Ralph Baer Has Passed Away
December 9, 2014 6:25 AM Subscribe
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On the news last night, the short profile described him quickly through the invention of the Brown Box, which led to video games, and Simon, which led me to say "so, just everything that was important to me at age 5 then?"
posted by MCMikeNamara at 6:38 AM on December 9, 2014 [4 favorites]
On the news last night, the short profile described him quickly through the invention of the Brown Box, which led to video games, and Simon, which led me to say "so, just everything that was important to me at age 5 then?"
posted by MCMikeNamara at 6:38 AM on December 9, 2014 [4 favorites]
Yeah, that's what I was thinking when I heard this. I'm 44, so my childhood coincided with everything this guy made.
posted by cjorgensen at 6:46 AM on December 9, 2014
posted by cjorgensen at 6:46 AM on December 9, 2014
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posted by JoeZydeco at 6:46 AM on December 9, 2014 [20 favorites] The man I can blame for the embarrassment of having to admit that I once, along with several other people with advanced degrees, used to spend hours and hours playing Pong (and believing it was the greatest thing since sliced bread).
posted by HuronBob at 6:46 AM on December 9, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by HuronBob at 6:46 AM on December 9, 2014 [3 favorites]
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posted by Smart Dalek at 6:48 AM on December 9, 2014
posted by Smart Dalek at 6:48 AM on December 9, 2014
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posted by Faint of Butt at 6:51 AM on December 9, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by Faint of Butt at 6:51 AM on December 9, 2014 [4 favorites]
The man I can blame for the embarrassment of having to admit that I once, along with several other people with advanced degrees, used to spend hours and hours playing Pong (and believing it was the greatest thing since sliced bread).
Technically, the man to blame is Atari's Nolan Bushnell based his company's first arcade game on Baer's table tennis concept, which he named PONG, after seeing Baer demo it.
On the other hand, if you ever experienced the exhilarating frustration of trying to push colored, beeping buttons in a correct but randomly determined sequence, then Baer's responsible. You can still play a few rounds of his game Simon online in his memory.
posted by Doktor Zed at 7:01 AM on December 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
Technically, the man to blame is Atari's Nolan Bushnell based his company's first arcade game on Baer's table tennis concept, which he named PONG, after seeing Baer demo it.
On the other hand, if you ever experienced the exhilarating frustration of trying to push colored, beeping buttons in a correct but randomly determined sequence, then Baer's responsible. You can still play a few rounds of his game Simon online in his memory.
posted by Doktor Zed at 7:01 AM on December 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
The biography link is really interesting - he had a fascinating life.
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posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 7:02 AM on December 9, 2014
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posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 7:02 AM on December 9, 2014
Has someone tried blowing on the metal part and putting it back in again?
posted by Sphinx at 7:07 AM on December 9, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by Sphinx at 7:07 AM on December 9, 2014 [4 favorites]
His personal website is charming. Look at his list of inventions and products, the man was also the father of SkyMall!
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 7:08 AM on December 9, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 7:08 AM on December 9, 2014 [2 favorites]
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posted by Gelatin at 7:11 AM on December 9, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Gelatin at 7:11 AM on December 9, 2014 [2 favorites]
I told my Odyssey story last time we talked about Baer.
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posted by MrMoonPie at 7:14 AM on December 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
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posted by MrMoonPie at 7:14 AM on December 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
Odyssey 2 was my first game system. With its QWERTY membrane keyboard I always thought it had the potential to be more than just a game console and do some real computing and programming, but as far as I know nothing like that was ever developed for it, so I eventually got a C64 and never touched the Odyssey again.
It was fun while it lasted, though.
posted by rocket88 at 7:18 AM on December 9, 2014
It was fun while it lasted, though.
posted by rocket88 at 7:18 AM on December 9, 2014
His personal website is charming. Look at his list of inventions and products, the man was also the father of SkyMall!
Just reading the titles on his "patents" link makes me feel magic:
"Method of Employing a TV Receiver for Active Participation"
posted by MCMikeNamara at 7:21 AM on December 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
Just reading the titles on his "patents" link makes me feel magic:
"Method of Employing a TV Receiver for Active Participation"
posted by MCMikeNamara at 7:21 AM on December 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
I had an Odyssey2 also, but I don't believe that was Baer's work. That was a Magnavox design with Baer's input.
posted by JoeZydeco at 7:23 AM on December 9, 2014
posted by JoeZydeco at 7:23 AM on December 9, 2014
A number of his toys and inventions have a running theme of, "What if it talked?"
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posted by Atreides at 8:16 AM on December 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
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posted by Atreides at 8:16 AM on December 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Requiescant in pace.
posted by ob1quixote at 8:18 AM on December 9, 2014
rocket88:There was the Computer Intro! cartridge, but I think I maintained an interest in programming in spite of rather than because of it.Odyssey 2 was my first game system. With its QWERTY membrane keyboard I always thought it had the potential to be more than just a game console and do some real computing and programming, but as far as I know nothing like that was ever developed for it[.]
posted by ob1quixote at 8:18 AM on December 9, 2014
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posted by JoeXIII007 at 8:46 AM on December 9, 2014
posted by JoeXIII007 at 8:46 AM on December 9, 2014
I forwarded his obit to my kids yesterday. Explained who he was and how they should be appreciative of all he did. They surprised me by thanking me and saying they would tell their friends "about the guy".
His biography from his website makes me exhausted just reading it.
posted by 724A at 8:49 AM on December 9, 2014
His biography from his website makes me exhausted just reading it.
posted by 724A at 8:49 AM on December 9, 2014
I'm the same age as cjorgensen, so yeah. Ralph Baer in a very real way was the architect of a lot of my childhood.
I was lucky enough to hear him speak at the Classic Gaming Expo once, where he demonstrated the actual Brown Box for all of us. It was exactly as awesome as it sounds.
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posted by Mr. Bad Example at 8:52 AM on December 9, 2014
I was lucky enough to hear him speak at the Classic Gaming Expo once, where he demonstrated the actual Brown Box for all of us. It was exactly as awesome as it sounds.
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posted by Mr. Bad Example at 8:52 AM on December 9, 2014
I wonder if he'll be back in the inevitable PS4/XB1 reboot.
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[snark mode off] Thank you, sir.
posted by dances with hamsters at 10:03 AM on December 9, 2014
......
[snark mode off] Thank you, sir.
posted by dances with hamsters at 10:03 AM on December 9, 2014
There was a neat story at SportsFilter from a long-time member about meeting Baer and playing Pong.
posted by yerfatma at 10:14 AM on December 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by yerfatma at 10:14 AM on December 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
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posted by Token Meme at 10:33 AM on December 9, 2014
posted by Token Meme at 10:33 AM on December 9, 2014
You know that when Miyamoto kicks the bucket, the thread will have more comments than Mario has coins*, but it's nice appreciating people who paved the way.
*almost wrote stars ;)
posted by ersatz at 10:44 AM on December 9, 2014
*almost wrote stars ;)
posted by ersatz at 10:44 AM on December 9, 2014
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posted by coolxcool=rad at 12:02 PM on December 9, 2014
posted by coolxcool=rad at 12:02 PM on December 9, 2014
We're all indebted to Baer, but the person behind the Odyssey² is Ed Averett, who singlehandedly wrote most of the games for the system.
posted by enf at 12:12 PM on December 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by enf at 12:12 PM on December 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
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posted by bashos_frog at 3:07 PM on December 9, 2014
posted by bashos_frog at 3:07 PM on December 9, 2014
↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ ← → ← → B A
posted by klangklangston at 5:34 PM on December 9, 2014
posted by klangklangston at 5:34 PM on December 9, 2014
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posted by echocollate at 6:30 AM on December 9, 2014 [20 favorites]