Gran Trak 10: Difference between revisions

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  |mobygames = https://www.mobygames.com/game/arcade/gran-trak-10}}
  |mobygames = https://www.mobygames.com/game/arcade/gran-trak-10}}


''Gran Trak 10'' was released in March 1974 by Atari Inc, co-developed with the firm Cyan Engineering. Based off of existing electro-mechanical arcade driving games and inspired by a Scientific American mathematical game by Martin Gardner called ''Racetrack'', ''Gran Trak 10'' was the first graphical car racing video game ever released.
''Gran Trak 10'' was a racing game released in 1974 by Atari Inc, developed by the firm [[Cyan Engineering]]. It simulates a car driving top-down around a race course on a single screen. The game is notable as the first coin-operated video driving game as well as its early use of [[read-only memory]] (ROM) chips to store graphical data.


The initial prototype of the game was created at Cyan Engineering by Steve Mayer and Larry Emmons - founders of Cyan - with additional help by Bob Walker and Ron Milner. Among other notable features, it is one of the first arcade games to make use of a ROM chip as well as custom analog-digital hybrid chips in order to prevent copying by competitors. This extra hardware lead to production issues with the game, which first shipped in March of 1974 but had to be re-released in May of 1974 along with a redesigned model called ''Trak 10'' which was identical in gameplay but did not make use of the custom chips internally.
Atari initially released the game in March 1974, but due to production issues they pulled the early version of the game to re-release it in May. A scaled-down version called ''Trak 10'' was released later in the year. The game also inspired a sequel, ''[Gran Trak 20]''.


[[Kee Games]], the company secretly owned by Atari, also released their own version of the game known as ''Formula K''.
The [[Kee Games]] version of the game was called ''Formula K''.


== Development ==
== History ==


<gallery widths="180px" heights="180px">
=== Development ===
GranTrak10Proto.jpg|Prototype model for Gran Trak 10 being tested. (1973)
 
</gallery>
 
 
== Pre-Release ==


== Production ==
=== Photos ===


<gallery widths="180px" heights="180px">
{{GalleryStart}}
GranTrak10Production01.jpg|Inside the production line for Gran Trak 10. (1974)
{{GalleryCard
</gallery>
|file=GranTrak10Proto.jpg
|title=
|date=c. 1973
|country=US
|description=The prototype model of ''Gran Trak 10'' being tested at Cyan Engineering. The course in the photo was only shipped with early models of the game.
}}
{{GalleryEnd}}


== Announcement ==
== Announcements ==


<gallery widths="180px" heights="180px">
{{GalleryStart}}
1974-04 Vending Times pg 61 02.png|(1974)
{{GalleryCard
</gallery>
|file=1974-04 Vending Times pg 61 02.png
|title=Vending Times
|date=April 1974
|country=US
|description=Announcement of ''Gran Trak 10''.
}}
{{GalleryCard
|file=1974-09 Vending Times pg 74 01.png
|title=Vending Times
|date=April 1974
|country=US
|description=Announcement of the ''Trak 10'' model and its sequel, ''Gran Trak 20''.
}}
{{GalleryEnd}}


== Advertisement ==
== Advertisement ==
Line 39: Line 60:
</gallery>
</gallery>


=== Ad Pages ===
=== Ads ===
<gallery widths="180px" heights="180px">
 
1974-03 Vending Times pg 73.png|(1974)
{{GalleryStart}}
</gallery>
{{GalleryCard
|file=1974-03 Vending Times pg 73.png
|title=Vending Times
|date=March 1974
|country=US
|description=
}}
{{GalleryEnd}}


== Articles ==
== Articles ==
<gallery widths="180px" heights="180px">
 
1974-09 Vending Times pg 74 01.png|(1974)
{{GalleryStart}}
1975-03 Play Meter pg 20.png|A report on the static coin reset problem of Gran Trak 10. (1975)
{{GalleryCard
1975-03 Play Meter pg 59 03.png|Proposed fixes for Atari's Gran Trak series and other games. (1975)
|file=1975-03 Play Meter pg 20.png
</gallery>
|title=Play Meter
|date=March 1975
|country=US
|description=A report discussing the static electricity coin reset issue present on the Gran Trak series of games.
}}
{{GalleryCard
|file=1975-03 Play Meter pg 59 03.png
|title=Play Meter
|date=March 1975
|country=US
|description=Proposed fixes for the static reset problem for ''Gran Trak 10'' and other games.
}}
{{GalleryEnd}}


== Photos ==
== Photos ==
<gallery widths="180px" heights="180px">
 
1974-10 Vending Times pg 108 01 04.png|(1974)
{{GalleryStart}}
</gallery>
{{GalleryCard
|file=1974-10 Vending Times pg 108 01 04.png
|title=Vending Times
|date=October 1974
|country=US
|description=Promotional photo of a ''Trak 10'' cabinet.
}}
{{GalleryEnd}}
 
=== Production ===
 
{{GalleryStart}}
{{GalleryCard
|file=GranTrak10Production01.jpg
|title=
|date=c. 1974
|country=US
|description=Nolan Bushnell stands on the production line for ''Gran Trak 10'' at Atari.
}}
{{GalleryEnd}}


=== Trade Shows ===
=== Trade Shows ===
<gallery widths="180px" heights="180px">
 
1974-07 Vending Times pg 54 01.png|(1974)
{{GalleryStart}}
</gallery>
{{GalleryCard
|file=1974-07 Vending Times pg 54 01.png
|title=Vending Times
|date=July 1974
|country=US
|description=
}}
{{GalleryEnd}}
 
== Game credits ==
 
{{Credits begin}}
{{Credits line|Game Designer, Hardware Designer = Steve Mayer, Larry Emmons}}
{{Credits line|ROM Programmer = Bob Walker}}
{{Credits line|Technician = Ron Milner}}
{{Credits end}}


== Histories ==
== Histories ==

Revision as of 19:29, 24 February 2025

Gran Trak 10 was a racing game released in 1974 by Atari Inc, developed by the firm Cyan Engineering. It simulates a car driving top-down around a race course on a single screen. The game is notable as the first coin-operated video driving game as well as its early use of read-only memory (ROM) chips to store graphical data.

Atari initially released the game in March 1974, but due to production issues they pulled the early version of the game to re-release it in May. A scaled-down version called Trak 10 was released later in the year. The game also inspired a sequel, [Gran Trak 20].

The Kee Games version of the game was called Formula K.

History[edit]

Development[edit]

Pre-Release[edit]

Photos[edit]

GranTrak10Proto.jpg
🇺🇸 c. 1973

The prototype model of Gran Trak 10 being tested at Cyan Engineering. The course in the photo was only shipped with early models of the game.

  Download File

Announcements[edit]

1974-04 Vending Times pg 61 02.png
Vending Times
🇺🇸 April 1974

Announcement of Gran Trak 10.

  Download File
1974-09 Vending Times pg 74 01.png
Vending Times
🇺🇸 April 1974

Announcement of the Trak 10 model and its sequel, Gran Trak 20.

  Download File

[edit]

Flyers[edit]

  • Front page of the first Gran Trak 10 flyer. (1974)

    Front page of the first Gran Trak 10 flyer. (1974)

  • Back page of the first Gran Trak 10 flyer. (1974)

    Back page of the first Gran Trak 10 flyer. (1974)

Ads[edit]

1974-03 Vending Times pg 73.png
Vending Times
🇺🇸 March 1974
  Download File

Articles[edit]

1975-03 Play Meter pg 20.png
Play Meter
🇺🇸 March 1975

A report discussing the static electricity coin reset issue present on the Gran Trak series of games.

  Download File
1975-03 Play Meter pg 59 03.png
Play Meter
🇺🇸 March 1975

Proposed fixes for the static reset problem for Gran Trak 10 and other games.

  Download File

Photos[edit]

1974-10 Vending Times pg 108 01 04.png
Vending Times
🇺🇸 October 1974

Promotional photo of a Trak 10 cabinet.

  Download File

Production[edit]

GranTrak10Production01.jpg
🇺🇸 c. 1974

Nolan Bushnell stands on the production line for Gran Trak 10 at Atari.

  Download File

Trade Shows[edit]

1974-07 Vending Times pg 54 01.png
Vending Times
🇺🇸 July 1974
  Download File

Game credits[edit]

Game Designer, Hardware Designer
Steve Mayer, Larry Emmons
ROM Programmer
Bob Walker
Technician
Ron Milner

Histories[edit]

Books[edit]

They-Create-Worlds-Video-Game-History-Book-Cover.jpg
They Create Worlds: The Story of the People and Companies That Shaped the Video Game Industry, Vol. I: 1971-1982
Alexander Smith

They Create Worlds, Volume 1: The Story of the People and Companies That Shaped the Video Game Industry (published November 2019) covers how the most renowned game creators overturned technology, pop culture, and birthed a whole new medium. From the very first video games up to the edge of the traumatic North American market crash in 1983, this book illuminates the people, business decisions, and market forces which brought video games to the height of popular culture in the early 1980s. It shows how technological innovations in research labs and in the realm of coin-operated games were propelled by visionaries who saw potential in the then new and expensive technology. The first Volume of this work covers important landmarks such as Spacewar!, Atari, Space Invaders, the early console market, electronic handheld games, and the commercial industry underlying them all.

ISBN 978-1138389908

Atari Inc Business is Fun (Cover).jpg
Atari Inc.: Business is Fun
Marty Goldberg, Curt Vendel

An amazing 800 pages (including nearly 300 pages of rare, never before seen photos, memos and court documents), this book details Atari's genesis from an idea between an engineer and a visionary in 1969 to a nearly $2 billion dollar juggernaut, and ending with a $538 million death spiral during 1984. A testament to the people that worked at this beloved company, the book is full of their personal stories and insights.

ISBN 978-0985597405

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