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{{fileref|VideoInvaders Book US.pdf|page=39}} 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{{fileref|VideoInvaders Book US.pdf|page=39}} 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 in Berkeley where he continued his post-graduate studies in electrical engineering at the [[wikipedia:University of California, Berkeley|UC Berkeley]]{{fileref|VideoInvaders Book US.pdf|page=39}}, 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 became the main attraction of the arcade, pulling players away from other games.  
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In 1976, while in Berkeley where he continued his post-graduate studies in electrical engineering at [[wikipedia:University of California, Berkeley|UC Berkeley]]{{fileref|VideoInvaders Book US.pdf|page=39}}, 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 became the main attraction of the arcade, pulling players away from other games.  
  
 
Shortly after, in the same year, Larry travelled to Chicago, trying to make a deal with [[Midway]], who according to him, "liked the vector, but not the game"{{fileref|VideoInvaders Book US.pdf|page=39}}, and "They didn't believe people could adjust the buttons, instead of a joystick. Also they offered me a ridiculous royalty"{{fileref|VideoInvaders Book US.pdf|page=39}}{{fileref|VideoInvaders Book US.pdf|page=40}}.
 
Shortly after, in the same year, Larry travelled to Chicago, trying to make a deal with [[Midway]], who according to him, "liked the vector, but not the game"{{fileref|VideoInvaders Book US.pdf|page=39}}, and "They didn't believe people could adjust the buttons, instead of a joystick. Also they offered me a ridiculous royalty"{{fileref|VideoInvaders Book US.pdf|page=39}}{{fileref|VideoInvaders Book US.pdf|page=40}}.

Revision as of 09:00, 1 August 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 short article is in need of work. You can help Sega Retro by adding to 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 pioneer 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[7] his own processor and computer[8] built with surplus parts obtained from a run-down store near the Oakland airport called Mike Quinn Electronics[9] thus creating his home version of Spacewar!. He called his invention the Vectorbeam System[10], which turned to be the first coin-op video game to make use of a vector display.

In 1976, while in Berkeley where he continued his post-graduate studies in electrical engineering at UC Berkeley[7], Larry arranged[11] 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 became the main attraction of the arcade, pulling players away from other games.

Shortly after, in the same year, Larry travelled to Chicago, trying to make a deal with Midway, who according to him, "liked the vector, but not the game"[7], and "They didn't believe people could adjust the buttons, instead of a joystick. Also they offered me a ridiculous royalty"[7][12].

He licensed[6][12] 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[13].

Discontent with the royalties received Larry left Cinematronics taking with him the "Vectorbeam System"[14] in the Spring of 1978 to form his own company called Vectorbeam[13][15][16] (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[17] the company with the patents back to them in 1979.

After exiting the video game field, Larry founded Sierra Systems in 1980, producing[18] 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.[19][20][21], 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™[22][23]).

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. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 File:VideoInvaders Book US.pdf, page 39
  8. ↑ http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QhFAsymdwNk/U8VTZdYBR5I/AAAAAAAADEM/zi7Ine41IrM/s1600/lr.PNG
  9. ↑ http://allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.pt/2013/07/dave-needle-and-jerry-lawon-two-early.html
  10. ↑ https://paleotronic.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/rats2.jpg
  11. ↑ Starlog, "May 1979" (US; 1979-05-xx), page 16
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 File:VideoInvaders Book US.pdf, page 40
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 File:Syzygy US 01.pdf, page 4
  14. ↑ http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3a-ud4rIanQ/U8VTdNcXHHI/AAAAAAAADEY/A4OnvHj1Ung/s1600/lr1.PNG
  15. ↑ File:CashBox US 1979-01-06.pdf, page 28
  16. ↑ File:CashBox US 1979-01-13.pdf, page 29
  17. ↑ File:CashBox US 1979-06-30.pdf, page 48
  18. ↑ https://allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-ultimate-so-far-history-of_26.html
  19. ↑ File:KeyRinger LLC Registration 2014-03-04 (California Secretary of State).pdf
  20. ↑ File:KeyRinger LLC Statement of Information 2014-06-02 (California Secretary of State).pdf
  21. ↑ File:KeyRinger LLC Statement of Information 2018-03-26 (California Secretary of State).pdf
  22. ↑ File:KeyRinger (2001).jpg
  23. ↑ http://www.keyringer.com/instructions.html (Wayback Machine: 2003-08-12 08:19)
  24. ↑ File:Patent Assignment Cover Sheet 2013-12-12 (United States Patent and Trademark Office).pdf, page 10
  25. ↑ http://keyringer.com/ (Wayback Machine: 2003-06-18 02:59)
  26. ↑ File:Patent US8451127.pdf, page 10
  27. ↑ File:TheNationalLocksmith US 2003-12.pdf, page 45
  28. ↑ File:KeyRingerXL.jpg
  29. ↑ File:KeyRingerXL1.jpg
  30. ↑ File:KeyRingerXL2.jpg
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