<s>
Computer	B-Application
Space	I-Application
is	O
a	O
space	O
combat	O
arcade	O
game	O
developed	O
in	O
1971	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Created	O
by	O
Nolan	O
Bushnell	O
and	O
Ted	O
Dabney	O
in	O
partnership	O
as	O
Syzygy	O
Engineering	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
arcade	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
first	O
commercially	O
available	O
video	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computer	B-Application
Space	I-Application
is	O
a	O
derivative	O
of	O
the	O
1962	O
computer	O
game	O
Spacewar	O
!,	O
which	O
is	O
possibly	O
the	B-Application
first	I-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
to	O
spread	O
to	O
multiple	O
computer	O
installations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bushnell	O
and	O
Dabney	O
designed	O
the	O
game	O
in	O
1970	O
–	O
71	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
coin-operated	O
version	O
of	O
Spacewar	B-Application
!	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
pair	O
were	O
unable	O
to	O
find	O
a	O
way	O
to	O
economically	O
run	O
the	O
game	O
on	O
a	O
minicomputer	B-Architecture
such	O
as	O
the	O
Data	B-Device
General	I-Device
Nova	I-Device
,	O
they	O
hit	O
upon	O
the	O
idea	O
of	O
instead	O
replacing	O
the	O
central	O
computer	O
with	O
custom-designed	O
hardware	O
created	O
to	O
run	O
just	O
that	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Working	O
in	O
partnership	O
with	O
Nutting	O
,	O
the	O
pair	O
completed	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
ran	O
their	O
first	O
location	O
test	O
in	O
August	O
1971	O
,	O
a	O
few	O
months	O
prior	O
to	O
the	O
display	O
of	O
a	O
similar	O
prototype	O
called	O
Galaxy	B-Application
Game	I-Application
,	O
also	O
based	O
on	O
Spacewar	B-Application
!	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
successful	O
and	O
validated	O
Syzygy	O
's	O
belief	O
in	O
the	O
future	O
of	O
arcade	B-Application
video	I-Application
games	I-Application
,	O
selling	O
over	O
1,000	O
cabinets	O
by	O
mid-1972	O
and	O
ultimately	O
1,300	O
–	O
1,500	O
units	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
not	O
the	O
runaway	O
success	O
that	O
Nutting	O
had	O
hoped	O
for	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
spawned	O
one	O
clone	O
game	O
,	O
Star	O
Trek	O
(	O
1972	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
Nutting	O
produced	O
a	O
two-player	O
version	O
of	O
Computer	B-Application
Space	I-Application
in	O
1973	O
without	O
involvement	O
from	O
Bushnell	O
and	O
Dabney	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
pair	O
left	O
Nutting	O
in	O
June	O
1972	O
and	O
incorporated	O
Syzygy	O
as	O
Atari	O
,	O
launching	O
the	O
successful	O
Pong	B-Application
(	O
1972	O
)	O
as	O
their	O
next	O
arcade	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computer	B-Application
Spaces	I-Application
release	O
marked	O
the	O
ending	O
of	O
the	O
early	B-Application
history	I-Application
of	I-Application
video	I-Application
games	I-Application
and	O
the	O
start	O
of	O
the	O
commercial	O
video	O
game	O
industry	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
these	O
games	O
was	O
Spacewar	O
!,	O
created	O
in	O
1962	O
for	O
the	O
Digital	O
Equipment	O
Corporation	O
(	O
DEC	O
)	O
PDP-1	B-Device
by	O
Steve	O
Russell	O
and	O
others	O
in	O
the	O
programming	O
community	O
at	O
the	O
Massachusetts	O
Institute	O
of	O
Technology	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
two-player	O
game	O
has	O
the	O
players	O
engage	O
in	O
a	O
dogfight	B-Device
between	O
two	O
spaceships	O
while	O
maneuvering	O
on	O
a	O
two-dimensional	O
plane	O
in	O
the	O
gravity	O
well	O
of	O
a	O
star	O
,	O
set	O
against	O
the	O
backdrop	O
of	O
a	O
starfield	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
copied	O
to	O
several	O
of	O
the	O
early	O
computer	O
installations	O
in	O
American	O
academic	O
institutions	O
after	O
its	O
initial	O
release	O
,	O
making	O
it	O
probably	O
the	B-Application
first	I-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
to	O
be	O
available	O
outside	O
a	O
single	O
research	O
institute	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Spacewar	B-Application
!	I-Application
</s>
<s>
was	O
extremely	O
popular	O
in	O
the	O
small	O
programming	O
community	O
in	O
the	O
1960s	O
and	O
was	O
widely	O
recreated	O
on	O
other	O
minicomputer	B-Architecture
and	O
mainframe	B-Architecture
computers	I-Architecture
of	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
later	O
migrating	O
to	O
early	O
microcomputer	B-Architecture
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Early	O
computer	O
scientist	O
Alan	O
Kay	O
noted	O
in	O
1972	O
that	O
"	O
the	O
game	O
of	O
Spacewar	B-Application
!	I-Application
</s>
<s>
blossoms	O
spontaneously	O
wherever	O
there	O
is	O
a	O
graphics	B-Device
display	I-Device
connected	O
to	O
a	O
computer	O
,	O
"	O
and	O
contributor	O
Martin	O
Graetz	O
recalled	O
in	O
1981	O
that	O
as	O
the	O
game	O
initially	O
spread	O
it	O
could	O
be	O
found	O
on	O
"	O
just	O
about	O
any	O
research	O
computer	O
that	O
had	O
a	O
programmable	O
CRT	B-Device
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
widespread	O
for	O
the	O
era	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
still	O
very	O
limited	O
in	O
its	O
direct	O
reach	O
:	O
the	O
PDP-1	B-Device
was	O
priced	O
at	O
and	O
only	O
53	O
were	O
ever	O
sold	O
,	O
most	O
without	O
a	O
monitor	O
,	O
which	O
prohibited	O
the	O
original	O
Spacewar	B-Application
!	I-Application
</s>
<s>
The	O
original	O
developers	O
of	O
Spacewar	B-Application
!	I-Application
</s>
<s>
Computer	B-Application
Space	I-Application
,	O
which	O
would	O
not	O
be	O
released	O
until	O
1971	O
,	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
commercial	O
video	O
game	O
based	O
on	O
Spacewar	B-Application
!	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Computer	B-Application
Space	I-Application
,	O
the	O
player	B-Application
controls	I-Application
a	O
rocket	O
as	O
it	O
attempts	O
to	O
shoot	O
a	O
pair	O
of	O
flying	O
saucers	O
while	O
avoiding	O
their	O
fire	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Player	B-Application
controls	I-Application
are	O
clockwise	O
and	O
counterclockwise	O
rotation	O
,	O
forward	O
thrust	O
,	O
and	O
firing	O
missiles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
it	O
is	O
higher	O
,	O
the	O
black	O
and	O
white	O
colors	O
invert	O
in	O
a	O
"	O
hyperspace	B-Application
"	O
feature	O
,	O
and	O
another	O
round	O
begins	O
for	O
free	O
;	O
the	O
game	O
continues	O
on	O
to	O
new	O
rounds	O
with	O
the	O
display	O
colors	O
inverting	O
indefinitely	O
if	O
the	O
player	O
continues	O
to	O
win	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
modified	O
control	O
panel	O
contains	O
two	O
sets	O
of	O
controls	O
,	O
with	O
joysticks	B-Device
replacing	O
the	O
movement	O
buttons	O
on	O
some	O
machines	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
at	O
a	O
club	O
for	O
playing	O
the	O
board	O
game	O
Go	O
,	O
Bushnell	O
met	O
researcher	O
Jim	O
Stein	O
,	O
who	O
worked	O
for	O
Stanford	O
University	O
's	O
Artificial	O
Intelligence	O
Project	O
;	O
Bushnell	O
learned	O
from	O
him	O
that	O
Spacewar	B-Application
!	I-Application
</s>
<s>
was	O
running	O
on	O
the	O
laboratory	O
's	O
PDP-6	B-Device
,	O
and	O
played	O
the	O
game	O
against	O
him	O
there	O
when	O
visiting	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bushnell	O
had	O
previously	O
worked	O
during	O
the	O
summer	O
at	O
Lagoon	O
Amusement	O
Park	O
in	O
Utah	O
as	O
a	O
manager	O
of	O
the	O
games	O
department	O
overseeing	O
the	O
arcade	O
games	O
,	O
and	O
when	O
he	O
saw	O
Spacewar	B-Application
!	I-Application
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
spring	O
of	O
1970	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
he	O
saw	O
an	O
ad	O
for	O
the	O
Data	B-Device
General	I-Device
Nova	I-Device
computer	O
,	O
which	O
cost	O
only	O
,	O
and	O
thought	O
again	O
about	O
his	O
Spacewar	B-Application
!	I-Application
</s>
<s>
He	O
showed	O
his	O
office	O
mate	O
and	O
fellow	O
Ampex	O
engineer	O
Ted	O
Dabney	O
Spacewar	B-Application
!	I-Application
</s>
<s>
After	O
agreeing	O
on	O
an	O
initial	O
idea	O
,	O
Bushnell	O
and	O
Dabney	O
began	O
designing	O
a	O
prototype	O
based	O
on	O
a	O
Data	B-Device
General	I-Device
Nova	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
unclear	O
if	O
the	O
pair	O
were	O
aware	O
that	O
Data	O
General	O
had	O
demonstrated	O
a	O
more	O
powerful	O
variant	O
of	O
the	O
Nova	O
,	O
sold	O
for	O
US$8	O
,	O
000	O
,	O
running	O
a	O
single	O
game	O
of	O
Spacewar	B-Application
!	I-Application
</s>
<s>
Bushnell	O
drafted	O
a	O
letter	O
dated	O
January	O
26	O
to	O
order	O
six	O
Data	O
Nova	B-Device
computers	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	O
other	O
hand	O
,	O
the	O
custom	O
hardware	O
was	O
not	O
as	O
powerful	O
as	O
the	O
more	O
expensive	O
Nova	B-Device
computer	I-Device
,	O
which	O
meant	O
that	O
the	O
pair	O
needed	O
to	O
make	O
gameplay	O
modifications	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Spacewar	B-Application
!	I-Application
</s>
<s>
was	O
a	O
two-player	O
game	O
featuring	O
dogfights	B-Device
around	O
the	O
gravitational	O
field	O
of	O
a	O
central	O
star	O
;	O
neither	O
of	O
these	O
features	O
could	O
be	O
run	O
on	O
the	O
dedicated	O
circuits	O
the	O
pair	O
were	O
making	O
,	O
so	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
cut	O
down	O
to	O
a	O
single-player	O
game	O
wherein	O
the	O
player	O
would	O
fight	O
against	O
two	O
computer-controlled	O
spaceships	O
in	O
open	O
space	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
August	O
1971	O
,	O
an	O
initial	O
prototype	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
—	O
now	O
named	O
Computer	B-Application
Space	I-Application
to	O
be	O
similar	O
to	O
Computer	O
Quiz	O
—	O
was	O
complete	O
,	O
and	O
Syzygy	O
moved	O
on	O
to	O
location	O
testing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
final	O
Computer	B-Application
Space	I-Application
design	O
uses	O
no	O
microprocessor	B-Architecture
;	O
the	O
entire	O
computer	O
system	O
is	O
a	O
state	B-Architecture
machine	I-Architecture
made	O
of	O
7400-series	O
integrated	O
circuits	O
,	O
with	O
monochrome	O
graphic	O
elements	O
held	O
in	O
diode	O
arrays	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
Syzygy	O
and	O
Nutting	O
prepared	O
for	O
the	O
MOA	O
show	O
,	O
Bushnell	O
learned	O
that	O
another	O
pair	O
of	O
engineers	O
,	O
Bill	O
Pitts	O
and	O
Hugh	O
Tuck	O
,	O
were	O
also	O
creating	O
an	O
arcade	O
version	O
of	O
Spacewar	B-Application
!	I-Application
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
1971	O
Bushnell	O
called	O
Pitts	O
and	O
Tuck	O
,	O
who	O
were	O
operating	O
as	O
Mini-Computer	B-Architecture
Applications	O
,	O
so	O
that	O
they	O
could	O
meet	O
and	O
discuss	O
their	O
solutions	O
to	O
the	O
problem	O
of	O
running	O
Spacewar	B-Application
!	I-Application
</s>
<s>
Pitts	O
and	O
Tuck	O
were	O
developing	O
a	O
prototype	O
machine	O
of	O
Galaxy	B-Application
Game	I-Application
when	O
they	O
met	O
with	O
Bushnell	O
;	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
while	O
a	O
faithful	O
recreation	O
of	O
Spacewar	O
!,	O
ran	O
on	O
an	O
externally-connected	O
DEC	B-Device
PDP-11	I-Device
with	O
a	O
Hewlett-Packard	O
1300A	O
Electrostatic	O
Display	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
total	O
cost	O
of	O
the	O
prototype	O
unit	O
was	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Syzygy	O
duo	O
were	O
relieved	O
,	O
though	O
also	O
somewhat	O
disappointed	O
,	O
to	O
find	O
that	O
Galaxy	B-Application
Game	I-Application
was	O
not	O
using	O
an	O
innovative	O
solution	O
Syzygy	O
had	O
missed	O
to	O
build	O
an	O
economically-competitive	O
arcade	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pitts	O
and	O
Tuck	O
,	O
conversely	O
,	O
felt	O
that	O
Computer	B-Application
Space	I-Application
was	O
a	O
pale	O
imitation	O
of	O
Spacewar	O
!,	O
while	O
Galaxy	B-Application
Game	I-Application
was	O
a	O
superior	O
adaptation	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computer	B-Application
Space	I-Application
debuted	O
at	O
the	O
MOA	O
show	O
on	O
October	O
15	O
–	O
17	O
,	O
1971	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
control	O
panel	O
extended	O
from	O
the	O
main	O
body	O
of	O
the	O
cabinet	O
and	O
contained	O
the	O
four	O
control	O
buttons	O
;	O
Syzygy	O
had	O
hoped	O
to	O
use	O
a	O
joystick	B-Device
to	O
control	O
the	O
rocket	O
's	O
movement	O
,	O
but	O
found	O
that	O
it	O
broke	O
too	O
easily	O
,	O
failing	O
to	O
last	O
a	O
single	O
night	O
in	O
a	O
location	O
test	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Galaxy	B-Application
Game	I-Application
designers	O
had	O
run	O
into	O
the	O
same	O
issue	O
,	O
but	O
had	O
solved	O
it	O
with	O
expensive	O
customized	O
military	O
surplus	O
joysticks	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nutting	O
ordered	O
an	O
initial	O
production	O
run	O
of	O
1,500	O
units	O
of	O
Computer	B-Application
Space	I-Application
,	O
an	O
optimistic	O
decision	O
given	O
that	O
a	O
hit	O
arcade	O
game	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
would	O
sell	O
around	O
2,000	O
units	O
,	O
though	O
a	O
handful	O
had	O
reached	O
10,000	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
relative	O
lack	O
of	O
success	O
was	O
attributed	O
to	O
the	O
complexity	O
of	O
its	O
controls	O
and	O
a	O
steep	O
learning	B-General_Concept
curve	I-General_Concept
,	O
which	O
pushed	O
away	O
customers	O
used	O
to	O
less	O
complex	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
the	O
biggest	O
successes	O
in	O
arcade	O
games	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
generally	O
spawned	O
a	O
dozen	O
copycat	O
games	O
,	O
only	O
a	O
single	O
Computer	B-Application
Space	I-Application
clone	O
is	O
known	O
,	O
produced	O
in	O
1972	O
by	O
For-Play	O
Manufacturers	O
as	O
Star	O
Trek	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
custom	O
white	O
Computer	B-Application
Space	I-Application
cabinet	O
appeared	O
in	O
the	O
1973	O
film	O
Soylent	O
Green	O
as	O
a	O
futuristic	O
entertainment	O
device	O
,	O
marking	O
the	O
first	O
appearance	O
of	O
a	O
video	O
game	O
in	O
a	O
movie	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bushnell	O
later	O
stated	O
that	O
he	O
was	O
encouraged	O
by	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
Computer	B-Application
Space	I-Application
in	O
regards	O
to	O
future	O
game	O
ideas	O
,	O
as	O
he	O
had	O
never	O
before	O
created	O
something	O
that	O
made	O
so	O
much	O
money	O
,	O
and	O
additionally	O
felt	O
that	O
his	O
time	O
at	O
Nutting	O
gave	O
him	O
confidence	O
in	O
running	O
his	O
own	O
company	O
because	O
he	O
"	O
could	O
n't	O
screw	O
it	O
up	O
more	O
than	O
they	O
did	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nutting	O
Associates	O
did	O
not	O
make	O
any	O
further	O
Computer	B-Application
Space	I-Application
games	O
before	O
closing	O
in	O
1976	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bushnell	O
's	O
enthusiasm	O
was	O
soon	O
vindicated	O
,	O
as	O
Atari	O
's	O
first	O
game	O
,	O
Pong	B-Application
,	O
went	O
on	O
to	O
substantially	O
greater	O
success	O
than	O
Computer	B-Application
Space	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
not	O
as	O
influential	O
as	O
Pong	B-Application
,	O
as	O
the	O
first	O
arcade	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
,	O
Computer	B-Application
Space	I-Application
had	O
a	O
strong	O
influence	O
on	O
future	O
video	O
game	O
design	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
using	O
terms	O
and	O
designs	O
from	O
prior	O
mechanical	O
arcade	O
games	O
,	O
and	O
providing	O
a	O
template	O
for	O
transforming	O
a	O
medium	O
previously	O
designed	O
and	O
played	O
on	O
research	O
mainframes	B-Architecture
into	O
a	O
commercial	O
model	O
for	O
general	O
consumers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
directly	O
inspired	O
several	O
video	O
games	O
and	O
game	O
designers	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Steve	O
Bristow	O
,	O
who	O
came	O
up	O
with	O
the	O
idea	O
for	O
Tank	B-Application
(	O
1974	O
)	O
to	O
correct	O
the	O
perceived	O
shortcomings	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
by	O
having	O
easier-to-control	O
tanks	O
instead	O
,	O
and	O
Jerry	O
Lawson	O
,	O
the	O
designer	O
of	O
the	O
Fairchild	B-Operating_System
Channel	I-Operating_System
F	I-Operating_System
home	O
console	O
(	O
1976	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
also	O
influenced	O
Larry	O
Rosenthal	O
,	O
who	O
was	O
partially	O
inspired	O
to	O
make	O
the	O
vector	O
graphics-based	O
Space	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
(	O
1977	O
)	O
by	O
his	O
dislike	O
of	O
Computer	B-Application
Spaces	I-Application
simplification	O
of	O
Spacewar	O
!,	O
and	O
Ed	O
Logg	O
,	O
who	O
combined	O
the	O
controls	O
and	O
movement	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
with	O
elements	O
of	O
Space	B-Application
Invaders	I-Application
(	O
1978	O
)	O
to	O
make	O
Asteroids	B-Application
(	O
1979	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computer	B-Application
Spaces	I-Application
release	O
marked	O
the	O
ending	O
of	O
the	O
early	B-Application
history	I-Application
of	I-Application
video	I-Application
games	I-Application
and	O
the	O
start	O
of	O
the	O
commercial	O
video	O
game	O
industry	O
.	O
</s>
