Difference between revisions of "Sierra Systems"
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− | {{stub}}'''{{PAGENAME}}''' (not to be confused with the Canadian IT services and consulting firm [https://www.sierrasystems.com/about/ Sierra Systems Group Inc.]{{ref|https://archive. | + | {{stub}}'''{{PAGENAME}}''' (not to be confused with the Canadian IT services and consulting firm [https://www.sierrasystems.com/about/ Sierra Systems Group Inc.]{{ref|https://archive.vn/OKkNS|https://ca.nttdata.com/en/news/press-release/2018/october/ntt-data-services-to-acquire-sierra-systems-expanding-capabilities-in-canada}}{{ref|https://archive.vn/8gaWH|2=https://www.oaklins.com/case-study.html?did=104913}}), is a company founded in 1979 in Oakland, California by Electrical Engineer, Inventor and Video Games Industry pioneer |
− | [https://archive. | + | [https://archive.vn/oehpP/8d2a90352faf98d2c189d8b50e5c254aef5a1847.jpg Larry Rosenthal]{{ref|http://allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.pt/2012/11/the-ultimate-so-far-history-of.html}}{{ref|https://archive.vn/yqSgE|http://www.vectorlist.org/Vectorlist/1997/08/0229.html}} (Lawrence David Rosenthal), who was one of the original members{{ref|https://archive.vn/Cjd5a|http://www.cse.chalmers.se/edu/resources/pinsys/HandbokDatablad/ansi-c89w.txt}}{{fileref|ANSI C X3J1188 Draft Proposed 1988-01-11 (X3 Project 381-D).pdf|page=11}}{{fileref|FederalInformationProcessingStandardPublicationForInformationSystemsProgrammingLanguageC US 160 1989-12-14 (by National Institute of Standards and Technology).pdf|page=9}} of the Technical Committee X3J11 on the C Programming Language, who developed the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANSI_C#C89 ANSI C] standard (C89), under project 381-D by American National |
Standards Committee on Computers and Information Processing (X3), completed in 1989 and ratified as ANSI X3.159-1989 "Programming Language C.". | Standards Committee on Computers and Information Processing (X3), completed in 1989 and ratified as ANSI X3.159-1989 "Programming Language C.". | ||
− | 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 1968, 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}}{{ref|https://archive. | + | 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 1968, 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}}{{ref|https://archive.vn/Bbdzo|https://live.staticflickr.com/7538/28492653200_3bcaffc68f_b.jpg}}{{ref|https://archive.vn/7YT6I|https://live.staticflickr.com/8725/28671721832_77b0b8d329_z.jpg}}, 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 [[wikipedia:University of California, Berkeley|UC Berkeley]]{{fileref|VideoInvaders Book US.pdf|page=39}}{{ref|https://archive. | + | 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}}{{ref|https://archive.vn/M93B2|2=http://oskicat.berkeley.edu/record=b13945729~S53}}, 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 to 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 to 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}}. | ||
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Discontent with the royalties received Larry left 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 | Discontent with the royalties received Larry left 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 | ||
− | [[wikipedia:Vectorbeam|Vectorbeam]]{{fileref|Syzygy US 01.pdf|page=4}}{{fileref|CashBox US 1979-01-06.pdf|page=28}}{{fileref|CashBox US 1979-01-13.pdf|page=29}} (named after his creation) but after facing{{ref|https://archive. | + | [[wikipedia:Vectorbeam|Vectorbeam]]{{fileref|Syzygy US 01.pdf|page=4}}{{fileref|CashBox US 1979-01-06.pdf|page=28}}{{fileref|CashBox US 1979-01-13.pdf|page=29}} (named after his creation) but after facing{{ref|https://archive.vn/pXTJx|http://arcarc.xmission.com/Web%20Archives/Vectorlist%20Archive/cinemailinglist.txt}} huge financial problems and being pressed to sell the Patents of his invention by Cinematronics Larry finally gave up and sold{{fileref|CashBox US 1979-06-30.pdf|page=48}} the company with the patents back to them in 1979. |
After exiting the video game field, Larry founded Sierra Systems in that same year, producing{{ref|https://allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-ultimate-so-far-history-of_26.html}} 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. | After exiting the video game field, Larry founded Sierra Systems in that same year, producing{{ref|https://allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-ultimate-so-far-history-of_26.html}} 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. |
Revision as of 21:17, 24 February 2021
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Sierra Systems (not to be confused with the Canadian IT services and consulting firm Sierra Systems Group Inc.[2][3]), is a company founded in 1979 in Oakland, California by Electrical Engineer, Inventor and Video Games Industry pioneer Larry Rosenthal[4][5] (Lawrence David Rosenthal), who was one of the original members[6][7][8] of the Technical Committee X3J11 on the C Programming Language, who developed the ANSI C standard (C89), under project 381-D by American National Standards Committee on Computers and Information Processing (X3), completed in 1989 and ratified as ANSI X3.159-1989 "Programming Language C.".
Larry was a 17 years old student[9] at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), when he saw in 1968, for the first time Spacewar! running on a PDP-1 Computer. Impressed with what he saw Larry created in 1973[10] his own processor and computer[11] built with surplus parts obtained from a run-down store near the Oakland airport called Mike Quinn Electronics[12] thus creating his home version of Spacewar!. He called his invention the Vectorbeam System[13][14][15], 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[10][16], Larry arranged[17] 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"[10], and "They didn't believe people could adjust to buttons, instead of a joystick. Also they offered me a ridiculous royalty"[10][18].
He licensed[9][18] 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[9] as Space Wars[19].
Discontent with the royalties received Larry left Cinematronics taking with him the "Vectorbeam System"[20] in the Spring of 1978 to form his own company called Vectorbeam[19][21][22] (named after his creation) but after facing[23] huge financial problems and being pressed to sell the Patents of his invention by Cinematronics Larry finally gave up and sold[24] the company with the patents back to them in 1979.
After exiting the video game field, Larry founded Sierra Systems in that same year, producing[25] 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.[26][27][28], 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™[29][30]).
Magazine articles
- Main article: Sierra Systems/Magazine articles.
External links
- Patent US4027148
- Patent US4053740
- Patent US6366202[31]
- KeyRinger XL™ Unboxing (2019) at www.youtube.com
- www.keyringer.com (Official website for Sierra Systems lost key finder and remote control locator KeyRinger XL™)[32][33][34][35][36][37]
- "From the Computer Lab to the Arcade: The Journey of Space War" at paleotronic.com (archived 2019-07-18 08:19)
- California Extreme (CAX) speaker session - Larry Rosenthal at www.youtube.com (recorded at California Extreme 2014, July 12, 2014)
- Interview with Larry Rosenthal (2019-09) by Kevin Butler at www.oldschoolgamermagazine.com[38][39]
- Oops arcade game attract mode (1979; by Larry Rosenthal) at www.youtube.com
- Oops arcade game at www.gamesthatwerent.com
References
- ↑ File:Trademark OOPS Reg Nº 1183595 1981-12-29 (United States Patent and Trademark Office).pdf
- ↑ https://ca.nttdata.com/en/news/press-release/2018/october/ntt-data-services-to-acquire-sierra-systems-expanding-capabilities-in-canada (archive.today)
- ↑ https://www.oaklins.com/case-study.html?did=104913 (archive.today)
- ↑ http://allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.pt/2012/11/the-ultimate-so-far-history-of.html
- ↑ http://www.vectorlist.org/Vectorlist/1997/08/0229.html (archive.today)
- ↑ http://www.cse.chalmers.se/edu/resources/pinsys/HandbokDatablad/ansi-c89w.txt (archive.today)
- ↑ File:ANSI C X3J1188 Draft Proposed 1988-01-11 (X3 Project 381-D).pdf, page 11
- ↑ File:FederalInformationProcessingStandardPublicationForInformationSystemsProgrammingLanguageC US 160 1989-12-14 (by National Institute of Standards and Technology).pdf, page 9
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 File:CashBox US 1977-11-12.pdf, page 52
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 File:VideoInvaders Book US.pdf, page 39
- ↑ http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QhFAsymdwNk/U8VTZdYBR5I/AAAAAAAADEM/zi7Ine41IrM/s1600/lr.PNG
- ↑ http://allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.pt/2013/07/dave-needle-and-jerry-lawon-two-early.html
- ↑ https://paleotronic.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/rats2.jpg
- ↑ https://live.staticflickr.com/7538/28492653200_3bcaffc68f_b.jpg (archive.today)
- ↑ https://live.staticflickr.com/8725/28671721832_77b0b8d329_z.jpg (archive.today)
- ↑ http://oskicat.berkeley.edu/record=b13945729~S53 (archive.today)
- ↑ Starlog, "May 1979" (US; 1979-05-xx), page 16
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 File:VideoInvaders Book US.pdf, page 40
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 File:Syzygy US 01.pdf, page 4
- ↑ http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3a-ud4rIanQ/U8VTdNcXHHI/AAAAAAAADEY/A4OnvHj1Ung/s1600/lr1.PNG
- ↑ File:CashBox US 1979-01-06.pdf, page 28
- ↑ File:CashBox US 1979-01-13.pdf, page 29
- ↑ http://arcarc.xmission.com/Web%20Archives/Vectorlist%20Archive/cinemailinglist.txt (archive.today)
- ↑ File:CashBox US 1979-06-30.pdf, page 48
- ↑ https://allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-ultimate-so-far-history-of_26.html
- ↑ File:KeyRinger LLC Registration 2014-03-04 (California Secretary of State).pdf
- ↑ File:KeyRinger LLC Statement of Information 2014-06-02 (California Secretary of State).pdf
- ↑ File:KeyRinger LLC Statement of Information 2018-03-26 (California Secretary of State).pdf
- ↑ File:KeyRinger (2001).jpg
- ↑ http://www.keyringer.com/instructions.html (Wayback Machine: 2003-08-12 08:19)
- ↑ File:Patent Assignment Cover Sheet 2013-12-12 (United States Patent and Trademark Office).pdf, page 10
- ↑ http://keyringer.com/ (Wayback Machine: 2003-06-18 02:59)
- ↑ File:Patent US8451127.pdf, page 10
- ↑ File:TheNationalLocksmith US 2003-12.pdf, page 45
- ↑ File:KeyRingerXL.jpg
- ↑ File:KeyRingerXL1.jpg
- ↑ File:KeyRingerXL2.jpg
- ↑ https://www.oldschoolgamermagazine.com/the-seventies-space-wars-by-kevin-butler/
- ↑ https://www.oldschoolgamermagazine.com/magazine/