Uploaded December 2022 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Join Atari’s legendary R&D chief as he discusses creating great games and a technology legend.
Allan “Al” Alcorn is the computer scientist and games designer who made Nolan Bushnell’s Atari dream a reality.
Alcorn - Atari employee number three - was challenged by boss Bushnell to design a computer version of Ping-Pong. Alcorn response was Pong - a game so addictive it lit the blue touchpaper on Atari’s commercial success and began to establish Atari’s status as a games legend
Al drops into The National Museum of Computing from California to talk about the rise of Atari and his journey from employee number three to leading R&D of - briefly - the world’s largest computer games company.
Al discusses:
His inspiration, influences - and designing games in a world before focus group-driven mega franchises when market research was three parts experience and one part gut feel.
The technology challenges building games for maxum realism and playability without the advantages of today’s sophisticated hardware - and the inspired engineering decisions he took to deliver.
Bushnell’s energetic management style and the company’s somewhat creative relationship to truth that landed vital business deals and kick-started an industry.
Recorded 20th October at TNMOC.
Join Atari’s legendary R&D chief as he discusses creating great games and a technology legend.
Allan “Al” Alcorn is the computer scientist and games designer who made Nolan Bushnell’s Atari dream a reality.
Alcorn - Atari employee number three - was challenged by boss Bushnell to design a computer version of Ping-Pong. Alcorn response was Pong - a game so addictive it lit the blue touchpaper on Atari’s commercial success and began to establish Atari’s status as a games legend
Al drops into The National Museum of Computing from California to talk about the rise of Atari and his journey from employee number three to leading R&D of - briefly - the world’s largest computer games company.
Al discusses:
His inspiration, influences - and designing games in a world before focus group-driven mega franchises when market research was three parts experience and one part gut feel.
The technology challenges building games for maxum realism and playability without the advantages of today’s sophisticated hardware - and the inspired engineering decisions he took to deliver.
Bushnell’s energetic management style and the company’s somewhat creative relationship to truth that landed vital business deals and kick-started an industry.
Recorded 20th October at TNMOC.
