[game_preservation] Computer Legend and Gaming Pioneer Jack Tramiel Dies at Age 83

[Martin Goldberg]

Billy,


On Tue, Apr 10, 2012 at 11:00 AM, Billy Cain <billyjoecain at gmail.com> wrote:

> Devin,

>

> I also share your balanced opinion on Mr. Tramiel. He was allegedly

> responsible for destroying the Atari 2600 market (printing more ET carts

> than there were 2600s because the software would move more hardware, for

> example).


That's the first I've ever heard that rumor, but regardless that's
completely off. ET was far before Jack Tramiel's time with the Atari
brand.

E.T. was released in December of '82, Jack's Atari Corporation was
created in July of '84.

The reason for E.T.'s number was because of Warner Communications.
Management at Atari Inc. had originally approached Spielberg for a
license and they then declined because of his terms. Steve Ross (CEO
and President of Warner at the time) was trying to woo Spielberg away
from Universal, had him out over an August weekend at his house in the
Hamptons for a party, and then worked out a deal over cocktails for
Atari to do E.T. He then dumped the agreement on Atari. They did so
many E.T. cartridges because that's how many they were forced to do to
cover the amount of money Ross guaranteed Spielberg. Likewise Ross had
also guaranteed the game would be out for the Christmas season, which
meant Howard Scott Warshaw was forced to do an extremely short
development time.


>I would love to hear a counterpoint to that, because I have always

> heard it said that this led to the desctuction of the home videogame market

> (circa 1984). Since I lived through that at just the right time (I was 17 in

> '84), it broke my heart to see that.


The crash of the video game industry began in '82 and lasted through
'84. E.T. had nothing to do with it, it simply became a symbol of the
excess inventory that was a sympton of the crash.

I actually have a 6 page article on it out right now in Retro Gamer
magazine (100th issue) if you're interested in reading up on the
causes and such. Should be at any Barnes & Noble.


>

> But, his overall efforts should not be discounted by that decision that may

> have not even been his. It could have been done by the "machine" of the

> company.


Jack's Atari Corporation was later as mentioned. In January of '84 he
was ousted from Commodore, retired and took a trip around the world,
got antsy when he saw the Japanese were going to enter the U.S.
computer market and felt nobody including Commodore was ready, and
decided to re-enter the market as well. He formed Tramel Technology
Ltd. (spelled that way on purpose so that people pronounced the name
properly) in March and set about having some of his ex-employees
(still at Commodore) design a next generation computer. This continued
through June as more and more people started leaving Commodore to join
him. He approaches Atari and several other companies in May about
buying out operations becuase he needed manufacturing and distribution
facilities, none of which goes anywhere. Warner Communications
contacts him June 28th about buying out parts of Atari Inc. becaus
they're looking to split it off because they can't find a buyer for
the whole company. They do private talks all weekend with the end
result that Jack walks away July 3rd with the Consumer Division of
Atari Inc. That includes all the related facilities (manufacturing,
warehouse/distribution, etc.) but not the people. With the people he's
allowed to hire over whoever he wants, and the rest of the Consumer
people are given pink slips by Atari Inc./Warner. Jack folds Consumer
in to TTL and renames TTL to Atari Corporation.

There was a confusion that he'd "bought Atari", when what he bought
was simply the Atari brand and a good half of the original company.
It's a confusion in the press that Jack played up of course, because
it made good business sense to keep the facade that "Atari" was
carying on business as usual.

Completely different companies though.

Hope that helps.


-- 
Marty