-playing…

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…

Women are finding careers behind the scenes as producers, designers and even CEOs of gaming companies. But their rise to the top hasn't always been easy. These eight women--Sherry McKenna, Elaine Hodgson, Caroline Esmurdoc, Patricia…

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…

Sid Meier launched his first game company, Microprose, in 1982 on a dare from friend Bill Stealy. Over the next decade, Meier and Stealy created flight simulator games and developed a solid reputation for making games that had simple but…

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…

The land of Britannia; a realm of magic, mystery, intrigue, and adventure. Who created this world? How did it begin? Find out the true story behind Richard Garriott, the man responsible for jumpstarting the PC role-playing game genre, and…

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…

Presenting the history of the Madden football franchise, from its humble beginnings on the Apple II to the realistic powerhouse that it is today, you'll get all the details on how this series came to be. Featuring interviews with the…

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…

When Universal Interactive decided to make a game based on "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, they realized that it would take a special effort to bring the game to life. This is the story behind the painstaking effort the led to the…

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.

We sit down with Tommy Tallarico, George Sanger (AKA "The Fat Man"), Clint Bajakian, Masaya Matsuura, Scott Gershin and other music makers to get their stories and learn about the history of music in gaming.

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.

A founding father of gaming, Yu Suzuki's every step revolutionized the way we play games. Watch as we follow the ups and downs of the Michelangelo of game design, from the success of Virtua Fighter to the struggle to bring Shenmue to life.

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…

Icons brings you the story behind a boy named Link, a princess named Zelda, and one of the most loved gaming series of all time. Join Shigeru Miyamoto, and Eiji Aonuma for a look back at the creation of The Legend of Zelda franchise.

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…

Icons brings you an in-depth look inside a place we all grew up with. Get the story behind the arcade's glorious past, its downfall, and where it's headed in the future. With interviews from some of the pioneers of the video game…

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.

From Ball Blazer to Grim Fandango, we give you a tour of the one and only, LucasArts. Find out how they got their start with games like Rescue on Fractalus, and get the story behind some of their key games like X-Wing and Dark Forces.

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…

In an industry ripe with derivative sequels Warren Spector's games have consistently given players new ways to play. From his days at Origin working on the Ultima and Wing Commander series, through his time helming the Ion Storm Austin…

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…

In the early 80's video games were still a young medium, but they were responsible for billions of dollars in sales every year. Predictions were made that video games would surpass films in revenue. But in the blink of an eye, it all went…

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.

In 1986 two sixteen year old friends start a company together to make money to buy games. Now, almost twenty years later, people are saving to buy their games. We'll follow the steps that took Naughty Dog from just another upstart company…

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…

While Resident Evil was a hit series, Capcom pushed the evelope with Keiji Inafune's Onimusha series. The first game was the first million-unit seller for the PlayStation 2 and set records in both sales and production costs. Get the…

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.

Yuji Naka began his career at Sega as a teenager. Girl's Garden, F-16 Fighting Falcon and Phantasy Star earned him critical praise and fan appreciation. But it was the introduction of Sonic the Hedgehog in 1991 for the Genesis that…

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,…

Dungeons and Dragons is a fantasy world that invites players to create their own characters and adventures. By the 1980's, this new world translated seamlessly into video games with the release of games like Ultima and Bard's Tale which…

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…

We explore the rocky history of Sega's last venture into the console market. Hear from Sega insiders Bernard Stolar and Kathy Schoback about the Dreamcast's last days of life and how Sega made the leap from console maker to one of the top…

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…

Peter Molyneux's first game, Populous, helped create an entire new genre, god games - and it has been copied several times since. With games like Theme Park, Magic Carpet, Dungeon Keeper, BC and the highly anticipated Fable and The…

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…

Hear how Electronic Arts grew from a small PC publisher to one of the largest game publishers in history. EA has innovated and driven the industry forward since 1982. We sit down with company founder Trip Hawkins, current Executive Vice…

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.

It started with a flop. But a young visionary turned failure into success, and created a legendary character. He fought back legal battles and obscurity to become a pillar of gaming history. This is the tale of the one and only Donkey Kong.

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…

No longer content with safe simple games like Mario, Zelda and Atari games from yesteryear, gamers have evolved to the next level - it includes more action and fighting demons. Icons takes a look back at the history of the Doom franchise…

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…

From it's first game in 1978 Ozma Wars to the soon to be released SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom, SNK has battled against Capcom, lived through a takeover, finally gave in to bankruptcy and returned to publishing titles. Now that SNK has…

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…

Prince of Persia has a long history in the gaming industry, mostly due to it's creator putting it aside on occasion to also work with his other interest in creating films. It revolutionized the adventure game genre by incorporating real…

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.

Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima and character designer Yoji Shinkawa take Icons on an exculsive look at the history of the series that defined the stealth genre.

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…

Bungie Studios' name is less familiar than the titles it produces. When a game sells 2.5 million copies on it's release date, you would think more people would know the company name. This episode looks at the history of Bungie Studios…

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.

It's the genre that created the ESRB. Simple games like Karate Champ and Yie Ar Kung-Fu suddenly gave way to the more detailed and more violent Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. And despite the controversy, the games continue to sell.…

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…

In contrast to the smooth and suave spies of lore, Sam Fisher is a grizzled, middle-aged ex-Navy SEAL who has seen and done it all, but is nevertheless a cool character that players would empathize with. As a member of the super-secret…

Fans of Frank Miller's Sin City have been for years bedazzled by the comics' bold, hard-boiled look and the gritty tales told within, but many folks are just now coming to see the mastery of Miller's work through the film version of the…

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.…

Following the debut of the first Star Wars film in the late 1970's, Star Wars games have become an almost natural extension of the series' plot and experience, feeding the frenzy of fans thirsting for more. Starting with the first arcade…

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…

Icons digs deep to get the real history of the Sony PlayStation, starting with its beginnings as a parts-maker for Nintendo consoles and the development of a CD-based game for Nintendo. After Sony was double-crossed by Nintendo when they…

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.

What goes into creating a next generation console? We'll go behind the scenes and talk with the production team of this exciting new project. Microsoft staffers and first-party developers add their insights on the challenges and…

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…

We look back at the cinematic fascination with this monster ape and talk with director Peter Jackson, the artistic genius behind the latest remake of this classic film.

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Comedy guru Seth Green, the actor-writer-director noted for roles in the “Austin Powers” films, “Family Guy,” and his work on his series, “Robot Chicken,” is profiled.

The Lollapalooza festivals are discussed.

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