nolan bushnell
Latest
Atari founder Nolan Bushnell is betting on iOS, Android to win mobile gaming battle against Nintendo
Nintendo is in a strange place right now. With its home console sales waning, the company has been leaning on the success of the 3DS handheld in order to keep it in the black. But as iOS and Android devices gain power and prominence, Atari founder Nolan Bushnell is betting on the big N to lose the war. Speaking with the BBC, the 70-year-old Bushnell explains that dedicated handheld gaming systems just don't seem to make much sense any longer. "I don't think handheld game-only devices make sense anymore, not when you have an iPod or an Android microtablet. When it comes to the console market, I think the market is truncating," he explains. Of course, this is also the same man who went (jokingly) digging in the desert for discarded copies of the abysmal Atari 2600 version of E.T, so maybe we should take his opinion with a small grain of salt. I've written at length about the risk mobile platforms like iOS pose to gaming as a whole, and while I don't believe console or PC gamers have much to worry about, it's fairly clear at this point that portable systems like the 3DS are going to have to step up their game in order to remain relevant. Still, the battle isn't an easy win for iOS either, and the lack of physical control input is a definite hurdle that will need to be overcome before a victor can truly be declared.
Daily Update for April 9, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Atari's Nolan Bushnell on finding the next Steve Jobs
Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell took a chance on Steve Jobs when he hired the young non-conformist in 1974. Bushnell recounts that decision and his ensuing friendship with Steve Jobs in his recent book Finding The Next Steve Jobs. The book is not a biography about the Apple co-founder, but a frank look at the worrisome trend in business hiring that focuses on productivity over creative thinking. Talking with the LA Times, Bushnell says "Sometimes when you hire people who have to pass a Mr. Congeniality test; you end up losing some of the non-conformists who will give you different views and perspectives." Jobs was one of those non-conformists and he talked with Bushnell at length about the need for creativity in the workplace. "Creativity is every company's first driver. It's where everything starts, where energy and forward motion originate. Without that first charge of creativity, nothing else can take place," writes Bushnell in his book. You can read more about Bushnell and Jobs in this 2012 interview conducted by our own Mike Schramm.
Atari 2600s get PC innards, 22,857 times more processing power
Atari games redesigned in HTML 5 may bring back a flood of nostalgia, but they leave out a key part of the gaming experience: the classic hardware. Hard Drives Northwest filled that void by gutting a limited number of authentic Atari 2600s and stuffing them with modern PC components. Packing a Core i7 3.4GHz processor, the retro console now boasts 22,857 times more processing power than it did in its heyday, according to Microsoft's calculations -- more than enough oomph to handle the recent remakes. Other internals include 8GB of RAM, a 120GB SSD and a Radeon HD 6570 graphics card with 1GB of video memory. With support for USB 3.0 and 2.0, eSATA, DisplayPort, DVI and HDMI, the system is well stocked on the connectivity front. Finally, the signature of Atari founder Nolan Bushnell acts as the cherry atop the faux wood grain-toting package. While the souped-up machines aren't up for sale, a pair of them are slated for a giveaway. Glamour shots and the full set of specs await you at the source.
Atari: celebrating 40 years of gaming history
Forty years. That's a long time in the tech industry and Atari knows it. Today it celebrates four decades in the game, and quite the tale it is. Highs, lows and everything in between, Atari has been there. As one of the most influential brands both in gaming and technology, it only seems right to take a look over the company's history and chart some of the more significant twists in its less than straightforward journey. After the break we speak to the man that started it all and the one currently at the helm, as well as some of the many people whose lives were irreversibly changed by its influence. Happy birthday to you, Atari!
Atari Dev Challenge finalists announced, voting now open
Atari has announced the finalists in its ongoing dev challenge contest, in which developers from around the Internet have pitched updates to the classic Pong game for the iOS and Android App Stores, with the winners to be published and rev-shared by Atari itself. All of those finalists look pretty interesting -- they almost all have gone with a relatively classic take on the game (which is what Atari told us they were looking for), although all of them have updated the old ball-and-paddle gameplay to be a little more complicated. These finalists are all guaranteed a revenue share agreement with Atari to have their titles published, but we still need to decide who's getting the cash prizes for the best entry. And by we, I mean both you and me. You get to vote on Atari's page (over on the side, you can put a star rating up for each different finalist in the contest), and I, Mike Schramm, am serving as a judge in the competition along with Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, Pocket God creator Dave Castelnuovo, developer David Whatley, and a few other folks selected by Atari. The judge's ratings and user ratings are all being thrown into one big pot, and then the winners of the various cash prizes will be announced on August 2nd. It's cool to finally see some actual games coming out of this competition after so long. I'm hoping we judges will get a chance to play all of the finalists soon, and then we'll see the final results in a little over a month.
Nolan Bushnell and Atari on Pong, Steve Jobs, and touch interfaces
As I've posted here on TUAW a few times before, Atari is currently in the middle of a developer competition to have some creative developers put together some new iOS games based on the idea of remaking Pong for a new generation. Along with Nolan Bushnell, Atari's original founder and one of Pong's original creators, I'm also serving at Atari's request as one of the judges on the competition. Last week, Atari hosted a sitdown with the two of us here in Los Angeles, and I got the chance to talk to both Bushnell about his history and what he expected to see from the contest, as well as with Giancarlo Mori, the Executive Vice President at Atari behind the contest. Bushnell has a very famous long history with video games -- not only did he co-found Atari and produce many of the most fundamental and popular titles from that company over the years, but he also founded the Chuck E. Cheese pizza chain, and has over the years been involved with all kinds of impressive and valuable tech ventures. As you might expect, Bushnell is currently working with a few companies on iOS titles, and he says one of the things that most interests him about Apple's platform currently is the emerging technique of augmented reality. "The intersection between the real world and gameplay," he told me. "I feel like that's the area where there's an awful lot to be discovered." Bushnell's also interested in the iPhone's offerings of microgames, little tiny ideas or short segments of games that he says can be played "in between subway stops. The fact that you can set up a game before the doors open -- it's lightly casual and very seamless. Hard to do." Bushnell won't reveal exactly what he's working on yet, but his thoughts lately head in that direction. And of course he's always thinking about interfaces. Bushnell says he hasn't seen developers really take advantage of the iPhone's built-in accelerometer and gyroscope just yet. "It feels to me like there should be a sword fighting game out there, where it's just me against something," he says. "But the problem is you have your motion controller, but now you can't watch it. Maybe you use the iPhone as a controller and the iPad as the image, some kind of interaction." I also talked with Bushnell about his early experiences with Steve Jobs, who was hired on as a technician before Jobs and Woz founded Apple itself. "I hadn't realized until Isaacson's book," said Bushnell, "that I was as much of a mentor to Steve as I was. He basically lived just below me in Woodside for many, many years, before he moved down to Palo Alto, and he'd just walk up the hill to my house and we'd go on and bullshit about stuff. We kept in contact -- I'm writing a book right now called 'Finding the Next Steve Jobs,' because I was one of the few people that ever gave him a job." Bushnell says even at that early point in his career, Steve stood out. "The thing that people miss about Steve is that Steve was very, very driven and very passionate. He was an enthusiastic individual about everything. He had one speed and it was full blast," says Bushnell. Some of the qualities Jobs is now known for were some of the reasons he first was able to join on at Atari back in the early '70s. "We looked at what people did in their spare time, how diverse they were. We never looked at grades, college degrees. One of the best engineers at Atari never graduated from high school, and he was one of the prime architects for the 2600." Bushnell says that attitude at Atari definitely shaped Apple as a company later on. "We were focused on merit. And the fact that we can go to work in tennis shoes and a t-shirt started at Atari and it was taken to Apple. Because we said this is a meritocracy, we don't care where you go to school, when you come to work, we don't care if you come to work, we don't care where you are we you are at work. You get the job done, we're happy." Finally, I asked Bushnell what he's looking forward to seeing in this contest, and he says one thing he'd love to see is the original idea that Pong was based on when it was first created. "The only thing that I kind of somewhat wanted to see is that we had this vision of what Pong was going to be at the very onset, and that was you position a little man with a paddle, and you position it with controller and there was a button, and so you'd position it and hit the button and you'd swing it." In the end, that design was left behind, because just building the paddles as blocks turned out to be enough. "We got the game designed to the point where we had just the paddle, and said this was fun enough, just stop there," says Bushnell. "I've never seen that game that we had very clearly in our brain, and on a blackboard, and so on." Bushnell says that remaking Pong these days would be much different, first and foremost because the tools have come such a long way. Xcode is a much easier way to program than having to deal directly with machine code on often underpowered processors. But there's also a "fundamental disconnect" between touchscreens and video game controls, says Bushnell. "It turns out that Pong is massively fun if you have basically instantaneous response to a knob. A knob specifically. And the reason for it is that small muscle coordination is much better than large muscle coordination. And it turns out when you're on an iPad, it's not the same doing this [swiping across the screen] as doing this [turning a knob]. You get a much finer level of precision and play. And so if you had to play Pong with a joystick, it would have been a failure." In Bushnell's mind, that's the biggest challenge to the 90 entrants who've joined up for Atari's contest. Mori says that Atari (who will make the final decision in the contest), is looking for three things from the winners. "How faithful it is to the original concept and spirit of Pong, how creative it is and innovative it is, and is it a Pong for the future and the new millenium?" Mori says 90 submissions is very high for a contest like this -- in the past, he's seen only single digits or a little higher in complex development competitions of this sort. "And the interesting thing," he says, "is that there wasn't anything that was bad. I couldn't recall one submission where you'd say, 'That's a bad one.' There were a few that were clearly not in line with the guidelines of the contest, but there was nothing in the entries that were really bad." "We had really three classes," he says of the entries so far. "There were ones that were very much a high concept, one or two pages. There were ones that were still by and large in a game design stage only, but it was a full game design document. And there were a few that were actually playable games, a lot more than a proof of concept." The semi-finalists chosen for the contest have about a month to refine their entries, and then we the judges will get a look at them and have our say. After that, it's up to Atari to choose the winner, to pick up a nice cash prize, along with the opportunity to have the games published by Atari directly. Bushnell just wants to see how the current iOS platform does at finding the fun he and his technicians found four decades ago. "Our muscle memory is so precise on certain things," he says. "What we're looking for with an interface is for the interface to go away and have our mind connected to the object on screen directly. When you're typing, you forget that you're typing -- you're just putting words down. And Pong's that way." Hopefully these entrants can reach that point, where we're directly interacting with a game rather than thinking about it, with their submissions for the contest.
Atari announces Pong contest for indie iOS devs
(Disclaimer: As you'll read below, I'm serving as a judge in this competition, though I'm not getting paid or compensated for any time I'm contributing to it.) Atari has been betting big on iOS lately. It recently released a Greatest Hits app with its own controller, as well as remakes like Breakout: Boost (our review) and Asteroids: Gunner. Now the original Atari classic, Pong, is being re-imagined and the company wants help from iOS developers. Atari is offering up to US$100,000 to indie developers who can put together an "original take" on Pong for iOS devices. The contest is essentially a publishing deal. Developers can make an iOS game and submit it to the judging panel, which includes Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, Pocket God creator Dave Castelnuovo and me, TUAW's Mike Schramm. The winner of the contest will be published by Atari on the App Store. In addition, community-based voting will help determine both a community winner and the overall winner, so you'll be able to have a voice in the proceedings as well. The contest's official rules are now available online, and it's basically an opportunity to do some spec work for Atari (some developers have objections -- see Update below). The winner gets a publishing deal with Atari, so part of that $100,000 prize is going to come from splitting up App Store sales, not just a giant check. Still, if you're an iOS developer who's been looking for an idea to jump on, and think you've got a compelling spin on Pong, here's your opportunity to work with a pioneering video game company. I look forward to your entries, and wish good luck to everyone who decides to compete! Update: The rules and regulations for the contest have made it online, and as developer Brian Robbins notes, they're pretty heinous: Atari is basically asking devs to make games for them on spec, with no real indication or guarantee that they'll make money, even if they win the contest (Atari points out that there are some cash prizes, in addition to the publishing deals: $50,000 for first place, $37,500 for second, $25,000 for third, and $5,000 each for up to seven more runner-ups. But obviously, this requires developers to "win" -- if a lot of work is poured into an idea that doesn't make it, there's no guarantee of any reward at all, and the spec couldn't ever be published separately without major changes.) I will say that even despite my reservations about a scheme like this, I am still behind the contest as a judge, and I still think it represents an opportunity to work with Atari that a lot of indie developers might not normally get. But devs, don't go into this thing blind: Know that by entering a contest like this, you're basically entering an arena in which Atari holds most of the cards. If you don't want to submit your game in this way, there's always the option of just publishing on your own. Show full PR text Atari Announces the $100,000 Pong® Indie Developer Challenge Winners Receive Cash Prize, Publishing Agreements and Industry Accolades LOS ANGELES – Feb. 28, 2012 – In celebration of Atari's and Pong's 40th anniversary, the company today announced the official start of its Pong® Indie Developer Challenge, calling on entrants to reimagine the classic game for a chance to win up to $100,000 and see their vision go from concept to market. Beginning Feb. 28, 2012, developers can submit their original take on Pong® for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices, with finalists launching their games on the App Store later this year under the Atari brand. Winning entries will also receive a long-term publishing agreement with Atari that includes development, creative resources and full marketing support. Submissions are now being accepted until March 31st, 2012, 11:59pm ET, at: www.atari.com/pongdeveloperchallenge Following the success of Atari's recent indie-developed mobile games including Asteroids®: Gunner™, Atari's Greatest Hits© and Breakout®: Boost, the Pong® Indie Developer Challenge opens the door for up-and-coming developers to deliver the next smash hit. The judging panel will include notable industry figureheads, including original Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, infamous Pocket God creator Dave Castelnuovo, TUAW's Mike Schramm, and select members of Atari's executive team. Atari fans can participate by submitting their own votes during the selection of an Atari Community Winner. An additional community voting period will also help to determine overall contest winners, details of which will be revealed soon. "The Pong Indie Developer Challenge is a great opportunity to celebrate the 40th anniversary of an iconic game franchise," said Jim Wilson, CEO of Atari. "We are enthusiastic about working with the independent developer community to evolve Pong through a wide variety of creative concepts and gameplay experiences that will further engage our Atari fan base and introduce new consumers to this pioneering video game franchise." For full details regarding the contest and rules, including how to submit, eligibility, timing of submissions and prizes, please visit: www.atari.com/pongdeveloperchallenge For more information about Atari games and the latest news: - Visit our website: www.atari.com - Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/atari - Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/atari - Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/atari
Computer Space turns 40, video games gear up for mid-life crisis
It was November of 1971 that Nolan Bushnell, Ted Dabney and Computer Space officially ushered in the era of the video game. Before running off to start Atari, the two men created the world's first coin-operated video arcade cabinet and, indeed, the first commercial video game ever -- a full six months before the Odyssey. Computer Space was a relatively simple title in which a player used four buttons to pilot a ship around the screen and do battle with flying saucers. The mechanics and graphics should be familiar to anyone who has ever tried their hand at Asteroids. In fact, it is essentially Asteroids without the titular space debris. Technologizer has a rather fascinating and in depth look at the pioneering game, tracing its evolution all the way back to a 1962 DEC PDP-1 tech demo. Head on over to the source to get the full story.
How games can teach students 10 times faster, with more sweeping hand gestures
In order to ensure mankind's future as the dominant super-race on this planet, we must activate our youth through education -- and video games. Atari founder Nolan Bushnell has been testing education software for years and says he has created a method of teaching a full high school career in less than a year, using, in large part, cloud systems. "In cloud gaming you disconnect the system's administration from the computer to the cloud," Bushnell told GamesIndustry.biz. "It's going to be an important step for allowing technology into the classroom." Bushnell says his program teaches students 10 times faster than traditional methods, and his shortened high-school-span plan could be ready for implementation by the end of 2011. Not to be outdone, the Kinect-based education-resource blog KinectEDucation advocates using Kinect to augment learning environments, and is currently holding its Kinect in Education Contest, challenging hackers to create Kinect apps for use in classrooms. Two $500 prizes will be awarded, one for the most innovative and adaptable classroom software, and one for the "best" in-class video showcasing a Kinect classroom experience. The contest runs now through November 30.
Survey: Atari brand awareness low among younger gamers
According to recent survey data provided to Joystiq by E-Poll, Atari brand recognition isn't what it once was. The survey was put together after Atari founder Nolan Bushnell rejoined the company last month. At the time, Bushnell noted that he was "very excited" to rejoin the company, adding that its "iconic brands have always been important" to him. If the data is accurate, it seems the brands may not be so iconic anymore. Overall awareness of Atari is low for gamers age 13-24, clocking in at 34 percent. Compare that with 63 percent among gamers 25 to 54 and it would appear that Atari isn't well recognized by a key gaming demographic. What's more, the most commonly associated attributes for Atari were "classic," "out-of-date" and "nostalgic." In fact, the "out-of-date" attribute response was recorded by 38 percent of those polled, compared to a 7 percent average for other game companies. E-Poll also noted that consumer comments about Atari included "outdated,'' ''from when I was a kid,'' ''obsolete'' and ''what do they do now?'' It adds that the company's "classic" status -- also noted by 38 percent of respondents -- could be an asset for the company. That said, E-Poll concludes that Atari must "shed the perception of an antiquated company that's been shooting the same asteroids for nearly 40 years." With Bushnell back on board and Atari shifting focus to an online-only business, we'd say the answer to the awareness problem is simple: Facebook Pong. Done. Company saved.
Nolan Bushnell and Tom Virden join Atari board; Harrison and Gardner depart
Apparently Atari founder Nolan Bushnell has ended his recent revisit with game development, as the publisher announced today the addition of Bushnell to its executive board alongside "online entrepreneur" Tom Virden. This is the second executive acquisition announcement that Atari has made in recent days, with John Burns, former European head of EA's online publishing, joining up just last week. The company has said it's focusing on moving towards an online-based business, and today's appointments will be overseeing that transition with the rest of the Audit Committee (a.k.a. the executive board). "I am very excited to be reacquainted with Atari at a time when it is poised to make interesting strides in key growth areas of the games industry," Bushnell said. "The company and its iconic brands have always been important to me, and I look forward to further guiding them at the board level." Meanwhile, Atari has also announced the resignations of David Gardner, former CEO and director at Infogrames, and Phil Harrison, former Atari president turned board member. Happy trails! Update: An Atari rep got back to us, confirming that Bushnell and Virden will be filling the positions left open by Harrison and Gardner.
Free Battleswarm beta keys for you to join the fray
We've heard a lot of people asking for details on MMOFPS games, and for more indie titles. As such, when we got an offer of 5,000 beta keys for Battleswarm: Field of Honor, we couldn't resist snapping them up for our readers. Yes, indeed, you read that right - we have five thousand beta keys for this new MMO/FPS/RTS hybrid game. Sounds interesting? We thought so too. The idea is this - if you want to play on the FPS side, roll a human. If you want to play on the RTS side, roll a "bug." Then you'll be able to battle with/against other players in a massive online world. Between the interesting mechanics, the fact that Nolan Bushnell is involved in this project, and the ever-awesome pricetag of "free", we are so there. If it sounds like something you'd enjoy trying out, head on over to our beta code server and pick up your very own shiny Battleswarm: Field of Honor beta key!For instructions on how to redeem your code, join us after the break!
First video of Battleswarm arrives
click to embiggen We're not exactly sure what Battleswarm: Field of Honor dev Gameworld Tech is trying to show us with its first trailer (found after the break) -- other than low production values, that is. We've got some generic space marines running around and shooting things in a third-person camera view, we've got some generic space bugs attacking the space marines, and we've got a generic battlefield that looks to be ripped from an MMO. Most importantly though? The logo is shooting itself with electricity. If you're really hankering to get in on the free-to-play action from the mind of Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, the developer has just announced Battleswarm's open beta registration. If you do, feel free to let us know how it is in the comments below. And remember: The only good bug is a dead bug.%Gallery-69185%
Nolan Bushnell working on RTS/FPS hybrid, likes cloud computing (update: first images of Battleswarm)
click to Battle-size Update: Joystiq has been provided with a pair high resolution images of Battleswarm. Find them in the gallery below.Game industry legend Nolan Bushnell is back in the news again, with word from USA Today that he's working on a new online game for the PC. Entitled Battleswarm: Field of Honor (see the tiny screenshot to the right), the Reality Gap-developed game pits humans versus alien bugs -- what was it Bushnell said about today's games not being innovative? -- with the humans playing from a first-person perspective and the bugs being controlled using a real-time strategy interface. According to Bushnell, the game was born from his frustration at being constantly bested by his younger, quicker sons at FPS games.Battleswarm will be an online-only affair with a free-to-play model that utilizes a microtransaction system, allowing players to purchase upgrades like weapons and armor. While Bushnell says there may be some "segregation" in the game to separate those with tons of upgrades from those who have avoided them, he notes that "a really good player doesn't need to buy extra resources."When asked about what exciting trends he sees in the game industry today, Bushnell said, "I'm a big believer in 'cloud computing,' referring to services like OnLive, in which games are stored on distant servers and not directly on a player's computer or console. He's also excited about "gesture-based inputs, where you don't even need a remote or controller to play."Natal Pong, anyone?%Gallery-69185%
Atari founder Nolan Bushnell to keynote LA Games Conference
The man created both Pong and Chuck E. Cheese's pizza, so you'll have to forgive us if we take pause whenever Nolan Bushnell opens his bearded maw. The Atari founder is slated to take the stage at next week's LA Games Conference, and will offer his thoughts on the current crop of consoles as well as where he believes the industry is headed. Straight into the nearest uWink, no doubt.Bushnell is just one of several speakers pegged to headline the event, which will include additional keynotes from PopCap top dog David Roberts, Qualcomm exec Mike Yuen and Benchmark Capital partner Mitch Lasky. The event is scheduled for April 28-29 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in LA, and should make for an interesting primer for E3's media bombardment in June.
Pardo at GDC lunch: It's all about nailing the execution
Blizzard isn't making too much of an appearance at any of the gaming conventions this year (save for, of course, BlizzCon), but they are floating around the Game Developers Conference going on on San Francisco this week -- Rob Pardo showed up at a luncheon panel yesterday to talk with luminaries like Will Wright and Warren Spector about the latest trends in social gaming. He was actually introduced by Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Atari, who said that "social is buying someone a drink," not "sitting around in your underpants," but said that Pardo manages "maybe the largest group of people in their underpants in the world." Funny.Pardo defended the game, saying that what was once a hobby for outcasts has now become quite cool and that no matter what you're sitting around in, the people who play WoW are people with real relationships, responsibilities, and lives. And he says later in the chat that Blizzard doesn't necessarily aim for innovation, but for "nailing the execution." That's something Nintendo does as well, he said, and many times, that's the key in game development. You don't necessarily have to get it first, but you do have to get it right.The rest of the conversation wanders away from MMOs (and Pardo), but it is a fun look into what these gaming development greats are thinking about what's next. Stay tuned to both us and Massively for more coverage from GDC -- Jeff Kaplan is scheduled to be on a panel there today, and we'll bring you news of that soon.
Nolan Bushnell on the rise of advertising and the casual game
Nolan Bushnell, who bootstrapped the entire video game industry with Computer Space, Pong and the Atari 2600, later went on to found Chuck E. Cheese and several other ventures, has the solution for expanding the size of the gaming market. Casual games, everywhere. And how to pay for them? 30 second ad spots -- commercials, just like the ones on television or before movies. And he can target these ads better than ever. Are ad-supported games the wave of the future? In your MMO of choice five years from now, will a shampoo ad run whenever you ding? And by then, will you even mind? Gamasutra interviews Nolan Bushnell about casual games, targeted advertising, and the death of the hardcore gamer.
Bushnell is 'thrilled' to be played by DiCaprio
Direct from our always hefty "Yeah, No Kidding" file, MTV Multiplayer was told last night by Atari founder Nolan Bushnell that he was "very thrilled and honored" to be portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in an upcoming biopic. Yeah Nolan, no kidding.What we're sure is not quite as thrilling to Bushnell is the fact that it's currently unclear to what extent present-day Atari will let their property (like the three-pronged logo) be used. We're hopeful that the company will play ball if they throw Phil Harrison a bit role. (A Brit as a villainous Ralph Baer? You heard it here first.)[Update: We've got Fernando's awesome take on Phil as Ralph right after the break!]
Leonardo DiCaprio to star in Atari founder biopic
Like something out of Bizzaro World, word on the street is that hunky dreamboat Leonardo DiCaprio will play Atari uber-nerd Nolan Bushnell in an upcoming biopic. According to reports, the film will detail Bushnell's life from his early work at amusement parks, through founding Atari and eventually building the Chuck E. Cheese's empire in a "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington meets Tucker" fashion. We understand there will be a thrilling montage where Bushnell soundly defeats every Atari staff member at Pong, then builds the first animatronic Jasper T. Jowls with spare parts from a 1976 Impala.
