Exactly 50 years in the past, on June 27 1972, a fledgling firm filed the required papers to develop into included. The firm’s identify was Atari, and it might go on to dominate the videogame world each within the arcades and at house.

The unique papers could be considered right here:

The affect that Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney had on the trade is sort of incalculable.

Readers of this weblog might be conversant in the Atari story I’m positive, so relatively than regurgitate that right here, I wished to share just a few movies with you that inform the story.

The first is completely exceptional footage. I have to be clear that don’t personal this video and it’s not hosted right here. The video was posted by Atari historian Marty Goldberg and is posted on the Atari Museum Facebook web page. In Marty’s personal phrases:

Called “Games Computers Play”, it was shot in early 1973 by 4 media/communications majors at Berkeley who went across the Bay Area documenting the brand new excessive tech leisure popping up within the space (Computer and arcade video video games). You’ll see a 1973 model of Nolan, the unique PONG meeting line on the new curler rink manufacturing location (1600 Martin ave) as properly Spacewar! at Stanford’s SAIL lab and even photographs of Computer Space working in department shops on the time.

Marty Goldberg – Atari Historian

You can benefit from the video under which must be embedded from the Facebook web page, the place the video is hosted. If the video isn’t enjoying for some cause, you possibly can view it immediately right here.

This is the primary identified footage of Atari identified to exist. Huge props to Marty for sharing this with the world and for permitting me to hyperlink to it right here. Do try the Atari Museum Facebook web page and be part of for updates – it’s a wealthy useful resource of details about Atari’s early days.

Atari themselves in fact have been sharing numerous media and historical past given the significance of the date. This features a new interview with Nolan Bushnell himself. What’s attention-grabbing about that is the man doing the interview is Wade Rosen, the present Atari CEO.

Cool stuff and a fairly attention-grabbing chat:

I additionally dug out this video, which seems to be an older interview with Bushnell – he goes into fairly a little bit of depth in regards to the early days:

I hope you take pleasure in this footage. Happy birthday Atari!

See you subsequent time.

Tony