CGE Celebrity Guests-a-plenty!

[s-kelly]

While many of the celebrity guests at Classic Gaming Expo are repeat visitors, each year we get a few "first-timers". Check out some of the folks who will be attending CGE for the first time this year!!

 

Al Alcorn

What needs to be said about Mr. Alcorn that isn't already common knowledge among classic gaming enthusiasts. In case you didn't know, Al Alcorn started Atari with Nolan Bushnell and designed the first Pong machine (which he still owns by the way).

 

Matthew Hubbard

Among many others, Mr. Hubbard designed the highly sought-after Submarine Commander, Double Dunk, and Dolphin for the Atari 2600.

 

Warren Robinett

Mr. Robinett just recently confirmed he will be attending CGE 2002 and are we glad to have him! Not only did he design one of the most popular games ever made for the Atari 2600, Adventure, but he also was one of the very few who was successful at "sneaking" his name into the game someplace. The infamous "microscopic dot" in Adventure could very-well have been one of the first "easter eggs".

 

Check out the CGE Celebrities Page for a complete listing of all the celebrity guests who will be in attendance this year.

 

If you're planning on attending Classic Gaming Expo 2002, there are only FOUR DAYS left to pre-register and save yourself a few bucks. Pre-registration ends July 26th! Anyone wishing to attend who hasn't purchased their tickets by July 26th will have to pay for their passes at the door.

 

 

Sean Kelly

Classic Gaming Expo

[NE146]

Nice list of speakers there!

 

I like how Robert Smith will be there...seems he's who wrote the one of my favorite Imagic games around, Moonsweeper but also other awesome titles Video Pinball, Star Voyager, Riddle of the Sphinx, Star Wars: The Arcade Game. Nice...... real nice

 

 

There seens to be a TON apart from what you just listed. Too bad I won't be going though

[Albert]

Excellent, thanks for the heads up Sean!

 

..All

[atarimastermarty]

Im really happy because my most favorite programmer Steve Cartwright will be there.

[Scott Stilphen]

"Al Alcorn started Atari with Nolan Bushnell..."

 

Not quite. Nolan started it with Ted Dabney. Alcorn was employee #1.

[Lemmi]

Speaking of Celebrities

 

Does anyone have an extra copy of Stella at 20 Volume 2?

I really want a copy of this tape

[Curt Vendel]

<i>"Al Alcorn started Atari with Nolan Bushnell..."</i>

 

Not quite.  Nolan started it with Ted Dabney.  Alcorn was employee #1.

 

Well, Nolan is really employee #1 and Ted is #2, but if you count them out since they were the owners, then actually Nolan's babysitter is considered to be employee #1, she was the secretary.

 

Interesting story Nolan told me about: He would have her answer the phone, ask who it was, then put them on hold for a long time, then pick up again and say she was transferring, then Nolan would wait a while before picking up the phone. This way Atari seemed much bigger to people calling.

 

 

When Al and I talked last we discussed his employee # status and he actually considers himself to be employee #3, he'll explain the whole thing to you, he's a great guy to talk with, you'll enjoy the conversation :-)

 

 

Curt

[s-kelly]

Well, I really don't have time for what could be a long debate on the subject, but regardless of what "employee number" he might have been, Al Alcorn has stated on several occassions that he started Atari with Nolan. In fact, John and I had dinner with him a few months back and while I don't have time to go through the notes of the conversation, I believe he stated the same at that time as well.

 

Those of you who will be at CGE can ask him yourselves.

[rolenta]

Well, I really don't have time for what could be a long debate on the subject, but regardless of what "employee number" he might have been, Al Alcorn has stated on several occassions that he started Atari with Nolan.  In fact, John and I had dinner with him a few months back and while I don't have time to go through the notes of the conversation, I believe he stated the same at that time as well.

 

Those of you who will be at CGE can ask him yourselves.  

 

In Steve Kent's Ultimate History of Video Games, he states that Alcorn was the seccond employee of Atari (after Cynthia Villeneuva, the babysitter). In a quote by Alcorn, he says that Bushnell hired him to work for Syzygy. Of course there never was a Syzygy since another company already had that name (but Curt has shown me paperwork with the Syzygy letterhead) and so Syzygy became Atari. So perhaps Al was with the company when the name became Atari. In this case, everybody is right. Al was with Atari from the 'beginning' but he was also the second employee of the company (Syzygy/Atari) after the founders.