Cinemaware

TCW Podcast Episode 256 - Cinemaware Bob Jacob launched Cinemaware to fuse movies and video games on Amiga, hiring journalist Kellyn Beeck to design Defender of the Crown's medieval themes. Programmer John Cutter led in-house development after massive outside studio delays, tapping coder R.J. Michael for an intense programming marathon to barely hit deadline and make Defender the Amiga's killer app. Lone coders followed with Doug Sharp's janky Macintosh hypercard-style King of Chicago and Bill Williams' Sinbad, creator of Mind Walker. Licensed properties piled on, Rocket Ranger, Three Stooges, and Lords of the Rising Sun, plus TV Sports Football that inspired EA Sports' empire. Jacob chased Academy Award glory with a 1927 Wings adaptation you couldn't lose, featuring a story told by WWI pilot journals where downed fliers were memorialized via an end credits roll. With poor Amiga reception in the US, loyalty to the system cost them dearly. Pivots to consoles like obscure View-Master Interactive Vision and failed TurboGrafx-16 prevented a PC shift. Amid financial difficulties, Jacob sold Cinemaware in parts after just five years. TCW 082 - An Unlikely Pairing of Siliwood: TCW 246 - The History of Commodore Pt 3: Kellyn Beeck - Atari Battlezone for the U.S. Army: Kellyn Beeck - The Pac-Man Zone: Kellyn Beeck - Final Story: Commodore Power Play Issue 13 (Page 66 - Who Will Design The Perfect Game? - by Kellyn Beeck): TCW 094 - Epyx not Epic: Defender of the Crown: SDI (Amiga): The King of Chicago (Macintosh): The King of Chicago (Amiga): Mind Walker (Amiga): Sinbad and the Throne of the Falcon (Amiga): The Three Stooges (Amiga): Rocket Ranger (Amiga): Lords of the Rising Sun (Amiga): TV Sports Football (TurboGrafx 16): TV Sports Basketball (Amiga): Wings (Amiga): Wings (1927 Film): View-Master Interactive Vision (Sesame Street): View-Master Interactive Vision (Muppets - You're the Director): View-Master Interactive Vision (Disney Interactive Arcade): Green Eyed Lady by Sugarloaf: Aspen Interactive Movie Map: TCW 042 - Laser Craze: Them! (1954 Trailer): It Came From the Desert (Amiga): It Came From the Desert (Turbo Grafx 16): New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month! TCW Email: feedback@theycreateworlds.com BlueSky: @theycreateworlds.bsky.social Patreon: Alex's Video Game History Blog: Alex's book: Intro Music: Josh Woodward - Airplane Mode - Music - "Airplane Mode" by Josh Woodward. Free download: Outro Music: RoleMusic - Bacterial Love: Copyright: Attribution:

You can listen to Cinemaware online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Cinemaware is an episode from They Create Worlds by Alex Smith, and Jeffrey Daum.

This episode is 104:58 long.

This episode was published on Apr 15, 2026.

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