Atariage's trivia section

[carmel_andrews]

I noticed there were three factually incorrect entries in that section

 

1st one refers to the 5200 being the first games machine to feature a pause button.....Thsi is factually incorrect, the 5200 itself (i.e the actual console, less controllers since the controllers were detachable) didn't actually incorporate the pause button, the 5200 pause feature was generated by the button on the controllers that came with the 5200

 

the second one refers to Atari not being present at the 1985 CES show...I think Curt/Wgungfu et al picked holes right through this one when i did a post on this subject in the ST section, subsequent to that post, some intenet content referred to the fact that the people behind CES offered Atari a free exhibit, Atari told the CES people that they could'nt supply staff but both parties agreed that Atari could appoint representatives from some of the leading US A.U.G's to man the Atari exhibit and direct or supply information to interested parties concerning Atari's new hardware lines (i.e the ST and XE)

 

The Third factually incorrect entry refers to Nolan bushnell starting chuck e cheese 'AFTER' leaving Atari, again, factually incorrect since Bushnell started (but didn't fully develop the concept) the Chuck e cheese concept/outlets whilst he was still working at Atari, infact i have seen Internet and printed content that states, that as part of Bushnells severence deal he received by leaving Atari, Bushnell wanted the Chuck E cheese concept so he could develop the concept further and expand the no. of outlets, apparently Warners obliged his request

 

Perhaps these entries can be corrected and perhaps it might be an idea to go through the other numerous entries making sure that they stand up to close scrutiny

[Albert]

1st one refers to the 5200 being the first games machine to feature a pause button.....Thsi is factually incorrect, the 5200 itself (i.e the actual console, less controllers since the controllers were detachable) didn't actually incorporate the pause button, the 5200 pause feature was generated by the button on the controllers that came with the 5200

It doesn't matter that the pause button is on the controller.

 

the second one refers to Atari not being present at the 1985 CES show...I think Curt/Wgungfu et al picked holes right through this one when i did a post on this subject in the ST section, subsequent to that post, some intenet content referred to the fact that the people behind CES offered Atari a free exhibit, Atari told the CES people that they could'nt supply staff but both parties agreed that Atari could appoint representatives from some of the leading US A.U.G's to man the Atari exhibit and direct or supply information to interested parties concerning Atari's new hardware lines (i.e the ST and XE)

So if Atari did not have a booth at the 1985 CES show, they effectively weren't present.

 

The Third factually incorrect entry refers to Nolan bushnell starting chuck e cheese 'AFTER' leaving Atari, again, factually incorrect since Bushnell started (but didn't fully develop the concept) the Chuck e cheese concept/outlets whilst he was still working at Atari, infact i have seen Internet and printed content that states, that as part of Bushnells severence deal he received by leaving Atari, Bushnell wanted the Chuck E cheese concept so he could develop the concept further and expand the no. of outlets, apparently Warners obliged his request

Developing a concept and actually firing up the company are two entirely different things. If Chuck E. Cheese restaurants didn't actually open until Nolan left Atari, I don't see anything wrong with this entry either.

 

Perhaps these entries can be corrected and perhaps it might be an idea to go through the other numerous entries making sure that they stand up to close scrutiny

Perhaps, but perhaps someone other than you should do so.

 

..Al

[Nukey Shay]

Ooo...a "correcting trivia entries" topic?

 

Adventure, by Warren Robinett, contained the first ever videogame Easter Egg

Fairchild's Video Whiz Ball and Alien Invasion programs do...preceding Adventure by 2 years. Atari's own Backgammon which shortly preceded Adventure contains an undocumented intentionally-programmed cheat.

 

The Atari 2600 only has 128 bytes of RAM.

There's a little more than just zeropage user ram, the hardware uses some of it's own As far as ram available for program use goes, programs could also take advantage of redefining DDR of ports A and B, or using the timer to hold a value (if the routine is quick about using it). Wherever stack use is not a factor, the stack pointer register could also be used.

[Nesbroslash]

Hey, at least it's more factually correct than what a lot of people think. I have no problem with these.

[carmel_andrews]

Not that i want to bleat on about it, but i found 2 references to sort of back up my point, Re: Bushnell and Chuck E Cheese

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_E._Cheese

 

Some text from that page

 

 

Chuck E. Cheese's, originally referred to as Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time Theatre, was founded by Atari founder Nolan Bushnell.[3] Bushnell’s experience in the amusement park industry, as well as his fondness of The Walt Disney Company, was influential in the conceptualization of the Pizza Time Theatre concept.[7] The first location opened in San Jose, California in 1977, and was labeled as the first family restaurant to integrate food, animated entertainment, and an indoor arcade.[2][3] In November 1978, Bushnell left Atari to purchase the Pizza Time Theatre concept from Atari's then-corporate parent, Warner Communications

 

 

Which i guess pre dated him leaving atari

 

 

http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/bushnell.html

 

In 1976, Bushnell sold Atari to Time Warner for $28 million; by 1982, their Atari division was making $2 billion in annual sales. Meanwhile, Bushnell had already founded another company, Chuck E. Cheese pizza restaurants (1977), which gave kids the chance to enjoy, simultaneously, the fun of playing electronic games and the fun of eating out.

 

As per the above

 

The point i made about the 5200 thing is that, as the entery states itself, it inplies and infers that the pause button is on the 5200 itself

 

to quote the entry itself

 

The Atari 5200 was one of the first consoles to feature a "Pause" button.

 

EoP

[Rybags]

Perhaps these entries can be corrected and perhaps it might be an idea to go through the other numerous entries making sure that they stand up to close scrutiny

 

PMSL.

 

If you practiced as you preached, your post count would be about 20% of what it is now.

[Christophero Sly]

This one needs to go for sure.

 

"Atari buried 5 million unsold copies of E.T. in the New Mexico desert."

[littleman jack]

This one needs to go for sure.

 

"Atari buried 5 million unsold copies of E.T. in the New Mexico desert."

 

 

Maybe that includes Betamax and Laser Disc versions of the motion picture. You never know.

[CRV]

So if Atari did not have a booth at the 1985 CES show, they effectively weren't present.

 

This is a booth, isn't it?

[carmel_andrews]

Perhaps these entries can be corrected and perhaps it might be an idea to go through the other numerous entries making sure that they stand up to close scrutiny

 

PMSL.

 

If you practiced as you preached, your post count would be about 20% of what it is now.

 

 

 

 

 

wasn't preaching anything, merely making a suggestion (which, last time i looked....wasn't preaching)

[+orpheuswaking]

Perhaps these entries can be corrected and perhaps it might be an idea to go through the other numerous entries making sure that they stand up to close scrutiny

 

PMSL.

 

If you practiced as you preached, your post count would be about 20% of what it is now.

 

 

But isn't everything Carmel says right? I mean afterall it's right there to be checked on Wikipedia... The most factually acurate encyclopedia of knowledge ever!

[Nukey Shay]

If you practiced as you preached, your post count would be about 20% of what it is now.

wasn't preaching anything, merely making a suggestion (which, last time i looked....wasn't preaching)

 

Figure of speech. PWYP is a proverb/maxim that states to follow one's own advice/suggestions/etc...and can still apply regardless of however unique said advice/suggestion/etc. is.

[+remowilliams]

wasn't preaching anything, merely making a suggestion (which, last time i looked....wasn't preaching)

 

It's probably more that you are the Grand King Puba around here of constantly spouting unbelievably wildly inaccurate 'information' or just plain old fevered delusions, as 'facts'

[4Ks]

Why is is that I see carmel getting his butt thumped so much lately?

[+remowilliams]

Why is is that I see carmel getting his butt thumped so much lately?

 

Go back and read through six years of posts...

[carmel_andrews]

wasn't preaching anything, merely making a suggestion (which, last time i looked....wasn't preaching)

 

It's probably more that you are the Grand King Puba around here of constantly spouting unbelievably wildly inaccurate 'information' or just plain old fevered delusions, as 'facts'

 

 

 

 

 

 

And I guess therefore that you are perfect and are the fount of knowledge....NOT

[Tempest]

And I guess therefore that you are perfect and are the fount of knowledge....NOT

NOT? Seriously? Are you twelve or something? This is not helping your cause.

 

Tempest

[+remowilliams]

And I guess therefore that you are perfect and are the fount of knowledge....NOT

 

the 5200 pause feature was generated by the button on the controllers that came with the 5200

 

FFS - you started this very thread right here off with something so preposterous that it shows you have absolutely no concept whatsoever of what you were talking about.

[Albert]

So if Atari did not have a booth at the 1985 CES show, they effectively weren't present.

 

This is a booth, isn't it?

It would appear so.

 

..Al

[carmel_andrews]

And I guess therefore that you are perfect and are the fount of knowledge....NOT

 

the 5200 pause feature was generated by the button on the controllers that came with the 5200

 

FFS - you started this very thread right here off with something so preposterous that it shows you have absolutely no concept whatsoever of what you were talking about.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To try and respond to your gibberish Remowilliams

 

Can you point out to me another post of mine where I have STATED or MENTIONED that I am or was STATING A FACT

 

Seeming as though you stated and mentioned that in 6 years of posting that what i was saying implies and infers (according to you) i was dressing that up as FACT (again, according to you)

 

 

If I did not state or mention that I was stating a fact, then logically speaking I wasn't stating a fact, merely entering into the content of the conversation or discussion that the particular subject matter stated in the thread and not necessarily either stating a fact let alone any opinion or view

 

I cannot help it if other people wish to either interpret or imagine any post or thread of mine as inferring and imply that I am stating fact...Like I said unless I explicitly mention or state that I am or was stating fact (let alone an opinion or view) then it isn't fact nor am I stating it

 

And last time I checked even if I was stating an opinion or view (which I probably wasn't) doesn't necessarily imply or infer I was stating a fact

Edited September 28, 2010 by carmel_andrews

[Nukey Shay]

You didn't specify if this last post is a fact. Therefore, can we safely conclude that is isn't?

 

 

This may or may not be a question. I'm trying to figure out if there's a joke in there someplace (in which case, it isn't), if it's just my regular 6am confusion which occurs when I haven't had a cup of coffee yet (in which case, it may be), or if I indeed read it correctly the first time around (in which case, it is).

[Tempest]

I'm trying to figure out if there's a joke in there someplace

carmel_andrews *IS* the joke.

 

Tempest

[Nukey Shay]

I was referring to whether the question posed was purely retorical on my part for the sake of lightening the mood a bit in a thead seemingly destined for lockdown, and questioning myself if I really wanted an answer to the question (because it was difficult enough to follow as-is when reading it half-asleep)

[BigO]

A point of idle curiosity: How is the Pause implemented on the 5200? I've only messed with the hardware at a surface level and software not at all. I know the pause button is part of the scanned matrix of the keypad, but (how) does the hardware actually implement it?

 

 

Does the firmware/BIOS in the 5200 intercept that key press and do something (like display a frame buffer repeatedly)?

Or is it the software that must recognize the key press and respond with its own pause software (in which case it's a Pause feature like the switch on the 2600 is a B/W & Color switch) or call a BIOS function?

[Nukey Shay]

Since the hardware is basically identical to the 8-bit computer line, it should be evident

 

But as "proof", you can look at the software pause loop coded into 5200's Galaxian from this page (present in the file Galdem.mac).