Episode 153: Sega Channel

Episode 153: Sega Channel

Author: Video Game History Foundation April 2, 2026 Duration: 1:16:24

Well before Xbox Game Pass or Steam, we had Sega Channel: a visionary service that delivered video games directly into homes via cable TV lines. This week, host Phil Salvador is joined by some of the team that made the "impossible" happen: Michael Shorrock, Ray McFadden, and Willard Stanback.

In this mini Sega Channel reunion, the team discusses the technical hurdles of digital data distribution over 1990’s cable infrastructure, reminisces about the high-stakes world of game licensing, and shares how partnerships and the bold leadership of Stan Thomas shaped the service. We explore how transparency and community engagement turned a risky experiment into a beloved cult classic, and what the Sega Channel legacy tells us about the future of cloud gaming and subscription services today.

*This episode has a follow-up bonus episode available to our paid tier Patreon members.

You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.


Video Game History Foundation:

Email: podcast@gamehistory.org

Website: gamehistory.org

Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg


Ever wonder how the stories behind your favorite games actually get uncovered? Video Game History Hour pulls back the curtain on that process, hosted by Frank Cifaldi from the Video Game History Foundation. Instead of dry lectures, each episode feels like you’re overhearing a fascinating conversation between experts. Frank invites game developers, historians, and storytellers to share their discoveries and the real, often messy work of preservation. You’ll hear about the frustrating dead-ends that make researchers want to bang their heads against the wall, followed by those incredible breakthroughs when a forgotten piece of history suddenly clicks into place. This podcast is built on the genuine thrill of sharing a find, capturing the human side of digging through old code, tracking down obscure prototypes, or interviewing pivotal developers whose contributions have been overlooked. It’s a casual, engaging dive into the layers of an industry often focused only on the future, reminding us that every game has a past worth saving. Tune in for a refreshingly authentic look at the passion and persistence required to keep video game history alive, one surprising story at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Video Game History Hour
Podcast Episodes
Episode 132: Croc Remaster [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:23:53
Frank Cifaldi and Phil Salvador host a discussion with Jez San, Jason Smith, and Mike Arkin from Argonaut Games about the development and remastering of the 1997 game Croc: Legend of the Gobbos. We touch on what went int…
Episode 131: Flitman Collection [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:35
Hosts Frank Cifaldi and Phil Salvador chat with Mark and Michelle Flitman, a father-daughter duo, about Mark’s career, his donated collection at the VGHF, and his autobiography: "It’s Not All Fun and Games." As a semi-re…
Episode 130: Spycraft [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:01
Phil Salvador hosts Polygon’s Clayton Ashley and Simone de Rochefort to discuss a documentary they produced last year called The Great Game: The Making of Spycraft | Full Polygon Documentary about the 1996 FMV CD-ROM gam…
Episode 129: Powerhouse Chloe Appleby [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:46
Phil Salvador and Robin Kunimune chat with Chloe Appleby, games curator at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, Australia, who shares how she turned her passion for games into a dream role blending community, culture, and qu…
Episode 128: DMCA 2024 Copyright Ruling [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:00
Phil Salvador and Kendra Albert, a partner at Albert Sellars LLP, digest, discuss, and dissect the 2024 DMCA exemption petition to make it easier for libraries and archives to preserve video games and the subsequent ruli…
Episode 127: Sarge’s Heroes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:26
In this episode of Video Game History Hour, Michael Mendheim joins host Frank Cifaldi and guest-host John Rairdin to reflect on his career, from early work on Fester’s Quest to cult favorites like Mutant League Football…
Episode 126: A Fireside Chat with Gail Tilden [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:42
Gail Tilden, Nintendo of America’s marketing mastermind, takes Frank Cifaldi on a trip down memory lane in a panel at the Long Island Retro Gaming Expo, reminiscing about everything from the early days of NES branding to…
Episode 125: ROMchip, What’s Next? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:37
Laine Nooney, an associate professor at NYU and managing editor of ROMchip: A Journal of Game Histories, joins Phil Salvador on The Video Game History Hour to chat about the journal’s mission to make game history more th…
Episode 124: Digital Library Launch [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:02
It’s finally arrived: our digital library archive is now open in early access! Our library team: library director Phil Salvador, director of technology Travis Brown, and artist and engineer Amanda Cifaldi all join founda…