Wordsmiths

TV-G | 10 min | Documentary

Before video games could get graphic, text-based adventures imagined the future of literature.

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Episodes
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Season 1

Episode 1

Seeing Farther

Meet the group of rogue programmers who, in the 1980s, decided to elevate computer games to an art form.

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Episode 2

The Revolution Will Be Digitized

Pong took computer games out of the lab and into the dive bar. Here’s how the runaway success of Atari’s first game led to the company’s eventual downfall.

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Episode 3

The Doom Generation

Doom was a fast-paced and immersive first-person shooter game whose success was the envy of the industry.

Episode 4

The Dragon Slayer

Though his industry was becoming increasingly concerned with the bottom line, Chris Crawford understood that video games could revolutionize storytelling.