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Atarian Al Alcorn Inducted In The Amusement Industry Hall of Fame

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Pioneer Al Alcorn Honored with Amusement Industry Hall of Fame Induction

In a momentous tribute to his groundbreaking contributions, the esteemed engineer and computer scientist, Al Alcorn, has been inducted into the Amusement Industry Hall of Fame this year. Alcorn, renowned for his pivotal role in the inception of the iconic game Pong, joins the ranks of esteemed visionaries, including fellow Atarian Nolan Bushnell, a member of the inaugural class.

Alcorn embarked on his illustrious career at Ampex in 1968, where he initially delved into the development of a high-resolution video system. However, it was in 1972 that he embarked on a transformative journey with Bushnell and Ted Dabney at Atari. Together, they spearheaded the creation of Pong, a seminal milestone in the realm of video amusement games, heralding a new era of entertainment.

Reflecting on Alcorn’s indispensable role in shaping the landscape of gaming history, RePlay publisher Eddie Adlum remarked, “If you ask 10 operators today who programmed Pong back in the day, five would say Nolan Bushnell and the other five would say they don’t know. The answer, obviously, is Al Alcorn.” Working under Bushnell’s guidance, Alcorn meticulously engineered the circuitry that birthed the revolutionary machine in 1972, laying the foundation for the burgeoning video game revolution.

[L – R]: Ted Dabney, Nolan Bushnell, Fred Marincic and PONG creator, Allan (Al) Alcorn
In a testament to their innovative spirit, Bushnell and Alcorn experimented with unconventional concepts, such as embedding Pong circuitry into barrels, dubbing it “Barrel Pong.” However, it was the classic upright cabinet iteration that resonated most profoundly with audiences, establishing a paradigmatic standard for all subsequent video uprights.

Al Alcorn’s induction into the Amusement Industry Hall of Fame not only honours his extraordinary legacy but also underscores the enduring impact of his visionary ingenuity on the fabric of modern entertainment. As his pioneering achievements continue to inspire generations of creators and enthusiasts alike, Alcorn’s legacy remains indelibly etched in the annals of gaming history.

story & image source: RePlay Magazine

15 Critical Events in Video Gaming: 1958 to 1999

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When someone asks you to nominate key events in the video gaming industry, you immediately start to think Atari, which is partially correct – they did introduce us to the first mass market console, but other critical events occurred years before Atari came on the scene. Here are 15 critical events in the video games industry from 1958 to 1999 that you may have known or not known about:

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[1958] The world’s first interactive video game ever invented was Tennis for Two by American physicist William Higinbotham (father of the nuclear bomb!). A simple concept of ‘Pong’ simulated on an oscilloscope created to alleviate boredom for library patrons.

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[1972] Ralph Baer releases the world’s first home video games system, the Magnavox Odyssey. The Odyssey marks the birth of the first generation of home video gaming systems.

[1972] Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney found Syzygy, which later becomes Atari. Atari first tastes success with Al Alcorn’s Pong, followed by the commercially successful Atari VCS / 2600 home video gaming console.

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[1975] The MOS6502 8bit microprocessor is unleashed to the fledgling home computer market. Its competitive price ensured that it (and it’s variations) would find a home in popular computers and consoles, from the Apple II, Atari, to the Commodore 64 and the Nintendo Entertainment System.

[1978] Tomohiro Nishikado of Taito introduces the world to Space Invaders – the arcade game that sparked a renaissance for the video gaming industry. This was the game that started the golden age of the arcade.

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[1979] Activision is founded by former disgruntled Atari programmers, David Crane, Larry Kaplan, Alan Miller, and Bob Whitehead. Activision becomes the world’s first third-party developer

[1979] Milton Bradley releases the “Microvision” – the first portable video games system. The Microvision was also the first portable console to use interchangeable game cartridges. The designer Jay Smith later went on to create the vector based home console, the Vectrex.

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[1981] Nintendo releases the arcade game Donkey Kong, and introduces us to Jumpman, the little Italian plumber who we now know and love as Mario.

[1982] Dawn of the 8-bit home computer gaming system — it started many a schoolyard arguments across Europe and Australia. The Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC and the ZX Spectrum were all the rage. The Commodore 64 would reign supreme.

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[1983] The North American video games market crash of 1983 brought the industry to its knees. A combination of too many consoles and inferior software products which the market could not sustain, resulted in the capitulation of the nascent industry. Once a leader in the market, Atari becomes a major causality and would never taste success again.

[1989] The world’s first 16-bit colour handheld is unveiled. Drawn on a napkin way back in 1986 by the men that created the Amiga, the Epyx Handy eventually became the Atari Lynx, some 3 years after that fateful napkin doodle.

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[1991] Sega releases Sonic the Hedgehog. A new mascot to identify Sega and to compete with Nintendo’s own Mario. Sonic was well received by the gaming community. Due to Sonic’s popularity, the franchise is still going till this day. Ironically, Nintendo now have exclusive rights to the Sonic franchise to produce games for the Wii U.

[1992] Mortal Kombat debuted in the video arcades and home consoles shortly after. It was the first video game to spark controversy among mainstream media and authorities, which then pushed the notion for an age classification system for electronic entertainment worldwide.

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[1994] After the failed attempt in creating a CD addon for the Super Nintendo, Sony decides to go it alone and create their own console. Once Sony released the PlayStation, their dominance was assured and they went on to surpass the traditional video gaming heavyweights, Sega and Nintendo.

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[1998-99] After poor sales of the Sega Saturn in the west, Sega produces their swan song, the Dreamcast. The console sold respectively but was outshone by the success of the PlayStation 2. The Dreamcast was known for great arcade ports and exclusive games like Jet Set Radio, Space Channel 5 and Daytona USA 2001.

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This article was written in collaboration with the ausretrogamer team, Dave Kudrev (Retrospekt) and Daz (Retro Domination) for news.com.au. Image source: Supplied

Vintage Pokémon

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Damn it, I totally missed it! On February 27, those pesky pocket monsters, oops, I mean Pokémon, celebrated their 19th anniversary! Wow, how time flies when you are hunting wild Pokémon.

Instead of hurling a Poké Ball around here (Ed: you have no idea, do you?), we thought we would share some awesome rustic Pokémon ads created by the talented Mexican artist, Chuz0r.

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Pokemon7source: Buzzfeed

ABC Radio National – A Short History of Video Games

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ABCRN_ShortHistory_titleIt is always great to find video games based articles and programs published by major media outlets. This time around, our beloved Aunty (ABC Radio National) has got in on the video gaming action with an interesting piece on ‘A history of video games in five anecdotes’ by Dan Golding. The article is part of the A Short History Of Video Games program.

So what do the Australian Human Rights Commission, Alan Turing’s chess game, Toru Iwatani’s Pac Man and Australia’s first hit video game have in common? You’ll have to read Dan’s story here to find out.

While you are exploring the ABC Radio National’s ‘A Short History Of Video Games’ program, you may also want to listen to the accompanying podcasts. Listen to them, as you may learn something. Hit play and immerse yourself in a bit of video gaming history. Thank you Aunty.

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source: ABC Radio National