kisrael Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 The Steve Jobs biography says: In addition, he intuitively appreciated the simplicity of Atari’s games. They came with no manual and needed to be uncomplicated enough that a stoned freshman could figure them out. The only instructions for Atari’s Star Trek game were “1. Insert quarter. 2. Avoid Klingons.” Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator was about 4 or 5 years after this is taking place and is by Sega anyway. Does anyone know what this is? Could it be Starship 1? The instructions are quoted twice in the book but that doesn't mean they're 100% accurate... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComputerSpaceFan Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 Could he be referring to For-Play's Star Trek? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madaracs Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 Could he be referring to For-Play's Star Trek? The date is right. That game came out in 1972. He went to college and dropped out in 1974. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kisrael Posted November 9, 2011 Author Share Posted November 9, 2011 Weird though, the bio seems to be sure it was an Atari-made game, or else the story around it doesn't make as much sense. I'd be more likely that details like "Star Trek" and "Klingons" were wrong, but I dunno. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emehr Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 I don't know but that would make a great T-shirt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian O Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 I think he was thinking of Pong's "Avoid missing ball for high score" instructions. -B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kisrael Posted November 9, 2011 Author Share Posted November 9, 2011 Dragonstomper, yeah, Pong's instructions are truly a bit of poetry. (For joustpong I grew it to "Press Button to Flap. Avoid Missing Ball for High Score."-- less poetic, but I am proud that my controller scheme is much simpler than Pong's complex potentiometer) Its intereting how both the klingons instruction and Pong's do invite the user to play and explore with the controls in order to work out how to interact with the system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr. toast Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 The instructions are quoted twice in the book but that doesn't mean they're 100% accurate... Which book is this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirage Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 The instructions are quoted twice in the book but that doesn't mean they're 100% accurate... Which book is this? Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Allan Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 The author probably just made it up. Or Steve just made it up to make a reference to a time when games were simpler. My guess would be the first one. Allan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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