[game_preservation] 1974 Atari memo by Jobs

[Martin Goldberg]

Just looked again real quick, my mistake. While he did take more than one
trip, the rush job for the Breakout prototype was because he needed it for
a trip up to Oregon. Selling the van to help start Apple is a pretty
commonly recalled fact by all parties, and if he had to do that I doubt he
had any of his Breakout money left.


On Wed, Feb 13, 2013 at 11:43 AM, Devin Monnens <dmonnens at gmail.com> wrote:


> No, I mean it didn't explain what the $5000 was used for. If he took a

> second trip to India, then that would be where the money went (not

> mentioned in Isaacson's book, although I know there's errors and likely

> also omissions since he got some basic facts about Atari wrong). I guess

> it's kind of important because the 'helped fund Apple' explanation makes

> him not seem like so much of a bad guy.

>

>

> On Wed, Feb 13, 2013 at 12:09 PM, Martin Goldberg <wgungfu at gmail.com>wrote:

>

>> On Wed, Feb 13, 2013 at 10:56 AM, Devin Monnens <dmonnens at gmail.com>wrote:

>>

>>> Thanks for the link, Benj. Well, the article said he was making changes

>>> to the game. "Improve the functionality and fun" which I assume means

>>> gameplay.I guess the notebook sheet shows he edited the design of the

>>> paddles, although it's a little hard for me to tell what he's doing with

>>> the other jumpers. (Not an engineer by any means.)

>>>

>>

>> You answered your own question there. He was making small hardware

>> improvements to improve the gameplay. Remember, arcade video games in those

>> days were engineered, not programmed. You made changes to the game by

>> modding the hardware. Adding jumpers for say, improving paddle response

>> would fall under the definition of "improving functionality and fun."

>>

>>

>>

>>> It's a bit odd though that these papers would be so white after 40

>>> years. I guess they don't make paper as acid-free as they used to... Oh

>>> well, at least we didn't have to pay $27k to read these!!

>>>

>>

>> Much of it was in unopened filing cabinets in offices (i.e. climate

>> controlled) for a good 30 some years.

>>

>>

>>>

>>> Reading the Steve Jobs biography and Marty's new book at the same time.

>>>

>>> The Breakout payment is interesting. That wasn't covered in either book.

>>>

>>

>> Huh? It's in there. He was given the regular design fee plus the bonus.

>> He only split the design fee with Woz.

>>

>>

>>> Actually, we know Jobs received an extra $5000. But what did he actually

>>> use the money for? I've heard conflicting stories. It was for an 'upcoming

>>> trip' - which he'd already gone to India, so that wasn't it.

>>>

>>

>> He went on more than one trip to India.

>>

>>

>> --

>> Marty

>>

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>>

>

>

> --

> Devin Monnens

> www.deserthat.com

>

> The sleep of Reason produces monsters.

>

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>



-- 
Marty
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