TCW Podcast Episode 209 - Accolade Part 1

In part one of a two-part retrospective, we explore how the pressures of the North American video game crash combined with the desire to create more sophisticated products for home computer platforms led Alan Miller and Bob Whitehead to leave Activision and establish their own company, Accolade. Publishing a mix of internally developed and third-party product, Accolade finds success through several popular sports franchises, including Hardball, Jack Nicklaus Golf and, most significantly, Test Drive. By the beginning of the 1990s, the company remains small, but profitable, and is ready to parlay its success on computer platforms to still greater success in the rapidly growing 16-bit console market.

TCW 126 - Activision and Atari: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/activision-and-atari/

TCW 009 - History of Mediagenic Part 1: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/history-of-mediagenic-part-i/

TCW 010 - History of Mediagenic Part 2: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/history-of-mediagenic-part-ii/

TCW 172 - The Computer Price Wars Part 1: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-computer-price-wars-part-1/

TCW 173 - The Computer Wars part 2: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-computer-wars-part-2/

TCW 174 - The Computer Wars Part 3: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-computer-wars-part-3/

Law of the West (C64): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrMk9RyCWKI

PSI-5 Trading Company (C64): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56E21gQq1TE

Hardball (C64): https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=jejblUhw3hU

High Noon Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9CR_tib0CA

Gunsmoke 1966 opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ui-mzTCmZPE

Hardball (ZX Spectrum): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwuKr6sa0S8

Hardball (Sega Genesis): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkeCqRXihJE

Fourth and Inches (C64): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1672sYyMrg

TCW 156 - Madden for some Football: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/madden-for-some-football/

Sundog: Frozen Empire (Atari ST): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kg_hEY_hy9U

Ace of Aces (C64): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=059zzI6sdxo

Hardball (PC/DOS): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzPHxCO17aw

Empire Strike Back (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcWGvwYWHgY

Jedi Arena (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKLLpjF0QkM

Mean 18 (PC DOS): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4tX_ZVXwI0

Jack Nicklaus' Greatest 18 Holes of Major Championship Golf gameplay (PC DOS): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DOeXCiMbG8

Test Drive (PC DOS): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAj1jPvz8t8

Accolade Comics (C64): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkjkycHvHsE

Test Drive (C64): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBl2zpfR3Bo

TCW 122 - A Casual World Part 1: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/a-casual-world-part-1/

TCW 123 - A Casual World Part 2: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/a-casual-world-part-2/

ISHIDO - The Way of the Stones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZmLAC3pVFM

TCW 094 - Epyx not Epic: https://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/epyx-not-epic/

Star Control (PC DOS): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSqJ0nPDDzs

New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!

TCW Email: [email protected] 

Twitter: @tcwpodcast

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds

Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com

Alex's book, published Dec 2019, is available at CRC Press and at major on-line retailers: http://bit.ly/TCWBOOK1

Intro Music: Josh Woodward - Airplane Mode -  Music - "Airplane Mode" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/song/AirplaneMode 

Outro Music: RolemMusic - Bacterial Love: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rolemusic/Pop_Singles_Compilation_2014/01_rolemusic_-_bacterial_love 

Copyright: Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/