Difference between revisions of "Sierra Systems"

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Larry was a 17 years old student{{fileref|CashBox US 1977-11-12.pdf|page=52}} at the [[wikipedia:Massachusetts Institute of Technology|Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] (MIT), when he saw in 1962, for the first time ''[[wikipedia:Spacewar!|Spacewar!]]'' running on a [[wikipedia:PDP-1|PDP-1]] Computer. Impressed with what he saw Larry created in 1973 his own processor and computer{{ref|http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QhFAsymdwNk/U8VTZdYBR5I/AAAAAAAADEM/zi7Ine41IrM/s1600/lr.PNG}} built with surplus parts obtained from a run-down store near the Oakland airport called Mike Quinn Electronics{{ref|http://allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.pt/2013/07/dave-needle-and-jerry-lawon-two-early.html}} thus creating his home version of ''Spacewar!''. He called his invention the [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apg3W7yXULY&t=3615s ''Vectorbeam System'']{{ref|https://paleotronic.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/rats2.jpg}}, which turned to be the first coin-op video game to make use of a vector display.  
 
Larry was a 17 years old student{{fileref|CashBox US 1977-11-12.pdf|page=52}} at the [[wikipedia:Massachusetts Institute of Technology|Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] (MIT), when he saw in 1962, for the first time ''[[wikipedia:Spacewar!|Spacewar!]]'' running on a [[wikipedia:PDP-1|PDP-1]] Computer. Impressed with what he saw Larry created in 1973 his own processor and computer{{ref|http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QhFAsymdwNk/U8VTZdYBR5I/AAAAAAAADEM/zi7Ine41IrM/s1600/lr.PNG}} built with surplus parts obtained from a run-down store near the Oakland airport called Mike Quinn Electronics{{ref|http://allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.pt/2013/07/dave-needle-and-jerry-lawon-two-early.html}} thus creating his home version of ''Spacewar!''. He called his invention the [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apg3W7yXULY&t=3615s ''Vectorbeam System'']{{ref|https://paleotronic.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/rats2.jpg}}, which turned to be the first coin-op video game to make use of a vector display.  
  
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In 1976, while at Berkeley where he continued his post-graduate studies in electrical engineering, Larry arranged{{magref|starlog|22|16}} for it to be instaled in an arcade near the university campus for a test, and despite gathering little attention in the begining it soon become the main attraction of the arcade, pulling players away from other games.
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In 1976, while at Berkeley where he continued his post-graduate studies in electrical engineering, Larry arranged{{magref|starlog|22|16}} for it to be instaled in an arcade near the university campus for a test, and despite gathering little attention in the beginning it soon become the main attraction of the arcade, pulling players away from other games.
  
 
He licensed{{fileref|CashBox US 1977-11-12.pdf|page=52}} his new invention to [[Cinematronics]], a pioneering arcade game developer, based in El Cajon, California that had its heyday in the era of vector display games, who released it in 1977{{fileref|CashBox US 1977-11-12.pdf|page=52}} as [[wikipedia:Space Wars|Space Wars]]{{fileref|Syzygy US 01.pdf|page=4}}. Discontent with the royalties received Larry quit Cinematronics taking with him  the "Vectorbeam System"{{ref|http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3a-ud4rIanQ/U8VTdNcXHHI/AAAAAAAADEY/A4OnvHj1Ung/s1600/lr1.PNG}} in the Spring of 1978 to form his own company called  
 
He licensed{{fileref|CashBox US 1977-11-12.pdf|page=52}} his new invention to [[Cinematronics]], a pioneering arcade game developer, based in El Cajon, California that had its heyday in the era of vector display games, who released it in 1977{{fileref|CashBox US 1977-11-12.pdf|page=52}} as [[wikipedia:Space Wars|Space Wars]]{{fileref|Syzygy US 01.pdf|page=4}}. Discontent with the royalties received Larry quit Cinematronics taking with him  the "Vectorbeam System"{{ref|http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3a-ud4rIanQ/U8VTdNcXHHI/AAAAAAAADEY/A4OnvHj1Ung/s1600/lr1.PNG}} in the Spring of 1978 to form his own company called  

Revision as of 21:18, 29 July 2019

https://segaretro.org/images/2/20/Sierra_Systems_Logo.png

Sierra Systems Logo.png
Sierra Systems
Founded: 1980[1]
Headquarters:
Oakland, California, USA

This teeny-tiny article needs some work. You can help us by expanding it.

Sierra Systems (shall not be confused with the Canadian IT services and consulting firm Sierra Systems Group Inc.[2][3]), is a company founded in 1980 in Oakland, California by Electrical Engineer, Inventor and Video Games Industry pionner Larry Rosenthal[4][5] (Lawrence David Rosenthal).

Larry was a 17 years old student[6] at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), when he saw in 1962, for the first time Spacewar! running on a PDP-1 Computer. Impressed with what he saw Larry created in 1973 his own processor and computer[7] built with surplus parts obtained from a run-down store near the Oakland airport called Mike Quinn Electronics[8] thus creating his home version of Spacewar!. He called his invention the Vectorbeam System[9], which turned to be the first coin-op video game to make use of a vector display.

In 1976, while at Berkeley where he continued his post-graduate studies in electrical engineering, Larry arranged[10] for it to be instaled in an arcade near the university campus for a test, and despite gathering little attention in the beginning it soon become the main attraction of the arcade, pulling players away from other games.

He licensed[6] his new invention to Cinematronics, a pioneering arcade game developer, based in El Cajon, California that had its heyday in the era of vector display games, who released it in 1977[6] as Space Wars[11]. Discontent with the royalties received Larry quit Cinematronics taking with him the "Vectorbeam System"[12] in the Spring of 1978 to form his own company called Vectorbeam[11][13][14] (named after his creation) but after facing huge financial problems and being pressed to sell the Patents of his invention by Cinematronics Larry finally gave up and sold[15] the company with the patents back to them in 1979.

After exiting the video game field, Larry founded Sierra Systems in 1980, producing[16] embedded systems development tools, one of them, the Sierra 68000 C Compiler, was largely used in the early 90's in 68000-based applications ranging from navigational systems to printer applications and video games.

Currently, Larry Rosenthal trades as KeyRinger, LLC.[17][18][19], focusing in the sale of one of his last inventions, a lost key finder and remote control locator called KeyRinger XL™ (an improved version of the original KeyRinger™[20][21]).

External links

References

  1. ↑ File:Trademark OOPS Reg Nº 1183595 1981-12-29 (United States Patent and Trademark Office).pdf
  2. ↑ [ https://archive.fo/OKkNS https://archive.fo/OKkNS]
  3. ↑ [ https://archive.fo/8gaWH https://archive.fo/8gaWH]
  4. ↑ http://allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.pt/2012/11/the-ultimate-so-far-history-of.html
  5. ↑ [ http://www.vectorlist.org/Vectorlist/1997/08/0229.html http://www.vectorlist.org/Vectorlist/1997/08/0229.html]
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 File:CashBox US 1977-11-12.pdf, page 52
  7. ↑ http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QhFAsymdwNk/U8VTZdYBR5I/AAAAAAAADEM/zi7Ine41IrM/s1600/lr.PNG
  8. ↑ http://allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.pt/2013/07/dave-needle-and-jerry-lawon-two-early.html
  9. ↑ https://paleotronic.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/rats2.jpg
  10. ↑ Starlog, "May 1979" (US; 1979-05-xx), page 16
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 File:Syzygy US 01.pdf, page 4
  12. ↑ http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3a-ud4rIanQ/U8VTdNcXHHI/AAAAAAAADEY/A4OnvHj1Ung/s1600/lr1.PNG
  13. ↑ File:CashBox US 1979-01-06.pdf, page 28
  14. ↑ File:CashBox US 1979-01-13.pdf, page 29
  15. ↑ File:CashBox US 1979-06-30.pdf, page 48
  16. ↑ https://allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-ultimate-so-far-history-of_26.html
  17. ↑ File:KeyRinger LLC Registration 2014-03-04 (California Secretary of State).pdf
  18. ↑ File:KeyRinger LLC Statement of Information 2014-06-02 (California Secretary of State).pdf
  19. ↑ File:KeyRinger LLC Statement of Information 2018-03-26 (California Secretary of State).pdf
  20. ↑ File:KeyRinger (2001).jpg
  21. ↑ http://www.keyringer.com/instructions.html (Wayback Machine: 2003-08-12 08:19)
  22. ↑ File:Patent Assignment Cover Sheet 2013-12-12 (United States Patent and Trademark Office).pdf, page 10
  23. ↑ http://keyringer.com/ (Wayback Machine: 2003-06-18 02:59)
  24. ↑ File:Patent US8451127.pdf, page 10
  25. ↑ File:TheNationalLocksmith US 2003-12.pdf, page 45
  26. ↑ File:KeyRingerXL.jpg
  27. ↑ File:KeyRingerXL1.jpg
  28. ↑ File:KeyRingerXL2.jpg
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