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HistoryExtra podcast

Video games at 50: a cultural history

HistoryExtra podcast

HistoryExtra

History

4.34.7K Ratings

🗓️ 27 April 2022

⏱️ 47 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Fifty years on from the launch of the world’s first commercial home video game console – the Magnavox Odyssey – John Wills talks to Matt Elton about how videogames have reflected the world around them over the past half century, and the ways in which history and gaming increasingly overlap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Welcome to Just Between Us, the podcast with all of the answers, some of the time.

0:05.0

A bit of a different thing going on this week.

0:07.3

You've been immature and you've lied.

0:10.3

And now you're trying to turn it on me and manipulate me and gaslight me.

0:13.9

I was trying to manipulate you.

0:15.7

Diana, you would be chucking their clothes out of the window.

0:18.1

I know, I'd be like, are you joking?

0:20.6

I don't know. I guess you'd have to ask. Someone that has sex. Someone that has sex. Right. And remember, it's just between us. If I get my kid a phone, I'll be able to keep in touch with them all the time. You'll be on it all the time. He could walk to school by himself. She could see something she shouldn't. He could chat with grandma. Friends, trolls. They can access anything on the internet. They can access anything on the internet. So, should I give my kid a phone? Growing up with phones isn't always easy. Introducing EEE Safer Sims. Sims that help moderate usage and shield harmful content on any smartphone. Choose EEC for Sims. Only on the UK's Best Network. To verify best network see EE.com.ukuk slash claims. Ah, Benny's parents. Thanks for coming. Hiya. So, Benny has really blossomed this term. You're telling me, he outgrew his bike. We sold it. On eBay. Oh, that's not quite what I meant. It's free to sell on there. Free to sell? Easy too. Sold Benny's bike. Your guitar. My jacket. You sold my guitar? Shall we talk about Benny? When it's this easy to sell for free, you can't help but say you when it's eBay. Things people love. T's and

1:28.5

Cs apply, exclusive vehicles.

1:40.7

Hello and welcome to the History Extra podcast from BBC History Magazine and BBC History Revealed.

1:52.8

I'm Ellie Cawthorne.

1:57.1

50 years ago, Magnavox Odyssey was launched.

2:00.7

It was the world's first commercial home video game

2:04.5

console. And over the five decades since, gaming has grown to become an industry worth billions.

2:11.9

To mark the anniversary, a few weeks ago, cultural historian John Wills spoke to Matt Elton about how video games have

2:20.1

reflected the world around them over the past half century, and the ways in which history

2:25.0

and gaming increasingly overlap. So, John, we are here today talking about the 50th anniversary

2:32.5

of video games, which are everywhere.

2:35.1

I mean, Wordle has been in the news a lot recently for being hugely popular

2:38.0

and sold to the New York Times for a massive amount.

2:41.0

And there's games that are selling hundreds of millions of copies.

2:45.1

But what moment are we marking when we say this is a 50th anniversary?

...

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