Deseret News archives: Atari, founded by native Utahn Nolan Bushnell, helped usher in home PC era

A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives.

Here’s an age test: Was Pong the first video game you ever played?

Legendary video game and home computer Atari Inc. was founded by Utah native Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney in Sunnyvale, California, on June 27, 1972.

In November 1972, Atari released the video game Pong to arcades, and it found its way to my Christmas tree in December 1975.

Frankly, I never mastered the game.

Bushnell, who was born in Clearfield and graduated from the University of Utah in 1969, is credited with starting more than 20 companies in his lifetime. He also founded Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time Theatre.

As one of the founders of the video game industry, Bushnell has been inducted into the Video Game Hall of Fame and the Consumer Electronics Association’s Hall of Fame.

Atari was sold to Hasbro in 2001.

Here are some stories about Bushnell and other innovators with Utah ties from Deseret News archives:

“ Are there more entrepreneurs like Nolan Bushnell out there? ”

“ Atari founder Nolan Bushnell offers advice about Turkey awards and other innovations ”

“ UWink serves food, games for adults ”

“ Utah technology group to honor 3 industry giants ”

“ Once a fad gone bad, video games are back”

“ Utahns are at forefront of inventions ”

“ Author sees ‘information revolution’ triggering big changes; U. among the pace setters, audience told ”

“ Utah’s rich history of innovation and entrepreneurship ”

One quirky story about Atari involves a video game centered around the movie “E.T.”

Creating video games is a hit-or-miss process and the Atari “E.T.” game was a big miss. Released in 1982, it did not receive good reviews. Some consider it the worst game in video game history, and an urban legend developed that millions of unsold cartridges of the game were dumped in a landfill in Alamorgodo, New Mexico.

Then a game cartridge was uncovered, and the search was on in earnest. In 2014, with a large crowd watching and documentary crews filming, searchers uncovered a trove of the game.

It has been added to the video game history collection at the Smithsonian, defined as an artifact.

“ Documentary of Atari dig in the New Mexico desert on Netflix ”

“ Hunt for the worst video game ever: Diggers find Atari’s E.T. games buried in landfill since 1983 ″

“ Atari’s ‘E.T.’ game unearthed from garbage heap joins Smithsonian collection ”