The Legend of Polybius

[@GamingHistorian]

Hi everyone, The Blu-ray is officially done, so it's back to our regularly scheduled programming! I thought it would be fun to get to the bottom of the Polybius mystery. What we discovered was pretty interesting, and I don't think this urban legend will go away anytime soon. If you enjoyed the video, give it a share. Thanks!

[@stovexlvii3579]

Gaming Historian you should pin this. But now I will be spammed with notifications

[@thomasbrace5666]

Mintysora that is very true

[@thomasbrace5666]

Mintysora wait I will now

[@thomasbrace5666]

Mintysora shit

[@stovexlvii3579]

Thomas Brace yourself

[@RetroGamePlayers]

Titus Interactive bought the rights to Polybius and released it as Superman 64

[@RetroGamePlayers]

Alan YaKnow Wow thanks so much, that is the nicest comment ever. Much appreciated and glad you liked it! I've got some other videogame music covers on there too.

[@RiasatSalminSami]

Retro Game Players This makes sense. That game is so garbage, that it actually makes your life miserable.

[@MrDeedsly]

Seriously one of them. If not the worst game on the console. I couldn't believe Nintendo would let them release a game that badly programmed.

[@jasonjasonjasonjasonjason]

LMAO

[@DracXBelmont]

Old joke is old.

[@XRay44]

Plot twist... Polybius is Candy Crush.

[@FG-ls6xj]

Wes Ray plot twist Polybius II was Flappy Bird

[@kevin12567]

And there's even a Candy Crush game show!

[@iverson64_]

no, Polybius was a prototype of Big Rigs: Over the road racing.

[@filmjarvis81]

DoubleDasher BIG RIGS!!!! FUCK YEAH!!!!

[@allieisasleep]

RIIIIIDDDDDGGGGGEEEEE RAAAAAACCCCEEEERRRR

[@s-my-q9618]

lol downloaded data on each of its players, idk why I imagined some fbi guy downloading data from people named ass and other stupid 3 letter names.

[@bandit24k]

SlayerOfYou666 trd

[@rexapis2125]

SlayerOfYou666 Alphabet soup of names..

[@gsxerwhite]

dic cum fag ass coc These are America's next super soldiers

[@doubledekercouch]

Such as angry Nintendo nerd

[@faradaysage15]

Lolol i was ASS

[@xD3adKl0wnx]

Not so much about Polybius, rather the test machines. They often sent those to weird places. Years ago I went to one of the local arcades before going to a movie with my parents and I saw a cabinet that just had purple question marks on the side, on the marquee and on the main menu attract screen. Otherwise it was all black. I walked up and began playing this game with another kid who was already there and it was insane.. Like nothing I'd ever experienced before.. I was hooked.. I played it for the 45 minute wait before the movie and hated to leave it alone.. but soon I had to When I next went to the mall, I looked for the game but it was gone. months later, maybe even upto a year later, I was walking by the arcade and saw a screen that I knew was THE game. Kids were swarming it... only this time it had side graphics and a name... Mortal Kombat This was wayyyyyy up in far east Canada, I wouldn't have even believed theyd ship a test machine or whatever they do send up here, but i'm sure glad they did

[@georgehenson2412]

This is way more interesting than the main video. I mean, Williams/Midway was in Chicago which is close to Canada, but a test machine in East Canada? That seems like way more trouble than it's worth.

[@xD3adKl0wnx]

It never made sense to me either, I mean, the small arcade was hardly an ideal test location.

[@georgehenson2412]

Do you recall the name of the arcade?

[@xD3adKl0wnx]

I'm not sure if it had a name other than just "the Arcade" to be honest, but It was in the Avalon Mall in St. John's, NL

[@karlhans6678]

thats interesting, you were one of the few first to play MK.

[@krakelwok]

I'm German and "Sinneslöschen" does indeed sound awkward. "Sinnes" is the genitive singular of "Sinn" (sense), so "Sinneslöschen" literally translates to "deletion of the sense". While grammatically somewhat correct, the dulling or blocking of senses in German isn't usually tied to the verb 'delete' in everyday usage. So the whole thing sounds like a non-native speaker constructing a technically correct, but quite awkward-sounding name for the sake of adding a certain strangeness to it by using a different language.

[@LilMinmax]

krakelwok brands do this kind of thing all the time

[@krakelwok]

Some use made-up words, like Häagen-Dazs or Brøderbund, but those words don't mean anything in any language, they just look vaguely Scandinavian written down. "Sinneslöschen" would be a rather ham-fisted way of describing the made-up company's hidden agenda. That's as if I founded a chemical company secretly specialising in poisons and called it "Totmacher".

[@LilMinmax]

krakelwok I'd definitely buy food from a company called Totmacher heh. there are companies like Altria which kind of invokes Altruism but they actually used to sell cigarettes and needed to distance itself from that history. maybe in this case someone thought it would be a cool name and then the rest of this is made up around it?

[@krakelwok]

Brøderbund is meant to sound loosely like "band of brothers". In German, 'brother' is 'Bruder', pronounced like 'broo-dah', which incidentally is how the company itself pronounces the 'brøder'-part of its name.

[@yourneighbour5738]

How dare you tell then the boogeyman wasn't real!??

[@spraragen88]

I've done my own research about Polybius and while I have my doubts about it existing, some things were just really interesting. There was no real copyright on the name Polybius, so it was either a working title or the person who started the "urban legend" back up in the 90s got the name wrong (if it existed). Another thing is if the game was similar to Tempest there is a rare ocular phenomenon of delayed motion sickness contributed with games using that Tempest style wormhole/faux-3D game style. It even occurs today with VR games. Players can feel 100% comfortable playing a VR game, but once they stop and take off the headset they can get sick, dizzy and light headed. So it is possible a kid played this mystery arcade game and walked away feeling fine only to play another game and get motion sickness symptoms. I don't believe anyone really died from this, again if it existed. Also, the men in black suits could have been the FBI but more than likely it was men from the company of whoever built the cabinet collecting data to tweak their new game, there were test markets all over the country doing this. Capcom and Nintendo even did it in Japan. It was all about collecting data to see what could be altered to get the most quarters out of the player. They tracked how long the average quarter lasted, how many average quarters were inserted by the same player and even what part of the game users gave up on the most (if applicable/game had levels and bosses like Double dragon). So really I don't think there was a Polybius cabinet, just different aspects of circumstantial events squished together to come up with a cool sounding urban legend.

[@geckoo9190]

well if it was a secret experiment, it wouldn't ave a copyright, maybe the technology would.

[@fishrenfroeboyd7954]

As a producer that worked on this game I can tell you, the project manager wanted to cover the whole thing up. After witnesses started talking about the men in black they saw collecting the data from the Polybius machines for Operation Mind Titan my project manager got worried the press would catch on. He ordered the data be sent to Las Alamos for evaluation immediately and the Black cabinets removed and sent to the Alaskan island Attu. After of which he was on a ship headed to Japan for phase 2 when he spotted a seagull off the starboard side of the ship and panicked in fear then cut his own dick off and dove into the ocean never to be seen again. The legend died with the project manager.

[@MatchitehewXaphan]

Justin Spraragen it's real I've played the game

[@Mr_Fancypants]

img10.deviantart.net/92a0/i/2015/003/f/d/poly_play_by_betterwatchit-d8chkea.jpg If you were researching it how come you never mentioned this arcade game designed by the German gouverment? Ya doofus

[@rexapis2125]

Justin Spraragen Cool story bro, but AVGN just reviewed it... it's real...

[@hatednyc]

So it's entirely plausible that a Tempest cabinet may have been labeled Polybius in the testing phase, perhaps accidentally, then later correctly labeled and officially rolled out nationwide? Could it not have been the flashing vector based graphics of Tempest that caused the Seizure and the ensuing gossip surrounding it that morphed into the Legend we all know today?

[@randytyson]

If you want a videogame that will give you everything polybius alledgly gave players. Just play action 52

[@LermaBean]

RANDY TYSON And Cheetamen II

[@sleeplessbeauty86]

RANDY TYSON Four level 3's...

[@placenamehere953]

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

[@CoalCoalJames]

Just play a pseudo game, any walking simulator / regressive ideological game will do the trick of making you sick to you're stomach.

[@lilred7679]

RANDY TYSON So true man, so true

[@alanfike]

I must say, man. You're one of the better KZbin announcers that I've seen. And it's almost like you did it by doing the exact opposite of what is normally done: - They talk in a douchy, needlessly-assertive voice; you speak calmly. - They talk really fast and overwhelm you with words and sentences; you show down and speak deliberately. I hope this, or whatever it is that's related to this that you are working towards, becomes a viable career for you and hope your channel gets more recognition (at least in part -- it's also very well-researched it seems -- I'm particularly a fan of your Super Mario Bros 2/Doki Doki Panic episode) for it.

[@CherryLax]

my grandpa played this game and now he's dead. coincidence? I think NOT!!

[@sneaselsaturday]

Chris Whitton age maybe

[@pastedtomato]

Chris Whitton Seems legit

[@hdofu]

Your grandpa smoked 6 packs a day and drank 15 beers a night.

[@michaelbernhardt389]

David Brailsford and had unprotected sex with sailors and farm animals

[@Dargonhuman]

My grandpa drank water every day of his life and he's also dead now. Spooky!

[@JadisAmalthea]

I know about test marketing games first hand. Around 2009-2010, there was a unique game at my local arcade in Largo, Florida called "Ballistic". It was a racing game of sorts, with flashy graphics and a rumble seat. It was addictive and easy to play. Years later, around 2015-2016, I returned to the arcade and asked about the now AWOL game. The people working there had no idea what I was talking about. It was eerie. Not long after, I went to a retro gaming store and a guy looked up Ballistic for me, and turns out it was an experimental game, only test marketed in like 10 arcades around the US. Yet nobody but me seems to remember playing it. So was Polybius an early test market game like Ballistic that actually gained noteriety? Who knows!

[@theSato]

I'd just been thinking lately, "dang, Norm's been busy, haven't seen a new Gaming Historian video in a while." Good to see you back! Hope the Blu-Ray turned out great and that we'll be getting more regular content now! Polybius has always been interesting to me.. I'd love to believe the myths.

[@StopSkeletonsFromFighting]

Hey, a Kristin video! Awesome work guys, really enjoyed it!!

[@supermarioplushes2517]

Hi there

[@vulton64]

Oh wow

[@Silvergun_Raven]

As much as I've been following gaming for the past 20 years, I never knew about Polybius. Very interesting!

[@Chaos89P]

Well, it's an urban legend. I've heard about Polybius for several years now.

[@Silvergun_Raven]

Chaos89P I know. Just saying I never knew about the Urban Legend.

[@rexapis2125]

Giga Force Were you living in a bubble? There's been forum chatter for 10-15 years on it..

[@AlexRetroMusic]

There is always more information in the world to learn, so I can understand you just now hearing it for the first time. Welcome to the legend! :)

[@Anakunus]

Neither did I, until I watched an Angry Video Game Nerd episode about the matter. It is quite a fascinating story.

[@Larry]

The government created a machine to find potential soldiers? Someone's watched The Last Starfighter one too many times :D

[@ajspice]

Good movie.

[@Bryan-xw8eb]

Battlefield

[@15-Peter-20]

Hello uncle Barry

[@chrispbaconator]

that movie was inspired by this game, not the other way around. Also the movie came out 3 years after

[@AgentDearestZ]

Johnny Test

[@eviltom17]

Polybius should be turned into a sci-fi or horror movie.

[@rexapis2125]

eviltom17 AVGN just did..

[@eviltom17]

I know :) It would make a great full length main stream motion picture though.

[@Mystik3eb]

I love stumbling on random gaming topics in such a well researched and thoroughly presented manner. Thank you for this channel. Please don't stop.

[@lt7114]

I bet the kids of today wouldn't even flinch.

[@0Synergy]

Andy Gross yeah pretty much that pokémon episode? watched entire thing un edited no issues anime and video games are way worse now no issues though

[@ShatteredRoom]

it was an issue for children with epilepsy, and can cause headaches for those without, keyword can. so unless you were a kid with epilepsy when the episode came out, you wouldnt have been part of the demographic

[@CommodoreFan64]

+ShatteredRoom Right, plus people of Asian decent seem to be more susceptible to it then non Asian people, but medical science is not 100% sure why even now, but some doctors think it might be that people of Asian decent developed optical neuron pathways going from the eye to the brain differently then most non Asian decent people.

[@ShatteredRoom]

I don't know about any of that medical stuff, but I wouldn't be surprised seeing as how people of a different race sometimes have a higher susceptibility to various genetic disorders than those of another.

[@90sNath]

Andy Gross I am. I'm 12

[@LeoLoikkanen]

I PLAYED POLYBIUS ON PS4 AND NOW ALL I HEAR ARE BLEATINGS OF SHEEP AND GLASS SHATTERING! TOP SCORE!

[@notsofunnytoons2928]

*Y a y*

[@treemannick2969]

nice

[@papi3d]

Personally I am tired of seeing the "all seeing eye" in videogames... I've seen it in two Call of Duties... life is strange... Deus Ex... Max Payne... etc

[@incollectio]

And practically right after this, Nine Inch Nails brought the Polybius legend to (near) mainstream with their music video Less Than.

[@elucidator1277]

*government hands Norm undisclosed amount of money in briefcase after filming episode* Government Suit: "Thank you for your service to the our classified federal Bureau of Interactive Media (B.I.M.), Mr.Gaming Historian." Norm: "yeah yeah...just keep up the 2nd part of our deal, ya stuffy Fed...>__>" Gov. Suit: "...um...yes, your monkey butler will arrive in 2 weeks." Norm: "Gooddddd....:3"

[@tomthebat394]

Elucidator haha

[@L33PL4Y]

"Gooddddd" How do you pronounce something with so many d's? "Good-d-d-d-d?"

[@diamondjoshd4707]

Elucidator i

[@shuaibgrant1250]

Lmao! Bet that's how it works, GovGuy: "yes, feed them these lies, they'll buy it, they'll buy anything, there gamers [insert Evil Laughter here] !!!" Lol

[@connorlee3704]

Elucidator Cue Stranger Things theme.

[@oldmanlogan9616]

This would make a great X-files episode.

[@xxedgy_outsiderxx9978]

every crazy urban legend has a few bits of truth and I hope for more urban legends stuff in the future

[@pokepress]

One other bit of truth is that the government would eventually repurpose games as training/recruitment tools.

[@yourneighbour5738]

You are late to the party lol. ArmA and operation flashpoint's engines were originally for military training then ported into a commercial product to be sold as games.

[@MellowGaming]

The Polybius game on PSN is made by Jeff Minter. He deserves and episode of Gaming Historian. The guy is a total legend and has had a small footprint on so many consoles over the years, especially ones that didn't do so well like the Nuon.

[@MellowGaming]

You should know seeing as you're a giraffe. Tempest 2000, Attack of the Mutant Camels, Hover Bovver, Lamertron, TxK, Gridrunner, Defender 2 and 2000, Space Giraffe, Basically, if it's psychedelic and features llamas, giraffes or oxen he's probably made it. He also made the music visualiser for the Xbox 360 and Jaguar.

[@MrDeedsly]

Wow they should. Thank for the education on Jeff Minter. I will have to look into him He's made or been a part of my gaming for awhile now it seems.

[@dacypher22]

The story of Polybius doesn't even really make sense. Most of the versions I have heard paint it as an experiment by the government. But..if it was an experiment, wouldn't they want to run it in a more controlled environment? Kids are playing it in the arcade but then they will finish playing it, not talk to the men in black and then shortly leave. The more dramatic alleged effects of the game would be completely unknown to the agents. It seems like they would experiment with it in a more controlled way to actually try to prove anything, having kids or teens come in and play it and then follow-up with monitoring. No credible cases have come about to my knowledge of anything like this happening. To me it seems like the early predecessor to Creepy Pastas. If the story really started in the 80's, it probably began with some bored kids making crap up to someone who initially reported on it.

[@titanboa3576]

dacypher22 well the project that polybius is theorized with (project MKULTRA) was a public experiment, taking unaware civilians and even their soldiers to test LSD on to see if it had mind control capabilities.

[@dacypher22]

While this is true, and MK ULTRA was absolutely a real event. However, in all MKU experiments, they monitored the individuals after giving them LSD. Probably the closest case to the theorized Polybius story is in MKU, they contacted prostitutes and unknowingly dosed their clients and watched through two-way mirrors how they reacted. Although several people have suggested that this was more for personal gratification than true scientific inquiry (they were doing all kinds of bizarre activities during MKU that would be considered irresponsible, such as hiring magicians to teach them how to dose each other without notice), they still watched the men to see how they faired on the drug.

[@Mr_Fancypants]

Exept the story DOES make sence. May i show you; Poly Play! img10.deviantart.net/92a0/i/2015/003/f/d/poly_play_by_betterwatchit-d8chkea.jpg The arcade game made by the German gouverment!

[@dacypher22]

The link appears to be broken.

[@rexapis2125]

dacypher22 The British army also did tests with LSD & after taking effect, the soldiers were completely out of it, and unable to respond to orders..

[@Mudkip971]

Where did the font and title come from though? Every time it's referenced it's written the same way.

[@geckoo9190]

well there are supposedly two pictures of the original arcade, one of them shows the game title, also there are other pictures with different font, but most agree that that is the official.

[@MegaZeta]

@@geckoo9190 "official" in the sense that it never existed and that's the image that got popular, sure.

[@MandarinnyMandarinos]

i also need the font tho

[@djmicnifacent]

I LOVE your channel so much, really brings me back to my youth, you present the story's in such a unique fashion....... Thank YOu!

[@raafmaat]

I remember this story with the guys in suits collecting data from the arcades, even back then as a kid we already thought it must be just an urban legend lol

[@Vividesia]

*plays Polybius while listening to the Lavender Town theme*

[@t6amygdala]

uh oh stinky

[@thehoodybadger3402]

Don't, you'll encourage them.

[@Sonicthehedgeho4]

At a virtual boy Running on a shitty emulator

[@ACTD_Official]

While the Petscop OST plays too.

[@bittlesthecookieakacaitcat8798]

Oh dang

[@stevethepocket]

To be fair about the German name, somebody who wants to create a unique brand name is probably _more_ likely to use a unique combination of words than something people use in everyday speech. And if it's not in their native language, they're even more likely to get it wrong out of laziness and/or thinking it sounds cool. Just look at virtually every anime with an English title.

[@MegaZeta]

None of that makes any sense as an explanation here, though.

[@creativeusername1355]

7:02 >that guy just has the same name, the Steven Roach that posted that said he was born in Wales while the Steven Roach that abused his kids was American

[@Jay1001]

I kind of love how seedy arcades used to be

[@howdoifixmyspacebar]

Some still are in places where they're still common. In 2015 a KOF '97 match in Babaoshan, Beijing turned into an actual knife vs. chair fight because the loser got pissed and pulled a knife because his opponent won with a raw super . (using a super move without comboing into it) In the US though, the only things seedy about arcades now is how the few remaining real ones (i.e. not D&B) are selling off all their remaining pinball, fighting, light gun, and racing games and turning themselves into faux gambling parlors for kids/tourists with rows and rows of identical prize/ticket machines. Or else it's the awful movie-tie ins that Midway's successor company, Raw Thrills, is still pumping out.

[@rexapis2125]

Gaming Jay Many a drug deal went on...

[@locke103]

@@howdoifixmyspacebar maybe the loser should git gud, you know many times i've had some random shlub just walk into a stray orochinagi? :P

[@wasmadeinthe80s]

Any plans on a History of E3 Video?

[@seriouskano2]

Sinneslöschen sounds like the kind of fake German you find in Return to Castle Wolfenstein. I get what it's supposed to mean but it's not a proper German word. More like the work of someone with a dictionary and a vague understanding of German grammar.

[@geckoo9190]

It also sounds like a brand of sauce, sinneslotchen, now with chipotle.

[@sweetasbloodredjam]

Uhhh it sound ankward as fuck though. And it actually doesn't work as anything other than a noun. As a verb it would have to be split up again to work. Anyways, if you were actually german you'd be much more likely to go with 'Die Sinneslöschung' or even 'Sinnlöschung', both for a project name and as a noun. Even then it would still ring like an ankward translation, considering that german actually does have a proper translation for 'sensory depravation' and that is 'Reizentzug'.

[@kshadehyaena]

The post shown at 1:30 also gets the name wrong. If you want to say "sensory deprivation" in German, that's (sensorischer) Sinnesenzug. Löschen means erasure, deletion and so on, much more permanent, so the word really translates to "removal of the senses", as in, you can't smell/see/... afterwards.

[@gameplayfirst-ger]

In the past maybe, but not in 1980s. The language didn't evolve that much in 30 years. As Apollo Justice said it would be Sinn(e)löschung or Sinnlöschung, but never Sinneslöschung, because that is terrible wrong grammar.

[@CB-py1xh]

Its a grammatically correct composite word, but it never existed in that form nor would it make any sense to a German. You dont "delete" senses in German. Like in English the moon doesn't "radiate" at night and you don't "desintegrate" the trust of somone you disappoint in some way. Its just not the right word. Sensory deprivation is "Sensorischer Sinnesentzug" or "Sensorische Deprivation" in German.

[@sonicmario64]

Does anyone know which episode of "The Simpsons" the screenshot was from? I'm curious to know because I'm in the mood to watch it right now. ;D

[@DavidTheJohnson]

It was from a 2006 episode. I believe there is a page about the easter egg on the Simpsons Wiki.

[@kutter_ttl6786]

A bit late but it's from the Season 18, episode 3 "Please Homer, Don't Hammer 'Em".

[@The_FactoidVoid]

HOW IS THIS NOT A HORROR MOVIE yet?!

[@SMN-Media]

Watch RocketJump's Dimension 404 on Hulu. It's a whole episode based on Polybius and is a mini hour long horror movie...

[@geckoo9190]

nee I don't think that it will give enough material, it would be better than most recent horro mives though

[@FIDreams]

It was, it was called Tron then the reimagined Lawn Mower Man. lol JK

[@7teenagesmokers309]

FIDreams Cybo-man!

[@DijaVlogsGames]

Because it's not scary?

[@donovandelaney3171]

It was first talked about in 1998. The nightmares and suicidal depression was actually added to the story years later. They were not actually in the original story.

[@totalradnes5201]

If they ever found one, would you play it?

[@mikezbr]

TotalRadNES hell yeah!

[@maniamixgamer7281]

better have life insurance

[@daviddavis3939]

Yes. Immediately.

[@jackm6318]

Only if there is a ROM of it which doesn't hurt players.

[@BlaximilianD00d]

Fucking right I would

[@crazycookfyrelomenot]

High quality, doesnt have an annoying voice, and well thought out explantion. With sources too (and not just reddit comments!). Subscribed.

[@mikecronis]

Polybius existed elsewhere. I knew it at the Rockingham Mall on Rt. 28 in Salem, NH (which has now moved 1/4 mile north. It was there for about 2 or three weeks. Game was similar to "I Robot", had a throbbing subwoofer and when you hit enemies or were destroyed, strobes from the top inside of the cabinet would flash, which I found distracting. I remember a guy wearing a suit would watch the gameplay from a bit afar, but that wasn't uncommon in 1981, as adults often went to play games like Phoenix, etc. and there were ashtrays as smoking was allowed. Vector/polygon graphics and a ship firing in a 3/4 pseudo-3d upward with ships and other shapes all colored would come down at you and spin, UFOs, etc. There was a sort-of soundtrack of throbbing like PacMan might but it was very deep tones that increased over time. Instructions were hand-printed on the side, which I found odd. I never could get past the 2nd level. Once an adult asked me what I thought about it and I said it gave me a headache.

[@ryantimony6692]

Mike Cronis dream machine

[@aerospherology2001]

Looking at the wrong Salem? What?

[@MegaZeta]

I doubt it.

[@Duke_Togo_G13]

Sounds like the plot to The Last Starfighter.

[@azucenarosales9930]

Duke Togo - Pitchokey avgn said that too

[@maplebob23]

Back in the day there were rumors that really skilled Missile Command players were vanishing out of arcades, assumed to be recruited by shadowy government agencies.

[@evilubuntu9001]

@@maplebob23 This is a true story!!! I achieved a score of 100,000 on Missile Command in 1982 and was taken away by MEN IN BLACK and ANALLY PROBED for 3 days. To this day I cannot play MC because I fear the secret code word that was implanted into my brain. Nobody believed the cover story that I had 18 beers and was playing the game in a gay bar in Dewey Beach, Delaware while wearing assless chaps and a sign with an arrow pointing at my ass that said INSERT COCK HERE! I've said too much...

[@johnleitch1147]

the Polybius story is really interesting thank you for covering it. Ernest Cline wrote a book called armada a few years ago which uses this story as the beginning of his story

[@Djkatman29]

I once threw up after marathoning Jak 3 with my friend.

[@McNibbler]

Worth it

[@Alpha17x]

I remember years ago I thought I saw a Polybius cabinet. but it wasn't working and I wasn't aware of any urban legend related to it at the time. It was just an out of order cabinet. The one I saw, or think I saw was labeled and had a sort of 'vector' design to the art. it was there for about 2 or so weeks and then it was replaced with a Super Street Fighter 2 cabinet. additionally, I live in Canada. so I guess if anything, it was just someone being creative and using custom art to attract attention to their arcade.

[@MegaZeta]

I remember a few seconds ago I read your bullshit comment

[@deepspacenibby]

@@MegaZeta 😂😂😂

[@rutgervannahuijs263]

Informative as always, keep it up dude!

[@storerestore]

You should make a video on the _real_ game whose subject was so horrifying that it caused its lead programmer nightmares for years; so uncannily realistic that they thought it too terrifying to publish without censoring the names of places involved in the game: Missile Command

[@cabbage3412]

Fantastic video. I love how creative you are with your thumbnails and the way you produce your videos! Keep it up!

[@Squidaniel]

Get an investor. Quietly purchase the license to Polybius. Make a found footage movie about the game. re-release the game on every platform. *drops mic*

[@neildevaney4904]

Absolutely my favourite channel on KZbin. Keep up the great work

[@mrspoopyskeltal8406]

Poly: from the Greek word for "many" Bius: Indonesian for "drug" Video games as opiate for the masses? The plot thickens, ladies and gentlemen.

[@TheShadowWolfie]

Polybius was the name of an actual person.

[@Hotshotter3000]

+Sophia and here's the real kicker. He was known as Polybius of Arcadia... yes, he came from a city called Arcadia. Whoever made this urban legend up sure had a sense of humor.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

Video games had jack on cell phones.

[@MandarinnyMandarinos]

also bius means "life" in greek tho

[@jgedutis]

Every time I see a Gaming Historian video in my feed I think how much I love them, and how I see them to infrequently.

[@dannyp2970]

AVGN is doing a Polybius episode.

[@rexapis2125]

ComfyTush He just got done with that and showed gameplay shots..

[@monkeykidd420]

It was amazing

[@tailsdollgamer3412]

Jeeze, I completely forgot about this channel. Glad to see you back!

[@DaCountOfFat]

There has been countless of shadow-govermental empirimental games like Polybius over the years in 80's and early 90's in arcades all over the world. Most of these games were just around in arcades for a day a two, all with different purposes for these secret agencies to test out the possibilities, and side-effects of videogaming on unsuspecting younglings. The story of Polybius is just one, where a game had too many noticeable negative psychical side-effects, and the game sat to long time, at the same place, for the game to grow as an urban-myth - though this may also has been on purpose. These elements of sense-deprivation/enhancing, added Intelligence, or even psychical discomfort etc. that videogames are capable of creating, are still being tested (and uses) today, but these days, it's via known games, through the net in games we play at home, just with subtle differences in visuals, gameplay and sounds, which we never notice when they happen.

[@JuneFaramore]

Don't forget the "Less Than" video that uses the new Polybius as graphics.

[@Big_Tex]

Oh crap, this was a part of the plot in Ernest Cline's "Armada", wasn't it? But I had no idea it was an urban legend outside the novel.

[@Tlaloc1]

Armada was fucking awesome.

[@RockerNathan97]

I have a theory: Cat Despira said they'd bring in unmarked, black cabinets in the test markets and get the reception on the game and sometimes even change the name of it. What if it was an early version of Tempest?

[@eairyzero]

Polybius is my favorite conspiracy! I don't think it actually happened the way people say, but it's neat to think about.

[@franzpattison]

Nice to see you producing again Norm!

[@deadchannell424]

My dad showed me a documentary about this game when I was like 8. After that I couldn't sleep for days because I was extremely scared. I was convinced that video games where made to control my mind. 😂

[@Random-zy7pl]

Winchester-BornIn1973 no he wasn’t

[@rhettorical]

So you're 13 now?

[@deadchannell424]

@@rhettorical "A Documentary" as in another one.

[@ItsMe-vg4vj]

They are.

[@gamewizardks]

I remember a game called 'Turbo Sub' that appeared in unmarked cabinets which looked like converted Star Wars machines in arcades back in the early-to-mid 80's. It was a fun game that disappeared overnight. Was always a bit of a mystery to me, but there is an interesting and verifiable history if you check the Internet.

[@gustavefrankfurter6462]

I played it in an arcade in a flea market around 1984. The arcade had junk machines and wasn't fancy at all. Most of the machines were hobbled together with parts from other ones. I remember playing this game there! It was not very entertaining, so I didn't waste my Space Invaders quarters playing it, but yes, it DID EXIST!

[@ryotarodojima3709]

It was a Fake people did make fake cabinets

[@thefranchise2010]

Enjoyed this episode. Never had it broken down like that.

[@davidmunns135]

if your intrigued by this tale go to Retro Ahoy's Documentary about this very topic it literally takes the lid off this myth and goes into more detail you wont be disappointed

[@spennysatdennys8143]

David Munns agreed his video is very good

[@mikedrop4421]

Not to mention he's got an epic voice and accent for narration. Hell, I'd pay to have XBAhoy read me a phone book.

[@timf7413]

Great to see a new video. Brightened a mediocre week.

[@DIEKDSE]

Sinneslöschen means deleting senses . sensory deprivation would be sensorische Deprivation

[@AllenQuid]

Your presentation of videos is still one of my favorite styles. Keep it up!

[@kevinbooth-]

Had the video from Ahoy on this topic suggested... couldn't pass 4 minutes because they were milking the view time. I learned more in 20 seconds on this channel than in over 3 minutes on that other channel. Respect and thanks.

[@mixiekins]

I really love the illustrations in the beginning around the half minute mark, great job!

[@LivingWithTheGuzmans]

Good info and video thanks

[@supermarioplushes2517]

Hey it’s you

[@cynniethia]

Delete your channel please

[@BacklogBattle]

I like the mention of Jeff Minter's Polybius. I didn't even know the game "existed" until I heard people talked about it, who then told me to watch this video. Loved it!

[@chadrileyTSR]

Reminds me of the whole EGM Aprils Fools Episode on Street Fighter 2. Where if you beat the game on Hard, without getting hit once. That Akuma would eventually come out and Toss Bison Off Screen, and then you got to fight him. People tried, and tried to no avail. Then it finally came out it was one big giant sick joke. But Capcom got so much free publicity out of it. They decided to create and incorporate Akuma into the Genre.

[@accordiontv1]

Deception Detection in street fighter alpha 2 on Sega Saturn you could fight shin Akuma at the end of the game by getting a load of perfect rounds and finishing opponents with the same move..... super Akuma used to input read your commands and whoop you though..... it was awesome

[@jeffreydotson4842]

Glad to see such a level-headed KZbinr! Subscribed!

[@FloatingSunfish]

I think Polybius is better known in its Japanese name which translates to Transformers Mystery of Convoy.

[@aguchamp7766]

I'm appalled and disgusted that youtube would let me miss the upload of a Gaming Historian video. It's sickening honestly. I feel violated.

[@smoofssmoofs]

You had to ruin it with "personally i don't think Polybius was a real game". I bet somewhere, somebody, in a crowded basement full of junk, without even knowing it, has an original Polybius arcade cabinet. The truth is out there.

[@rexapis2125]

smoofssmoofs AVGN just reviewed it... it's real...

[@surprisedwoody1025]

I'm pretty sure that if it was real, the government would have destroyed the evidence and not dumped it in some random guy's basement...

[@thevenom2731]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYO6k3ylfrdjasU

[@MegaZeta]

He's a historian. If you don't like that, go check out one of the dozens of other "video game history" channels that are just some nerd shrieking into a camera about how so-and-so company "ruined everything".

[@fabioalvesshow]

Love This Channel

[@BackTheNerd]

Who else came due to The Nerd's footage.

[@renatagross5959]

Outrageous & Diabolical.

[@PleasestopcallingmeDoctorImath]

your appearance is slowly taking on that of the AVGN

[@inactive2016]

inb4 they're the same person

[@matthewford8977]

Slayar Umm no they're not

[@matthewford8977]

Slayar Than why did you say they were?

[@DracXBelmont]

He didn't. inb4 is literally that - "in before".

[@joehanson1187]

Very nice Episode, just as expected.:) Keep it up! I heard about polybius the first time some years ago and informed myself a little bit but watching your Episode was as extra informative as always.😃

[@VirtualKermrade2]

There’s actually one in Starfighter Arcade in Arizona

[@MrPyroguru]

Really? You have to be joking around.

[@sonicmario64]

I know I may have already asked this about a year ago, but does anyone know which episode of "The Simpsons" the screenshot was from? I'm curious to know because I'm in the mood to watch it right now. ;D

[@Santademonreal]

Please Homer Don't Hammer 'Em.

[@PkmariO64]

I didn't need to sleep or anything. I like nightmares.

[@StarshineGoomba]

I recently came across a documentary that said that the only Polybius cabinet was in a small town in Poland, and that there were articles about the kids getting sick and stuff from that game.

[@rexapis2125]

Ronda Collins *Portland, not Poland!

[@StarshineGoomba]

Rex Apis No, I know that. However, the documentary that I came across, here on KZbin said that it was in a small town in the country of Poland.

[@emetobot7449]

You forgot the MK Ultra angle!!! Still, great video :)

[@TheGamersVault]

As always Norm bravo. Love your videos and I cant wait to see your Blueray. Thank you for all the hardwork you put into your videos

[@CazMeister]

Pfft, we all know that Polybius is a 2017 video game release by Jeff Minter and Llamasoft. Open your eyes, sheeple! And your wallets for the soundtrack, it is incredible.

[@TsukiCondor]

I been waiting for you cover this episode

[@holaburger6075]

Oregon huh? *Gravity Falls intro starts*

[@Mohamad909]

fantastic effort. fresh idea and as always outstanding content. good job, Norman!

[@IntimateGamer]

AVGN brought me here

[@GrumpyCat97]

same

[@farrelsamuel1164]

IntimateGamer yes

[@devinpoling6611]

IntimateGamer Sameee

[@Emmanuel-ms8pr]

Same

[@sofreshandcleanca]

You do great work Norman, don't ever stop!

[@BadGraFxGamers]

I miss the long hair Norm

[@kingfish4200]

I miss the longer episodes

[@michaelswitzer2121]

Bad GraFx Gamers he did have some rocking long hair I'm kinda jealous

[@acronmd]

mike king well there is a 1 hour Tetris video now

[@Nightenstaff]

Polybius was also said to shock its players during the course of gameplay. As someone who owns several machines and pins, this can happen if the game is grounded incorrectly. Control panel overlays that are worn peel away to expose bare metal and can give you either a tingle when you rest your hands on it or an outright shock (much like a static shock). Much like other symptoms listed in the video, Polybius seems to be a collection of arcade experiences that certainly *can* happen, but are very unlikely for it all to come from one mysterious game.

[@Cadmus9501]

*Watch the NIN music video. I love it!*

[@pseudoanonymous7700]

Thanks for all your hard work on your content Norm; it's some of the best and most fascinating stuff out there!