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Below, we present the foreword to the book to give you an example of the fine quality and accuracy of Don's Book. Don't miss reading this book.  It gives you a wonderful piece of computing history many of us were very much a part of.

CGE LATEST NEWS

* Twin Galaxies is to host a slew of tournaments and hi-score competitions at the show, and the author of Crystal Mines (NES) and Crystal Mines II (Atari Lynx) will be at the Songbird Productions booth where he will be demonstrating an early version of his upcoming Lynx game, Crystal Mines II: Buried Treasure Expansion. Hit This Link to read both of the press releases.

* The complete show schedule is now online! Check it out by clicking here.

* Telegames USA has announced that they will have the World-wide premiere (and sale) of Yars' Revenge for Game Boy and Game Boy Color at CGE '99™. This product will not be available in stores until September. This would be a great opportunity for attendees to get the autograph of Howard Scott Warshaw (the original game creator) on the box!
Telegames will also be premiering (and selling) the long-awaited Lynx game, HyperDrome as well as their other Lynx, Jaguar, and classic game products.

* There's lots of exciting things going on at Classic Gaming Expo '99™. Keep up to date and find out all the latest news by clicking here.

* Mr. Dento Teramachi has created a Japanese mirror of the CGE'99 Page. For those who prefer to read Japanese, head on over to the Japanese CGE'99 Website. Teramachi is also the webmaster of what we feel is the definitive site on classic games in Japan. If you're so inclined, please pay a visit to Classic Videogamestation: Odyssey.

* CGE'99 organizers have decided to extend the pre-registration rate of $27.50 until the end of July. After July 31, all tickets must be purchased at the door.
Please check the Register Page for full details.

* Songbird Productions recently committed to attending Classic Gaming Expo™, and have announced two new Lynx products that will be launched at CGE™. In addition to that, they also hope to demo unreleased Jaguar games, including Protector and Skyhammer.
Full Press Release

* The latest dignitaries to confirm their attendance are Scott Santulli and Ernie Cormier (CBS), Stuart Kesten (Mystique), Bob Smith (Atari & Imagic) and Steven Wyatt (Atari, Activision & Telesys). You can learn more about them on the Celebrities Page.

* The first of what will be a slew of panel discussions has been announced by the show coordinators. An unprecedented round table discussion consisting of game console and computer "fathers" is the first one on tap. Jay Smith, Joe Decuir, Jerry Lawson, Jay Fenton, Ralph Baer and RJ Mical will be the panelists, and Van Burnham will moderate the discussion.
Full Press Release

* The guest list keeps on increasing! Four more pioneers have confirmed that they will be attending CGE'99™ -- Howard Scott Warshaw, Joe Decuir, Sam Palahnuk and Shannon Donnelly. Please visit the Celebrities Page to read up on their illustrious careers.

* The coordinators of Classic Gaming Expo™ regret that Mr. Nolan Bushnell will not be attending this year's show.

* The preliminary CGE™ vendor and exhibitor list is now online. Keep in mind that it's still quite early, and the listing is subject to change at any time. You can be sure, however, that the number of confirmed exhibitors will increase as the show draws nearer.

* Show organizers Keita Iida and John Hardie made their presence felt throughout the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in the LA Convention Center this past weekend. Over six thousand CGE™ show flyers were distributed through the Imagine Publishing, Nyko and Hasbro booths (all three are first-tier sponsors for CGE'99™), where the CGE™ organizers had acquired bin distribution rights. Furthermore, several strategy meetings were held, which included Jay Smith, Don Bluth and others in preparation for the show.

* Walter Day, chief scorekeeper at the Twin Galaxies Intergalactic Scoreboard-- an organization that tracks high scores for the worldwide video game and pinball industries, has joined the CGE'99™ team and will be coordinating the various tournaments and high-score contests that will be held at the event. Specific details about the contest will be announced shortly. In the meantime, please check out the TWIN GALAXIES WEBSITE.

* CGE™ Co-Organizer John Hardie is the featured guest in the second episode of Back In Time -- The Classic Gaming Broadcast. John discusses a number of topics including details for Classic Gaming Expo '99™ and his new book deal. Check it out at http://www.gt2k.com/html/BACKINTIME.htm

* And the number of stars keeps growing! David Crane and Garry Kitchen, both prolific game designers at Activision and Absolute, are two more distinguished guests for the show. For the two of you who are not familiar with Crane and Kitchen's accomplishments, check out the Celebrities Page.

* The number of confirmed gaming celebrities keeps on growing! Jay Smith, founder of Smith Engineering where he created the Vectrex game machine, and Randall Glover, revered author of Jumpman, Jumpman Jr. and Summer Games, are the latest individuals who have been added to the list. For the complete rundown of distinguished guests slated to appear, visit the Celebrities page.

* Several legendary industry veterans have announced their plans to attend CGE'99™. Among the celebrities include Steve Cartwright, Ralph Baer, Dan Thompson and Python Angelo. As the show is still roughly seven months away, you can be sure that the list of classic gaming pioneers will increase substantially as the show draws nearer. For a list of all confirmed distinguished guests, along with brief biographies, please visit the Distinguished Guests page.

* Another major sponsor for the show has been confirmed. Imagine Media will back the show with plenty of marketing muscle and editorial content, among its many other planned contributions to CGE'99™. Imagine Media publications and Web sites focus on areas of interest which have been revolutionized by the smart uses of digital technology and target people who share passion about these interests. Its magazines include: Maximum PC, Business 2.0, Game Buyer, MacAddict, Next Generation, PC Accelerator, PC Gamer, and Playstation Magazine (PSM).

* For the second straight year, Nyko Technologies has signed on as an official sponsor for the show. Nyko is a leading company that produces controllers and accessories for the Sony Playstation and other popular consoles.

AGH LogoQuestions about Classic Gaming Expo™? Ask the promoters

 

- ForeWord -
©1997-1999 - Donald A. Thomas, Jr.
all rights reserved - http://www.icwhen.com

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I am really not very good at remembering significant dates or, in many instances, numbers in general. I can remember our family prefers 2% milk, but I cannot recall how much I paid last time I purchased it. (Under $3 I think). I remember I was born in 1957. That's pretty easy. I also remember that my wife and I were married on February 14, but I have to refer to a tapestry that hangs in our home which to remind me what year. The date is embroidered right on the decoration.

I know when my son, Kyle, was 14 I had a hard time remembering what grade in school he was in, but I remember he had an undefeated season 14-0-0 (wins/losses/ties) in community soccer league. That's about the time, he sprouted taller than his mother at 5 feet 11 inches and wearing 10 1/2 - 11 men's shoe. There are some numbers that stick with me and some that I cannot grasp no matter how hard I try to hold on to them.

A long while back now (I cannot remember the exact date, let's say early October in 95), a Newsweek reporter called Atari Corporation. The publication was keenly aware of the exciting Holiday Season ahead and Atari's promising comeback with the 64-bit Jaguar game system. As a result of her publication's interest, she was assigned to create a timeline... a look into the past by year at the most significant milestones in video game evolution. "I need specific dates and numbers," she said.

Newsweek is a formidable publication. One simply doesn't apologize, say that information is not available and send them on their way. I was faced with a problem because Atari had undergone major changes over almost a quarter of a century. What had once been a comprehensive campus of over fifty buildings littered amidst the Silicon Valley, was now one lean, mean, fighting machine otherwise designated as 1196 Borregas Avenue in Sunnyvale, California (Atari 2600plus a significantly-sized warehouse about 2 miles away). The persons responsible for designing and marketing the most celebrated game system ever created, the 2600, were no longer employed by Atari. The prototypes and engineering blueprints had been relocated and the entire staff had only materials important to focus on the new Jaguar. All other distractions were safely boxed and stored in inaccessible archives.

I have been an aficionado of Atari products for many years. I remember playing pong-like games in the sporting goods department of Montgomery Ward in Matteson, Illinois. I recall the debates amongst employees as to whether it belonged in sporting goods, in the toy department or in the television and stereo department (This was long before Electric Avenue). Someone in charge decided it should be the sporting goods department because the games were Tennis, Hockey and Squash as pong variations. We were in agreement as commissioned employees because we made money selling them and we had fun playing them to demonstrate the product.

Later, I became a salesman (it was still okay to refer to "salespeople" as "salesmen") at the Suburban TribSuburban Trib newspapers, I recall the news of Pizza Time theaters opening in Oak Brook or Hinsdale or some such place. The big attraction there were these life-size, computer controlled characters that would sing and tell jokes while the family played video games or ate pizza.

I remember purchasing an Atari 2600 for my parents to replace the pong-like game they bought years before on my employee discount plan at Wards. I remember that a friend of mine begged me to open the box and "try it out" before wrapping it for my family to give to them for Christmas that year.

I recall playing arcade games for the first time. Pinball games like XENON and video hits like BREAKOUT. I had first thought that these games were mindless waste of quarters, but I later discovered that there were patterns and strategies to learn to win these games. They intrigued me.

In late 1979, I left the Suburban Trib on very good terms to take a new position with the Dallas Times Herald. I had moved there for a change of pace and to move closer to a friend of mine I had known since high school. John Faerber was as caught up with video games as anyone and we often found we stayed up to wee hours of the morning playing MS. PAC-MAN in a local convenience store.

As a relatively new resident of Dallas, Texas, I had a lot more time to myself than I was accustomed to when I lived in the suburbs of Chicago. I shopped for a video game system and settled on the Odyssey by Magnavox because it featured an integrated keyboard for a price comparable to the more popular Atari VCS. I remember playing K.C. MUNCHKIN and liking it so much, that I wrote my very first die-hard fan letter to Magnavox offering them "inspiration" for a sequel. (The letter was never answered.)

It didn't take too long to determine that the Odyssey was a mistake for me. All the newest games by so many companies were produced for the Atari VCS. In early 1982, I purchased a 2600 and a couple of cartridges from an electronics chain and placed the enormous charges on my Visa credit card. (I think I'm still paying that charge off.)

My attachment to the 2600 became an addiction and began collecting compatible cartridges. Today, I own hundreds of Atari 2600 and Atari 7800 cartridges. I remember the controversies regarding whether to tax software since they represented a "published" product and I recall arguing with a Walgreen's store manager that he was illegally collecting tax on video game cartridges in his store. They had bought out a liquidated inventory and they resold them for fifty cents each.

My first position at the Dallas Times Herald was in the outside classified advertising sales department. My immediate superior was Mr. Joe Moss. My assignment was to cultivate Co-Op revenues in the classified sections of the paper. Co-Op (Co-Operative) advertising are those ads that retailers place and are reimbursed in whole or part by the manufacturers of the products they advertise. One strategy I used was to contact manufacturers that offered Co-Op programs and arranged ads in advance for participating retailers to simply say "yes" to join in. I found it was a lot harder to say "yes" if the advertiser had to do much more such as layout the ad or file his Co-Op claim. One company that offered Co-Op funds was Atari and I recall creating an Atari section head in the classified section to list retailers in the Dallas area that carried Atari products.

Then, one day, I was struck by a concept I could not let pass by. Video games (especially Atari) were the biggest phenomenon that ever hit the entertainment industry since cinema. It occurred to me that a video game of a newspaper deliveryDallas Times Herald boy would take off like wildfire because it could be sold by different names in different parts of the country. For instance, it could be called the DALLAS TIMES HERALD in Dallas or the CHICAGO TRIBUNE in Chicago. The tie-in marketing opportunities were enormous. Instruction manuals could be printed like little newspapers and feature real ads of local retailers. The finished cartridge would help promote the newspaper and include the classified phone numbers on the screen while people played the game. The cartridge would be an ideal prize for contests in shopping malls and as incentives for delivery boys and girls. In fact, the promotional advantages of the concept poured out from me like water over Niagara.

Joe Moss loved the concept. He didn't personally love video games, but his kids did and he saw great potential in my idea. He hinted that he might be willing to fund the idea if I located a firm to develop the software. I approached Games by Apollo located in Richardson, Texas, Apollo was one of many technical companies emerging in the Dallas area. An ex-disc jockey who also owned an educational film company founded it. Games by Apollo quickly became known for highly collectable Atari 2600 games such as LOST LUGGAGE, RACQUETBALL, SKEET SHOOT, SPACE CAVERNS and SPACECHASE. Mr. Emmitt Crawford of Apollo embraced my formal proposal of Saturday, May 29, 1982. Regrettably, over the following weeks of follow-up with Mr. Crawford, he hinted at the lavish lifestyles of his superiors and the serious affects it had on being able to initiate new projects. Over the course of the months after, Games by Apollo fell victim to the inevitable video game collapse.

Still inspired by the game's potential, I located George Goode & Associates and on Monday, June 28, 1982 I met with Mr. Alan Shannon of the firm along with Mr. Moss and presented a comprehensive proposal. The firm loved the concept and provided two directions to consider. The first was direction to fund the development of a prototype so there would be something tangible to sell to interested newspapers across the country. The cost to generate the prototype was estimated to be $10,000.

A second proposal the firm offered was to arrange financial backing from independent investors who would fund the project. This, however, required that I would abandon the security of my present job and work on the new project full time. Joe Moss stated that there would be no problem to "rehire" me if the project didn't go as planned.

George Goode & AssociatesThe problem I had with the two options recommended by George Goode & Associates were that they conflicted with my conservative education and way of thinking. Both imposed risks I could not comprehend. I sincerely believe that if I had the money myself, I would have invested every penny, but the concept of risking other people's money clearly separated me from the likes of others who made millions by taking such risks. (On the other hand, I've never declared bankruptcy either.)

TI-99/4a Home ComputerOnce again faced with having to find a new direction, I thought I should investigate the possibility of creating a prototype myself. So far, I only had elaborate typewritten business plans and drawings of video screens filled in by colored markers. Taking advantage of a rebate offer made by Texas Instruments, I purchased a TI-99/4A computer (my credit card was getting heavy by now). Within weeks, I managed to write a slow, yet WORKING prototype of the game in EXTENDED BASIC. Armed with this prototype, Mr. John Wolf, V.P. of Retail Sales helped me set up an appointment with Mr. Tom McCartin, Publisher of the Dallas Times Herald. Mr. McCartin did attend and he brought his son to the meeting.

Texas Instruments Rebate

Tom McCartin, with the expert advice of his young son, agreed that a newspaper delivery game had great potential. He made two commitments. One was that I could spend company time chasing a developer for the game as long as it did not affect my job. Secondly, he promised advertising exposure for the game once it was ready to go to market. I remember how these blessings seemed so promising to me at the time.

While the light began to dim and the market seemed to become flooded with games, I received a phone call from Mr. John Gunnoe, V.P. of Telesys in Freemont, California. Telesys was known for games titled COCONUTS, COSMIC CREEPS and FAST FOOD. Mr. Gunnoe was referred by my contact at Games by Apollo and told I had a great concept he should investigate. On Tuesday, November 16, 1982, Mr. Gunnoe visited my modest apartment in Dallas. He was impressed with my concept and signed copies of proposals and for a prototype to take with him back to Freemont. He asked if I felt I could develop software if their firm provided the development tools. "You bet I can!," I replied. Actually, I had no idea.

TelesysOn Monday, January 31, 1983, Mr. Jack R. Woodman, V.P. Marketing wrote to express his regrets. Telesys was not going to be able to work with me on the project. Within months later, Telesys announced that they were resigning from the software development arena and were planning to focus on consulting only.

There are times that I reflect on those days and wipe my brow; relieved that I narrowly missed the downfall of the gaming era. There are other times that I look at the popular arcade hit PAPERBOY and the many video game versions by the same name since that time. I sometimes wonder where Atari Games really got the idea for it. I really don't think it matters much anymore.

In 1983, Texas Instruments dropped the price of the TI-99/4A personal computer and I felt compelled to take my self-taught programming skills a step farther. I purchased a Commodore 64 home computer and began to experience the sinking feeling that there is no way I will catch up with technology. There were assemblers, disk drives, diskettes, modems and just too much to buy. Two of my friends at the Dallas Times Herald were Mr. Thomas Rogers and Mr. Steve Maskovich. We all shared interests in home computers, but they had developed an interest and enthusiasm with Atari 800 computers. Before long, they convinced me to sell my Commodore 64 and get an Atari 400, then later, an Atari 800. Over time, Tom Rogers and I became good friends. We were so addicted to our hobby that we purchased high powered CB radios equipped with "added" channels so we could talk to each other late at night from the keyboards of our own systems in our own homes. Tom and I would later work on amateur software development projects under the namesake of Artisan Software.

I had, by this time, moved to a respected sales position in the retail sales department of the Dallas Times Herald. Ironically, my assignment became the large appliance and electronics categories with expectations that I would help improve our position in these areas. The Dallas Morning News was ahead of us and these were important categories for the future. Highland Appliance had moved in, Videoland was opening new stores and the overall market for computers and video entertainment was exploding.

One of my accounts was Videoland; a chain of electronics stores with about a dozen locations throughout Dallas, Houston and other selected Texas cities. After calling on them for some time, Mr. Trevor Glanger (part owner of Videoland) made an offer I could not refuse. Essentially I would make the same money, including bonuses, as I did at the Dallas Times Herald. An advantage was that I would not have miles racking up on my car nor would I worry about exceedingly hard quotas to match each month. I accepted the offer and eventually assumed the role as Advertising Director for the growing operation.

Then times began to change. The market was getting saturated with camcorders and video recorders. Every department store carried them and the demand for specialty electronics stores was lessening. Highland Appliance was opening huge stores and Federated Group, Inc. (not to be confused with Federated Department Stores) was moving in. Federated was based in City of Commerce, California. They were known for "Fred Rated" advertising; a character created by Shadoe Stevens who would destroy expensive equipment in television commercials. This tactic worked well in Los Angeles and helped supersize Federated virtually overnight.

Foreseeing the impossible price wars against Federated as well as Highland and other large chains moving in, the owners of Videoland agreed to sell their locations to Federated Group in December of 1983. This move enabled Federated to obtain established sites for store conversions, but provided a working base of employees and product lines such as Mitsubishi. (Mitsubishi is extremely protective of their line to maintain profit margins. They purposely avoided the mass market so they can make more money while selling fewer systems. This meant that only so many franchises were granted to retailers in each market. This was the first opportunity for Federated to enjoy that purchasing control. Videoland had the franchise in Texas. Federated had no rights to the product line in any market.)

In November of 1985, I received a phone call just as I arrived home from an errand one Saturday afternoon. It was, Lynn, my high school sweetheart. She was responding to my name and number listed in our ten-year high school reunion directory and she later told me she had to work up a lot of nerve to call. She probably would not have tried to call again if I was not home to answer the phone. I am glad I was home. I asked her if she was finally ready to be married and on February 14, 1986 we exchanged vows in Dallas, Texas fulfilling the most treasured dream of my life.

Over the years, Lynn became an important moderator for my obsession with computers, video games and Atari products. In the summer months of 1986, Lynn "permitted" me to advance to Atari's 16-bit computer line, IF I first sold my 8-bit computers. The decision was tough, but it made sense. Tom Rogers, my friend who was still working at the Dallas Times Herald, and I placed a couple of ads in the newspaper and we sold hundreds of accumulated 8-bit items out of the garage of my small, zero-lot-line Duncanville home. There were Rana disk drives and Microperipheral modems and hundreds of "blank" disks and cables and Koala pads. I sold my Texas Instruments computer at this time as well as a variety of other accessories and peripherals I simply didn't take the time to use any longer. We also hauled a lot of items to the monthly swap meet hosted by the DAL-ACE Users' Group in the basement of the Infomart near downtown Dallas. By the end of July, Tom and I had collected over $3,000 and we placed our orders for two 1040ST computers using "employee" privileges I established between a local distributor (Ed Miller & Associates) and Mr. Ed Cline of Atari. My shipping order was generated by Atari and dated August 7, 1986. It itemized two 1024K Computers priced at $586.50 each and two 12" RGB monitors (SC1224) at $277.50 each. Eagerly awaiting delivery, I purchased my SF314 disk drive from Federated on July 26, 1986 for the employee price of $180. Tom and I also visited Bookstop in Dallas in mid-July and we purchased books about 16-bit computers and about 68000 Motorola-based computers. It wasn't until June of 1988 that I would buy my first SM124 monochrome monitor from Federated. The employee price I paid was $139.30.

By the end of the year, 1986 became shaky on the work front. Federated was studying Videoland's resources. For a while, they held on to our relatively small in-house advertising facilities. They were impressed that a staff of three people and a small vertical camera could accomplish a good share of the work. Conversely, they did similar tasks each week with a $40,000 horizontal camera and a staff of over twenty persons. In fairness, they (Federated) had more markets, more ads and a bit more multimedia going on than we (ex-Videoland) did. Yet, with our limited resources, we produced radio and television spots. I appeared on a special "Federated edition" of the Texas Hit Review (a "hip" music-orientated late night program). We produced multiple ads, from double pages to classified listings, each week. We arranged spotlights, promotional price tags and in-store signage, banners, cold air balloons and sometimes had enough energy to help sell products at the stores we spent so much time advertising.

On two occasions, I was invited to travel with Mr. Trevor Glanger to the City of Commerce-based Federated headquarters. At some point, I impressed the people I needed to... I believe those people were Mr. Keith Powell, president, and Mr. Sherman Langer, vice president of purchasing. They invited me to join Federated Group in Commerce. But the intriguing offer came at the cost of losing my staff. I noted that no second choice was paperclipped to that offer.

Once I infiltrated the Federated work scene, I found that my role was very unstable. The highest levels of management had assigned me to work for Mr. Joseph Blaustein, a genuinely qualified man, who justifiably felt I was pushed upon him. While the people who imported me hoped I would inspire a faster paced department to work more effectively and responsively, Mr. Blaustein erected a small cubicle for me and made it more comfortable for me to stay in it than work out of it.

In short time, Federated found they were beginning to ache from accelerated growth. In 1985, Circuit City was also expanding. They moved in on Federated markets and forced Federated to deal with new and tougher challenges. By the end of the first quarter ending May 31, 1987, Federated reported a loss of $895,000 although they reported a profit of $662,000 just one-year prior. Federated Group quietly sought refinancing and new funding, On August 27, Atari Corp. announced an agreement to buy the Federated Group for almost $1 million per store location or $67.3 million cash. This equaled $6.25 per share of Federated Group stock.

I vividly remember the announcement at an employee product Expo in Los Angeles on the evening of Sunday, August 23, 1987. People knew Federated was in need of help, but the sudden announcement hit us by surprise. For me, it was particularly unique as I remembered once imagining what life would be like to own a fully decked out Atari computer system when my hobby was just beginning. By this time, I had "upgraded" to Atari's 16-bit computer line and the vision I had was that the best thing that could ever happen to Federated and me just did.Federated

I expected fancy ties and suits to arrive in numbers from Atari's headquarters in Sunnyvale. A few did. There was Mr. Michael Katz and Mr. Sam Tramiel. There was Mr. Garry Tramiel and a number of others who ducked in and out that I couldn't remember. I expected Atari was about to embark on an intensive management shakeout, but they announced that the regime would remain and it did.

I lived this time period in slow motion, but it all seems like a brief horizontal scan line now. I remember Federated trying different things including the adoption of a new service mark; "Let Us Entertain You." I remember that the numbers of dollars being lost were growing and a panic at the top led to a swift departure of virtually all the brass. Lawsuits soon followed claiming that Atari was misled about the true value of the stores. For an operation that still had 10-pack diskettes priced over $60 a box while the rest of the world sold them for closer to $20, I was tempted to believe their claim.

A lot of effort when in to dealing with the Federated Group. Eventually, following a parade of potential presidents, Mr. Garry Tramiel moved in, rolled up his sleeves and managed to push losses to the lowest levels since Atari's acquisition. He brought with him Mr. Dennis Hawker and, together, we saw things beginning to improve.

But the improvements were not fast enough. Mr. Ambrose LaRocco was installed as president. Mr. LaRocco was known for his unique and eccentric style of wearing colorful California shorts and carrying toy pistols around the building. Ambrose had much bigger things to be concerned with, but he did like what I was doing with WORD QUEST, a word search program that I had written for the Atari 16-bit computers. In an effort to help me finance the essential equipment to get the product packaged and distributed, Ambrose approved a 400-piece, prepaid order for WORD QUEST in mid-July.

The $3,400 ($8.50 each accommodation price) allowed me to purchase a shrink wrap machine and place deposits of the printing and disks to mass produce the new product under a tradename of Artisan Software. Artisan SoftwareThe shrink wrap machine was ordered through the same company Federated was using to supply the movie rental and computer departments of each store; Western Flexible. The machine was charged to me for $273.50 that I paid on September 29, 1988. I had arranged package concepts to be provided by Mr. Eric Smith, Federated's art director and the package printing was arranged through Mr. Glen Dick's personal company; The House of Craftsmen. Mr. Dick was Federated Group's stat camera operator. Artisan Software was born. Gross sales were $3,534 for the first year. A net profit was reported at (-1,935).

It was a matter of a few simple days before Ambrose addressed a hard-working crowd that followed a successful Federated warehouse sale held the weekend of July 22, 1988. We were expecting praise for the efforts of the sale. Mr. LaRocco offered the expected praise and announced Federated Corporate Offices were moving to Sunnyvale (7 driving hours North); closer to Mr. Jack Tramiel's home-based umbrella.

Various departments moved at different stages. Accounting moved first, later purchasing. In most cases, the equipment and records were moved, but the people did not. Most of the people were unable to relocate. The offer to help move employees that wanted to go didn't get implemented with the same level of sincerity as openly promised. Advertising functions continued in Commerce pursuant to instructions from Mr. Armand Phillippi as he traveled between Sunnyvale and City of Commerce. By October, I became increasingly concerned that the offices were being emptied and I pressed for a decision to move our department to Sunnyvale.

Eventually, I was asked to visit Mr. Mel Stevens in Sunnyvale. Mel had been with the Tramiels for a long time and he was trusted by them to evaluate the value of relocating the department and me to Sunnyvale. Mel later told me he was impressed with our visit and that he recommended to them that they help me move. Consequently, I designed a new darkroom in facilities assigned to me in Sunnyvale and we relocated in October of 1988.

FederatedAlong with me from Commerce came Mr. Eric Smith, one of the most talented artists I have ever met, and Mr. Doug Brown who had assumed the ambitious role as our cameraman. Ms. Bobbie Murray, paste-up and layout specialist, had been previously hired from the Sunnyvale.She was "commuting" to Commerce on a weekly basis and she was glad to be "home" when we moved. Typesetting was provided by Atari's established facilities under Mr. Steven's direction. Within a few days, we had converted a small, cramped area to a darkroom and advertising production facility and we were once again in operation. I continued to report to Mr. Phillippi who later left Atari/Federated to work for BizMart (later to be absorbed by Office Max) in their Dallas-based corporate offices.

In April 1989, Artisan Software participated in it's first users' trade show. The event was held at the Disneyland Hotel at the end of the month. World of Atari was sponsored by "ST World" magazine. To lure my participation, the show promoter promised to delay billing my charges until during the show and after I had earned a minimum of the half-booth charge of $350. As luck would have it, the booth co-occupant cancelled and I had the booth to myself.

Historical record now reveals that Atari never managed to make the go of Federated as Atari had hoped. Once it was decided to unload Federated, there were efforts to find possible buyers such as SILO and Circuit City. At one point, the existing management team was rallied to develop a takeover plan, but outside funding was never solicited sufficiently. One day in early 1989 it was reported that Federated would thenceforward be considered a "discontinued operation". Eventually the ads stopped, I helped to close the stores nearest to my home in Sockton and Modesto and we were handed our final checks.

That wasn't the way I imagined it would be. I somehow felt I was destined for more than that. In the few months that followed, I organized a grass roots campaign entitled The Revolution. I knew that Federated was a sad end to an impossible task, but I also knew that Atari had a terrific product line in their games and computers. While I actively sought employment, I maintained contact with Mr. Jim Fisher at Atari. I also buried myself in work to do what I could to promote Atari products. As little as it was, I wanted very much to remain a part of the industry and feared that my needs to provide for my family would tear me away.

The Revolution was an Atari users' strategy to help spread news about the Atari computers. I wrote significant text and organized hundreds of dedicated users. My efforts earned a spotlight story about me in the December 1990 issue of START magazine. I also earned recognition as one of the "100 Industry Leaders" in the January 21, 1991 issue of MicroTimes magazine; just 5 alphabetical notches ahead of Mr. Sam Tramiel.

Mr. Jim Fisher would later join management forces at Software Toolworks, but having a background from Pacific Stereo in the Chicago area, he was brought to Atari in a last ditch effort to do anything possible for Federated. I had just gotten to know Mr. Fisher prior to the layoff of my department.

During my brief time away from Atari, Mr. Fisher was reassigned to launch the Atari Portfolio handheld computer. With the benefit of a multi-million dollarPortfolio advertising campaign, Mr. Fisher launched the Portfolio in September of 1989. The Portfolio was the first DOS-oriented handheld machine on the market. For this reason, retailers were skeptical so Jim was compelled to establish an in-house phone room to accept, process and support credit card orders for the Portfolio. The staff consisted of four people, two technicians, and one bookkeeper. The pace was astounding and impossible to keep up. The phones were always busier than they could be answered. At an average of nearly $550 per transaction, the Portfolio had a promising future.Atari Corporation

The Portfolio in-house sales staff was overworked and too often ignored. Their needs were distinctly different from those of Ms. Diana Goralczyk's staff; Atari's internal customer service department. Consequently, the staff demands increased for alternative supervision. In November 1989, Mr. Jim Fisher hired me to take over the supervision of the Portfolio in-house marketing phone staff. The position required a crash course of the Portfolio and DOS-orientated Atari Computercomputers in general. This was a turning point because it was the first significant point in my life to turn away from traditional Atari computers.

By 1995, the Portfolio was no longer considered a staple of Atari's product line. And through the subsequent months Atari tried unsuccessfully to introduce various PC and non-PC computers. Eventually, the computer side of the business was swiftlyAtari Computer and unceremoniously discontinued.

I was proud to have evolved with the internal changes at Atari and to have been a part of the new 64-bit revolution. The Atari Jaguar, introduced in key U.S. markets, at the end of 1993 is fast becoming a landmark on the map of Atari's future. It represents a quantum leap in technology and reintroduces the fun factor Atari had been known for when Mr. Bushnell was steering the ship.Atari Corporation

The Jaguar was Atari Corporation's final hardware after a spending much of a cash settlement from a pending suit against Sega and a mild heart attack suffered by number one son, Mr. Sam Tramiel.

At this time, Mr. Ted Hoff, then President of Atari's North American operations, launched Atari Interactive and had plans to re-establish Atari byAtari Interactive exploiting classic and new game titles for release on popular platforms. While a deal was pending to turn over distribution to Interplay,  Jack Tramiel found a way to walk away from all the stress by  "merging" with a hard drive company called Jugi Tandon Storage (JTS). On Tuesday, February 13, Atari Corporation announced intentions to merge with JTS by granting JTS an extended bridge loan of $25,000,000 to build their three inch disk drives. Atari stockholders held 60% of the outstanding shares of the merged operations. On Tuesday, July 30, Atari Corporation hosted a special meeting of stockholders in the offices of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C. in Palo Alto, California. The meeting took about four to six minutes to formally vote on the merger between Atari Corporation and JTS. With an outcome of approximately 42 million votes in favor and about 11,000 against, the stockholders ratified the decision. Trading of ATC shares are halted at the end of the day. Upon the conclusion of the meeting, Mr. Sam Tramiel picked up severance checks for himself and his siblings. Mr. Jack Tramiel, former chief executive officer (CEO) of Atari Corporation, remained to assist with a smooth transition with the handful of Atari personnel that survive.

I remained at what was left at Atari to help liquidate as much of inventory that we could. I held a series of outrageous SCEAInternet-based sales and sold computer and game products around the world. JTS was willing to hang on to me and I remain grateful for that, but I was not very happy working at a hard drive company. An opportunity came up to work for Mr. William Rehbock at Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) and I took it. It felt good to have been on top. The PlayStation game console deservedly ranked as the number one system in the world with nearly 50 million systems world wide by the end of 1998.

In late 1998, some ambitious middle management executives at SCEA began to look around for new opportunities. Bill RehbockVM Labs had left his VP role at SCEA to accept a new challenge at VM Labs, a company founded by Mr. Richard Miller. VM Labs was working on an innovative multimedia chip solution and Bill was asked to help launch it as an OEM technology. In November of 1998, Bill asked me to join him at VM Labs. I had watched their technology evolve and successfully align themselves with the explosive new DVD phenomenon. I liked the business model and agreed to accept Bill's offer.

In an effort to collect material for this book, I have visited a great number of bookstores, libraries and used book ICWhen.COMretailers. I have amassed my own rare collection of resources and have spoken to a great number of contemporary Atari-dedicated personalities. The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know.

My goal with this virtual book is to provide dated frames of reference to recall the history of the industry and Atari's role in it. From video games, film and music to education, business and research, Atari products has influenced most all of us in very direct ways.

Best Wishes,
Donald A. Thomas, Jr.
Donald A. Thomas, Jr., Curator
http://www.icwhen.com

 

 

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