All language subtitles for Gameplay.2015.1080p.WEBRip.x264.AAC5.1-[YTS.MX]

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HUH?

[SCREAMING]

NARRATOR: FOR OVER
200,000 YEARS,

MAN SURVIVED WITHOUT
VIDEO GAMES.

ONCE THAT CHANGED,
THE WORLD WAS NEVER
THE SAME AGAIN.

IT'S ME, MARIO.

[SCREAMING]

NARRATOR: THIS IS THE
STORY OF EVERYTHING

THAT HAPPENED NEXT.

IN JUST THE LAST FEW YEARS,

VIDEO GAMES HAVE BECOME
A SPORT UNTO THEMSELVES

WITH TEAMS, MAGAZINES,
COMPETITION, AND ALL...

NARRATOR: IN JUST 50 YEARS,

THE VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY
HAS EVOLVED FROM TINY DOTS
ON A RADAR SCREEN...

[LOUD EXPLOSION]

...TO FULLY IMMERSIVE
3D GRAPHICS

THAT RIVAL TODAY'S BIGGEST
HOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTERS.

SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND.

VIDEO GAMES HAVE DONE MORE
THAN ENTERTAIN US.

THEY HAVE CHANGED THE WAY
WE INTERACT WITH
MACHINES FOREVER.

SHOULDN'T YOU GO OUT
AND SOCIALIZE WITH
YOUR FRIENDS?

I QUIT SOCCER TO PLAY ATARI.

(LAUGHS)

MALE REPORTER: FROM THE
MOMENT SHE WAKES UP,

VIOLET BOLTON CAN'T WAIT
TO GET ON HER IPAD.

NARRATOR: WHETHER THEY
ARE CHALLENGING,

INSPIRING,

COMFORTING,

OR ADDICTIVE,

THEY HAVE TAKEN OUR LIVES
TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

BUT BACK IN 1962,

IT WAS A PRIVILEGE TO
HAVE ACCESS

TO THE COMPUTER LABS
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH

WHERE ASPIRING ENGINEERS
WOULD GATHER
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

TO PLAY A BRAND NEW THING
THEY CALLED SPACEWAR.

[GUNS FIRING]

SPACEWAR MADE A HUGE IMPRESSION
ON A YOUNG STUDENT
NAMED NOLAN BUSHNELL.

MY FRIENDS SAID,

"COME OVER TO THE COMPUTER LAB,
I GOT SOMETHING TO SHOW YOU."

AND SO I WENT OVER AT MIDNIGHT,

AND WE WENT IN AND
PLAYED SPACEWAR.

AND I WAS ADDICTED.

NARRATOR: THE FUTURE
FOUNDER OF ATARI,

BUSHNELL HAS BEEN CALLED
THE FATHER OF THE
MODERN VIDEO GAME.

BUT WHILE IN COLLEGE,

HE SPENT HIS SUMMERS WORKING
AT AN AMUSEMENT PARK,

SERVICING PINBALL MACHINES
AND OTHER
ELECTRO-MECHANICAL GAMES.

NOLAN BUSHNELL:
I THOUGHT AT THE TIME
IF I COULD TAKE THIS GAME

AND PUT IT IN MY ARCADES,

WE CAN MAKE A LOT OF MONEY.

NARRATOR: HE HAD A VISION.
COMPUTER SPACE.

SIMPLY PUT, IT WAS A WAY
TO GET A SPACEWAR- LIKE GAME

INTO AN ARCADE CABINET

AND IT WOULD LIVE
RIGHT ALONGSIDE
THE PINBALL MACHINES.

THEY USED SUCH AN
ODD-LOOKING CABINET

THAT IT WOUND UP SERVING
AS A PROP IN
SCIENCE FICTION MOVIES.

HERE, YOU'D BETTER
SIGN FOR IT.

MY USUAL CUT?

YOU'LL GET YOUR CUT.

JUST SO WE UNDERSTAND.

IT LOOKED TOTALLY SIXTIES
WITH THAT KIND OF MOLDED PLASTIC

OR POLYSTYRENE,
WHATEVER THE HELL IT WAS.

ONE DAY THIS BULBOUS,
SPACE-LIKE THING SHOWED UP

AND I JUST COULDN'T BELIEVE
HOW MUCH FUN IT WAS

AND I WONDERED WHY THEY
DIDN'T ALLOW MORE OF THESE
THINGS OUT THERE.

NARRATOR: COMPUTER SPACE
WAS TOO MUCH TOO SOON.

THE CONTROLS WERE
TOO COMPLICATED.

PEOPLE JUST DIDN'T KNOW
HOW TO PLAY.

I THINK THAT WHAT
I DIDN'T REALIZE

IS THAT YOU DIDN'T HAVE
TO BE COMPLEX TO BE FUN.

KEEP IT SIMPLE.

NARRATOR: SO NEXT TIME,
HE KEPT IT SIMPLE,

AND HE GOT IT RIGHT. PONG.

WITHOUT A SINGLE BUTTON TO PUSH,
PONG WAS NOT JUST EASY TO PLAY,

BUT IT HAD A CLEAR GOAL.

BOUNCE THE LITTLE SQUARE BALL
AT YOUR OPPONENT,

AND YOUR OPPONENT
BOUNCES IT BACK.

THE YEAR WAS 1972.

BUSHNELL AND HIS PARTNERS,
TED DABNEY AND AL ALCORN,

SET UP THE FIRST PONG
MACHINE AT A BAR

IN CALIFORNIA'S SILICON VALLEY.

THE NEXT MORNING,
THEY RECEIVED THEIR
FIRST COMPLAINT CALL.

THE PONG MACHINE HAD BROKEN.

BUT PONG DIDN'T BREAK
BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T
BUILD IT RIGHT,

IT BROKE BECAUSE PEOPLE
HAVE FORCED
SO MANY QUARTERS INTO IT,

IT JUST JAMMED UP.

THE FIRST GLITCH IN
VIDEO GAME HISTORY WAS
A COIN BOX THAT WAS TOO SMALL.

NOBODY MADE THAT MISTAKE AGAIN.

AND WE THOUGHT,
"WELL, THIS IS A GOOD SIGN."

NARRATOR: WITHIN 12 MONTHS,

A FEW GUYS TAKING OUT LOANS
TO MAKE ELECTRONIC TOYS

BECAME ONE OF THE RICHEST
COMPANIES IN THE WORLD.

BUT THE COMPETITION
DID NOT TAKE LONG TO CATCH UP.

THAT SAME YEAR,
AMERICAN ENGINEER
AND INVENTOR, RALPH BAER,

INTRODUCED THE FIRST
HOME VIDEO GAME CONSOLE,

THE ODYSSEY.

DAVID CRANE: IT WAS
VERY, VERY SIMPLE.

YOU ACTUALLY HAD TO
GO TO THE PACKAGE
AND PULL OUT PLASTIC OVERLAY

AND RUB IT ON TO THE TV SET

AND HOPE IT WOULD STAY THERE
WITH STATIC ELECTRICITY,

AND IF NOT, YOU HAD TO TAPE
IT ON WITH SCOTCH TAPE.

MAN ON TV: THIS IS ODYSSEY,
THE NEW ELECTRONIC
GAME SIMULATOR.

YOU ATTACH ODYSSEY
TO YOUR TELEVISION
SET IN SECONDS

TO CREATE A CLOSED CIRCUIT
ELECTRONIC PLAYGROUND.

ODYSSEY IS TENNIS, ROULETTE,

FOOTBALL AND HOCKEY.

ODYSSEY COMES COMPLETE
WITH FUN ELECTRONIC GAMES

AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES.

NARRATOR: RALPH BAER WAS
A MAN AHEAD OF HIS TIME

AND WAY AHEAD OF HIS
MANUFACTURING COMPANY,
MAGNAVOX,

WHO HAD NO IDEA
HOW TO MARKET THE ODYSSEY.

THE ADS MADE CONSUMERS THINK

THAT YOU NEEDED A MAGNAVOX
TELEVISION TO RUN THE DEVICE,

WHICH, OF COURSE,
HINDERED SALES.

HOME VIDEO GAMES
DIDN'T REALLY CATCH ON

UNTIL NOLAN BUSHNELL DECIDED
TO CAPITALIZE ON THE SUCCESS

OF THE PONG ARCADE GAME,

BY RELEASING A HOME VERSION
IN 1975.

BUSHNELL: MY VICE PRESIDENT
CALLED UP SEARS,

AND WE THOUGHT,
"PONG HAD BEEN IN BARS,

"PINBALLS,
MAYBE THAT WILL WORK."

SO WE CALLED UP
THE BUYER AT SEARS,
DESCRIBED WHAT WE HAD,

AND, LITERALLY, HE WAS AT
OUR FRONT DOOR THE NEXT MORNING,

TAKING THE MIDNIGHT FLYER.

WE WENT IN AND HE PLAYED
THE GAME AND HE SAID,
"HOW MANY CAN YOU BUILD?"

WELL, WE HAD NO CLUE.

WE SAID, "MAYBE 25,000
BETWEEN NOW AND CHRISTMAS."

I WENT BACK IN AND
I SAID, "75,000."

THE NEXT DAY HE GAVE US
A PURCHASE ORDER FOR 150,000.

WE WERE OFF TO THE RACES.

[LAUGHS]

WE PLAYED THAT THING TO DEATH.

JUST HOOKED UP TO THE TV
WITH THE LITTLE SIMPLE
BACK AND WHITE,

AND THE LITTLE...

[IMITATES BLEEPING]

SO, IT WAS A VERY, VERY
EXCITING MOMENT.

THAT WAS A GREAT CHRISTMAS.

[BLEEPING]

NARRATOR: MAGNAVOX AND BAER
SUED ATARI FOR STEALING
THEIR IDEAS.

IT WAS JUST THE FIRST
OF THOUSANDS OF VIDEO GAME
RELATED LAWSUITS.

BUT ATARI WON,

ENCOURAGING RIVAL
MANUFACTURERS TO SURGE
INTO THE MARKET

WITH THEIR OWN CLONES OF PONG.

MAN ON TV: YOU'RE WATCHING
THE MOST EXCITING GAME YOU'LL
EVER SEE ON YOUR TV SET...

BUSHNELL: IT WAS A SIMPLE GAME.

IT WAS ALSO
A PRETTY SIMPLE GAME TO CLONE.

WE WERE MANUFACTURING
IN A GARAGE SHOP.

THAT'S ALL WE HAD,
SO THAT WAS A GOOD THING.

THE BAD THING IS THAT
ANYBODY ELSE
WHO HAD A GARAGE SHOP

COULD KNOCK IT OFF
AND BUILD IT, TOO.

WITHIN SIX MONTHS
WE HAD MAYBE 20 COMPETITORS.

IT WAS A LITTLE
BIT FRUSTRATING.

LET'S SEE YOUR BEST PITCH.

NARRATOR: TO KEEP AHEAD
OF THE GAME, ATARI DECIDED
TO RELEASE THE VCS,

ONE OF THE BEST-SELLING
HOME CONSOLES OF ALL TIME.

YOU NEED MORE PRACTICE DAILY!

NARRATOR: DESPITE THE FAME
AND FORTUNE
THAT LAY IN ITS FUTURE,

THE VCS WAS A COMMERCIAL
FAILURE WHEN IT FIRST
LAUNCHED IN 1977.

YOU'RE OUT!

* ATARI*

NARRATOR: THE VIDEO
GAMING PUBLIC

WAS MORE INTERESTED
IN THE POWERFUL PROCESSORS

AND SUPERIOR GRAPHICS
FOUND AT THE ARCADE,

SUCH AS 1978'S
SPACE INVADERS.

SPACE INVADERS WASN'T
AN ATARI PRODUCT.

IT WASN'T EVEN
AN AMERICAN PRODUCT.

THE GAME IMMEDIATELY
ESTABLISHED THE JAPANESE

AS A MAJOR PLAYER
IN THE WORLD OF VIDEO GAMES.

IN FACT, IT WAS SO POPULAR,
IT CAUSED A NATIONAL
COIN SHORTAGE IN JAPAN.

IN AMERICA, IT FIT PERFECTLY
WITH AN ERA THAT WAS OBSESSED

WITH SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.

MAN: THESE ARE THE VOYAGES
OF THE STARSHIP ENTERPRISE...

NARRATOR: STAR TREK.

AND STAR WARS.

I ACTUALLY THINK
THE PRIMAL BEAT...

[VOCALIZING]

THAT, "HERE ARE ALIENS
THAT ARE GONNA KILL YOU,"

THERE WAS AN
ADRENALINE RUSH

FOR FIGHTING THESE ALIENS,
AS SIMPLE AS IT IS
TO LOOK AT NOW.

BUT THE GAME
IS VERY EASY TO UNDERSTAND.

IT WAS GREAT, VERY SIMPLE.
IT WAS BETTER THAN PONG.

THIS IS COOL.

THEN THERE WAS SOME
STRATEGY TO IT.

YOU'RE GONNA STAY BEHIND
THE BARRIERS OR YOU GONNA
SHOOT THE ALIENS?

THAT KIND OF HAVING FUN,
SHOOTING THINGS IN A GAME.

FOR WHAT IT WAS,

IT BECAME A VERY,
VERY DIFFERENT
KIND OF SHOOTING GALLERY.

LIKE YOU HAD
NEVER SEEN BEFORE.

[BEEPING]

[EXPLOSION]

NARRATOR: SPACE INVADERS
ALSO HAD A DARKER SIDE.

THE FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN,
THE ALIEN.

THE MINDLESS ENEMY
THAT DESCENDS ON THE PLANET
WITH MILITARY PRECISION.

AND NO MATTER HOW LONG
YOU CAN HOLD OUT,

EVENTUALLY,
THEY'RE GOING TO KILL YOU.

PERHAPS THE GAME RESONATED
WITH THE CHILDREN

OF THOSE WHO SURVIVED
HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI.

JAPANESE CHILDREN WHO GREW UP
FEARING THE FOREIGN TERROR
FROM THE SKIES.

NOW, THEY HAD
A WAY TO FIGHT BACK.

OUR PLAN IS A
COMPREHENSIVE ONE.

IT WOULD STRENGTHEN
AND MODERNIZE

THE STRATEGIC TRIAD
OF LAND-BASED MISSILES,

SEA-BASED MISSILES
AND BOMBERS.

NARRATOR: ATARI FIGHTS BACK
AND LAUNCHES MISSILE COMMAND...

[EXPLOSIONS]

AND ASTEROIDS.

DESPITE ADVANCEMENTS
IN GRAPHICS
AND GAME PLAY,

THE CORE REMAINED THE SAME.

SHOOT ANYTHING THAT
COMES YOUR WAY.

IN RESPONSE TO
THE VIOLENT GAMES
OF THE LATE 1970S,

TORU IWATANI DESIGNED
THE MOST POPULAR
ARCADE GAME EVER INVENTED.

PAC-MAN.

[BEEPING]

FOR THE FIRST TIME,
A VIDEO GAME WAS A BRAND.

PAC-MAN APPEARED IN
EVERY CONCEIVABLE
TYPE OF MERCHANDISE.

HE EVEN STARRED
IN HIS OWN TELEVISION SHOW,

AND WAS THE SUBJECT
OF A TOP 40 POP SONG.

* PAC-MAN FEVER
I'M GOING OUT OF MY MIND *

NARRATOR: EVERYONE WAS STRUCK
WITH PAC-MAN FEVER.

MAN ON TV: NEW PAC-MAN PASTA
FROM CHEF BOYARDEE,

WITH MEAT BALLS,
WITHOUT MEAT BALLS,

OR CHICKEN FLAVORED.

THANK GOODNESS FOR
NEW PAC-MAN PASTA.

NARRATOR: PAC-MAN WAS
THE OPPOSITE
OF DOOM AND GLOOM.

HE JUST WANTED LUNCH.

PAC-MAN WAS CUTESY
IN AN ALL-NEW WAY

THAT COULD APPEAL TO ANYBODY.

LITTLE BIT OF A STORY THERE

AND IT WAS A DIFFERENT
KIND OF GAME PLAY

THAN YOU HAD SEEN
UP TO THAT POINT,

AND SORT OF THE GAME
THAT YOU COULD BE A MASTER OF

WITH THE PATTERN RECOGNITION
AND WHERE ARE THE GHOSTS

AND HOW TO MAXIMIZE POINTS.

IT REALLY BECAME
A MILD OBSESSION
OF MINE AT THE TIME.

WHAT A CRAZY GAME IDEA!

TO ME THAT WAS LIKE
EVERYTHING BEFORE THAT GAME,

THEY WERE ALL ABOUT
JUST SHOOT THE ALIEN.

EVERYTHING WAS SHOOT THE ALIEN.

ASTEROIDS WAS SHOOT
THE LITTLE ALIEN
AND THE ASTEROIDS,

BUT EVERYTHING WAS JUST
SHOOT, SHOOT, SHOOT.

SO WHEN PAC-MAN CAME OUT,
IT HAD FUNNY KIND
OF MUSIC IN IT,

IT HAD A MAIN CHARACTER
THAT WAS JUST EATING DOTS.

IT HAD NOTHING TO DO
WITH KILLING THINGS,

IN FACT YOU'RE RUNNING
AWAY FROM THINGS,

SO IT WAS LIKE THE OPPOSITE.

TO ME IT JUST SHOWED
WHAT THE FUTURE OF GAME DESIGN,

THE PROMISE OF GAME DESIGN
COULD BE.

NARRATOR: AND ALONG CAME
THE CLONES AND SPIN-OFFS.

HE WAS SUCH A HIT WITH
THE LADIES THAT SOMEONE
HAD THE BRILLIANT IDEA

TO STICK A BOW ON HIM
AND CALL HIM MS. PAC-MAN.

* DON'T YOU KNOW

* I'M MORE THAN
PAC-MAN WITH A BOW *

MAN ON TV: MS. PAC-MAN!

NARRATOR: NAMCO WASN'T AMUSED.

THEY SUED MIDWAY TO PROTECT
THEIR VALUABLE PROPERTY.

BUT THE SUIT WAS
SOON THROWN OUT.

THERE WAS FAR MORE MONEY
TO BE MADE BY SIMPLY
ADOPTING MS. PAC-MAN

AS THEIR OWN.

TO THIS DAY, PAC-MAN REMAINS
ONE OF THE HIGHEST-GROSSING
ARCADE GAMES

OF ALL TIME.

AND NOT FOR
LACK OF COMPETITION.

BY THE EARLY EIGHTIES,
THERE WERE ARCADES EVERYWHERE.

AND IT WASN'T JUST
A KIDS' PHENOMENON.

WOMAN ON TV: VIDEO GAMES
ARE THE LATEST CRAZE
TO SWEEP THE COUNTRY,

BUT WILL THIS POPULARITY
LAST IS THE QUESTION.

WELL, THE MAKERS OF
VIDEO GAMES ARE
GAMBLING THAT IT WILL.

MAN ON TV: WE HAVE
FOOTBALL KNEE,
TENNIS ELBOW, JOGGER'S ANKLE,

SO WHY NOT PAC-MAN'S WRIST?

THE CALLUSES AND
BLISTERS ARE OBVIOUS,

THE SWELLING IS SECONDARY.

NARRATOR: CRITICS TRIED
TO SPOIL PAC-MAN'S FUN.

WHAT ABOUT KIDS'
VALUABLE HOMEWORK TIME?

WHERE WERE KIDS REALLY
SPENDING THAT LUNCH MONEY?

ARCADE GAMES INVADED
GROCERY STORES, DENTIST
OFFICES, EVEN FUNERAL PARLORS.

FEMALE ANNOUNCER:
THE NEW ATARI CARTRIDGE GAME
IS IN!

EXCUSE ME!

NARRATOR: AND OF COURSE,
LIVING ROOMS
AROUND THE WORLD.

[SONG PLAYING IN
FOREIGN LANGUAGE]

NOLAN BUSHNELL HAD A HEAD START
WITH THE ATARI VCS
ALREADY IN STORES.

HE WAS JUST WAITING
FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD
TO CATCH UP WITH HIM.

AND SOON ENOUGH,
EVERYBODY WANTED ONE.

[MAN ON TV SPEAKING FRENCH]

[MAN ON TV SPEAKING ITALIAN]

NARRATOR: SALES SOARED.

PLUS, BUSHNELL HAD SOMETHING
LOTS OF HIS COMPETITORS DID NOT.

MONEY.

IN ORDER TO MASS MANUFACTURE
THE ATARI VCS,

BUSHNELL SOLD ATARI
TO MEDIA GIANT,
WARNER COMMUNICATIONS, IN 1977.

THE CUTTHROAT CORPORATE MINDSET
TOOK OVER AT ATARI,

LEADING TO BUSHNELL
HIMSELF BEING FORCED OUT
OF THE VERY COMPANY

HE CREATED.

TO THIS DAY,

HE REGRETS THE SALE OF ATARI

AS THE WORST BUSINESS
DECISION HE EVER MADE.

BUSHNELL: THEY THOUGHT
THEY COULD JUST KEEP
PRODUCING GAMES

AND THEY COULD TREAT
THE ENGINEERS
LIKE FACTORY WORKERS.

THEY DIDN'T REALLY MAKE
THE CONNECTION
THAT THEY WERE THE STARS.

WHAT SPECIFIC GAMES
HAVE YOU DESIGNED?

WELL, AT ATARI WE DON'T
REALLY LIKE TO TALK ABOUT
WHO DESIGNED WHAT.

WHY NOT?
WELL, BECAUSE

WE LIKE TO MAKE THE GAME
A SUPERSTAR AS OPPOSED
TO THE PROGRAMMER.

WHY SHOULDN'T YOU GET CREDIT
IF YOU DESIGNED THE GAME?

WELL, BECAUSE IT IS A
CORPORATE PRODUCT. OKAY?

THESE ARE GAMES BY ATARI,
NOT GAMES BY STEVE WRIGHT
OR SOME OTHER PERSON.

BOB CITELLI: AND THEY SAID,
"WE WANNA BE TREATED
LIKE ROCK STARS.

"WE WANNA GET ROYALTIES
ON THE GAMES WE'VE PRODUCED,"

WHICH WAS UNHEARD OF.

AND ATARI SAID,
"THAT'S VERY NICE,
BUT THIS IS A TOY COMPANY,

"AND WE MAKE GAMES,
AND YOU WORK FOR US,

"AND THIS IS THE ONLY SYSTEM
THAT YOU HAVE THE ABILITY
TO PROGRAM FOR,

"SO GO BACK TO YOUR CUBES
AND MAKE MORE GAMES."

[KEYBOARDS CLACKING]

SO, NATURALLY,
WE ADDED UP ALL THE GAMES

THAT WE HAD DONE IN THAT GROUP,

AND REALIZED THAT THE
FOUR OF US OUT OF THE
30-PERSON DEPARTMENT,

WERE RESPONSIBLE
FOR 60% OF THE SALES OF ATARI

FOR THAT PREVIOUS YEAR.

IT BECAME OBVIOUS
TO THE MOST CASUAL OBSERVER,

BECAUSE YOU COULD SEE
THAT YOU WERE BUILDING
CARTRIDGES FOR THREE BUCKS

AND SELLING THEM FOR 20.

THAT SOMEBODY WAS MAKING
A WHOLE BUNCH OF MONEY.

THERE WERE FOUR MILLION
CARTRIDGES,
EIGHT MILLION CARTRIDGES,

TEN MILLION CARTRIDGES SOLD!

THESE ARE ENGINEERS,
THEY CAN DO MATH PRETTY WELL.

CRANE: THE SALES OF ATARI
THE PREVIOUS YEAR
WAS 100 MILLION DOLLARS.

AND SO, WE'RE LOOKING
AT EACH OTHER AND SAY, "WE'RE
MAKING 20,000 DOLLARS A YEAR,

"AND WE ARE GENERATING
60 MILLION DOLLARS OF REVENUES."

CITELLI: ATARI DIDN'T REALLY
CONTROL ITS MARKETPLACE

THE WAY MANUFACTURERS DO TODAY
WITH THEIR LICENSING PROGRAMS.

WELL, THEY WENT BACK
TO THEIR CUBES AND LEFT

AND STARTED A COMPANY
CALLED ACTIVISION.

[GAVEL POUNDING]

NARRATOR: ATARI TRIED ITS BEST
TO STIFLE THE ONSLAUGHT
OF COMPETITION,

BUT THE JUDGES RULED THAT
YOU COULD PLUG
WHATEVER YOU WANTED

INTO THAT CARTRIDGE SLOT.

ACTIVISION PREVAILED
AND WENT FROM ZERO TO, I THINK,

60 OR 70 MILLION DOLLARS
IN ABOUT 18 MONTHS.

THE GUYS THAT LEFT ATARI
WERE THE KEY PROGRAMMERS.

IT WAS JUST NATURAL
THAT THE BEST
AND THE BRIGHTEST

WOULD MOVE ACROSS THE STREET
TO ACTIVISION, AND THEN,

SHORTLY THEREAFTER,
ANOTHER BUNCH OF THEM LEFT
AND SO ATARI, SORT OF,

GOT LEFT WITH THE GUYS
WHO COULDN'T MOVE.

[GROANS]

I FOUND THE WAY TO THE GOLD!

CITELLI: ATARI LOST CONTROL
OF ITS MARKETPLACE,

DIDN'T HAVE THIS GATED GARDEN
LIKE APPLE HAS WITH THE IPHONE,

AND THEN EVERYBODY SAW
THE OPPORTUNITY AND PILED IN.

YOU'D SUCCEEDED BY DUMB LUCK
HALF THE TIME...

AND THEN, IT WAS TOTAL CHAOS.

NARRATOR: THIS WAS NO CLEARER
THAN IN ATARI'S 1982 VERSION

OF THE MUCH LOVED
ARCADE GAME, PAC-MAN.

ATARI SPENT MILLIONS
TO ACQUIRE THE LICENSE
TO MAKE THE GAME.

IT BECAME THE
ALL-TIME BESTSELLER
FOR THE SYSTEM.

BUT THEIR RUSHED PRODUCTION
ONLY MOCKED
IWATANI'S MASTERPIECE.

[BEEPING]

LATER THAT SAME YEAR,
STEVEN SPIELBERG'S E.T.

LANDED IN THEATERS.

WARNER EXECUTIVES SPENT
A FORTUNE FOR THE RIGHTS
TO MAKE THE GAME

AN ATARI EXCLUSIVE.

THEY PUSHED THE PRODUCTION
TEAM TO FINISH THE GAME
IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS,

GIVING THEM JUST SIX WEEKS
TO COMPLETE PRODUCTION.

I SAW THE GAME PLAN.

A VERY ROUGH SCHEME
OF THE GAME,

AND I WAS AMAZED
AT HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS,

AND AT THE SAME TIME,
HOW MUCH FUN IT WAS TO PLAY.

NARRATOR: BUT WITH
ALL THE HYPE ASIDE,

THE RESULT WAS A GAME
EVEN MORE UNDERWHELMING
THAN PAC-MAN.

A MILLION PEOPLE RUSHED OUT
TO BUY IT.

AND ALMOST AS MANY RETURNED
IT THE NEXT DAY.

PAC-MAN AND E.T.
WERE INDEED GROUNDBREAKING,

BUT THE REAL GROUND BROKEN,
WAS FOR A LANDFILL
IN NEW MEXICO.

ATARI BURIED MILLIONS
OF UNSOLD UNITS.

AND THESE GAMES WERE JUST
THE HIGH PROFILE TIP

OF THE GARBAGE PILE.

STEVE CARTWRIGHT:
WE USED TO GO TO CES
IN CHICAGO EVERY YEAR,

BIG TRADE SHOW,

AND ONE YEAR WE WENT THERE

AND EVERYBODY AND HIS BROTHER
WAS DOING VIDEO GAMES.

ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE WERE
30 VIDEO GAME COMPANIES,

WHERE THE PREVIOUS YEAR
THERE WERE TWO.

AND IT GOT TO THE POINT
WHERE EVEN QUAKER OATS
HAD A VIDEO GAME BOOM.

AND WE LOOKED AT ALL
THE GAMES BEING DONE
BY THESE 30 COMPANIES,

WHO HAD NO EXPERIENCE
DOING GAMES AND SOME OF
THESE GAMES WERE HORRIBLE.

ALL THESE COMPANIES
ARE GONNA BE OUT OF BUSINESS
IN A FEW MONTHS.

WHICH WAS TRUE.

BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
YOU HAVE 30 COMPANIES
GOING OUT OF BUSINESS

AND THEY ALL HAVE
A MILLION CARTRIDGES
IN THEIR INVENTORY?

THEY DUMP THEM ON THE MARKET.

THERE MAY BE TROUBLE
IN TOY LAND, AT LEAST
IN THE VIDEO GAMES DIVISION.

THIS WEEK INDUSTRY GIANT,
WARNER COMMUNICATIONS,

MAKERS OF ATARI,

ANNOUNCED THAT 1982
EARNINGS WOULD BE FAR
BELOW PREVIOUS EXPECTATIONS.

NARRATOR: BY 1983,

IT SEEMED AS THOUGH
THE PUBLIC'S LOVE AFFAIR
WITH ARCADE GAMES

WAS COMING TO AN END.

IN A 12-MONTH PERIOD
THERE WAS ALMOST
A 90% DECREASE

IN THE REVENUES AT ARCADES.

NARRATOR: THE MANUFACTURERS
DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO
WITH ALL THOSE CARTRIDGES.

CRANE: AN ENTERPRISING
LIQUIDATOR WENT AROUND
TO THESE COMPANIES AND SAID,

"YOU'VE GOT ALL THOSE CARTRIDGES
IN THE WAREHOUSE,

"AND YOU PAID 20, 30 DOLLARS
TO HAVE THEM BUILT.

"I'LL GIVE YOU 3 DOLLARS EACH."

AND THE BANKRUPTCY JUDGE SAYS,
"THEY'RE WORTH NOTHING
TO ME OTHERWISE,

"IN FACT I HAVE TO PAY
TO GET RID OF THEM."

SO HE TOOK THEM FOR
3 DOLLARS EACH,
AND HE GOES TO THE RETAILERS,

AND SAID, "I'M GONNA SELL
THEM TO YOU FOR 4 DOLLARS,

"AND YOU CAN RETAIL
THEM FOR 5 DOLLARS."

AND THE GUY SAYS,
"THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD MARGIN."

AND IT'S NOT TOO BAD, REALLY,
WHEN IT COMES RIGHT DOWN TO IT.

SO, FOR ONE CHRISTMAS,
THE CRASH CHRISTMAS,

THERE WERE 20 MILLION PIECES
OF SOFTWARE FOR SALE
AT 5 DOLLARS APIECE,

IN BARRELS

JUST INSIDE THE DOOR
OF TOYS "R" US.

SO, EVEN THOUGH A KID ASKS
FOR THE LATEST, HOTTEST,

40 DOLLARS ACTIVISION TITLE
FOR CHRISTMAS.

DAD TAKES HIS 40 DOLLARS
INTO THE STORE,

AND HE SAYS, "I CAN BUY EIGHT
GAMES FOR MY 40 DOLLARS.

[CAMPTOWN RACES PLAYING]

"I'M GONNA BE THE HERO."

AND HE BUYS EIGHT 5 DOLLAR
GAMES, AND IN ONE CHRISTMAS

THE SALE OF BRAND-NEW
FRONT-LINE TITLES WENT TO ZERO.

DON DAGLOW: ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT WE TAKE FOR GRANTED NOW

IS THAT VIDEO GAMES
ARE PART OF OUR LIVES.

THEY ARE PART OF OUR CULTURE.

THEY ARE PART OF WHAT
WE THINK OF AS MEDIA.

IN ABOUT 1983, '84,

VIDEO GAMES WERE
BEING DISMISSED
AS BEING LIKE THE HULA HOOP

OR CABBAGE PATCH DOLLS

OR THE HUSTLE.

TOY STORES WENT
FROM FEATURING VIDEO GAMES

AS ONE OF THEIR BIGGEST
PROFIT CENTERS

TO SAYING,
"THIS IS OVER, WHAT'S NEXT?"

WE SIMPLY REACHED
THAT POINT WHERE THE
INITIAL FLUSH OF ROMANCE

WAS LOST,

AND NOBODY REALIZED THAT
THIS WAS A LONG-TERM
RELATIONSHIP.

NARRATOR: IN HINDSIGHT,
IT'S EASY TO SEE
HOW ATARI BROUGHT COMPUTERS

INTO OUR EVERYDAY LIVES

AND HOW BUSHNELL'S EFFORTS
FORGED A LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIP

BETWEEN PEOPLE
AND THEIR MACHINES.

WE SAW THE PERSONAL COMPUTER
THROUGH THE GAME BUSINESS EYES.

AND WE SAW IT BEING
A SUPER GAME PLAYER

AND YEAH, IF YOU WANNA
DO WORD PROCESSING,

SOME OF THAT OTHER STUFF,
YEAH, THAT'D BE OKAY AS WELL.

I'M GOING TO COME TO YOU
MOSTLY THROUGH
THIS MEDIUM HERE.

NARRATOR: BUT BACK IN 1968,
ALMOST 10 YEARS BEFORE THE
ATARI VCS, DOUG ENGELBART

DEMONSTRATED A PROTOTYPICAL
MODERN DAY COMPUTER ENVIRONMENT.

IT HAD FAMILIAR FEATURES,
SUCH AS EMAIL,

HYPERLINKS AND EVEN
VIDEO CONFERENCING.

ALL OF IT WAS DRIVEN
BY AN AMAZINGLY SIMPLE DEVICE,

KNOWN AS THE MOUSE.

ROB SMITH: THE CONCEPT
OF A DESKTOP COMPUTER
REALLY DIDN'T EXIST.

THE EARLY COMPUTERS
YOU COULD'VE BOUGHT IN PIECES.

THE FACT THAT YOU
COULD GET THIS BOX
TO TURN THE LIGHT ON,

WAS, "HEY, THIS IS NEW,
WE'VE NEVER TURN A LIGHT ON

"USING THIS
ELECTRONICS BEFORE."

IT IS THAT KIND OF EXCITEMENT
OF UNCOVERING

WHEN YOU PUT THESE
PIECES TOGETHER,

WHEN YOU PUT THESE
ELECTRONICS TOGETHER,

WHAT CAN YOU ACTUALLY
MAKE THEM DO?

NARRATOR: IN THE 1970S,
HOME COMPUTERS WERE NOTHING
MORE THAN AN OBSCURE HOBBY.

THESE DO-IT-YOURSELF
COMPUTER MARVELS
HAD NO REAL OPERATING SYSTEMS,

REQUIRING PROGRAMS
TO COMMUNICATE
VIA MACHINE LANGUAGE.

THIS MADE THEM ALMOST UNUSABLE
TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

IT WASN'T UNTIL 1977

THAT HOME COMPUTERS
FINALLY BECAME
EASIER TO OPERATE.

A NEW TERM WAS INTRODUCED
INTO OUR LEXICON.

USER FRIENDLY.

BUSHNELL: THE TWO STEVES,
WOZNIAK AND JOBS,

WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE
DON'T REALIZE IS THAT
STEVE JOBS WORKED FOR ATARI

AND ACTUALLY DID BREAKOUT.

AND DID A GREAT JOB ON IT.

AND WHEN THEY DECIDED
TO DO THE APPLE COMPUTER,

THEY CAME AND ASKED
IF WE WANTED TO PRODUCE IT.

WE DIDN'T FEEL LIKE
WE COULD USE OUR CAPITAL
AT THAT POINT IN TIME

BECAUSE WE HAD ALL THE BUSINESS
THAT WE COULD USE

AND AT THE SAME TIME THEY
OFFERED ME A THIRD OF APPLE
COMPUTER FOR 50,000 DOLLARS

WHICH IN MY BRILLIANCE
I TURNED DOWN.

AUTOMATED VOICE:
INTRODUCING APPLE II, THE EASY
TO OPERATE HOME COMPUTER.

BUSHNELL: KIND OF
REGRET THAT ONE.

AUTOMATED VOICE: JUST HOOK IT UP
TO YOUR TV TO CREATE
DAZZLING COLOR DISPLAYS.

OR YOU CAN BALANCE
YOUR CHECKBOOK.

OR THE FAMILY CAN INVENT
THEIR OWN PONG GAMES.

THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS.

DAGLOW: I STILL REMEMBER
THE SHOCK OF THAT MOMENT,

THE TIME WHEN I FIRST
SAW AN APPLE II,

WHICH IS THIS LITTLE FLAT
LOW-LYING MACHINE

WITH A KEYBOARD BUILD IN,

AND VERY SIMPLE
MONITOR WITH IT.

I REALIZED THIS THING
HAS MORE POWER IN IT

THAN THE ROOM SIZE COMPUTER
THAT I'VE BEEN WRITING GAMES ON

AT THAT POINT
FOR PROBABLY SEVEN YEARS.

KEPT LOOKING AT IT AND SAYING,
"HOW DID THEY GET

"AN ENTIRE ROOM WORTH
OF HARDWARE
INTO THIS LITTLE THING?"

JOHN ROMERO: YOU WALK INTO
THE STORE, AND IT SMELLS ALL
CLEAN, PLASTIC-Y,

AND THERE ARE THREE
APPLE IIS THERE
WITH COLOR MONITORS,

AND JUST BAGGIES
HANGING ON THE WALLS.

JUST THESE BLACK BAGS
WITH ALL THIS GAMES.

THEY DIDN'T TAKE UP MUCH
SPACE 'CAUSE THEY WERE JUST
HANGING OFF THE WALLS.

NARRATOR: BUT THE GAMES
WERE COMPATIBLE ONLY WITH
A SPECIFIC COMPUTER MODEL

THEY WERE CREATED FOR.

CONFUSION, FRUSTRATION
AND BRAND LOYALTY FOLLOWED.

NOBODY COMPARES TO THE ATARI.

I'M FINDING TELEVISION
MORE SOPHISTICATED
AND LIFELIKE.

GENTLEMEN, MOVE OVER...

NARRATOR: USERS WOULD SWEAR
THAT THEIR BRAND
WAS THE BEST ONE.

THIS IS THE ONE...

THERE WAS SO MUCH DIVERSITY
IN TERMS OF PLATFORMS

THAT RETAILERS COULDN'T DECIDE
WHICH PC OR CONSOLE TO SUPPORT.

THE PUBLISHING COMMUNITY
COULDN'T DETERMINE

WHICH SYSTEM
YOU WERE GONNA PROGRAM FOR,

BECAUSE THERE WERE
SMALL COMPANIES,
THERE WERE 20, 30 EMPLOYEES.

IT WAS NOT THE MASSIVE STUDIOS
THAT THEY HAVE TODAY,

PRODUCING MULTI-MILLION
DOLLAR PRODUCTIONS.

THIS IS A HANDFUL OF
HOBBYISTS, REALLY.

AND SO, YOU ALWAYS
HAD TO GUESS.

NARRATOR: HOME COMPUTERS
UTILIZED FLOPPY DISKS
OR CASSETTE TAPES

INSTEAD OF THE
FAST-LOADING CARTRIDGES
USED FOR GAMING CONSOLES.

THAT MEANT IT WAS CHEAPER
TO BUY SOFTWARE,

BUT THE SOFTWARE
RAN MUCH SLOWER.

YOU WOULD WAIT 20 MINUTES
FOR THE GAME TO LOAD,

AND THEN YOU MAKE A LEFT TURN
INSTEAD OF A RIGHT,

AND BOOM, YOU WERE DEAD,
SO NOW, YOU HAD TO
RELOAD THE GAME AGAIN

'CAUSE IT DIDN'T
STAY IN MEMORY.

NARRATOR: DESPITE ALL
THE WAITING AROUND,

FLOPPY DISKS AND
CASSETTE TAPES ACTUALLY
CONTRIBUTED GREATLY

TO THE DEVELOPMENT
OF HOME COMPUTERS
AS GAMING DEVICES.

UNLIKE CARTRIDGES,
THE DISKS AND TAPES
COULD BE EASILY COPIED,

AND FREELY TRADED
AS HOME BREWED GAMES

AMONG NETWORKS
OF DEVOTED VIDEO GAMERS.

A NEW CHAPTER OF THE
GAMING CULTURE WAS UNFOLDING.

WHAT WAS KNOWN
AS LEVEL EDITING
BECAME A POPULAR HOBBY.

INFLUENTIAL GAMES
STARTED BEING DEVELOPED
BY LONE DESIGNERS

IN THEIR BEDROOMS.

THE BASEMENT CODERS.

I COME HOME FROM SCHOOL,
COMPUTER STRAIGHT ON.

AND I TOLD MY PARENTS
THAT THIS WAS FOR SCHOOL.

NO, IT WAS TO FIGURE OUT
HOW TO MAKE GAMES.

IT WAS A TOTAL LIE,
JUST LIKE MOST
PEOPLE AT THE TIME.

I START TYPING THESE
PAGES AND PAGES
OF CODES FROM MAGAZINES IN,

TO JUST SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

UNDERSTANDING WHY
ONE THING THAT YOU'VE GOT

IN THIS AREA OF THE CODE,
MAKES THIS HAPPEN ON SCREEN.

IT GAVE PEOPLE VERY
SIMPLE TOOLS TO CREATE
THEIR OWN WORLD.

PEOPLE FLOCKED TO THAT.

IT WAS A POWERFUL MECHANIC.

NARRATOR: A NEW MINDSET
WAS TAKING SHAPE.

USER-GENERATED CONTENT.

SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR GAMES
IN EARLY PCS HAD
NO GRAPHICS AT ALL.

TEXT-BASED ADVENTURE GAMES,
LIKE 1977'S ZORK,

WERE PLAYED BY TYPING IN
COMMANDS FROM A KEYBOARD.

BUT THE LACK OF GRAPHICS
WAS MADE UP FOR WITH
CHALLENGING PUZZLES,

AND IMMERSIVE STORIES.

ZORK I IS TEXT ON SCREEN.

YOU TYPE IN A SENTENCE.

YOU COULD ACTUALLY TYPE IN
A WHOLE SENTENCE.

BUT IT WAS REALLY JUST PARSING
FOR THE VERB AND THE NOUN.

ONCE IT FOUND THEM,
IT WOULD FIGURE OUT WHAT
YOU WERE TRYING TO DO

AND IT WOULD GO TO A DATABASE
AND SEE WHETHER YOU
COULD ACCOMPLISH IT.

YOU WOULD TRY TO FIND A WAY
TO ADVANCE THROUGH THE STORY

AND ADVANCE THROUGH THE ROOMS
BY SOLVING THESE PUZZLES.

STEVE MERETZKY: REALLY APPEALED
TO THE DEMOGRAPHIC

OF WHO WERE BUYING AND OWNING
COMPUTERS AT THAT TIME.

THEY WERE THE
CUTTING EDGE THING

THAT YOU COULD DO
WITH A PERSONAL COMPUTER.

NARRATOR: PUBLISHERS
HAD GREAT SUCCESS
WITH TEXT ADVENTURES.

THESE ARE NOW KNOWN
AS ROLE-PLAYING GAMES,

RPGS.

INSPIRED BY THE CLASSIC GAME,
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS.

DAN MURRAY:
IN DUNGEONS & DRAGONS,

YOU'D BASICALLY HAVE
A DUNGEON MASTER
TELLING YOU A STORY.

AND THEN AS A PLAYER,
YOU WOULD JUST IMAGINE

WHAT YOUR NEXT
EVENTS WOULD BE.

THEN JUST THE ROLL OF THE DICE
WOULD DETERMINE THE END RESULTS.

OUT OF THAT CAME THE IDEA
TO TRANSLATE THAT INTO TEXT

ON COMPUTERS,
AND PEOPLE EMBRACED THOSE.

NARRATOR: TEENAGE HOBBYIST
GAME DEVELOPER, RICHARD GARRIOT,

BROUGHT ROLE-PLAYING
TO THE DESKTOP.

IN 1981, HIS INFLUENTIAL
GAME FRANCHISE,

ULTIMA, WAS BORN.

ULTIMA INTRODUCED
GAME PLAY MECHANICS

STILL ENJOYED TODAY
BY TENS OF MILLIONS OF GAMERS.

THESE RPGS WERE NOT CASUAL
LIKE PONG OR SPACE INVADERS.

IT TOOK DAYS OR EVEN
WEEKS OF PLAY TO TRAVEL
FROM DUNGEON TO DUNGEON,

CLAIMING TREASURE,
BUYING NEW WEAPONS,

BUILDING YOUR CHARACTER
INTO A MIGHTY WARRIOR.

DERRIK LANG: ADVENTURE GAMES
ARE PROBABLY THE ULTIMATE
ARCHETYPE FOR VIDEO GAMES.

WE COULD SAY THAT
ALL KIND OF GAMES
ARE ADVENTURE GAMES

TO A CERTAIN EXTENT.

BUT, YEAH, ADVENTURE GAMES,
I THINK, IS THE HEART
OF THIS MEDIUM.

MURRAY: WHEN YOU SAY
AN ADVENTURE GAME,
IT'S SORT OF JUST ONE MECHANIC

WHICH IS NAVIGATING YOUR WAY
THROUGH AN ENVIRONMENT,

POINT AND CLICK.

[UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING]

IT'S VERY STORY DRIVEN.

NARRATOR: VIDEO GAMES SLOWLY
STARTED PRESENTING
MORE ELABORATE GAME WORLDS

FOR GAMERS TO EXPLORE.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

THE FOCUS WAS NOT
ON THE SPEED OF THE PLAYER,

BUT ON IMMERSING THEM
IN AN ALTERNATE
VERSION OF REALITY.

[KEYBOARD CLACKING]

ADVENTURE GAMES
LEFT ANOTHER HUGE MARK

ON THE DEVELOPMENT
OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY.

GAMES LIKE ZORK
WERE THE FIRST GAMES

THAT COULD BE PLAYED
ON MULTIPLE PLATFORMS.

THE SIMPLE CONCEPT
OF SEPARATING
SOFTWARE FROM HARDWARE

WAS VERY INFLUENTIAL
IN THE DEVELOPMENT
OF PERSONAL COMPUTERS.

ONCE THERE WAS A UNIFIED
OPERATING SYSTEM,
PC SALES EXPLODED.

MORE UNITS WERE SOLD IN 1981
THAN IN THE PREVIOUS
FIVE YEARS COMBINED.

WE SHALL PREVAIL.

NARRATOR: THAT NUMBER
ALMOST DOUBLED IN 1982.

IN THE NEXT 30 YEARS,

HUNDREDS OF NEW HARDWARE
AND SOFTWARE
COMPANIES EMERGED.

MAN: BUT YOUTUBE HAS
FAST BECOME MUST SEE...

THEY WENT FROM OBSCURITY
TO FAME OVER A VERY
SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

VERY SIMILAR TO
HOW GOOGLE ROSE.

NARRATOR: THE COMPUTING
INDUSTRY THAT FIRST CAME INTO
OUR HOMES WITH THE ATARI,

HAD SLOWLY GROWN
TO BECOME A NECESSITY.

THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.

THIS IS GONNA BE SO COOL.

WHAT DOES THE REST
OF MY DAY LOOK LIKE?

NARRATOR: THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN MAN AND SOFTWARE

HAD NOW EVOLVED
FROM USER-FRIENDLY

TO LIFESTYLE.

BUT BACK IN 1985,
IT'S NOT FAIR TO SAY THAT HOME
COMPUTERS SIMPLY PICKED UP

WHERE VIDEO GAME CONSOLES
HAD LEFT OFF.

INVESTORS AND RETAILERS
HAD LOST TENS OF MILLIONS
OF DOLLARS

DURING THE VIDEO GAME CRASH

AND NO ONE WOULD INVEST
AS MUCH AS A QUARTER
IN THAT SORT OF BUSINESS.

BUT THERE WAS MARIO.

IN JAPAN, HOME CONSOLES
WERE STILL SELLING STRONG,

PARTICULARLY ONES MADE BY
A PLAYING CARD COMPANY
NAMED NINTENDO.

NO STRANGER TO GAMERS,
NINTENDO HAD SCORED IN 1981

WITH SHIGERU MIYAMOTO'S
ARCADE CLASSIC, DONKEY KONG.

BECAUSE OF THE
RESTRICTIONS OF TECHNOLOGY

MIYAMOTO NEEDED TO
GET CREATIVE
WITH MARIO'S DESIGN.

AS THERE WERE NOT ENOUGH
BYTES AVAILABLE

TO CREATE A PASSABLE
HEAD OF HAIR,

HE GAVE HIM A HAT.

SAME WITH THE MUSTACHE.

WITHOUT THE FACIAL HAIR,

THE MARIO SPRITE
WOULD'VE LOOKED WEIRD.

MAN: WHEN YOU WANNA
ATTACH YOUR NAME
TO A WORLD RECORD,

WHEN YOU WANT YOUR NAME
WRITTEN INTO HISTORY,

YOU HAVE TO PAY THE PRICE.

NARRATOR: DONKEY KONG'S
GAME PLAY WAS DESIGNED
WITH SUCH PERFECTION

THAT EVEN FILMS
HAVE BEEN MADE
TO CELEBRATE ITS BEAUTY.

[THRILLING MUSIC PLAYING]

NOW, NINTENDO TOOK ON
THE CHALLENGE OF EXPORTING
ITS POPULAR CONSOLE

TO AMERICA.

AMERICAN RETAILERS STILL
REELING FROM THE CRASH
CHRISTMAS OF 1983

WANTED NOTHING TO DO WITH
ANOTHER VIDEO GAME CONSOLE.

BUT NINTENDO MANAGED
TO INFILTRATE AMERICA

WITH THE HELP OF ROB,

THE ROBOTIC OPERATING BUDDY.

ROB WOULD ACTUALLY PLAY
YOUR VIDEO GAMES WITH YOU.

NINTENDO HAD TRICKED
RETAILERS INTO THINKING

THAT THEY WERE NOT
THE BEARERS OF ANOTHER
GAMING CONSOLE,

BUT A FANCY ELECTRONIC
TOY MANUFACTURER.

NINTENDO'S REAL SECRET WEAPON
TURNED OUT TO BE
SUPER MARIO BROTHERS.

[BEEPING]

A SPECTACULAR GAME
THAT EVENTUALLY CAME
BUNDLED WITH THE SYSTEM.

OUR DONKEY KONG
HERO WAS BACK

BUT WITH MUCH,
MUCH MORE POWER.

SUPER MARIO BROTHERS
DID FOR CONSOLE GAMING

WHAT PAC-MAN HAD DONE
FOR THE ARCADES.

IT GAVE GAMERS,
AND MORE IMPORTANTLY,
RETAILERS,

A REASON TO GET EXCITED
ABOUT VIDEO GAMES

ALL OVER AGAIN.

NINTENDO FIGURED OUT
FROM THE ASHES
OF WHAT WENT ON PREVIOUSLY,

YOU NEED TO CONTROL
ALL THIS BUSINESS AND YOU
NEED TO EXTRACT ROYALTIES

FOR PEOPLE TO PLAY
ON YOUR SYSTEM

AS OPPOSED TO
JUST HAVING THIS FREE RANGE

WHERE EVERYBODY CAN COME IN
AND DROP A GAME INTO
THE MARKETPLACE.

NARRATOR: WHEN PEOPLE
BOUGHT A NINTENDO GAME,

THEY KNEW IT WOULD HAVE
SOME LEVEL OF QUALITY CONTROL.

NINTENDO MADE SURE
TO PRODUCE ALL THE
ACTUAL CARTRIDGES ITSELF,

INCORPORATING A SPECIAL
AUTHENTICATION CHIP

IN EVERY CONSOLE
AND CARTRIDGE
TO PREVENT PIRACY.

WITH POPULAR FRANCHISES,
CLEVER MARKETING,

AND A TIGHT CONTROL POLICY,

NINTENDO WROTE MANY
OF THE MUCH NEEDED RULES

FOR THE REST OF THE
VIDEO GAME
INDUSTRY TO FOLLOW.

FRESH COMPETITION LIKE SEGA,
AND OLD-TIMERS LIKE ATARI,

TRIED HARD,

BUT NO ONE COULD LOOSEN
NINTENDO'S GRIP
ON THE INDUSTRY.

[CROWD CHANTING] MARIO! MARIO!

NARRATOR: NINTENDO WAS HUGE,

MAKING MORE MONEY THAN
ALL THE PREVIOUS GAMING
SYSTEMS COMBINED.

AND TO STAY HUGE,

THEY THOUGHT SMALL,

INTRODUCING THE
NINTENDO GAME BOY

IN 1989.

MAN: YOU DON'T STOP PLAYING
BECAUSE YOU GET OLD.

BUT YOU COULD GET OLD
IF YOU STOP PLAYING.

NARRATOR: WITH ITS
MONOCHROME GRAPHICS,

BLURRY SCREEN,

AND TINNY SOUND,

IT'S HARD TO SAY
THAT THE GAME BOY
WAS A TECHNOLOGICAL MARVEL.

IN FACT, THE COMPETITION,
LIKE ATARI'S LYNX,

AND SEGA'S GAME GEAR,
HAD FAR MORE POWER.

MUCH LIKE THE NES,

THE GAME BOY
HAD A SECRET WEAPON, TOO.

TETRIS.

THE KILLER APP
OF MOBILE GAMING.

IT WAS SOMETHING
THE COMPETITION LACKED

AND OVER 30 MILLION GAMERS
COULD NOT LIVE WITHOUT.

SANDE CHEN: YOU COULD SEE
SECRETARIES PLAYING TETRIS.

THEY MIGHT NOT THINK
YOU WERE SEEING THEM PLAY IT,

BUT YOU WALKED IN
AND YOU LOOKED AT
THEIR COMPUTER SCREEN

AND THEY WERE PLAYING IT.

NARRATOR: TETRIS DIDN'T COME
FROM JAPAN OR AMERICA,

IT CAME FROM BEHIND
THE IRON CURTAIN.

CREATED BY ALEXEY PAJITNOV,
A RUSSIAN COMPUTER ENGINEER,

TETRIS WAS DEVELOPED
WHILE HE WORKED
FOR THE SOVIET GOVERNMENT.

THE GAME WAS LEAKED
OUT OF RUSSIA,

AND NOBODY COULD KEEP TRACK
OF WHO OWNED THE COPYRIGHTS.

AT A TIME WHICH WAS
A LITTLE BIT WILD WEST

OF THE EARLY VIDEO
GAME INDUSTRY,

WHO OWNED IT AND
WHO HAD THE RIGHTS
ON A PARTICULAR PLATFORM

ALL OF THOSE LAWS HADN'T BEEN
DEFINED FOR THIS BUSINESS,

BECAUSE THIS BUSINESS
WAS JUST STARTING.

NARRATOR: SEVERAL COMPANIES
CLAIMED TO HAVE THE
EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS

TO PRODUCE TETRIS,

PROMPTING ATARI AND NINTENDO
INTO A WAR.

EVEN THOUGH ATARI'S VERSION
WAS STOLEN FIRST,

NINTENDO'S LAWYERS
SHUT IT DOWN.

THE BIG LOSER, HOWEVER,
WAS PAJITNOV HIMSELF.

THE SOVIET GOVERNMENT
OWNED THE RIGHTS
TO HIS PROGRAM,

AND NEVER GAVE HIM A RUBLE.

BUT AT LEAST HE GOT TO BE
THE FIRST PERSON IN HISTORY

TO PLAY TETRIS
WHILE HE WAS SUPPOSED
TO BE WORKING.

WITH VIDEO GAMES
NOW EVERYWHERE,

ONE WOULD EXPECT
TO SEE SOMETHING SPECIAL

IF THEY WANDERED
INTO AN ARCADE.

IN 1983, WHEN THE
HOME CONSOLE MARKET
WAS FALLING TO PIECES,

A NEW ARCADE GAME
WAS LAUNCHED,
WITH A VISUAL ACHIEVEMENT

THAT FAR SURPASSED
THE SPRITE-BASED GRAPHICS

OF EVERY OTHER GAME
ON THE MARKET.

DRAGON'S LAIR.

LANG: I REMEMBER SEEING
DRAGON'S LAIR,

AND NOT REALLY BEING ABLE
TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT WAS

BECAUSE IT LOOKED
LIKE A MOVIE.

YOU IMMEDIATELY HAD
A CROWD OF PEOPLE AROUND IT,

GOING, "OOH, WHAT'S THAT?
WHAT'S THIS?"

NARRATOR: THIS VIDEO GAME
FEATURED STATE OF THE ART
LASERDISC TECHNOLOGY

WHICH ODD PLAYERS WERE STRIKING
HAND-DRAWN VIDEO CLIPS

WITHIN THE GAMEPLAY.

THE LASER DISC ESTABLISHED
A NEW PARADIGM.

DRAGON'S LAIR DEVOURED
COINS AT TOP SPEED.

50 CENTS AT THE TIME WAS A LOT.

I STILL REMEMBER BEING LIKE,
"HEY, THIS GAME IS DOUBLE
EVERYTHING ELSE."

BUT OF COURSE IT WAS SO PRETTY
AT THE TIME, YOU'RE LIKE,

"OKAY, IT'S WORTH IT."

SAVE ME!

NARRATOR:
WITH GRAPHICS THIS SEXY,

IT DIDN'T EVEN MATTER
THAT THE GAME PLAY
WAS SO POOR.

OF COURSE, IT HAD SOME ISSUES

BECAUSE THEN I PLAYED IT
AND YOU DIE IMMEDIATELY

IF YOU DON'T FLICK
THE CONTROLLER
TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT

OR WHEREVER YOU'RE TRYING
TO GO IN THAT CASTLE

THAT NEVER SEEMED TO END.

BUT IT REALLY OPENED
EVERYBODY'S EYES
TO THE POSSIBILITY

OF WHAT YOU REALLY COULD DO
WITH VIDEO GAMES.

[LAUGHS]

NARRATOR: THE GAME'S TECHNICAL
INGENUITY EARNED IT A PLACE IN
THE SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM

IN WASHINGTON,

FEATURED THERE ALONGSIDE
DRAGON'S LAIR ARE TWO
OTHER INDUSTRY BEACONS,

PAC-MAN AND OF COURSE, PONG.

ALONGSIDE THE LASERDISC,

MOVING CABINETS
ALSO KEPT PEOPLE
INTERESTED IN THE ARCADES.

VIDEO GAME DEVELOPERS
HAD TO SORT OF GO BACK
TO THE DRAWING BOARD

AND THINK OF NEW WAYS,
NEW CABINET STYLES.

NEW GAMES,
NEW GAME PLAY EXPERIENCES.

NARRATOR: JAPANESE
GAME DESIGNER, YU SUZUKI,

MADE HIS MARK
WITH AN ARRAY OF SIMULATORS

THAT BECAME STAR ATTRACTIONS
IN ARCADES WORLDWIDE.

HIS MASTERPIECE,
1986'S OUTRUN,

OFFERED GAMERS THEIR CHOICE
OF BOTH SOUNDTRACK

AND ROUTE.

BEYOND A SIMPLE RACING GAME,

SUZUKI PROVIDED PLAYERS
AN ACTUAL DRIVING EXPERIENCE.

AS SOON AS YOU SIT
IN A CAR THAT WILL
MOVE WITH YOU,

WILL GIVE YOU
THAT SENSATION,

ALL OF A SUDDEN,
IT IS A FULL
BODY EXPERIENCE.

SO, THE EVOLUTION OF OUTRUN
IN THAT FULL BODY IMMERSION

IS NOW WHAT WE'RE SEEING

WITH MOTION CONTROL GAMES
AND ALL THE REST OF IT.

NARRATOR: YEARS LATER,
DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION
WOULD TRANSCEND ARCADE PLAY

AND EVEN MAKE IT'S WAY
INTO PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES,

IN THOUSANDS OF U.S. SCHOOLS.

[ OLD TIME ROCK AND ROLL
PLAYING]

THEN CAME THE GAME
THAT MADE US ALL ROCK STARS.

GUITAR HERO.

YOU PICK UP A GUITAR,

AND YOU HOLD DIFFERENT
BUTTONS BASED ON WHAT'S ON
SCREEN AND YOU STRUM.

ANYBODY CAN DO THAT.

AND IT'S GREAT 'CAUSE NOW
YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO WERE
ALWAYS TRADITIONALLY,

"OH, I AM NOT A GAMER,
I DON'T PLAY VIDEO GAMES."

AND SUDDENLY, TWO HOURS LATER,
THEY ARE COMPLETELY HOOKED.

NARRATOR: EVEN THE BEATLES
GOT IN THE GAME.

[GET BACK PLAYING]

SMITH: SOMEBODY SAYS,
"HERE'S A PLASTIC GUITAR
WITH SOME COLORED KEYS.

"ROCK OUT TO YOUR
FAVORITE SONGS."
"NO, I'M NOT GONNA DO THAT."

"OH, MY GOD, IS THIS FUN!"

NARRATOR: ANOTHER BIG
SPECTACLE IN THE ARCADES,

WAS THE COMPETITIVE FURY
OF FIGHTING GAMES.

1991'S STREET FIGHTER II
TANTALIZED GAMERS

BE LETTING THEM
HURRICANE KICK, TIGER KNEE,

AND DRAGON PUNCH THEIR
SMACK-TALKING BUDDIES
INTO SUBMISSION.

TO THIS DAY, IT RANKS
ONLY BEHIND PAC-MAN
AND SPACE INVADERS

IN THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE
IT'S GENERATED.

AND WHENEVER THERE IS
THAT KIND OF MONEY,

THERE ARE SURE TO BE COPYCATS.

FOR ALL OF THE CLONES
THAT TRIED THEIR HAND
AT THIS MARKET,

THE ONE THAT DREW
THE MOST BLOOD

WAS MORTAL KOMBAT.

YOU DON'T JUST KNOCK OUT
YOUR OPPONENTS,

YOU KNOCK OFF THEIR HEADS
AND RIP OUT THEIR SPINAL CORDS.

COMPUTERIZED MALE VOICE:
FINISH HIM!

[SCREAMING]

NARRATOR: THE GORE ABSOLUTELY
AWED CHILDREN,
BUT SHOCKED THEIR PARENTS.

I LOVED TO RIP SOMEONE'S
HEAD OFF WITH THEIR SPINE,

I THOUGHT IT WAS LIKE
THE COOLEST THING EVER.

OF COURSE, AS SOON AS
THE PRESS GOT WIND OF IT,

THERE WAS ALL SORTS OF
NEGATIVITY ABOUT IT.

[GRUNTING]

NARRATOR: THE CONTROVERSY
CREATED A PERFECT
POLITICAL STORM IN 1993.

THIS IS A HANDGUN,
PURE AND SIMPLE.

AND PUTTING IT IN THE HANDS
OF A KID JUST GIVES
THEM THE WRONG IDEA.

NARRATOR: THE CONGRESSIONAL
HEARINGS ON VIOLENCE
AND VIDEO GAMES

RECEIVED WIDE COVERAGE
IN THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA.

THERE IS A SERIOUS
PROBLEM HERE.
A REAL SERIOUS PROBLEM.

I HOPE YOU WALK AWAY
WITH ONE THOUGHT TODAY,

THAT IF YOU DON'T
DO SOMETHING
ABOUT IT, WE WILL.

NARRATOR: THE HEARINGS
EVENTUALLY LED TO THE CREATION

OF THE INDUSTRY STANDARD
RATING BOARD,

SET UP TO REGULATE CONTENT,
RATING IT TO AN
APPROPRIATE AGE RANGE.

BUT IN THE SAME YEAR
AS THE CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS,

THE PC GAME, DOOM,

EXPLODED ON THE SCENE,
ADDING MORE FUEL TO FIRE.

[GUN FIRING]

[MAN GROANING]

THE VIOLENCE WAS IMMERSIVE
AND PERSONAL.

AND THE EXPERIENCE WAS
TRANSFERRED TO THE
FIRST PERSON PERSPECTIVE.

[MAN GRUNTING]

GAMERS GOT THEIR FIRST GLIMPSE
OF A TRULY VIRTUAL REALITY.

[GRUNTING CONTINUES]

BUT EVEN THOUGH
YOU PLAYED AN ASSASSIN,

DOOM WAS ACTUALLY
A SOCIAL GAME.

PEOPLE WERE STARTING
TO BASICALLY
BRING THEIR COMPUTERS

OVER TO OTHER PEOPLE'S HOUSES
ON THE WEEKENDS

AND THEY CALLED THAT
THE LAN PARTY.

SO, LOTS OF LAN CARDS AND CABLE
WERE BEING SOLD LIKE CRAZY.

THEY WERE SELLING SO MUCH
OF THE STUFF

'CAUSE NOW NETWORK GAMING
WAS REALLY HERE.

LAN PARTIES GOT
TO BE REALLY BIG.

EVERYBODY WAS JUST
CRATING THEIR MACHINES,

THE LOBBY WOULD COME UP
AND YOU'D SEE EVERYONE
IN THE LOBBY

AND YOU WOULD INSTIGATE
A GAME WITH THEM

AND BASICALLY,
YOU GOT CONNECTED TO THEM

OVER THE MODEM WITH SOMEONE
THAT YOU JUST MET
THROUGH THE SERVER.

THAT WAS KIND OF OUR FIRST
GLIMPSE AS TO WHAT THE
POWER OF SOCIAL NETWORKING

WAS GOING TO EVENTUALLY
BECOME LATER IN THE INDUSTRY.

NARRATOR: SO MANY DEVELOPERS
CLONED DOOM'S FORMULA

THAT AN ENTIRE GENRE
OF FIRST PERSON
SHOOTERS APPEARED.

FRANCHISES LIKE CALL OF DUTY
AND HALO STILL DOMINATE TODAY,

GROSSING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

THE LOOK AND THE SOUND
CONTINUE TO IMPROVE
WITH EACH GENERATION,

BUT THE BASIC GAME
REMAIN THE SAME.

A KILLING SIMULATOR.

THESE TWO GAMES BECAME
THE SHORTHAND

FOR EVERYTHING THAT
WAS WRONG WITH VIDEO GAMES.

DARION LOWENSTEIN: DOOM AND
MORTAL KOMBAT GOT SO MUCH
NEGATIVE FEEDBACK IN THE PRESS,

AND WHEN MYST CAME OUT,
IT SOLD MORE COPIES

OF ANY GAME THAN PRETTY MUCH
ANYTHING ELSE AT THE TIME HAD.

AND IT WAS COMPLETELY
NON-VIOLENT.

THE GAME OF THE YEAR

HAS ALWAYS BEEN A BOARD GAME
AND THIS YEAR IT'S NOT.

MAN ON TV: THE CD-ROM GAME,
MYST, SOLD OVER
ONE MILLION COPIES.

LANG: THE POINT OF IT
WASN'T TO SHOOT
ANYBODY IN THE HEAD

OR TO ESCAPE FROM A DUNGEON,

THE POINT WAS REALLY TO JUST
GIVE YOURSELF OVER TO THE GAME.

MYST WAS JUST GORGEOUS.

THE VISUAL QUALITY
WAS JUST SO EPIC
AND SO IMMERSIVE.

AND THE GAME PLAY,

REQUIRED YOU TO
APPRECIATE THAT.

AND SO THOSE GAMES,
EVEN THOUGH THEY
WERE A SLOWER PACE,

THEY ENGAGED YOU
BY WAY OF THINKING.

NARRATOR: THE GAME WOULD NOT
HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT
THE NEWLY EMERGENT CD-ROM,

AN EVOLUTION OF
THE LASERDISC TECHNOLOGY
BUT ONE QUARTER THE SIZE.

NOAH FALSTEIN: CD-ROMS WERE ONE
OF THE MOST STUNNING ADVANCES
THAT WE HAD IN TECHNOLOGY.

IN ONE FELL SWOOP,
WE HAD ABOUT 100-FOLD
INCREASE IN STORAGE SPACE,

AND SUDDENLY,
TO OUR HORROR, WE REALIZE

THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE
TO FILL ALL THAT STORAGE
TO BE COMPETITIVE.

COME ON, YOU GUYS,
YOU GOT TO HELP ME.
PLEASE USE, THE TRAPS.

NARRATOR: TO STAND OUT,
GAME DEVELOPERS STARTED
PRODUCING CHEAP VIDEO CLIPS

TO INCLUDE IN THE GAME PLAY.

[SCREAMING]

AN UNFORTUNATE SIDE EFFECT
OF HAVING ALL THAT
DISC SPACE TO FILL

AND SO LITTLE KNOWLEDGE
ABOUT VIDEO PRODUCTION.

GAMES LIKE DOOM AND MYST
REVEALED A HUGE GAP

BETWEEN PC AND CONSOLE GAMING.

ALL OF THE EXCITING
3D GAMES WERE ON THE PC,

THAT WAS UNTIL SONY
RELEASED THE PLAYSTATION.

SONY TOOK FULL ADVANTAGE
OF THE CD-ROM,

NOT BY PACKING THE DISC
WITH SUBSTANDARD VIDEO CLIPS,

BUT WITH IMPRESSIVE
THREE-DIMENSIONAL
GAME WORLDS.

WITHIN A FEW YEARS,
THE PLAYSTATION WOULD
COME WITH A CONTROLLER

DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY
FOR 3D GAMING.

SONY PUT ALL OF THEIR STOCK
BEHIND THE 3D EXPERIENCE.

THE JUMP TO 3D WAS A BIG DEAL.

SO, YOU TRANSLATED THE
2D PLATFORMERS INTO 3D,

THAT WAS A SCARY PROPOSITION.

IT BROUGHT IN ALL KINDS
OF TECHNICAL PROBLEMS

THAT COULDN'T EVEN
CONCEIVE OF IT BEFORE YOU
ACTUALLY GOT THERE.

THE WHOLE CONCEPT
OF WHERE THE CAMERA IS

SUDDENLY BECAME A QUESTION.

THERE WAS NO QUESTION OF WHERE
THE CAMERA WAS BEFORE THAT.

"WHERE'S THE CAMERA GONNA BE?
WHERE'S IT GONNA GO?

"HOW'S IT GONNA GET
FROM ONE TO THE OTHER?"

EVERY GAME HAS
A CAMERA WRESTLING MATCH

THROUGHOUT THE
ENTIRE DEVELOPMENT.

NARRATOR: THE INVESTMENT
PAID OFF WITH
1996'S TOMB RAIDER.

IT COMBINED A MESMERIZING
GAME WORLD

WITH A BRAND-NEW VIDEO
GAME ICON, LARA CROFT.

ERIK LINDSTROM:
THE CHARACTER DOESN'T
ALIENATE WOMEN.

IT ACTUALLY HAS
QUITE A FEMALE FOLLOWING.

A LOT OF THE FEMALE GAMERS
CAN APPRECIATE

HOW SHE'S VERY STYLISH
AND SHE'S VERY SEXY,

BUT SHE IS NOT
PRESENTING HERSELF
AS A SEX OBJECT.

SHE DOES NOT USE
HER SEXUALITY AS A TOOL.

SHE DOES NOT TALK
TO MEN IN THE GAMES

IN ANY KIND OF
COQUETTISH FASHION.

SHE'S STRONG,
SHE'S INDEPENDENT.
SHE'S SELF-MOTIVATED.

IN FACT, SHE'S A BITCH.

THAT'S PART OF THE FANTASY,

IS BEING ABLE TO DO MORE
THAN YOU REALLY COULD DO.

EVERYTHING WAS
SCALED AROUND HER.

[GRUNTING]

HER JUMPS, HER REACH,
YOU KNEW WITH CERTAINTY
IN TOMB RAIDER,

WHERE YOU COULD JUMP,
HOW HIGH YOU COULD JUMP.

EVERYTHING WAS WORKED OUT
IN TERMS OF SQUARES.

LARA CROFT: I'D FINALLY
SET OUT TO MAKE MY MARK.

TO FIND ADVENTURE.

BUT INSTEAD,

ADVENTURE FOUND ME.

PHIL CAMPBELL: I STILL THINK
THAT THE TOMB RAIDER GAMES
THAT THEY'RE RELEASING NOW

ARE REALLY GOOD.

IT'S GOT LEGS, THAT FRANCHISE,
VERY SHAPELY LEGS, I GUESS.

NARRATOR: THE NEW GENERATION
OF VIDEO GAMES
WAS BREATHTAKING.

THE GAME WORLD
ENABLED BY 3D TECHNOLOGY

WERE ABSOLUTE GAME CHANGERS.

ENTER, THE OPEN WORLD.

[MAN CHATTERING ON RADIO]

A SERIES THAT TOOK
FULL ADVANTAGE

OF THE OPEN-ENDED
FREE ROAMING ENVIRONMENT,

WAS GRAND THEFT AUTO.

[CAR ALARM BLARING]

MURRAY: FREE ROAMING
GIVES THE PLAYER

THE ABILITY TO GO ANYWHERE
AND DO ANYTHING.

LOT OF GAMES,
YOU'RE ALWAYS ON A PATH.

EVEN THOUGH YOU FEEL
LIKE YOU HAVE THE ABILITY

TO GO LEFT OR RIGHT,

YOU'RE STILL SORT OF
ON A PATH THAT GETS YOU
FROM POINT A TO POINT B

SO YOU CAN GO FROM
ONE STORY POINT TO THE NEXT.

AN OPEN WORLD GAME,
YOU DO FEEL LIKE,
"I HAVE A CHOICE."

IT REALLY TIES BACK INTO
THAT VERY NOTION
OF INTERACTIVITY,

WHERE YOU ARE THE
DUNGEON MASTER
IN THIS WORLD.

[SIREN WAILING]

LOWENSTEIN: GRAND THEFT AUTO
IS A VIRTUAL PLAYGROUND

THAT LETS YOU DO
WHAT YOU'VE ALWAYS
WANTED TO DO.

THAT LETS YOU BE
THE CRAZY GUY
IN AN ACTION MOVIE.

IT LETS YOU BE
THE BADASS DUDE
WHO OWNS THE CLUB.

YOU CAN GET TO A POINT
WHERE YOU PISS OFF
SO MUCH OF THE CITY

THAT THEY'RE SENDING
SWAT TEAMS AND THEN
THE NATIONAL GUARD AFTER YOU.

WHO DOESN'T WANNA DO THAT?

MAN: ...BLOW THEIR HEAD OFF!

IT WAS ONE OF THE
FIRST VIDEO GAMES

THAT REALLY LET YOU DO
WHAT YOU WANNA DO.

PEOPLE WHO DON'T PLAY
VIDEO GAMES OR PARENTS
VIEW ANY VIDEO GAME

AS A CHILD'S TOY.

SO, WHEN THEY HEAR,
"DO YOU KNOW THERE'S
A VIDEO GAME

"WHERE YOU KILL POLICEMEN?"
"OH, MY GOD!"

MY ANSWER TO THAT IS,
WHEN WAS THE
GOLDEN AGE OF PEACE

THAT MEDIA DESTROYED?

NARRATOR: BUT HOW CAN
A SIMPLE VIDEO GAME
BE SO CONTROVERSIAL?

MURRAY: IT CAUSES SUCH A
HEIGHTENED REACTION

BECAUSE IT TAKES YOU AWAY
FROM JUST READING SOMETHING

OR WATCHING SOMETHING
INTO ACTUALLY
PARTICIPATING IN IT.

[CROWD CLAPPING]

[PEOPLE CHEERING]

NARRATOR: AS IN ANY OTHER MEDIA,

THERE'S ALWAYS
A PLACE FOR TRANSGRESSION.

A MEANS TO EXPLORE
THE CONSCIOUSNESS
OF THE SOCIOPATHIC

AND THE MENTALLY ILL.

IN 2005, AN INDEPENDENT
PROGRAMMER RELEASED A GAME

CENTERED AROUND THE EVENTS
OF THE 1999 COLUMBINE MASSACRE.

THE GAMEPLAY INVOLVES
LISTENING TO MARILYN MANSON,

DRINKING VODKA,

AND PLAYING DOOM.

THE ROLE OF VIDEO GAMES
IN OUR SOCIETY WAS
BEING CHALLENGED.

WE CAN READ BOOKS
ABOUT COLUMBINE,
WATCH COLUMBINE,

BUT CAN WE ALSO PLAY COLUMBINE?

MURRAY: THERE'S ALWAYS
A PLACE FOR IT.

IT'S A FREE SOCIETY. SO YOU
CAN ALWAYS BUILD SOMETHING
AND PEOPLE ARE GONNA

WANNA PLAY STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND WHO SAYS YOU SHOULDN'T?

MAN: MR. LOUGHNER WILL SPEND
THE REMAINDER
OF HIS NATURAL LIFE IN PRISON.

...VIDEO GAME
AFTER THE OTHER, SHOOTING...

...COLUMBINE, VIRGINIA DEATH...

WHAT HAPPENED
IN CONNECTICUT...

MAN: THIS IS A SICK CULTURE.

NARRATOR: VIDEO GAMES HAVE
BENT THE STATUS QUO

JUST AS MUCH AS ANY ART FORM
HAS DONE IN THE PAST.

BUT IN THE CASE
OF THE 2006 GAME, RAPELAY,

EVEN THE UNITED NATIONS
GOT INVOLVED
AND ASKED FOR A BAN.

WELL, IT'S CERTAINLY HARD
TO BELIEVE THAT ANYONE
WOULD EQUATE RAPE

WITH ENTERTAINMENT,
BUT THAT IS JUST WHAT
GAMEMAKERS IN JAPAN HAVE DONE.

FEMALE REPORTER:
THIS ONE CALLED RAPELAY,

BEGINS WITH A TEENAGE GIRL
ON A SUBWAY PLATFORM.

WITH A CLICK OF YOUR MOUSE,
YOU CAN GROPE HER
AND LIFT HER SKIRT.

THESE SORT OF GAMES
THAT NORMALIZE

EXTREME SEXUAL VIOLENCE
AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS

HAVE REALLY NO PLACE
IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

MARK SODERWALL:
IT'S ADAM AND EVE
KIND OF A THING.

GOD SAID DON'T TAKE THE APPLE.

"OKAY. BUT WHY?
WHAT ABOUT THE APPLE?"

[WHIMPERING]

I DO THINK THAT GAME
DEVELOPERS HAVE A KIND OF
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

TO THINK ABOUT THE VIOLENCE
AND HOW IT'S DEPICTED
IN THEIR GAMES.

MAN: WE'RE HERE FOR A
LONG OVERDUE CHECKUP.

FALSTEIN: ONE EXAMPLE,
I WORKED ON A RECENT SERIOUS
GAME CALLED REMISSION

THAT IS HELPING KIDS
WITH CANCER STICK WITH
THEIR TREATMENT REGIMEN.

GIRL: LET'S DO THIS.
BOY: ALL RIGHT.

NOW YOU'RE COOKING.
GIRL: ANYMORE?

DAVID WARHOL: AND IT'S WRITTEN
SPECIFICALLY FOR TEENAGERS

TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND
WHAT'S GOING ON IN THEIR BODY

AS THEY'RE GOING THROUGH
THEIR CANCER TREATMENT.

WE HAVE TO SEE
THE INTERNAL EFFECTS

OF DEHYDRATION, THE PROBLEM
OF GROWING CANCER COLONIES.

THE MISSIONS ARE ALL
MEDICALLY THEMED
AND ALL THAT.

KIDS WHO PLAYED THIS GAME
TOOK BETTER CARE OF THEMSELVES

THAN THE KIDS
WHO DIDN'T PLAY THE GAME.

SO, IT'S USING GAMES
AS A WAY FOR SOCIAL CHANGE.

NARRATOR: SOCIAL CHANGE
IS ALSO THE GOAL
OF DARFUR IS DYING,

WHICH TAKES PLACE
IN A REFUGEE AND DISPLACED
PERSONS CAMP IN SUDAN.

THE PLAYERS LEARN
ABOUT SOME OF THE
REAL WORLD CHALLENGES

THAT OVER 2.5 MILLION REFUGEES
ARE EXPERIENCING IN DARFUR.

AS WAYS OF REDUCING
THE VIRTUAL ATTACK
THREATS BY SUDANESE MILITIA,

GAMERS ARE WELCOME
TO SIGN ON TO A PETITION,

TO THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES.

MERETZKY: JUST THE
SIMPLEST GAME DONE

BY A HANDFUL OF STUDENTS
WITH A NEXT TO NOTHING BUDGET

AND YET IT WAS JUST
REALLY EFFECTIVE.

SORT OF CONNECTING THE DOTS

IN A WAY THAT JUST READING
ABOUT THE SITUATION DOESN'T.

[JAPANESE SONG PLAYING]

[MAN SPEAKING JAPANESE]

NARRATOR: THE MOST
CONTROVERSIAL GAMES
GET THE MOST ATTENTION.

BUT IN REALITY,

THE GAMES THAT KEEP
PLAYERS PLAYING FOR
THE MOST AMOUNT OF TIME

ARE THE ONES THAT CATER
TO OUR NURTURING INSTINCTS,

LIKE THE MIND-BOGGLING
TAMAGOTCHIS.

WELL, MINE SLEEPS
LIKE A LITTLE ANGEL.

AND HERE'S A COMPLETELY
NON-COMBATIVE, BLOOD FREE,

ADORABLE JAPANESE CRAZE
THAT SORT OF SET FIRE
HERE IN THE U.S.

IT WAS AT A TIME BEFORE
MOBILE PHONES.

AND IT WAS THIS TINY DEVICE
YOU COULD CARRY IN YOUR POCKET.

AND YOU HAD TO
KEEP THIS CREATURE ALIVE.

MINE WOULD ALWAYS DIE
AFTER FOUR OR FIVE DAYS.

IT WOULD ALWAYS PISS
ME OFF SO I'M LIKE,

"I FED YOU, I CLEANED UP
YOUR POOP, I WATERED YOU
AND YOU DIED.

"WHAT THE HELL!"

LANG: YOU COULDN'T
JUST PLAY IT AND
THEN PUT IT DOWN.

WHEN YOU THINK
ABOUT TAMAGOTCHI,

IT REALLY WAS THE FIRST
MOBILE SOCIAL GAME,

THAT REALLY CAPTURED
YOUNG PEOPLE'S ATTENTION.

GIRL: TAMATOWN IS MAKING
MORE ROOM FOR FUN.

LANG: THE IDEA THAT YOU HAD
TO CONTINUALLY FEED AND TAKE
CARE OF YOUR TAMAGOTCHI

IS NOW RELIED UPON
AND MAKES MILLIONS
AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

[DOORBELL RINGING]

NARRATOR: THE CONCEPT
WAS CARRIED SEVERAL
STEPS FURTHER

IN 1999 WITH THE SIMS,

THE TOP-SELLING
COMPUTER GAME
OF ALL TIME.

THE SIMS GAVE THE PLAYER
AN ENTIRE FAMILY
TO TAKE CARE OF.

IT'S THE IDEA OF BEING
ABLE TO EMULATE WHAT HAPPENS
IN YOUR DAY TO DAY LIFE,

AND SORT OF PUT IT OUT THERE
INTO A VIRTUAL WORLD

OR THAT FANTASY VERSION
OF YOURSELF.
AND THAT'S REALLY COMPELLING.

IT HIT A WIDE RANGE OF PEOPLE

THAT YOU WOULDN'T NECESSARILY
REFER TO AS GAMERS.

IT WAS SOMETHING
THAT YOU WOULD
GET INVESTED IN,

YOU'D HAVE YOUR FAMILY
OF SIMS AND YOU'D WANT
TO TAKE CARE OF THEM

AND YOU'D WANT TO LEVEL
THEM UP AND YOU'D
WANT TO MAKE SURE

ALL THEIR NEEDS ARE TAKEN OF
AND YOU TRY TO WORK
AND CHECK IN OFTEN

TO MAKE SURE
THAT THEIR MOOD WAS HAPPY.

[SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE]

ROLE-PLAYING GAMES.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT IT
THAT KEPT PEOPLE PLAYING

WEEK AFTER WEEK, AND IT WAS
THIS "ALWAYS EARNING
SOMETHING" MENTALITY.

EVERY SINGLE THING YOU DID
HAD AN IMPACT

AND YOU WERE REWARDED FOR IT.

NARRATOR: WHEN THE GAME
REINVENTED ITSELF AS A
FACEBOOK APPLICATION IN 2011,

IT GAVE PLAYERS THE ABILITY

TO INTERACT WITH
MILLIONS OF OTHER PLAYERS

IN THE GAME WORLD.

IN COMES THE INTERNET

AND NOW THE PLAYING FIELD
IS LEVEL AGAIN.

NARRATOR: A NEW TERM WAS COINED.

SOCIAL GAMING.

ONCE WE MADE THAT TRANSITION

AND FACEBOOK
WAS A HUGE PLAYER IN THIS,

SUDDENLY, WE HAD 800 MILLION
PEOPLE PLAYING GAMES.

SUDDENLY, YOU TOOK GAMES
FROM BEING SOMETHING
THAT EXISTED FOR KIDS

IN A BASEMENT

TO SOMETHING THAT
EVERYBODY UNDERSTOOD
AND COULD INTERACT WITH.

NARRATOR: AND THEN
THERE'S FARMVILLE,

THE 2D FARMING SIMULATOR.

MUCH LIKE TAMAGOTCHI,

FARMVILLE REQUIRED
PLAYERS TO CONSTANTLY
CHECK IN AT SPECIFIC TIMES

TO MAXIMIZE GAME RESULTS.

IF YOU PLANT A CROP AT 1:00,

YOU'D BETTER BE NEAR A COMPUTER
AT 9:00 FOR THE HARVEST.

YOU COULD PLAY 10 MINUTES,

BUT IF YOU JUST PLAYED
ANOTHER TWO MINUTES,

YOU'D BE ABLE TO GET
THE NEXT ACHIEVEMENT.

NARRATOR: ZYNGA GAMES RELEASED
FARMVILLE AS A FREE FACEBOOK
APPLICATION IN 2009.

IT QUICKLY BUILT A FRANCHISE
OF OVER 250 MILLION USERS

PLAYING FREE-TO-PLAY GAMES
ALL OVER THE WORLD.

SMITH: FREE-TO-PLAY IS A
VASTLY BURGEONING AREA

OF THE WHOLE VIDEO GAME SPACE.

FREE-TO-PLAY?
WHY'D YOU CREATE THIS GAME
AND GIVE IT AWAY FOR FREE?

LITTLE INCREMENTAL STEPS,

THAT, "THIS IS ONLY
GONNA COST DOLLAR 0.50" OR,
"THIS IS JUST A DOLLAR."

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN,
YOU GOT A GAME THAT

YES, YOU PLAYED FOR FREE
AND YOUR CREDIT CARD
STATEMENT SAYS,

"I JUST SPENT 700 BUCKS."

THE DESIGNERS HAVE
FIGURED OUT A WAY
TO GAME THE GAMER.

TO GET THEM TO COME BACK

AND ALSO SHARE WITH AS
MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE

BY OFFERING THESE LITTLE
TRICKS OF REWARDS.

IT'S ALL ABOUT GETTING
AS MANY USERS

SPENDING AS MUCH
MONEY INCREMENTALLY,
FOR THEIR SHAREHOLDERS.

THE COST OF GAMES NOW
AT THAT TRIPLE A
LEVEL THAT YOU NEED

TO SELL THOSE NUMBERS
IS GETTING INTO NINE FIGURES.

MURRAY: ZYNGA REALLY
DID AN AMAZING JOB

OF REALLY TAKING JUST
MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF DATA

AND REALLY UNDERSTANDING
WHAT PLAYERS DO

AND THEN BEING ABLE
TO WORK WITH THAT DATA
IN A LIVE TESTING POOL.

WHEN YOU HAVE MILLIONS
AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE
INTERACTING WITH SOMETHING,

YOU'RE ABLE TO SEE
IN REAL TIME
WHAT PEOPLE ARE DOING.

PEOPLE RESPOND
TO THIS GAME DIFFERENTLY

AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY
SEE ACTUAL NUMBERS

AND NUMBERS BEING
TRANSLATED INTO DOLLARS.

AND YOU CAN SEE
THE REACTION IN REAL TIME.

NARRATOR: VIDEO GAME
DESIGNERS ARE BEHAVIORISTS,

FOCUSING ON LEARNING,
PREDICTING,

AND REVERSE ENGINEERING
THE GAMER'S NEXT MOVE.

THE GOAL IS TO GET
RID OF MANUALS OR
INSTRUCTIONS ALTOGETHER.

GETTING RID OF ANYTHING
THAT TAKES THE GAMER
OUT OF THE ZONE.

IF THE GAME IS TOO EASY,
THE GAMER GETS BORED.

IF IT'S TOO HARD,
THE GAMER GETS FRUSTRATED.

BUT IF THE ENGINEERING
IS JUST RIGHT,

THE DESIRED STATE
OF IMMERSION IS ACHIEVED.

LOWENSTEIN: THE GOAL OF
ANY VIDEO GAME
IS TO PROVIDE THE MOST FUN,

ENTHRALLING AND COMPLETELY
ADDICTIVE EXPERIENCE.

THAT SENSE OF BEING THERE
IN THE MOMENT.

SMITH: WHAT HOOKS
ARE WE PUTTING IN

TO MAKE SURE
THAT THEY KEEP COMING BACK?

THERE'S A GOAL,
THERE'S AN OBJECTIVE,
YOU RECEIVE SOMETHING BACK.

KEEPS PEOPLE INVESTING

BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY FEEL
LIKE WHAT THEY DO MATTERS.

NARRATOR: MANAGEABLE RESULTS,
CLEAR RULES,
GOALS TO BE CONQUERED.

COMPLETE ENGAGEMENT.

AND NO VIDEO GAME GENRE
HAS MORE ADDICTED FANS

THAN THE MASSIVE MULTIPLAYER
ONLINE ROLE-PLAYING GAMES,

THE MMOS.

STARTING FROM THE FIRST MAJOR
SUCCESS OF RICHARD GARRIOTT'S
ULTIMA ONLINE,

HIS ADVENTURE WORLD
PLAYING GAME

COMBINED THE OLD
DUNGEON MASTER GAME IDEA

WITH THE CONNECTIVE POWER
OF THE INTERNET.

MURRAY: MMOS ARE NOT
NECESSARILY JUST ABOUT
THE GAME ITSELF,

IT'S ALL ABOUT SOCIALIZING
WITH YOUR FRIENDS.

THIS IS PEOPLE ALL OVER
THE COUNTRY,
ALL OVER THE WORLD EVEN.

SO I CAN PLAY WITH
FAMILY IN ENGLAND,

AND AS MUCH AS
WE MIGHT BE PLAYING THE GAME,

WHAT'S ACTUALLY
BROUGHT ME IN THERE
IS THE SOCIAL ELEMENT.

THERE'S BEEN COUPLES
THAT HAVE MET EACH
OTHER ONLINE,

OR PEOPLE THAT JUST FIND
A COMMUNITY THAT THEY
DON'T HAVE IN THE REAL WORLD

WHERE THEY CAN CONNECT
WITH PEOPLE THROUGH
PLAYING GAMES ONLINE.

NARRATOR: THE MOST POPULAR MMO
IS WORLD OF WARCRAFT.

A MEGA-HIT WITH MORE THAN
10 MILLION SUBSCRIBERS.

THEIR COLLECTIVE TOTAL
OF HOURS PLAYED

AMOUNTS TO MORE THAN
SIX MILLION YEARS.

THAT'S MORE TIME THAN IT TOOK
THE HUMAN SPECIES TO EVOLVE.

LOWENSTEIN: WORLD OF WARCRAFT
HAS THIS HORRIBLE OPTION

WHERE YOU CAN TYPE "/PLAYED,"

AND IT WILL TELL YOU HOW
MANY HOURS YOU HAVE PUT
INTO THIS CHARACTER.

AND THAT IS BY FAR
ONE OF THE MOST DEPRESSING
THINGS YOU CAN DO IN LIFE.

WHEN YOU LOOK AND IT SAYS,
"340 HOURS," AND YOU'RE GOING,

"WAIT, THAT'S HOW MANY WEEKS,
HOW MANY MONTHS,

"HOW MANY SOCIAL EVENTS,
HOW MANY THINGS
HAVE I MISSED NOW?"

BUT THEN YOU'RE LIKE,
"WAIT, MY CHARACTER
LOOKS REALLY BADASS."

THERE'S FLAME COMING
FROM THE SWORD

AND SHE CAN CAST FIREBALLS
AND YOU'RE LIKE, "WAIT..."

IT'S LIKE YOUR GAMER
SENSE OF PRIDE MIXES WITH
YOUR REAL LIFE SENSE OF,

"OH, CRAP, I AM SINGLE
AND I'M A BIG VIDEO GAME NERD."

NARRATOR: THANKS TO
SPECIALIZED TRANSACTION
AND SELL-BASED WEBSITES,

THE TIME SPENT IN MAKING
VIRTUAL GOLD CAN BE TURNED
INTO REAL WORLD DOLLARS.

JOHN SMEDLEY: LOOKING
BACK ON IT,
IT SEEMS OBVIOUS

BUT AT THE TIME WE DIDN'T THINK
PEOPLE WOULD SPEND

200, 300 DOLLARS FOR
A VIRTUAL SWORD.
WELL, THEY DID.

THIS LED TO A PROBLEM
CALLED FARMING

WHICH IS WHEN PEOPLE
PLAY THE GAME OVER AND OVER

TO GET A SPECIFIC ITEM
AND THEN TRY TO SELL IT.

NARRATOR: GAMING SWEATSHOPS
PROLIFERATE IN PLACES
LIKE INDONESIA,

CHINA AND MEXICO.

WITH UNDERPAID WORKERS
PERFORMING MONOTONOUS
IN-GAME TASKS.

LINDSTROM: WELL,
PEOPLE PLAY GAMES
FOR A LOT OF REASONS.

YOU CAN GET PEOPLE
WHO PLAY A GAME
AND THEY PLAY IT A LOT,

BUT THEY'RE NOT
NECESSARILY HAVING FUN.

THEY'RE PLAYING IT BECAUSE
THERE'S SOMETHING
OBSESSIVE ABOUT IT

AND THEY WANT TO COMPLETE IT.

AND THERE'S A CERTAIN
REWARD FACTOR TO THAT.

WE OFTEN SEPARATE
THE CONCEPTS OF REWARD AND FUN.

REWARD CAN BE A VERY PAVLOV
KIND OF SITUATION.

IT TRIGGERS YOUR BRAIN
IN A WAY THAT YOU
REALLY FIND REWARDING.

BUT IT'S NOT THE SAME THING
AS HAVING A GOOD TIME.

NARRATOR: AFTER SPENDING
SO MUCH TIME
IN THE GAME WORLD,

GAMERS MAY FIND
THEMSELVES STRUCK WITH
A CERTAIN SENSE OF SHAME.

AN ARRESTING SENSE
OF EMPTINESS AND WASTE

WHEN ONE CONSIDERS
ALL THE OTHER THINGS

THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE
WITH THEIR GAME TIME.

SOME GAMERS REPORT
HAVING GONE INTO SHOCK

WHEN THEY DISCOVER THAT
THEY'VE SPENT AN ENTIRE
MONTH OF THE YEAR

IN THEIR GAME WORLD.

ARE CLINICALLY PROVEN NOW,
GAME ADDICTIONS,

THAT THEY ACTUALLY HAVE PEOPLE
GOING THROUGH THERAPY

BECAUSE THEY GET SO IMMERSED
INTO THE GAMES THAT THEY PLAY,

THEY DO LOSE A LITTLE
BIT OF REALITY.

LOWENSTEIN: GETTING THAT
QUEST, GETTING THAT
NEXT ITEM IS MORE IMPORTANT.

AND SUDDENLY, THEY WORK,
SO THEY COME BACK
AND PLAY WOW.

THEY GO TO SCHOOL
SO THAT THEY CAN
COME BACK AND PLAY WOW.

IT'S PROBABLY THE ASPECT
OF THEIR LIFE THAT THEY
HAVE THE MOST CONTROL OVER.

THE PIECE OF THEIR LIFE
THAT THEY LOOK FORWARD TO MOST.

[SCREAMING]

AUTOMATED VOICE:
ARE YOU FEELING UNFULFILLED?
BORED WITH LIFE ON EARTH?

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY
TO A NEW LIFE
FILLED WITH ADVENTURE,

WHERE YOU CAN
LIVE OUT YOUR DREAMS,

AND CLAIM YOUR FORTUNE?

WE CAN GIVE YOU THAT NEW LIFE
INSIDE PROJECT ENTROPIA.

NARRATOR: IN THE MMO
ENTROPIA UNIVERSE,

USERS INTERACT WITH THE HELP
OF A FULL-FLEDGED CASH ECONOMY.

EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO
WITHIN THAT WORLD COSTS MONEY

BUT YOU ACTUALLY EARN MONEY
FOR ANYTHING THAT YOU OWN.

SUPPLY AND DEMAND.

IF YOU HAVE AN ASTEROID,
PEOPLE WANNA GO
VISIT THAT ASTEROID,

THEY WANNA GO AND MEET
UP THERE WITH THEIR FRIENDS.

THEY CAN SPONSOR PARTIES,
THEY HAVE VIRTUAL
PARTIES THERE.

THERE'LL BE CERTAIN CREATURES
THAT YOU'LL WANT
TO INTERACT WITH.

SO, WHEN YOU BUY THAT ASTEROID,

THE ONLY WAY TO GET THERE
IS YOU HAVE TO PAY A TAX

TO TAKE A SHUTTLE THERE
AND ONCE YOU'RE THERE,

VERY SORT OF
MICRO-TRANSACTION ORIENTED.

BUT HOW DOES IT WORK?

IT'S BECAUSE THAT ASTEROID
ACTUALLY DRIVES REVENUE.

I HAVE A FRIEND THAT
ACTUALLY BOUGHT AN
ASTEROID FOR 100,000 DOLLARS.

WELL, EVERYBODY THOUGHT
HE WAS CRAZY.

FOUR YEARS LATER
HE SOLD IT FOR
600, 000 DOLLARS.

MADE AN ENTIRE CAREER,

GENERATING A REAL LIFE INCOME
OUT OF IT.

NARRATOR:
AND THERE IS SECOND LIFE.

THERE ARE NO UNIVERSAL REWARDS
OR POINTS.

NO BAD GUYS TO BEAT
OR MISSIONS TO ACCOMPLISH.

JUST AN EASILY CUSTOMIZABLE
REPRESENTATION

OF LIFE.

MANY TALENTED ARTISTS
HOST GALLERY EXHIBITS.

BANDS PLAY LIVE SHOWS.

COLLEGES AND EVEN MAINSTREAM
BUSINESSES HAVE A PRESENCE.

IT'S NOT MUCH OF A GAME AT ALL.
IT'S JUST A PLACE TO HANG OUT.

A PLACE TO BE.

AS MORE AND MORE
REAL WORLD REPRESENTATIONS

HAVE CROSSED OVER
INTO GAME PLAY DYNAMICS,

THE GAMES HAVE ALSO
CROSSED BACK INTO REAL LIFE.

IN THE WAY THAT GENERATION G
IS DIFFERENT FROM X, Y

AND ALL THE
DIFFERENT GENERATIONS
THAT WE MAY BELONG TO,

IS THAT VIDEO GAMES
ARE THE PRIMARY FORM
OF ENTERTAINMENT,

THAT GENERATION G IS CONSUMING.

IT IS THEIR PRIMARY FORM
OF ENTERTAINMENT.

AND THIS IS ALREADY STARTING
TO HAVE A TREMENDOUS
EFFECT ON SOCIETY.

ALL AROUND US,

GENERATION G'S DESIRE
FOR GAME-LIKE EXPERIENCES

IS RESHAPING INDUSTRIES.

SUDDENLY, GAMIFICATION
BECAME, OH,
AN INTERESTING IDEA.

NOW WE CAN GAMIFY ANYTHING.

IF YOU JUST START CHECKING IN,

THAT SORT OF BECAME
THE EASIEST WAY
TO COLLECT POINTS.

AND THEN YOU CAN SUDDENLY
TURN THOSE THINGS IN.

YOU CAN GET A DISCOUNT COUPON.
THAT'S A GAME.

YOU CAN GO INTO CORPORATIONS,
GIVE THEM VIRTUAL REWARDS

WHICH THEN BECOMES
REAL CURRENCY THAT THEY
CAN POSSIBLY TURN IN.

THAT'S GAMIFICATION.

WHEN YOU START THINKING
OF IT FROM THAT LENS,

SUDDENLY, EVERYTHING
YOU DO HAS AN OBJECTIVE

AND A GOAL AND A REWARD TO IT.

AND IF YOU JUST USE A DEVICE,
YOU ATTACH A DEVICE TO IT

OR AN APPLICATION TO IT,
IT'S GAMIFIED.

NEWS REPORTER:
IT'S CALLED WII-HAB.

HOSPITALS LIKE ST. MARY'S
IN SAN FRANCISCO

ARE USING THE WII FIT
VIDEO GAME FOR PHYSICAL REHAB.

LANG: TECHNOLOGY
WAS SOMETHING
THAT PEOPLE FEARED

OR THEY COULDN'T AFFORD IT,

BUT NOW, THOSE BARRIERS
HAVE SORT OF COME DOWN.

AND IT'S MUCH MORE
PERSONAL FOR PEOPLE.

THE DEMOGRAPHICS
HAVE REALLY SHIFTED
IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS.

WITH THE ADVENT OF THE WII,
IT REALLY CHANGED EVERYTHING.

SMITH: IT SOLD TO PEOPLE
THAT NEVER HAD
A VIDEO GAME CONTROLLER.

ORGANIZATIONS THAT WOULD
NEVER ORDINARILY SAY,

"YES, I'M GOING TO
APPLY SOME BUDGET
TO A VIDEO GAME CONSOLE,"

ALL OF A SUDDEN,
THEY'VE GOT A WII IN THERE

BECAUSE IT'S GETTING
THEIR AUDIENCES ACTIVE,
MOVING AND IMMERSED.

LOWENSTEIN: AND THEN
YOU LOOK AT THE KINECT,

WHICH ALLOWED PEOPLE
TO INTERACT WITH A VIDEO
GAME BY MOVING AROUND.

SO, IF YOU THINK ABOUT
WHAT ARE THE NEXT
LEVELS OF THAT,

BRAIN WAVES, RIGHT? WHY NOT?

MURRAY: THERE'S DEVICES
OUT THERE THAT YOU
CAN PUT ON YOUR HEAD

AND THEY'LL READ
YOUR BRAIN WAVES

AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO USE
A CONTROLLER,

IT CAN ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND
THROUGH THE HEAT

IN CERTAIN PARTS OF
YOUR BRAIN, WHAT YOU'RE
TRYING TO DO ON SCREEN.

SO YOU CAN MANIPULATE
PIXELS ON SCREEN
JUST BY THINKING ABOUT IT.

LANG: THOSE KINDS OF
BODY METRIC MEASURING
GAMES ARE VERY RUDIMENTARY,

SO, IT'S NOT A COMPLETELY
IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE.

BUT I THINK IT'S SOMETHING
THAT GAME MAKERS ARE
DEFINITELY THINKING ABOUT.

THE KINECT CAN EVEN
MEASURE YOUR BREATHING.

THERE'S A DEEPAK CHOPRA
VIDEO GAME.

AUTOMATED VOICE:
LEELA. LEELA IS A JOURNEY
OF MIND AND BODY.

LANG: IT'S A MEDITATION GAME.
THERE ARE SEVEN CHAKRAS

WHICH ARE ENERGY CENTERS
WITHIN EACH OF US.

GENTLE MOTION IS
ALL THAT IS NEEDED
TO AWAKEN THE CHAKRAS.

LANG: AND I DON'T SEE
THAT STOPPING.

ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU
THINK ABOUT AUGMENTED
REALITY AND WEARING GLASSES.

MAN: YEAH.

MEET ME IN FRONT OF
STRAND BOOKS AT 2.

LOWENSTEIN: THE VIDEOS
THAT GOOGLE'S RELEASED
FOR THEIR GLASSES,

THEY'RE VERY PRACTICAL.

YOU'RE WALKING ALONG
AND, HEY, YOU'RE WALKING
TO THIS LOCATION.

MAN: AW, MAN, REALLY?

LOWENSTEIN:
AND, "HEY, MY FRIEND
JUST TWEETED THIS"

AND, "MY FRIEND
JUST TEXTED THAT

"AND MY OTHER FRIEND
JUST CHECKED INTO
FOURSQUARE OVER HERE."

AND SUDDENLY IT'S THIS
VERY PRACTICAL THING

THAT BRINGS IN ALL
THESE APPLICATIONS

THAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING
ANYWAY ON OUR PHONE,

EXCEPT THAT YOU CAN STILL WALK
AND NOT WALK INTO A CAR

WHILE YOU'RE INTERACTING
WITH YOUR WORLD.

AUTOMATED VOICE: WELCOME.

NARRATOR: SOCIETY'S MASSIVE
INTEREST IN TECHNOLOGY

SUGGESTS IT MIGHT BE
ONLY A MATTER OF TIME

BEFORE WE EMBRACE THE NOTION
OF REALITY AUGMENTATION.

CHIPS ARE SO SMALL NOW

THAT YOU CAN PROBABLY START
PUTTING THINGS INTO CELLS.

THAT BECOMES A WAY
TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND DISEASE,

AND ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING GOOD.

BUT THERE'S ALWAYS
THE ENTERTAINMENT ASPECT,

WHAT CAN PEOPLE DO
TO ACTUALLY PLAY
AROUND WITH THAT

OR CREATE SOMETHING
THAT PEOPLE WOULD WANT
TO BUY FOR ENTERTAINMENT?

IT'S SUPER EXCITING TO
THINK ABOUT THE SCIENCE
FICTION OF EVERYTHING.

THAT'S WHERE I STARTED GOING...

YOU CAN START THINKING
OF ALL THE CRAZY,

MAYBE DARK THINGS
YOU COULD DO WITH THAT.

MAN: A WORLD WHERE
ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.

THERE DEFINITELY IS
THIS POSSIBILITY

THAT WE ARE GOING
TO BE LIVING IN SOME
MATRIX- LIKE VIRTUAL WORLD

WHERE OUR BRAIN WAVES
AND ACTIVITIES

COULD BE MEASURED
AND THAT WAY THERE
IS NO INTERFACE.

MAN: THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY
TO ENTER THE MATRIX.

[PHONE RINGING]

WE'RE IN.

IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE
TO GO THERE, TO GO TO
THESE DIFFERENT PLACES

IN THIS VIRTUAL WORLD, YEAH.

THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

AND THAT'S A PRETTY
GOOD WAY OF SPENDING
SOME TIME, I THINK.

AS AI GETS
BETTER AND BETTER,

IT MAKES ALL OF
THOSE INTERACTIONS
MUCH MORE BELIEVABLE.

MAN: CAN YOU HEAR ME?
YES.

MAN: ID.
KPC 897504C.

MAN: CAN YOU MOVE YOUR HEAD?

SMITH: SO, YOU GET THAT
SENSE THAT A CHARACTER
THAT YOU SEE IN A GAME...

MAN: YOUR EYES NOW.

SMITH: ...IS SOMEBODY
THAT YOU FEEL
LIKE YOU KNOW

OR YOU HAVE A
RELATIONSHIP WITH.

THAT KIND OF RECOGNITION,
IF THAT HAPPENS,

A, UNBELIEVABLY FREAKY

FIRST FEW TIMES IT HAPPENS,
BUT HOW COOL IS THAT?

I CAN LOOK AFTER YOUR HOUSE,
DO THE COOKING, MIND THE KIDS.

I ORGANIZE YOUR APPOINTMENTS.
I SPEAK 300 LANGUAGES

AND I AM ENTIRELY
AT YOUR DISPOSAL
AS A SEXUAL PARTNER.

NO NEED TO FEED ME
OR RECHARGE ME.

I'M EQUIPPED WITH
A QUANTIC BATTERY

THAT MAKES ME AUTONOMOUS
FOR 173 YEARS.

DO YOU WANT TO GIVE ME A NAME?

PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS
POINT TOWARDS
THE NEGATIVE AND SAY,

"OH, BUT SEE, THERE'S
SOMETHING THAT'S BEING
LOST" WHEN ACTUALLY,

WHEN YOU LOOK AT
THE PERCENTAGES OF WHAT
PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY USING,

GAMES FOR MORE AND MORE SO NOW,
WHICH IS COMMUNICATING,

CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE
FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD,

IT'S LIKE,
"WELL, WHAT'S BEING GAINED?"

NARRATOR:
COULD THE HUMAN SPECIES

EXIST IN A DIGITAL UNIVERSE
OF ITS OWN DESIGN?

AT WHAT POINT
DOES THE GAME END?

COULD THE LINE BETWEEN HUMANS
AND MACHINES FADE AWAY FOREVER?

[BEEPING]