It’s 1988, and Tetris is making waves. It’s billed as the first Soviet video game, and it’s selling fast.
But the man who introduced it to the West harbors a secret: he doesn’t own the rights. And when his subterfuge fails, a multi-million-dollar battle to win over the communist regime breaks out on the streets of Moscow.
It’s a clash that pits the Japanes ... Show More
May 2020
Business Battles | Toilet Paper Wars: White Gold | 5
<p>Quarantine restrictions during the coronavirus have induced toilet paper panic-buying as people scratch, claw and punch each other to get rolls. But why? What’s behind the frenzy, and how will that affect the TP industry? </p><p>In the last 150 years, it’s grown from sell ... Show More
24m 4s
Jun 2020
Uber vs Lyft | Black Cars and Pink Mustaches | 1
<p>It’s December 2008, and two friends and fellow tech entrepreneurs, Garrett Camp and Travis Kalanick, can't get a taxi. Camp’s already obsessed with the idea of a service that summons a private driver with the push of a button, but now Kalanick gets the appeal. Together, they'l ... Show More
27m 12s
May 2024
Leveling Up Nintendo | Jumpman | 1
<p>Nintendo launches an American subsidiary, but the company struggles until it releases an innovative platform game that introduces the world to an iconic new hero.</p><p>Need more Business Movers? With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, early access to new ones, and they’re alw ... Show More
36m 36s
Nov 2023
Napoleon | Clash of Empires | 3
Napoleon’s military success has cowed a continent but, in Russia, he meets almost unimaginable horror. He was defeated, he says, not by the Tsar, but by winter. His subjects aren’t so sure. And his enemies see an opportunity.Listen to Legacy on the Wondery App or wherever you get ... Show More
37m 7s
Jul 2023
The Tetris Company: Henk Rogers
<p>Tetris is one of the most popular video games of all time, and Henk Rogers helped make it happen. He first discovered the game at a convention in 1988, and immediately saw how elegant and addictive it was. As a software developer based in Japan, Henk set out to obtain selected ... Show More
1h 7m
Apr 2024
FBI Agent Turned Russian Spy | World of Secrets | 1
<p>In 1976, at the height of the Cold War, Robert Hanssen joins the FBI to work in their counterintelligence division. Hanssen is valued for his technical skills, and put in charge of databases containing some of the country’s most valuable secrets. But he’s socially awkward, and ... Show More
41m 21s