Computer Space: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 22:47, 22 February 2025

Computer Space is a video game released by Nutting Associates in November 1971. It was created by the partnership Syzygy Engineering as single-player adaptation of the mainframe computer game Spacewar!. The game is widely acknowledged as the first commercial video game ever available on the market.

Previews

Cash Box
🇺🇸 October 30, 1971

Photograph of the Nutting Associates booth at the 1971 MOA, showcasing Computer Space.

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Cash Box
🇺🇸 October 30, 1971

Blurb about Computer Space at the MOA.

Download File

Cash Box
🇺🇸 November 6, 1971

A report from the MOA show, speaking with Nolan Bushnell about the game's features.

Download File

Announcement

United States

Cash Box
🇺🇸 December 4, 1971

Announcement of the availability of Computer Space.

Download File

Italy

Automat
🇺🇸 1971

Computer Space announcement in Italian coin-op magazine Automat.

Download File

Photos

Production

Cash Box
🇺🇸 February 12, 1972

Production of Computer Space at the Nutting Associates plant in Mountain View, California.

Download File

On Location

Plain Dealer
🇺🇸 June 17, 1973

Comedian Tony Bodanza poses with Computer Space.

Download File

Families, couples, and friends enjoy indoor roller skating
🇺🇸 April 30, 1975

A boy in rollerskates plays Computer Space in a mall arcade.

Download File

Articles

Cash Box
🇺🇸 January 29, 1972

Report on distributor acceptance of Computer Space on the West Coast. Bill Nutting advocates how the game opens non-traditional venues to coin-operated games.

Download File

Cash Box
🇺🇸 February 12, 1972

A report on Nutting Associates focused on Computer Space. David Ralston provides commentary on the difference of the game from others currently on the market.

Download File

Vending Times
🇺🇸 May 1972

Descriptive article highlighting the features of Computer Space with quotes by David Ralston.

Download File

Cash Box
🇺🇸 November 4, 1972

Bill Nutting gives an award to coin-op distributor Bob Portale of Portale Automatic Sales for exemplary sales of Computer Space for the company.

Download File

Game credits

Game Designer, Hardware Designer: Nolan Bushnell
Hardware Designer, Sound Engineer: Ted Dabney
Technician: Steve Bristow

Histories

Computer Space and the Dawn of the Arcade Video Game by Benj Edwards.
Pixels in Print (Part 1): Advertising Computer Space by Kate Willaert covering the advertising context of the original game.
Nolan Versus Ted: Part 1 by Alex Smith. A historiological discussion of the work done on Computer Space by the two partners.
Worldly Wednesdays: A Timeline of Computer Space by Alex Smith. An attempt to use existing documentation to sort out when parts of the game were conceived and built.

Interviews

https://amhistory.si.edu/archives/AC1498_Transcript_NolanBushnell.pdf — Nolan Bushnell oral history conducted by Christopher Weaver, working with the Smithsonian Institution's Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation (November 17th, 2017).
https://amhistory.si.edu/archives/AC1498_Transcript_TedDabney.pdf — Ted Dabney oral history conducted by Christopher Weaver, working with the Smithsonian Institution's Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation (March 15th, 2018).

Books

Video Invaders by Steve Bloom
Atari Inc: Business is Fun by Curt Vendel and Marty Goldberg.

Other Information

http://www.computerspacefan.com/SN9003large.htm — Information on the white variation of Computer Space, claimed to be one of the original four production units.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Infobox
+{{InfoboxGame
   |title  = Computer Space
   |image  = ComputerSpaceFlyerFront.jpg
-  |developer = Nolan Bushnell, Ted Dabney
+  |developer = [[Syzygy Engineering]]
-  |publisher = Nutting Associates
+  |publisher = [[Nutting Associates]]
   |date = November 1971
-  |mobygames = https://www.mobygames.com/game/arcade/computer-space
+  |mobygames = https://www.mobygames.com/game/arcade/computer-space}}
-}}
+''Computer Space'' is a video game released by [[Nutting Associates]] in November 1971. It was created by the partnership [[Syzygy Engineering]] as single-player adaptation of the mainframe computer game ''[[Spacewar!]]''. The game is widely acknowledged as the first commercial video game ever available on the market.
 == Previews ==
-<gallery widths="180px" heights="180px">
+{{GalleryStart}}
-ComputerSpace1971MOA.jpeg|Image of the Nutting Associates booth at the MOA. (1971)
+{{GalleryCard
--10-30 Cash Box pg 56 02 04.png|(1971)
+|file=ComputerSpace1971MOA.jpeg
--11-06 Cash Box pg 56 01 03.png|(1971)
+|title=Cash Box
-</gallery>
+|date=October 30, 1971
+|country=US
+|description=Photograph of the Nutting Associates booth at the 1971 MOA, showcasing ''Computer Space''.
+}}
+{{GalleryCard
+|file=1971-10-30 Cash Box pg 56 02 04.png
+|title=Cash Box
+|date=October 30, 1971
+|country=US
+|description=Blurb about ''Computer Space'' at the MOA.
+}}
+{{GalleryCard
+|file=1971-11-06 Cash Box pg 56 01 03.png
+|title=Cash Box
+|date=November 6, 1971
+|country=US
+|description=A report from the MOA show, speaking with [[Nolan Bushnell]] about the game's features.
+}}
+{{GalleryEnd}}
 == Announcement ==
-<gallery widths="180px" heights="180px">
+=== United States ===
--12-04 Cash Box pg 45 02.png|(1971)
-ComputerSpaceItalyRelease01.jpg|Announcement of Computer Space in the Italian publication Automat. (1971)
+{{GalleryStart}}
-</gallery>
+{{GalleryCard
+|file=1971-12-04 Cash Box pg 45 02.png
+|title=Cash Box
+|date=December 4, 1971
+|country=US
+|description=Announcement of the availability of ''Computer Space''.
+}}
+{{GalleryEnd}}
+=== Italy ===
+{{GalleryStart}}
+{{GalleryCard
+|file=ComputerSpaceItalyRelease01.jpg
+|title=Automat
+|date=1971
+|country=US
+|description=''Computer Space'' announcement in Italian coin-op magazine Automat.
+}}
+{{GalleryEnd}}
 == Advertisement ==
-=== Ad Pages ===
+=== Ads ===
-<gallery widths="180px" heights="180px">
--11-27 Cash Box pg 54 04.png|(1971)
+{{GalleryStart}}
-ComputerSpaceAd01.jpg|Cash Box ad (1972)
+{{GalleryCard
--07-01 Cash Box pg Part III 50 02.png|(1972)
+|file=1971-11-27 Cash Box pg 54 04.png
--08-19 Cash Box pg 41 04.png|(1972)
+|title=Cash Box
-</gallery>
+|date=November 27, 1971
+|country=US
+|description=First in-page advertisement for ''Computer Space'', announcing availability.
+}}
+{{GalleryCard
+|file=1972-07-01 Cash Box pg Part III 50 02.png
+|title=Cash Box
+|date=July 1, 1972
+|country=US
+|description=Revised in-page for ''Computer Space''.
+}}
+{{GalleryCard
+|file=1972-08-19 Cash Box pg 41 04.png
+|title=Cash Box
+|date=August 19, 1972
+|country=US
+|description=Small, illustrated advertisement for ''Computer Space'' representing the gameplay.
+}}
+{{GalleryEnd}}
 === Flyers ===
-<gallery widths="180px" heights="180px">
-ComputerSpaceFlyerFront.jpg|Front of Flyer #1. (1971?)
-ComputerSpaceFlyer01Back.jpg|Back of Flyer #1. (1971?)
-</gallery>
-== Production ==
+{{GalleryStart}}
+{{GalleryCard
+|file=Computer Space (1971) Flyer 01.pdf
+|title=Flyer
+|date=c. 1971
+|country=US
+}}
+{{GalleryCard
+|file=Computer Space (1971) Flyer 02.pdf
+|title=Flyer
+|date=c. 1971
+|country=US
+}}
+{{GalleryEnd}}
+== Photos ==
+=== Production ===
+{{GalleryStart}}
+{{GalleryCard
+|file=ComputerSpaceProductionLine.jpg
+|title=Cash Box
+|date=February 12, 1972
+|country=US
+|description=Production of ''Computer Space'' at the Nutting Associates plant in Mountain View, California.
+}}
+{{GalleryEnd}}
+=== On Location ===
-<gallery widths="180px" heights="180px">
+{{GalleryStart}}
-ComputerSpaceProductionLine.jpg|Photo of Computer Space on the production line. (1972)
+{{GalleryCard
-</gallery>
+|file=1973-06-17 Plain Dealer pg 6-E 02.jpg
+|title=Plain Dealer
+|date=June 17, 1973
+|country=US
+|description=Comedian Tony Bodanza poses with ''Computer Space''.
+}}
+{{GalleryCard
+|file=ST-20003783-0018.jpg
+|title=Families, couples, and friends enjoy indoor roller skating
+|date=April 30, 1975
+|country=US
+|description=A boy in rollerskates plays ''Computer Space'' in a mall arcade.
+}}
+{{GalleryEnd}}
 == Articles ==
-<gallery widths="180px" heights="180px">
--01-29 Cash Box pg 62 01 04.png|(1972)
+{{GalleryStart}}
--02-12 Cash Box pg 42 02.png|(1972)
+{{GalleryCard
--05 Vending Times (Computer Space Article).png|(1972)
+|file=1972-01-29 Cash Box pg 62 01 04.png
--11-04 Cash Box pg 55 08.png|(1972)
+|title=Cash Box
-</gallery>
+|date=January 29, 1972
+|country=US
+|description=Report on distributor acceptance of ''Computer Space'' on the West Coast. Bill Nutting advocates how the game opens non-traditional venues to coin-operated games.
+}}
+{{GalleryCard
+|file=1972-02-12 Cash Box pg 42 02.png
+|title=Cash Box
+|date=February 12, 1972
+|country=US
+|description=A report on Nutting Associates focused on ''Computer Space''. [[David Ralston]] provides commentary on the difference of the game from others currently on the market.
+}}
+{{GalleryCard
+|file=1972-05 Vending Times (Computer Space Article).png
+|title=Vending Times
+|date=May 1972
+|country=US
+|description=Descriptive article highlighting the features of ''Computer Space'' with quotes by David Ralston.
+}}
+{{GalleryCard
+|file=1972-11-04 Cash Box pg 55 08.png
+|title=Cash Box
+|date=November 4, 1972
+|country=US
+|description=Bill Nutting gives an award to coin-op distributor Bob Portale of Portale Automatic Sales for exemplary sales of ''Computer Space'' for the company.
+}}
+{{GalleryEnd}}
+== Game credits ==
+{{Credits begin}}
+{{Credits line|Game Designer, Hardware Designer = Nolan Bushnell}}
+{{Credits line|Hardware Designer, Sound Engineer = Ted Dabney}}
+{{Credits line|Technician = Steve Bristow}}
+{{Credits end}}
 == Histories ==