In this week's episode we recap some of the best moments from Season 2, with John Romero on hits and misses, how Peter Molyneux makes a game, Ed Fries on Xbox's Valentines Day massacre, Warren Spector on how playstyle is everything and much more!
🎮 The Fourth Curtain – S2 Best Of Highlights
[00:00:00] – Season 2 Recap & Patreon Launch 🎉
- Alex and Aaron reflect on Season 2, announce the new Patreon, and tease upcoming guests.
[00:08:00] – John Romero’s First Game 👾
- John shares how he programmed his first game on a mainframe in 1979 and discovered Colossal Cave Adventure.
[00:26:00] – Mike Wilson & The Wild West of Publishing 🤠
- Mike tells stories from GT Interactive, including publishing DOOM and the infamous Fabio Screensaver.
[00:38:00] – Game Delays & Business Realities ⏳
- Industry veterans discuss the tough decisions behind delaying games and the shift from retail to digital.
[00:49:00] – Mitch Lasky on Venture Capital & Gaming 💰
- Mitch talks about investing in Instagram, Twitter, Uber, Snapchat, Riot Games, and Discord.
[01:04:00] – The Xbox Origin Story – The Valentine's Day Massacre 🎮
- Ed Fries recounts the high-stakes meeting where Microsoft approved the original Xbox.
[01:27:00] – Jesse Schell Predicts AI in Games 🤖
- Jesse discusses AI-driven NPCs, procedural storytelling, and the future of interactive experiences.
[01:32:00] – AI’s Impact on Game Development & Publishing ⚙️
- Frank Gibeau and others explore AI’s role in monetization, engagement, and player behavior.
[01:43:00] – Season 3 Tease & Farewell 🎭
- A sneak peek at upcoming guests, including Sir Ian Livingstone, and an invitation to join the Patreon.
Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!
Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron Marroquin
Find us at www.thefourthcurtain.com
Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain
Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe
Videos available at https://www.youtube.com/@thefourthcurtain
Follow us on twitter: @fourthcurtain
Edited and mastered at https://noise-floor.com
Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley
Video Editor: Sarkis Grigorian
Producer: Shanglan (May) Li
Art: Paul Russel
Community Manager: Doug Zartman
Featuring Liberation by 505
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com