The Overcharge Story
The first known playing cards emerged over a thousand years ago in the city of Chang'an, China. The Tang dynasty, spanning 2,000 miles and with a population of 80 million, was at the height its influence marking a golden age of cosmopolitan culture throughout the region.
The hand painted cards were adorned with illustrations of coins, dragons and various figures from Chinese folklore. Originally reserved for privileged members of the royal court, freshly inked cards began making their way westward across the Silk Road as merchants carried as many as they were able to acquire.
The primitive playing cards took a meandering path, first through neighboring Persia, India and Egypt, then upward through early Europe’s Spain, France and England. At each juncture the cards were embraced and transformed. Cultural, political and ideological symbols made their way into the product of each region. Technological innovation allowed for higher-quality cards to be produced at a faster rate, and the cards quickly moved beyond small pockets of ‘gamers’ and into the homes of much of the population.
From the middle ages into the Renaissance, games have eased worldly burdens and given momentum to idle minds. They nourish communal bonds and offer a shared lexicon that fosters empathy.
Marching forward into the Age of Enlightenment and onward, we’ve built the scaffolds to articulate that...
"We are never more fully alive, more completely ourselves, or more deeply engrossed in anything than when we are playing." – Charles E. Schaefer
Overcharge was inspired by a genuine belief that games can motivate, inspire, and rejuvenate. ‘Gaming’ is no longer a word shrouded in stigma and gamers are quickly shedding the stereotype of being reclusive, anti-social and abrasive. Twitch has offered a platform for those historically vulnerable to connect, engage and satisfy the oft-neglected quota of social interaction impelled by our biology.
Contrary to the connotation of its name, Overcharge was built to cultivate balance – the balance of human emotion that dictates whether we flourish or wither.
From a single deck of cards in ancient China, across the dunes of Persia and into a swirling Europe, games have shaped who we are, how we behave and what impels us to move forward. Overcharge.tv is a humble beacon nestled into the kinetic crossroads of modern life.
