Best of 2024

Explicit content warning

02/20/25 • 104 min

The Fourth Curtain

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
Featuring the music track Liberation by 505

🎮 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

Previous Episode

Ed Boon Gets into the Nitty-Gritty Metal

Welcome to the Season Two finale episode! And it's a Monster!!!! (Never fear, we will be back in a couple of weeks with some special episodes to bridge the gap to Season Three!)
This week's guest is Ed Boon, co-creator of Mortal Kombat and Injustice and Chief Creative Officer of Mortal Kombat and NetherRealm Studios! Starting in the world of pinball, he moved onto arcade games at the legendary Midway Games and is still making blockbusters. We discuss his World Record entry in the book of Guinness, the cultural impact of MK and the key question he asks at the start of every project, this week!
Highlights!

06:15 – 06:53
Alex introduces Ed Boon as the longest-serving video game voice actor and co-creator of Mortal Kombat, discussing his legacy in the gaming world.
08:55 – 10:01
Aaron shares a story about a rumor regarding Mortal Kombat being chosen over Judge Dredd for arcade cabinet production. Ed clarifies the details and dispels the myth.
11:00 – 11:41
Ed Boon reflects on the early days of making games, the small team behind Mortal Kombat, and the excitement of seeing it come together.
14:41 – 15:29
Ed discusses Mortal Kombat's early impact on the gaming industry and the role of digitized characters, mentioning how it was one of the first games to popularize the technology in arcades.
25:31 – 26:39
Ed describes the transition from Williams Electronics to Midway and later NetherRealm Studios, reflecting on the various "chapters" of his career in video game development.
28:33 – 29:42
Ed talks about the support Warner Brothers gave to Mortal Kombat 9, including extending the development timeline, which allowed it to become one of the biggest-selling games in the franchise.
39:34 – 41:40
Ed explains how the home version of Mortal Kombat and other controversial games like Doom and Night Trap drew attention, eventually leading to the creation of the ESRB ratings system.
45:05 – 46:00
Ed shares a memorable moment seeing 17 Mortal Kombat 2 arcade machines lined up at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, which made him realize the game's massive popularity.
47:39 – 47:54
Ed recounts how he became a member of the Screen Actors Guild to voice Scorpion’s famous line, "Get over here!" for the Mortal Kombat movie, still receiving royalty checks to this day.
48:18 – 49:33
Ed describes the approach to developing new Mortal Kombat games, focusing on how to add new features and experiences to keep each version fresh for players.
01:01:32 – 01:03:37
Ed praises the successes of other Warner Bros. studios like Rocksteady with Arkham and Avalanche with Hogwarts Legacy, reflecting on the camaraderie and collaboration within the Warner gaming family.
01:05:46 – 01:06:56
Ed describes his visit to the set of the Mortal Kombat movie, sharing the surreal experience of seeing characters like Goro come to life in live action.

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

Next Episode

Games Workshop's Ian Livingstone, Fantasy Knight in Real Life

This week's guest is a founder of Games Workshop, publisher of White Dwarf magazine, creator of the Fighting Fantasy Books and Executive Chair of Eidos Interactive Sir Ian Livingstone. This Knight of the British Empire started a business while living in a van, prevailed through a Satanic panic about his Fighting books, saw the promise of a certain Tomb Raider and birthed a mass media entertainment phenomenon. Now using games for education, we talk getting bonkers exclusives, the 3 G's of gamedev and more - this week!

🎙️ The Fourth Curtain – S3 Ep01: Sir Ian Livingstone 🎲

[00:00:00] – Living in a Van to Build a Games Empire 🚐

Ian shares how he and his co-founder lived in a van outside a squash club while starting Games Workshop.

[00:08:00] – GenCon, Early Game Distribution & Meeting Gygax 🎲

Traveling to GenCon, discovering Dungeons & Dragons, and securing the European distribution rights for TSR.

[00:18:00] – Building Games Workshop & Warhammer’s Rise 🏰

The journey from selling board games to launching Warhammer and revolutionizing tabletop gaming.

[00:26:00] – Fighting Fantasy & Interactive Storytelling 📖

How Fighting Fantasy books became a global phenomenon and pioneered branching narratives in gaming.

[00:38:00] – Eidos & The Birth of Tomb Raider 🎮

The story behind discovering Tomb Raider during due diligence and its meteoric rise in gaming and pop culture.

[00:49:00] – The Business of Games & Investing in Innovation 💰

Ian’s philosophy on game design, the importance of IP ownership, and why gameplay always comes first.

[01:04:00] – Where the Games Industry is Heading 🚀

Thoughts on the evolution of games, emerging technologies, and the future of innovation in gaming.

[01:11:00] – Closing Thoughts & A Look Ahead 🔮

Ian shares insights on the importance of creativity, the future of interactive media, and what’s next for him.

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

The Fourth Curtain - Best of 2024

Transcript

Aaron: [00:00:00] This special episode of The Fourth Curtain is brought to you by Hi Vibe PR, a boutique communications firm for companies building the future of gaming, entertainment, and culture. Get your message out in the world by visiting hi vibe pr. com.
Alex: Welcome Fourth Curtain listeners. How are you? It's been a little while.
How are you, Aaron? I'm doing great. This is not video, right? This is only audio right now? Well, listener, viewer, if you're looking at this, then it