And Speaking of Nolan Bushnell...

[almightytodd]

...the threads "Once Upon Atari" and "Stella at 20" mentioned the legendary Atari founder; which gives me cause to ask the question, "Is anyone following his uWink restaurant venture"? Here are some news stories linked from the uWink.com web site:

 

US News

Voice of America News

Business Week

 

I pass by the Riverton neighborhood where Nolan grew up, every day on my way to work, and I went through my own little "career crisis" - losing my home and going bankrupt - right about the same time his financial backers pulled the rug out from him, kicking him out of his home. So his story is very near and dear to my heart.

 

Almighty Todd

[Gateway]

Hi Todd,

 

Nice to see another Utahn in the hobby!

[Albert]

Thanks for posting these stories, I had forgotten about uWink since Nolan announced his plans for these restaurants. Sounds like a fun concept and hope that it does well for him. Hope they are able to spread this across the country so I can experience it firsthand.

 

The articles touch upon the "self-ordering" aspect of uWink, which I can definitely see catching on in other restaurants.

 

..Al

[Atari-Jess]

They mentioned uWink in the TV show Top Chef. The players had to take the yet-unfinished building and turn it into two temporary restaurants.

 

The only thing about uWink you even saw were a few flag banners around the outside part of the building.

[Red 5]

I've been following it closely.

 

Or as closely as possible from over here on the right coast.

I really hope it spreads out here so I can check it out.

(I also hope it spreads out here because I bought the stock at $0.47 )

 

It looks like a lot of fun and I would imagine many other cookie cutter resteraunts doing the same

deal for ordering. Your Friendlys, Denny's, IHOP's can definitely get away with that sort of ordering.

[Rik]

Nolan was on a show called "GAMEON"a couple days ago,being interveiwed at his new Uwink restaurant,and he was asked how he felt about ATARI as it exists" TODAY",and he replied"I'M APALLED",thats says it all.Not sure why he even cares,he got his millions when he sold it.

Edited March 19, 2007 by Rik

[Chris++]

I wonder if that was the `new project` he mentioned when he came to the Vegas thing to talk to us a few years back. I`d been hoping for something a bit more directly video game-related!

[mos6507]

Why would he care? If I were in his position I surely would, if for no other reason than that he's asked about his opinions on it after every dip and twist in its sad drama.

 

As for the restaurant, I've been meaning to check it out as it is local. What keeps burning me up is he still dead-set on the touch-screen interface. Touch screen is kind of analogous to flash games where the only user-input is a mouse click. It's an EXTREMELY limiting UI. You just can't do action games with it. You might bring in non-gamers, but you'll never appeal to the Dave n Busters crowd. I don't mind having some touchscreen games there, but not to exclude all other control schemes.

[Dan Iacovelli]

even that he sold atari, it's still considered as his "baby".

let me put it this way, say you had kid and you took care since birth,

20 yrs later he/she decied to move out, and you say the kid doesn't hear back again. You still care about what's going on because it's still your kid.

[Rik]

even that he sold atari, it's still considered as his "baby".

let me put it this way, say you had kid and you took care since birth,

20 yrs later he/she decied to move out, and you say the kid doesn't hear back again. You still care about what's going on because it's still your kid.

Yeah true,in regards to Nolan's opinion of "ATARI"as it exists today, i wonder what he meant by"I'm apalled"he didnt elaborate, the interviewer went right on to the next question.

Edited March 20, 2007 by Rik

[Gregory DG]

I just posted a link to that interview in this thread.

[mos6507]

Regarding Baer, remember that these interviews are heavily edited. You don't get the full context behind these quotes.

[rolenta]

Regarding Baer, remember that these interviews are heavily edited. You don't get the full context behind these quotes.

 

I'm sure it was close enough. Last year, after Baer received the National Medal of Technology from President Bush, one of the IEEE magazines did an article about him. After the article was published Bushnell sent an email to Baer claiming that Baer STOLE the idea of video table tennis from Bushnell. Baer replied to Bushnell, something he had been trying to do for years, but Bushnell never responded to the reply. I have been begging Ralph to make the email public (I read it) but he doesn't want to do so.

 

I used to admire Bushnell but he lost my respect at CGE 2003.

 

For years Bushnell claimed that he never saw the Odyssey, even after it was proven that he did. Then when he finally admits that he did see it, he puts the Odyssey down. At CGE 2003, at his keynote where I introduced him to the crowd, he finally admitted that he did indeed see the Odyssey 'but it was already failure' when he saw it. A failure? The damn thing hadn't even been released yet when he saw it! And Magnavox sold just about as many Odysseys as Atari did Home Pong!

 

Despite that, I still wanted to ask Bushnell to write the foreword to the 4th edition of Phoenix which will be out later this year. However after seeing that interview, I have completely changed my mind and want nothing to do with him.

Edited March 20, 2007 by rolenta

[Chris++]

Hey there, Leonard -- Speaking of Phoenix, I know I`ve been telling you this for years, but you should consider the benefits of having a proofreader, mainly regarding grammar. The prior version of Phoenix and the otherwise superb Kunkel book could have used hundreds of corrections (I say this every time too: Please don`t be offended). My offer still stands -- I`ll do it for free, because they`re great books, and I find them vastly interesting. If you don`t still have my address, it`s [email protected]

 

Anyway, yeah, Bushnell`s always been a bit of a revisionist. I usually assumed that he was just making sure to drastically protect himself legally, rather than being a morally shady guy or anything. Hard to tell.

[Rik]

For how much money did NOLAN sell ATARI for?

[rolenta]

Hey there, Leonard -- Speaking of Phoenix, I know I`ve been telling you this for years, but you should consider the benefits of having a proofreader, mainly regarding grammar. The prior version of Phoenix and the otherwise superb Kunkel book could have used hundreds of corrections (I say this every time too: Please don`t be offended). My offer still stands -- I`ll do it for free, because they`re great books, and I find them vastly interesting. If you don`t still have my address, it`s [email protected]

 

I have two people proofreading Phoenix but I'll take you up on the offer.

 

Bill's wife edited Bill's book and I went over it afterwards while formatting.

[mos6507]

Regarding Baer, remember that these interviews are heavily edited. You don't get the full context behind these quotes.

 

I'm sure it was close enough. Last year, after Baer received the National Medal of Technology from President Bush, one of the IEEE magazines did an article about him. After the article was published Bushnell sent an email to Baer claiming that Baer STOLE the idea of video table tennis from Bushnell. Baer replied to Bushnell, something he had been trying to do for years, but Bushnell never responded to the reply. I have been begging Ralph to make the email public (I read it) but he doesn't want to do so.

 

I used to admire Bushnell but he lost my respect at CGE 2003.

 

For years Bushnell claimed that he never saw the Odyssey, even after it was proven that he did. Then when he finally admits that he did see it, he puts the Odyssey down. At CGE 2003, at his keynote where I introduced him to the crowd, he finally admitted that he did indeed see the Odyssey 'but it was already failure' when he saw it. A failure? The damn thing hadn't even been released yet when he saw it! And Magnavox sold just about as many Odysseys as Atari did Home Pong!

 

Despite that, I still wanted to ask Bushnell to write the foreword to the 4th edition of Phoenix which will be out later this year. However after seeing that interview, I have completely changed my mind and want nothing to do with him.

 

 

It is very disappointing.

 

This is like the videogame equivalent of Megadeth vs. Metallica.

 

Atari accomplished so much more during Nolan's tenure than just Pong. It's not necessary for Nolan to claim ownership of it.

[mos6507]

Anyway, yeah, Bushnell`s always been a bit of a revisionist.

 

He has been pretty consistent on some core statements. His words regarding the sale to Warners (the opinion of videogame companies back then to investors, the stress over the payroll, and needing a vacation) is the same now as it was when I interviewed him 10 years ago.

[Curt Vendel]

Well Nolan's small humbling period of (15 mins worth it seems) seems to be over once again as Nolan just trashed the hell out of Ralph Baer and the Odyssey. Nolan gets a little bit back on his feet, his place is doing well (though my prediction is in 18months it'll be a passing yawn, its a nice concept - but nothing original really about it - ordering from your table is like the touchscreens that the drive thru order takers use and McD's, the info is passed to the kitchen and your food is prepared and given to you, so Nolan move it to the tables and put in a bunch of games to keep you busy while you wait.

 

Other restaurants will all be doing this as standard practice in a few months and uWink will be another face in the crowd, so I hope the $25mill Nolan squandered in investments from 99-06 was worth it to come up with a totally non-original restaurant.

 

Back to Baer, so now Nolan is "back on top" I suppose, so what does he do, starts trashing Baer and Odyssey - the worst I've seen to date.

 

Nolan must be so afraid of people thinking one ounce less of him for just admitting that Ralph was before him on a home console and that Pong was based on Odyssey. If Nolan knew how to be a gentleman and had some faith in his own self, he could've easily said

 

Ralph Invented a great idea... Atari made it even better and with strong branding appeal with the name - Pong.

 

Instead he badmouths Ralph and the Odyssey, nice Nolan, real nice... NO RESPECT FOR NOLAN WHATSOEVER - He's shallow cad, period.

 

Listen to Nolan sucker punch Ralph to prop his own self up:

 

http://www.addict3d.org/news/75533/Clip:%2...berry%20Mojitos

 

 

Now mind you, I am an Atari fanatic, so you'd think I'd blindly follow behind Nolan and support him, not when Nolan continues to rewrite videogaming history and can't give credit where credit it due, so you can see how much this incenses me to see such a despicable show of poor character on Nolan's part.

 

Shame on you Nolan!

 

 

Curt

 

Anyway, yeah, Bushnell`s always been a bit of a revisionist.

 

He has been pretty consistent on some core statements. His words regarding the sale to Warners (the opinion of videogame companies back then to investors, the stress over the payroll, and needing a vacation) is the same now as it was when I interviewed him 10 years ago.

[rolenta]

For how much money did NOLAN sell ATARI for?

 

$28 million

[misspent_youth]

But Nolan himself didn't get 28 mil, right? That was what Warner paid for it, including paying off outside investors like Valentine, etc., right? Only going by my understanding of what I've read, so please correct me if I'm wrong.

[supercat]

Ralph Invented a great idea... Atari made it even better and with strong branding appeal with the name - Pong.

 

I've not played the Odyssey tennis game, but my impression is that it was too complicated for people to play it effectively in a bar setting. Pong made some useful simplifications while rewarding people who could not merely hit the ball, but position their paddle precisely enough to score edge hits (poorer players who tried for edge hits would be likely to miss the ball entirely).

 

Baer's game was a real innovation; Bushnell improved upon it. Both people deserve credit.

 

I do think Baer, in his book, is too dismissive of Space War, though. Space War wouldn't constitute prior art for the design of television games based on discrete components. Something like the Atari 2600, however, is derived as much from Space War as from the Odyssey. The 2600 is a computer. Although some slight aspects of the hardware probably infringe upon Baer's patent (most notably the collision detection) the fact that the 2600 is a computer would have made it possible to implement collision detection via other means.

[rolenta]

I've not played the Odyssey tennis game, but my impression is that it was too complicated for people to play it effectively in a bar setting.

 

That was Computer Space that was too complicated. The Odyssey was a home game.

 

 

 

Baer's game was a real innovation; Bushnell improved upon it. Both people deserve credit.

 

And Baer would be one of the first to agree with you. It's Bushnell who refuses to accept that.

[Rik]

For how much money did NOLAN sell ATARI for?

 

$28 million

Hmm,is that it,i thought he would've gotten at least 60-80 million,did he sell before or after the crash?

Edited March 21, 2007 by Rik

[Rik]

Because of all this automated robotic tecnology,electronic waiters,automated cashiers at supermarkets,i say for any young child right now to get into ROBOTICS or COMPUTER SCIENCES,cus thats were the future is going,ROBOTS and computers are taking jobs humans used to do,great for companys,that will save them money,but NOT good for students who need summer jobs,and its places like restaurants and such that employ these studentsI guess with Nolans TOUCH SCREEN ORDERING COMPUTER SYSTEM,customers no longer have to give out TIPS,.YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY:),does he have his HUBOTS or any other robot bringing your order to your table also?,if so,DEFINATELY NO TIPS!