Ted Dabney / Atari & Computer Space Creator Tells His Story

[HFK]

"I do not recall Dick Ball".

I am guessing he was a Nutting employee.

 

[ParrotHead]

I love when marketing guys claim they helped make a product. Has driven me as insane as it probably did the actual designers/engineers of CS, I feel for them.

Sounds like a good one, I'm downloading it now and will listen to it over the next (from the looks of how long it is) week or so. Have you got this up on iTunes? I went looking and either didn't use the right search terms or just plain didn't find it. It would make getting it on/handling it on my iPod a lot easier. From the sounds of the stuff you may have coming up, it'd be subscribe bait for sure.

Yep, all our shows are on iTunes

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/retro-gaming-roundup/id302869307

 

[TK_Monkey]

Been listening to the podcast as I have time in the car, up to the roller rink part of the Dabney interview and I gotta say even if you're not an Atari person, if you're a gamer at all (and if you're not, how'd you find us, go hop on your local craigslist and join the fun) and you have downloaded this you're doing yourself a disservice. Absolutely fantastic interview.

 

[cspacefan]

We're actually looking to talk to a number of ex-Nutting people for the book, so if you can pass on his contact info in private it would be appreciated. Unfortunately, Bill died about 2 years ago and Dave doesn't have any of his brother's company's stuff.

Hi there, I have been in touch with Jamie Fenton who worked at Nutting, if you want to contact her for your book, I'm sure she'd love to chat.
Her website is http://www.fentonia.com/bio/

By the way, speaking of Nutting Associates and Ted Dabney, does anyone know who the fellow with the glasses is in the picture on my site standing between Nolan and Al? Bill Nutting perhaps?

http://www.computerspacefan.com/Ted.htm

 

[martyg]

Hi there, I have been in touch with Jamie Fenton who worked at Nutting, if you want to contact her for your book, I'm sure she'd love to chat.
Her website is http://www.fentonia.com/bio/

Thanks, but wrong Nutting. She worked for Dave Nutting Industries/Associates, who were located in Milwaukee at the time (before being bought out by Bally/Midway in the mid 70's and moving down to Chicago).

Completely different Nutting than the one that did Computer Space, which was Nutting Associates in Mountain View, CA run by Dave's brother Bill.

You're falling victim to a common mistake, a lot of people confuse the two not realizing there were two companies with the Nutting name.

By the way, speaking of Nutting Associates and Ted Dabney, does anyone know who the fellow with the glasses is in the picture on my site standing between Nolan and Al? Bill Nutting perhaps?
http://www.computerspacefan.com/Ted.htm

No, that wouldn't be Bill they were already well gone from Nutting. That photo would have been late '72/early '73. That pic is from Lenny's article on Ted, didn't the caption say who it was?

Also wanted to add after paging through your site - there's no mystery as to who did 2 player computer space. Steve Bristow already said it was him and his wife. Pick up Retro Gamer 75 for a recent interview with him where he discsussed that and other things. Basically after Nolan and Ted left to do Syzygy on their own, Steve was "promoted" to lead engineer and given the task to do the 2 player version. He stayed with Nutting Associates in to 1973 when he left to join Atari - Ted was already forced out of Atari by the time he came. He also had no clue who did Computer Space Ball when I talked to him.

 

[martyg]

Yep, all our shows are on iTunes

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/retro-gaming-roundup/id302869307

BTW per the questioning in the interview, it wasn't a PDP-11. 11's weren't introduced until 1970. When I was interviewing him back in 2008, Ted mentioned it was a PDP-8 that was being considered.

 

[cspacefan]

Thanks, but wrong Nutting. She worked for Dave Nutting Industries/Associates, who were located in Milwaukee at the time (before being bought out by Bally/Midway in the mid 70's and moving down to Chicago).

Completely different Nutting than the one that did Computer Space, which was Nutting Associates in Mountain View, CA run by Dave's brother Bill.

You're falling victim to a common mistake, a lot of people confuse the two not realizing there were two companies with the Nutting name.

Yup that's what Jamie told me when I contacted her. But I figured it was worth sending her details your way.

No, that wouldn't be Bill they were already well gone from Nutting. That photo would have been late '72/early '73. That pic is from Lenny's article on Ted, didn't the caption say who it was?

Nope I got the pic from a German site and the only names listed for all four people are Ted Dabney, Nolan Bushnell and Al Alcorn, no mention of the fellow in the middle.

Also wanted to add after paging through your site - there's no mystery as to who did 2 player computer space. Steve Bristow already said it was him and his wife. Pick up Retro Gamer 75 for a recent interview with him where he discsussed that and other things. Basically after Nolan and Ted left to do Syzygy on their own, Steve was "promoted" to lead engineer and given the task to do the 2 player version. He stayed with Nutting Associates in to 1973 when he left to join Atari - Ted was already forced out of Atari by the time he came. He also had no clue who did Computer Space Ball when I talked to him.

This is good info! Thanks! I had reasons to believe it was Steve Bristow but very little confirm it with. I'll update my info and definitely will be picking up Retro Gamer 75.

 

[martyg]

Nope I got the pic from a German site and the only names listed for all four people are Ted Dabney, Nolan Bushnell and Al Alcorn, no mention of the fellow in the middle.

They ripped off from Lenny's article then, you can tell it's scanned from the magazine. Edge (April 2009 - #200), out of the UK.

This is good info! Thanks! I had reasons to believe it was Steve Bristow but very little confirm it with. I'll update my info and definitely will be picking up Retro Gamer 75.

Yah, he's got lots of great info. He's the one I found out from who actually did the production (i.e. final) version of Breakout (it wasn't Woz of course).

 

[ParrotHead]

Been listening to the podcast as I have time in the car, up to the roller rink part of the Dabney interview and I gotta say even if you're not an Atari person, if you're a gamer at all (and if you're not, how'd you find us, go hop on your local craigslist and join the fun) and you have downloaded this you're doing yourself a disservice. Absolutely fantastic interview.

Glad you enjoyed it

 

[cspacefan]

That pic is from Lenny's article on Ted, didn't the caption say who it was?

Hi Martyg, a quick question, do you have more info about "Lenny"? A visitor to my website is asking about that Dabney pic so I want to give proper credit to Lenny and the article he wrote.

 

[cspacefan]

Okay after a bit more digging I have found Leonard Herman to be the writer of the article. Does anyone have a link to the Edge (April 2009 - #200) magazine so I can adivse this person? Or if not, I'll just tell them that much at least.

 

[RedWolfJC]

Okay after a bit more digging I have found Leonard Herman to be the writer of the article. Does anyone have a link to the Edge (April 2009 - #200) magazine so I can adivse this person? Or if not, I'll just tell them that much at least.

Here's the link to their website, doesn't look like they have that article online though...http://www.next-gen.biz/
Isn't Leonard Herman the guy who wrote Phoenix- The Rise and Fall of Videogames?