"A Documentary about Failing Forward"
Several independent game creators retell their struggles, failures, and triumphs while discussing what it means to be an "indie", and what it means to be a creative.
Social & External
In thirty years, the video game has conquered an increasingly wide audience. Drawing on the recent work of economists, sociologists, experts and interviewing major players in this field, this investigation unravels the overwhelming domination of this new mass media.
What's with the sudden boom of independent designers and small publishers creating tabletop games? This film tells their stories.
In this hilarious arcade showdown, a humble novice goes head-to-head against the reigning Donkey Kong champ in a confrontation that rocks the gaming world to its processors! For over 20 years, Billy Mitchell has owned the throne of the Donkey Kong world. No one could beat his top score until now. Newcomer Steve Wiebe claims to have beaten the unbeatable, but Mitchell isn't ready to relinquish his crown without a fight. Go behind the barrels as the two battle it out in a vicious war to earn the title of the true King of Kong.
Explore the history of the ground-breaking Full Motion Video (FMV) game, Night Trap, in this documentary brought to you by My Life in Gaming. Directors Coury Carlson and Marc Duddleson interview Night Trap creator James Riley, remaster lead Tyler Hogle, and gaming historian Jeremy Parish in this nearly hour-long look at the history of Night Trap.
Experience the transformation two stud bears undertake as they attempt to win a professional Starcraft 2 tournament. Zack and Jason begin as casual n00bs, but their journey through a powerful training camp, taught by some of the worlds best video game players and iconic celebrities, will make them uber. Fragging small fry and training leads up to a climactic finale that will rip your head off and change a whole world's life. Along the way they discover a gaming ecosystem and community bigger and cooler than anything you could ever imagine. An inside look into one of the worlds fastest growing professional sports. Die Noobs will pwn your heart.
In 2014, YouTuber DenkOps (Chris Denker) created a fictional version of himself inside of a pro wrestling video game. 8 years and 1.5 million fans later, it's time to turn fiction into reality. This documentary follows Chris's odyssey into the very real world of professional wrestling, with every bump, botch, & breakdown that occurs along the way. Can he make it through training and prove he has what it takes to do this for real? Or will he find himself... in danger? It’s definitely not a game anymore.
In 1999, Konami Corp. introduced a Japanese-influenced coin-operated arcade stand-up to the U.S. Its draw was unheard of for a video game: the combination of music, competition, and interactive video-gameplay along with actual physical activity. Four years later, Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) has become one of the most popular game crazes stateside and found easily in video game stores and in nationwide retail markets. This story explores the youth culture surrounding the game and follows a group of devoted players and documents their interactions at various arcades and tournaments.
It is the year 2546. Corporations rule the world, and an agent is on a secret mission to explore the untold stories of the past. His journey leads him into a secret virtual reality where one corporation has recreated the 1980s, an era that witnessed the birth of video game development, an event in which a politically and economically restricted small European country, Hungary, had a significant role. He discovers a strange but exciting world, where computers were smuggled through the Iron Curtain and serious engineers started developing games. This small country was still under Soviet pressure when a group of people managed to set up one of the first game development studios in the world, and western computer stores started clearing room on their shelves for Hungarian products.
From executive producer Zach Braff and director Jeremy Snead, "Video Games: The Movie" is an epic feature length documentary chronicling the meteoric rise of video games from nerd niche to multi-billion dollar industry. Narrated by Sean Astin and featuring in-depth interviews with the godfathers who started it all, the icons of game design, and the geek gurus who are leading us into the future, "Video Games: The Movie" is a celebration of gaming from Atari to Xbox and an eye-opening look at what lies ahead.
Filmed inside the many worlds of virtual reality, this documentary dives into VR's history, usage, and future. Told through the many users and communities inside this digital space.
A journey into the creative mind of the most iconic video game designer in the world. Featuring appearances from visionary artists Guillermo del Toro, Nicholas Winding Refn, Grimes, George Miller, Norman Reedus, Woodkid, CHVRCHES, this visually captivating documentary gives a rare insight into Hideo Kojima’s creative process as he launches his own independent studio.
GameLoading Rise of the Indies is a feature documentary exploring the world of indie game developers, their craft, their games, their dreams, and how they have forever changed the landscape of games culture.
As a leading recognized gaming expert for over 15 years, David Wilhite has taught hundreds of thousands of people how to increase their odds against the casino just by playing smart! Now David puts his expertise to work against the Lottery/Lotto. Analyzing all the odds and probabilities. David shows you how to wheel your favorite numbers to your advantage. David also shows you how to find the numbers that are most often drawn in your Lottery/Lotto.
Sparked by a public display of sexual harassment in 2012, GTFO pries open the video game world to explore a 20 billion dollar industry riddled with discrimination and misogyny. Every year, the gaming community grows increasingly diverse. This has led to a clash of values and women are receiving the brunt of the consequences every day, with acts of harassment ranging from name calling to death threats. Through interviews with video game creators, journalists, and academics, GTFO paints a complex picture of the video game industry, while revealing the systemic and human motivations behind acts of harassment. GTFO begins the conversation that will shape the future of the video game world.
After quitting their corporate jobs, Bartek and Rafal decided to create their first video game (Lichtspeer). The movie follows them throughout the last few months of working on the project. You’ll be able to witness their struggle to publish the game on PlayStation, the emotions of people associated with the game’s launch, and finally, Rafal’s and Bartek’s attempts to break into the consciousness of youtube stars and the industry press
In 2001, young Kyiv developers led by Serhiy Hryhorovych decided to create the most complex game in the world with realistic graphics, an open world and an unusual plot revolving around the Chornobyl zone. With the launch of the promotional campaign, tens of thousands of people around the world were waiting for STALKER, but the developers became hostage to their ambitions. They endlessly improved the game, postponing its release date every year. But at one point, the American publisher's patience ran out.
Exile - Never Mind Reality depicts a growing phenomenon: young people developing an obsession with online gaming (MMORPG). Emil (34) from Oslo, Daniel (16), Morten (14) and Rasmus (15) from Lillehammer are all completely hooked. This has had serious consequences for them and has led to them dropping school, friends or jobs. At the same time, gaming is fun and gives them a sense of mastery.
Two-years in the making, SynaMax takes viewers on a journey into the extensive cyber-archaeology research involved with restoring the source code and documenting the development history to the 1983 arcade game, Sinistar. Featuring exclusive interviews with project lead and software engineer Noah Falstein, sound engineer Mike Metz, and video game designer John Newcomer, this video offers a very comprehensive glimpse into one of the most innovative video games from the early '80s.
GET LAMP is a documentary about interactive fiction (also known as text adventures) filmed by computer historian Jason Scott.
"M2: Complete Works" dives deep into the history of Japanese game developer M2, who are well known for elaborately porting retro games to modern platforms. From their humble beginnings porting Gauntlet to the Sega Genesis by eye and memory to their releases on the Nintendo Switch, M2 has been involved with some of the most iconic game series of all time.