Stuff You Should Know – Episode: "Night Trap: The Video Game Failure that Changed the Industry"
Release Date: May 17, 2025 | Hosts: Josh Clark and Charles W. Chuck Bryan
Introduction
In this episode of Stuff You Should Know, hosts Josh Clark and Charles W. Chuck Bryan delve into the intriguing history of Night Trap, a video game that, despite its initial failure, played a pivotal role in shaping the video game industry's regulatory landscape. Drawing from a comprehensive transcript, the hosts explore the game's development, the controversies it ignited, and its lasting impact on the industry.
Origins and Inspiration
Josh Clark introduces Night Trap as an often-overlooked piece of pop culture history that emerged during a transformative period in video gaming.
Josh Clark [01:57]: "Night Trap is the game that we're talking about. And I heard about this from watching the Netflix documentary series High Score."
The game was inspired by a 1981 play, likely by playwright John Krazank, which portrayed the life of the Polish painter Tamara de Lempick. This play featured an innovative multi-floor building setup with simultaneous scenes occurring in different rooms—a concept directly translated into the game’s mechanics.
Charles W. Chuck Bryan [05:35]: "She was a Polish painter who lived in Italy in the Roaring Twenties when the fascists were starting to take power. And she took no guff from them."
Development and Technological Innovation
Night Trap was developed by Axelon, a company founded by Nolan Bushnell after his tenure at Atari. The game's development utilized VHS-based full-motion video (FMV) technology, allowing players to switch between different camera views in real-time without the limitations of VHS rewinding or fast-forwarding. This was achieved through innovative video interlacing techniques.
Charles W. Chuck Bryan [10:03]: "To get from one place to another rather than. This was the breakthrough thing. This is the thing that made this work."
One of the notable designers on the project was Tom Crane, renowned for creating the beloved Atari game Pitfall. The team drew additional inspiration from Dragon's Lair, another FMV game that emphasized storytelling over traditional gameplay mechanics.
Josh Clark [11:10]: "They were also inspired by Dragon's Lair. Do you remember that game?"
Gameplay and Narrative Structure
Night Trap centers around a slumber party where teenage girls are targeted by antagonistic creatures known as Augurs—half-blooded vampires. Players control members of the Special Control Attack Team (SCAT), tasked with monitoring security cameras across the house and activating traps to fend off the Augurs.
Charles W. Chuck Bryan [22:22]: "Dana Plato was undercover. And she would talk right to Cameron and say things like, 'you've got to get to the other room because the augurs are after whoever. Mary, help her. Go help her.'"
The game's mechanics required players to manage multiple camera feeds simultaneously, a novel concept that often led to confusion and frustration due to the lack of coherent storytelling and the dynamic changing of security codes.
Controversy and Regulatory Impact
Despite its innovative approach, Night Trap faced significant backlash during the early 1990s amid growing concerns over video game violence. This period coincided with the Satanic Panic and heightened scrutiny from governmental bodies, leading to Congressional hearings spearheaded by Senator Joe Lieberman and Senator Herb Kohl.
Josh Clark [34:29]: "They went after Mortal Kombat, which was super violent. Yeah. And they went after Night Trap, which was, again, cartoonish."
The controversy surrounding the game, along with others like Mortal Kombat, prompted the video game industry to establish the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)—an industry-created self-regulatory body aimed at providing content ratings to inform parents and players.
Charles W. Chuck Bryan [37:02]: "It was an industry created self-imposed rating system that was brought about in large part because of Night Trap."
The misleading portrayal of violence in Night Trap, where players were tasked with preventing Augurs from harming others rather than perpetrating violence themselves, was overshadowed by public perception fueled by media sensationalism.
Josh Clark [35:31]: "You weren't the person doing the augering. You do the opposite of that."
Legacy and Attempts at Resurrection
After its initial release in 1992 as a CD-ROM game, Night Trap struggled due to outdated VHS technology and poor gameplay mechanics. Hasbro, the game's publisher, ultimately abandoned the project as CD-ROM technology advanced, leading to the dissolution of the Control Vision platform.
However, the original developers, refusing to let Night Trap fade into obscurity, founded Digital Pictures and attempted to revive the game for modern platforms. Despite these efforts, a 2014 Kickstarter campaign to resurrect the game failed to meet its funding goal, garnering only about $40,000 against a $330,000 target.
In 2017, a dedicated fan and mobile game programmer, Tyler Hogle, managed to create a playable version for smartphones by leveraging the original 35mm footage and timestamped scripts provided by the developers. This led to the release of a "25th Anniversary Edition," which received a T for Teen rating.
Charles W. Chuck Bryan [41:34]: "So there's a 25th edition of Night Trap, which apparently Nintendo has a version of, which is kind of funny because at the time of those Senate hearings in 1993, 94. Nintendo famously said they would never allow Night Trap on their platform."
Despite these efforts, Night Trap remains a cult classic, remembered more for its role in video game history than for its gameplay quality.
Conclusion
Night Trap serves as a fascinating case study in the evolution of video game content regulation and the challenges of pioneering new gaming technologies. While the game itself may not have been a commercial success, its legacy is cemented in its influence on the creation of the ESRB and the broader conversation about video game violence and content. Hosts Josh Clark and Charles W. Chuck Bryan effectively highlight how a single game can leave an indelible mark on an entire industry, shaping policies and perceptions for decades to come.
Notable Quotes
- Josh Clark [01:57]: "Night Trap is the game that we're talking about."
- Charles W. Chuck Bryan [05:35]: "She took no guff from the fascists."
- Josh Clark [34:29]: "They went after Mortal Kombat, which was super violent."
- Charles W. Chuck Bryan [37:02]: "It was an industry created self-imposed rating system that was brought about in large part because of Night Trap."
- Josh Clark [35:31]: "You weren't the person doing the augering. You do the opposite of that."
- Charles W. Chuck Bryan [41:34]: "There's a 25th edition of Night Trap, which apparently Nintendo has a version of."
This episode provides a comprehensive look into how Night Trap not only failed as a video game but also inadvertently became a catalyst for significant changes within the gaming industry. For those interested in the intersections of technology, culture, and regulation, this deep dive offers valuable insights into the complexities of video game development and its societal impacts.