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Topic: Syzygy-Computer Space

Paul Trimboli
Master Film Handler

Posts: 274
From: Perth Western Australia
Registered: Dec 2002

posted 07-08-2004 08:13 AM

I am sure plenty of you will know what Computer Space is? Well for those who don't its the world first arcade game. Is there anyone else out there who wants to help turn the schematics into a PCB artwork to build working replicas?? Its a very fun game but did not do well, people found it to hard to play and so the pong story begins!

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 07-08-2004 09:24 AM

I think I saw a version of it running when I visited the Kodak Research Labs for my first job interview in 1970, running on a mainframe. (They were playing it during lunchtime of course. [Wink]

)

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Aaron Sisemore
Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day!

Posts: 3061
From: Rockwall TX USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 07-08-2004 09:15 PM

quote: Paul Trimboli
its the world first arcade game.

To clarify: it is the world's first arcade (coin-op) video game. There have been 'arcade' games around for a good long time before CS came on the scene. [Smile]

Ah, yes, good ol' Computer Space!

I remember the Sears store in the mall had one of these and I used to play it all the time back in 1971-72...

As far as making the clone PCBs:

If I am not mistaken the patent for this game had reverted back to Nolan Bushnell shortly before he sold Atari to Warners (Bushnell licensed the patent for CS to Nutting Associates, the company that actually manufactured and distributed Computer Space), and one would assume that the CS patent went with the sale, thus either WMS/Midway Games or Infogrames (the current owners of the two halves of what was once Atari, Inc.) would likely be holding the patents today.

I also wonder why it never got emulated in software as most of the other classic video games have been...

quote: John Pytlak
I think I saw a version of it running when I visited the Kodak Research Labs for my first job interview in 1970, running on a mainframe.

John, that was probably 'Spacewar' which I believe still holds the claim to the very first graphical computer game and required about a mainframe's worth of hardware to pull it off. [Smile]

-Aaron

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 07-08-2004 09:43 PM

quote: Aaron Sisemore
John, that was probably 'Spacewar' which I believe still holds the claim to the very first graphical computer game and required about a mainframe's worth of hardware to pull it off.

You're probably correct. I remember being facinated that the objects seemed to follow rules of Newtonian motion as they whipped around planets and such.

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Tim Reed
Better Projection Pays

Posts: 5246
From: Northampton, PA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 07-08-2004 10:25 PM

What on Earth is Syzygy? Other than a word with no real vowels.

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 07-09-2004 02:09 AM

quote: Aaron Sisemore sez:
I remember the Sears store in the mall had one of these and I used to play it all the time back in 1971-72...

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

People were alive back then? [Smile]

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Aaron Sisemore
Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day!

Posts: 3061
From: Rockwall TX USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 07-09-2004 02:10 AM

quote: Tim Reed
What on Earth is Syzygy? Other than a word with no real vowels.

According to Nolan Bushnell, 'Syzygy' refers to the point when the sun, earth, and moon are in total eclipse.

The reason Bushnell changed the name of the company to 'Atari' (named for a move in the Japanese game of 'Go') was because another company had already registered the name Syzygy...

-Aaron

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Dennis Benjamin
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1445
From: Denton, MD
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 07-09-2004 03:08 AM

'Syzygy'

I once drove past a road with the very same name. I believe it was somewhere in the Nevada desert. The name actually makes sense - now that I know it is a real word. I will have to tell my friends that were with me. They were so fascinated by the name they took a picture of the street sign.

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Paul Trimboli
Master Film Handler

Posts: 274
From: Perth Western Australia
Registered: Dec 2002

posted 07-09-2004 09:16 AM

Well I guess I could contact the atari history people and they would know the answer or could ask Nolan as they keep in regular contact. The schematics I have are very complicated, is there a reason some gates are shown as the gates symbols while others are the ICs with the pin numbers? It would be great to build the boards and see how the game looked!

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Phil Hill
I love my cootie bug

Posts: 7595
From: Hollywood, CA USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 07-09-2004 10:32 AM

A pdf version of the Computer Space instruction manual and schematics are HERE .

Waaay too complex to build... need a PC version. [Razz]

>>> Phil

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Tim Reed
Better Projection Pays

Posts: 5246
From: Northampton, PA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 07-09-2004 04:39 PM

quote: Aaron Sisemore
'Syzygy' refers to the point when the sun, earth, and moon are in total eclipse.

Thanks, Aaron. So, how do you pronounce this word? Looks like an exclamation in a comic book, when someone sneezes!
[Big Grin]

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 07-09-2004 05:36 PM

"Syzygy" could be the sound of shit hitting a circular saw.

Incidentally "Schlitz" is the sound of shit hitting a fan.

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Phil Hill
I love my cootie bug

Posts: 7595
From: Hollywood, CA USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 07-09-2004 06:02 PM

Syzygy is pronounced "Sizz-a-Jee".

As was mentioned, Syzygy does refer to when the sun, earth, and moon are in total eclipse. Many people believe, and there is plenty of statistical evidence, that suggests because of the increased gravitational pull by this arrangement, that the ocean tides are much higher and many earthquakes occur during this alignment.

I think the "Syzygy Rd" exit is on either US-40 or US-10 in Arizona. Passed it many times. [Big Grin]

>>> Phil

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Tim Reed
Better Projection Pays

Posts: 5246
From: Northampton, PA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 07-10-2004 10:50 PM

Thank you, Mr. Moderator, for those English, science, and geography lessons.
[Wink]

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Jeremy Fuentes
Mmmm, Dr. Pepper!

Posts: 1168
From: Corpus Christi, TX United States
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 07-10-2004 10:56 PM

Yes, thank you Phil! I never thought I could appreciate such useless information until it came from you. Thanks bud! [evil]

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