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History and Impact of Atari in Gaming

Sep 11, 2024

Crash Course Games: The Business of Video Games

Early History of Video Games

  • Pre-1970s Era
    • Video games were created by individuals with access to expensive computers, mostly at universities.
    • A community of students and academics played early video games, envisioning a future where video games could be widespread and profitable.

Nolan Bushnell's Impact

  • Nolan Bushnell

    • Important figure in video game history, changed the industry's trajectory.
    • Studied at the University of Utah, a hub for computer graphics research.
    • Discovered Steve Russell's game Spacewar!, which sparked his interest in video games.
  • Amusement Park Experience

    • Worked as a barker at an amusement park, learning to draw people to games.
    • Combined experiences in amusement and programming to innovate in games.

Formation of Atari

  • Computer Space

    • Created after college, inspired by Spacewar! but not commercially successful.
    • Partnered with Nutting & Associates, but blamed them for the game's poor sales.
  • Founding Atari

    • Founded with $500 after abandoning the name Syzygy in favor of Atari, a term from the game Go.
    • The name Atari implies a strategic moment akin to saying "check" in chess.

Atari's Early Success and Challenges

  • Pong Development

    • Al Alcorn created Pong, a table tennis simulation, under Bushnell's direction.
    • Developed from basic components like a home TV and a bread pan for coins.
    • Pong became a hit despite its rudimentary design.
  • Market Competition

    • Pong's success led to numerous clones by other gaming companies.
    • Atari's lack of patents allowed competitors to create similar games.
  • Kee Games Strategy

    • Formed Kee Games to bypass distributor contracts, selling identical Atari games under a different name.
    • This tactic eventually led to the end of exclusive distribution contracts.

Atari's Continued Innovation and Influence

  • Success in Arcades

    • Continued to release popular games like Gotcha and Breakout.
  • Impact of Breakout

    • Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak worked on Breakout, influencing future projects like the Apple II.
    • Inspired other games, such as Space Invaders.

Atari's Move to Home Gaming

  • Home Version of Pong

    • Sold through Sears, expanding the market into consumers' homes.
  • Atari 2600 Console

    • Released in 1977, featuring interchangeable game cartridges, a significant innovation.
    • Initial slow sales due to high price and limited game selection.
    • Spawned the console wars and became a cultural icon in movies.

Conclusion

  • Atari's Decline and Legacy
    • Dominated the gaming industry through the late 70s and early 80s.
    • Faced a downturn during the video game crash of the 1980s.
    • Continues to exist but without Bushnell, not as influential as its peak.

Supporting Crash Course

  • Encouragement to support Crash Course through Patreon, crediting specific patrons for their support.