The untold story of the personal battles that gave rise to the $100 billion video game industry and a 50-year-long, multi-generation epic featuring corporate coups, industrial espionage, secret burial grounds and the promise of unimaginable riches being just one cartridge away. The only constant through the saga is this: When you think you've won, you're actually at your most vulnerable.
Before Google, Yahoo and even Apple, before the Silicon Valley cliché of informal dress code, skateboards running the corridors and wild creativity became commonplace, one company embodied the digital economy lifestyle and business style: the one firm coming out of the Age of Aquarius was Atari. The story of Atari is two-thirds the story of Nolan Bushnell, founder and visionary, and one-third the first and probably biggest boom and bust of the new economy some 20 years before the new economy even existed. Atari was showing that technology is cool, way before the personal computer revolution took place and they were reaching out to an ever-growing audience with something that is still cool today: video games. Atari literally introduced the digital world to the mass consciousness.
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: 10 Years profiles the creators, the games, the live-action models, and the fans who have collectively made Tomb Raider a pop culture phenomenon.
Follow three professional video game players as they overcome personal adversity, family pressures, and the realities of life to compete in a $1,000,000 tournament that could change their lives forever.
"Spelkollektivet: To Build a Castle" is the story of the world's largest co-living space for game developers, and the people living there. Follow the founder James Newnorth as he navigates the many obstacles of turning an untried idea into reality. Meet the three indie devs Leene Künnap, Matej Jan and Michal Roch as they work on their respective games, "Death and Taxes", "Pixel Art Academy" and "Lords and Villeins". Find out if Spelkollektivet fosters the next indie dev star.
The PlayStation Revolution is an independent documentary feature film that uncovers the incredible story behind the creation of the Sony PlayStation. It is an essential watch for anyone interested in video games and the history of the biggest entertainment industry on earth. The film investigates why Sony decided to enter the video games business, when it was already dominated by both Nintendo and Sega, who not only produced their own hardware but made and published fantastic games. To compete, Sony would not only have to design and build a new piece of hardware, but they would have to find a way to persuade the game development industry to take a chance and develop games for it long before it even came out!
This documentary is an exclusive collection of interviews and footage charting Sonic's life from inception through to becoming one of the most iconic characters in video game history.
In this hilarious arcade showdown, a humble novice goes head-to-head against the reigning Donkey Kong champ in a confrontation that rocks the gaming world to its processors! For over 20 years, Billy Mitchell has owned the throne of the Donkey Kong world. No one could beat his top score until now. Newcomer Steve Wiebe claims to have beaten the unbeatable, but Mitchell isn't ready to relinquish his crown without a fight. Go behind the barrels as the two battle it out in a vicious war to earn the title of the true King of Kong.
American teenagers connect on the early internet to crusade for their favorite videogame of all time, pitting their fan site against a corporate goliath and their own looming adulthoods.
The Xbox Originals documentary that chronicles the fall of the Atari Corporation through the lens of one of the biggest mysteries of all time, dubbed “The Great Video Game Burial of 1983.” Rumor claims that millions of returned and unsold E.T. cartridges were buried in the desert, but what really happened there?
Are videogames art? Do they influence violent behavior? What effect have they had on society? How would you describe videogames to Leonardo da Vinci? These are always great questions to start a conversation. Pixel Poetry is a documentary film about progressive creative culture as it has been championed by one of its greatest advocates - videogames. Using popular debates that have long surrounded videogames as a catalyst for this, the film will analyze the misunderstood notions and arguments in art and technological advancement to bring a new perspective to a compelling discussion about the evolution of its meaning.
Memoirs of a Spectrum Addict is a full length documentary feature film which takes a detailed look at the ZX Spectrum, its history, developers, games and fans. The film is a unique tribute to the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Memoirs of a Spectrum Addict has re-enactments, interviews like you’ve never seen before with major Spectrum industry figures, and features real people who grew up influenced by the Sinclair ZX Spectrum!
In thirty years, the video game has conquered an increasingly wide audience. Drawing on the recent work of economists, sociologists, experts and interviewing major players in this field, this investigation unravels the overwhelming domination of this new mass media.
A documentary that brings to light the vision that director George A. Romero had for an adaptation of Resident Evil, using newly filmed interviews with those who were there, and unravels the secrets behind why it was never produced.
A brief documentary providing a basic overview of the Final Fantasy Series up to the point of creation in 2006. Has the look of a fan-made documentary and was never released for television. Released as part of the Collector's Edition for Final Fantasy XII.
Behind Mortal Kombat 3: Into The Outworld was a piece of promotional material used to promote the upcoming Mortal Kombat 3. It was later included along with Midway Arcade Treasures that shipped with Mortal Kombat 3.
Sparked by a public display of sexual harassment in 2012, GTFO pries open the video game world to explore a 20 billion dollar industry riddled with discrimination and misogyny. Every year, the gaming community grows increasingly diverse. This has led to a clash of values and women are receiving the brunt of the consequences every day, with acts of harassment ranging from name calling to death threats. Through interviews with video game creators, journalists, and academics, GTFO paints a complex picture of the video game industry, while revealing the systemic and human motivations behind acts of harassment. GTFO begins the conversation that will shape the future of the video game world.
The oral history of a team of geeks and misfits in the back of a Chicago factory creating the biggest video games of all time. Midway Games pioneered the concept of live-action gaming, kick-starting a new arcade boom and grossing billions of dollars with hits like Mortal Kombat and NBA Jam. The documentary covers much of Mortal Kombats history, including the creation of fatalities and characters such as Liu Kang, Kitana, Johnny Cage and Scorpion.
Check out Nintendo's newest wacky racer, Diddy Kong Racing!
Although technology continues to evolve, a group of die-hard gamers refuses to abandon the classic arcade games of yesteryear. The 80's live on for these enthusiasts, who compete against each other and history to record the world's highest scores. Portland gamer Bill Carlton is one of the most brazen, fearlessly taking on some of the toughest records on the books. HIGH SCORE follows Bill as he attempts to take down the Atari classic Missile Command and its twenty year-old record. To get the 80 million points he'll have to play the game on one quarter for over two days straight. There is no pause button. There will be no sleep. There can only be one victor in this classic story of Man versus Missile Command.