Antic The Atari 8-bit Podcast

Tim McGuinness, Atari Senior Research Engineer and Founder of ROMOX   Tim McGuinness was a Hardware Design Engineer in Atari’s Personal Computer Division in 1980 and 1981, then moved to become Senior Research Engineer/Assistant Director of Corporate Research Engineering through 1982. Tim was co-developer of 400, 800, and 1200XL computers and peripherals. He was also the initial architect and designer of the first version of the Amiga computer. He left Atari in 1982 to co-found Romox, a software publisher that had a unique software distribution system where you could load new software onto cartridges using an in-store kiosk.   This interview took place on May 23, 2015.   Teaser quotes: “Personal computer division was a toxic environment ... I had a taken a prototype that we had been working on over to the research division, because I was going to show Alan Kay. And I come back with the unit and I’m being threatened with arrest.”   “Michael Jackson spent a couple of days at our facility in Campbell to help

Steve Davis, Director of Advanced Research   Steve Davis worked in Atari’s advanced research lab under Alan Kay, for 5 or 6 years, where he worked on several skunkworks projects including a laserdisc player controlled by an Atari 800, an Atari 800-based local area network, and artificial intelligence projects.   This interview occurred May 11, 2015.   Teaser quote:   “I winded around the building, there was nobody there. ... I opened up this one door and there was, like, hundreds of people partying. With party hats on. I called the guy in New York and said ‘This doesn’t look good.’”

This is an interview episode of Antic, the Atari 8-bit podcast.  I’m Randy Kindig and in this interview I sat down with one of the members of the core design team at Cyan Engineering for such projects as the Atari 2600 and the 8-bit computers, Mr. Ron Milner. Ron is currently President of Applied Design Laboratories, but from 1973-1984, as an employee of Atari Inc, he worked at the Grass Valley Think Tank (also known as Cyan Engineering) where they did some amazing stuff, as you’ll hear in this interview.  Ron was involved in many pivotal technologies in video games and home computers and was co-inventor of the Atari 2600 video game system.   This interview took place on May 16, 2015.   Teaser Quotes   “Our group worked on just a lot of other projects relating to the home computer line.”   “You know, it didn’t have to work, but if it looked like it might we looked into it.”   “This is Ron Milner and I was one of the early Atari engineers at Atari’s secret think tank in the mountains pioneering many of th

Joe Villalobos, Materials Planner for Atari   Boxes! Your Atari computers and game cartridges came in boxes! Someone was responsible for producing those boxes. Joe was the guy.   Joe Villalobos was materials planner at Atari in El Paso, Texas from 1980 – 1982. He was responsible for the planning and expediting of materials used in the production of video game cartridges.   This interview took place on May 6, 2015.

Ed Rotberg, Rotberg Synthesizer   Ed Rotberg worked programmer in Atari’s coin-op division, where he worked on Atari Baseball, Battlezone, Blasteroids, Hard Drivin’, and other coin-op games. He consulted for the Atari consumer side, where he created demos for the Atari 800 — including working on the music for the in-store demo — and the Rotberg Synthesizer music software.   Check the show notes atAtariPodcast.com for downloads of the Rotberg Synthesizer and Rotberg Scrolling Marquee software (which I acquired and uploaded toarchive.org after this interview took place.)   This interview took place April 28, 2015.   Teaser quote:   “My good friend Dan Pliskin wrote a tune called Disco Dirge that we programmed into the earliest version of the Rotberg Synthesizer to play at the bachelor party, as kind of a joke. Because Chris who was getting married was a disco fan, he was a disco buff and we all *hated* disco.”   Links:   Rotberg’s sound article in Antic magazine   Article at archive.org   Version of the

On this episode of ANTIC the atari 8-bit podcast: Randy delves into Altirra BASIC, there’s another podcast to dilute our listenership, Kevin reports back from KansasFest, and there’s lots of new Atari stuff to download at Archive.org.   Recurring Links Floppy Days Podcast AtariArchives.org AtariMagazines.com Kevins Book “Terrible Nerd” New Atari books scans at archive.org ANTIC feedback at AtariAge   What we’ve been up to Retrobright "Microcomputer Primer" by Mitchell Waite KansasFest - Retro Computing Roundtable episode KansasFest - Wade talked about it in episode S1EB2 of Inverse ATASCII Podcast KansasFest - Rob talked about it in episode 15 of Player/Missile Podcast Atari Summer Camp Episode   Interview Discussion Atari interview discussion thread on AtariAge Atari 5200 Trak-ball Controller   News Atari founder Nolan Bushnell on why life is 'a game' U- BASIC New Game "Jim Slide" ABBUC Software Contest Info about some of the ABBUC games More detailed info about some of the ABBUC games Retrochal

Hello, and welcome to a very special interview-only episode of Antic, the Atari 8-bit podcast.  I am Randy Kindig, one of your hosts for this podcast.  I say “special” because it’s not often that you get a chance to talk with an icon like the one we talk with today.  Kevin Savetz and myself were given the chance to sit down, so to speak, with “Mr. Atari” Nolan Bushnell and spend a few minutes shooting the breeze.  If you need any more introduction for this guest, then you’re probably listening to the wrong podcast.  In fact, he’s one of those guys that can go by a single name “Nolan” and everyone in the Atari community knows who you’re talking about.   Before we get to the interview, I want to thank the Atari community on the AtariAge forums for suggesting questions for Nolan.  When we put out a request for questions, who knew we would get such a large and varied response.  Regrettably, we only had time for some of them.  Many of you will recognize the questions that you submitted and we are very grateful fo

Jon Freeman   Jon Freeman was co-founder of the computer game publisher Automated Simulations, which became EPYX. At Automated Simulations, he co-created Starfleet Orion and Gateway to Apshai. Then he and his wife Anne Westfall started the game development company FreeFall Associates, where they created Tax Dodge, Archon, Archon II, and Murder on the Zinderneuf.   This interview took place April 21, 2015.   Teaser quotes:   “That six months, I read two books in six months, and we went to one movie. The rest of the time we we just working on the game. That’s all we did. It was very, you know, intense.”   “You know, I could just basically flip that switch every VBI and have the computer play itself. That turned out to be one of the absolutely huge selling points of [Archon]. Stores could put it in the window, get it started, and let it run.”   Links:   Free Fall Games web site   Free Fall Associates chapter in Halcyon Days   Tax Dodge   1984 article about Free Fall

ANTIC Special Episode - Atari Summer Camp   Let's go to Atari Summer Camp! A special episode.   Links   Today Show clip   The Magic Room Movie   The Magic Room Trailer   ANTIC magazine article   Atari Connection article   Bob Kahn's Atari Special Projects page   Atari Computer Camps curriculum, software, and ephemera

Lloyd Speyer, Batteries Included Lloyd Speyer worked for Batteries Included from 1983 to 1987, where he worked with Commodore PETs, 64, Apple ][, Macintosh, as well as the Atari 800. He built hardware dongles, demonstrated products in the retail store, and worked in quality assurance, where he beta tested PaperClip and HomePak. This interview was conducted April 27, 2015. Teaser quote: “The Atari version and the Commodore 64 version [of PaperClip] were completely different, even though we said ‘These are the commands we want. This is what we need.’ Steve [Ahlstrom] and Dan [Mppre] decided that they wanted to take the product in a different direction because the Atari could do a little bit more. . . It actually came out to be a really, really nice product.”

Thomas Renbarger, Dorsett Educational SystemsThomas Renbarger worked at Dorsett Educational Systems from 1978 through 1980, where he converted audio and filmstrip based educational programs to computer graphics and text for the TRS-80 and Atari 400 and 800 computers.This interview took place April 21, 2015.Teaser quote:“Smart, nerdy people might be interested in something just because it says it’s educational, but most of the programs and stuff that was written was pretty — not totally remedial — but it was pretty introductory educational stuff.”

Ted Richards, Atari Connection Magazine   Ted Richards was Editor In Chief of Atari Connection magazine, Atari’s in-house computer magazine; and was Marketing Communications Manager for Atari Home Computers, where he worked on print and package design, from 1981 to 1984.   This interview took place on April 19, 2015.   Links:   Atari Connection Magazine scans   40 Year Old Hippie Brings The Computer Age Home   Ted Richards’ web site   Teaser Quotes:   “Antic was a competing magazine, so to speak, at the time. I forget the editor’s name, he was quite a guy. . . [Jim] Capparell. He was always meeting with Atari executives, trying to persuade them to shut down our magazine.” “So when the Tramiels came in, they confronted him and they asked him ‘Who are you?’ And Arnold says ‘Who are you?!’ And they said ‘Him we like. He stays.’”

Peter Liepa, Boulder Dash   Peter Liepa was co-creator and programmer of Boulder Dash and Boulder Dash 2 for the Atari computers. Boulder Dash was published by First Star Software in 1984 and is regarded as a seminal game for the Atari 8-bit machines.   This interview took place on June 16, 2015   Teaser quotes: “I sat there playing these games and the idea of ‘I can do this’ or ‘I can build one of these’ welled up in my head.”   “All of the pleasure of this project was in developing the game. I got very little pleasure out of the business aspect of it.”   LINKS Peter's web site 2005 interview with Peter 2011 interview with Peter 10-line BASIC Boulderdash clone

Steve Mayer, Atari 400/800 Designer   Hello and welcome to an interview-only episode of Antic, the Atari 8-bit computer podcast. Today I’m honored to be interviewing someone who was involved in the original design of the Atari 400 & 800 computers, Mr. Steve Mayer.  Steve worked with Joe Decuir (whom I interviewed in an earlier episode), Jay Miner, and others on the Candy & Colleen project and that’s our main focus for this interview.  However, Steve also was involved in much more, including involvement in the creation of Cyan Engineering, later known as the Grass Valley Think Tank and was involved in the creation and design of the 2600.   This was recorded on April 18, 2015.

On this episode of ANTIC the atari 8-bit podcast: We offer a library’s worth of geeky reading material, and - -  did we just start a book club? Randy delves into another programming language We talk about a couple of competitions that will give you something to do through these summer months Recurring Links Floppy Days Podcast AtariArchives.org AtariMagazines.com Kevins Book “Terrible Nerd” New Atari books scans at archive.org ANTIC feedback at AtariAge   What we’ve been up to Ready Player One Southern Fried Gameroom Expo Dorsett digitizing Wayne Green FOIA Request Response Stuff Kevin has scanned   Interview Discussion Atari interview discussion thread on AtariAge   News Ancient Atari classics to be reworked as 'graphic novels' ATARI GAMER Limited Printed Edition OUT NOW New book from Evan Koblentz - "Abacus to Smartphone, The evolution of mobile and portable computers" Pixels Movie AspeQt ported to Android - greblus on AtariAge AspeQt forked as "RespeQt" posted by electrotrains on AtariAge

Rebecca Heineman, Racing Destruction Set and Mindshadow   Rebecca Heineman was the keynote speaker at Kansasfest 2015, where she told all sorts of amazing stories about her Apple II development work. She developed Tass Times in Tonetown, Bard's Tale III, Borrowed Time, Battle Chess, Crystal Quest, and many other games for many platforms. She ported Racing Destruction Set and Mindshadow to the Atari 8-bit machines. She won the National Space Invaders Championship, sponsored by Atari, in November, 1980.   I also recommend listening to her KansasFest 2015 keynote, link below.   This interview was recorded July 17, 2015 at KansasFest.   Links KansasFest 2015 - Burger Becky Keynote   Rebecca Heineman's twitter   Rebecca Heineman web site   KansasFest web site

Bill Bartlett, Product Support Manager   Bill Bartlett worked at Atari from 1981 through 1984, where he was a product support manager for the Atari home computer division, also did user group support. He also wrote the Diskette Mailing List program which was sold by Atari Program Exchange.   This interview took place on April 16 2015, in person at a supermarket deli in the Portland Oregon area. I apologize for the background noise; recording in this situation is not a mistake I will make again.   Links:   "Stonewall Bartlett" article   Diskette Mailing List   Atari Christmas Video   Teaser quote:   “Alan Alda became the spokesman for Atari, and was doing all the TV commercials. He was actually interested in the product set. They sent him all the products. So I was his contact for tech support, me personally. I never talked to him but I talked to his assistants. . . ‘Mr. Alda is on line one!’"

Bill Crooks, Atari Video Production Lab   Bill Crooks worked in the coin-op division of Atari, where he facilitated the production of Atari games’ multi-million dollar television production facility, and worked on the FireFox laserdisc arcade game.   In this interview we talk briefly about Cassie Maas whom I have previously interviewed.   This interview took place on April 17 2015.   “We had Clint Eastwood’s Lear jet standing by to get us there at the last minute, and we just kept telling them, ‘It will be ready for the show.’ And meanwhile we’re thinking ‘How will this ever be ready for the show? It doesn’t even work in the shop.”

Ron and Lynn Marcuse, productivity applications   Ron and Lynn Marcuse, also known as RLM Microsystems, are the husband-and-wife team who created many applications for the Atari 8-bit computers, including Weekly Planner, Home Inventory, Data Management System, Diskette Librarian, and Utility Diskette II, which were all released by Atari Program Exchange. Weekly Planner was later reworked and became Timewise, which was released as an Atari product. They also created medical and dental office software for MMG Micro Software.   Thanks to Wade of Inverse ATASCII for his help in research and writing questions for this interview. Wade has reviewed several of the Marcuse applications on his podcast - visitwww.inverseATASII.info for those.   This interview took place on May 14, 2015.   LINKS   Compute! magazine articles by Ron and Lynn   Teaser quotes:   “When what’s his name, the guy who started Atari [Nolan Bushnell] it was more open. In other words, the people there were friendly, it was fun working with them, it

Albert Yarusso, Owner AtariAge   This is Antic, the Atari 8-bit podcast, and I’m Randy Kindig.  This interview-only episode features someone that many current Atari, vintage gaming, and vintage computer enthusiasts are probably familiar with by the service that he provides to the community, the AtariAge Website.  Albert (or Al) Yarusso is one of the founders and is the current owner of AtariAge.  The Atari 8-bit forum on AtariAge is probably the largest and busiest such forum in existence today, and forums for other Atari machines and for other platforms are popular and continually growing.  Al was kind enough to sit down and give me an hour of his time to discuss a little about himself, how AtariAge came about, his love for Atari computers, and various other topics.  Enjoy!   AtariAge is a website devoted to all things Atari. It was founded in 1998 by Alex Bilstein and Albert Yarusso and is well known for selling homebrew software for Atari video game systems, some of which have been included in official vid