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How Videogames Changed the World

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How Videogames Changed the World
GenreEntertainment
Written byCharlie Brooker
Matt Lees
Jon Blyth
Cara Ellison
Presented byCharlie Brooker
Theme music composerJonathan Dunn[1]
Opening themeRobocop theme[1]
Ending themeRobocop theme[1]
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
Production
Running time97 minutes
Production companyZeppotron
Original release
NetworkChannel 4

How Videogames Changed the World is a one-off television special by Charlie Brooker which was aired on Channel 4 in November 2013. The show examines the 25 most significant video games according to Brooker, and through that, covers the history of the medium and its impact on wider culture.

Pundits Aoife Wilson, Keza MacDonald, Quintin Smith and show writer Jon Blythe would later make several appearances on the podcast Daft Souls hosted by show writer and pundit Matt Lees.

List of games

Reception

Dan Whitehead, in a review for Eurogamer, found the selection of games well chosen, enabling the show to cover the history of video games as fully as possible given its runtime. He also praised the choice of pundits, highlighting that even the most recognisable of names, such as Jonathan Ross and Peter Serafinowicz, were included because they had a clear love of games and not for their celebrity appeal. Whitehead concluded that the show was a success, fun and informative, but also hampered by the format - having to cover the entirety of video gaming history in one show to an unfamiliar audience, a symptom of the lack of video games representation on television.[1]

Keith Stuart, who appeared on the show, reflected on its merits in a column for The Guardian. Stuart described how ending the show with Twitter was a clever way of showing how gamification has infiltrated everyday lives, with social networks relying on the same reward systems as video games. Stuart liked how the show featured games like Papers, Please, a game that explores guilt and the nature of evil, which helped to remove misconceptions that video games are incapable of exploring real-world issues. Like Whitehead, Stuart concluded with a lament over the lack of video games coverage on television, criticising broadcasters for "ceding responsibility to YouTubers and specialist online documentary makers" and for "failing their audiences".[2] Sam Wollaston, also writing for The Guardian, gave a mixed review and was critical of the talking heads format. Wollaston commented that despite containing interesting ideas, the show was overly long. For gamers however, Wollaston wrote that the show "would have been pretty much heaven".[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Dan Whitehead (5 December 2013). "TV review: How Videogames Changed the World". Eurogamer. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  2. ^ Keith Stuart (2 December 2013). "How Video Games Changed the World – some thoughts". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  3. ^ Sam Wollaston (2 December 2013). "The Secret Life of Mary Poppins; How Video Games Changed the World – TV review". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
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