Lawson is known as the father of video game cartridges, an integral component of modern video gaming consoles. He worked as chief hardware engineer at Fairchild, where he created the Fairchild Channel F console and the pause button. While the Fairchild console never went mainstream, its cartridge design was the inspiration and basis for the Atari 2600, which revolutionized the design of video game consoles and the use of cartridges.
Who does Thursday’s Google Doodle celebrate?
Answer: Gerald (Jerry) Lawson, also known as the father of video game cartridges.
Everyone loves a good Google Doodle, especially ones that you can interact with. Thursday’s Google Doodle paid homage to a name that most gamers will likely know — Gerald (Jerry) Lawson. And of course, the Doodle itself also happens to be a video game.
Lawson is known as the father of video game cartridges, an integral component of modern video gaming consoles. He worked as chief hardware engineer at Fairchild, where he created the Fairchild Channel F console and the pause button. While the Fairchild console never went mainstream, its cartridge design was the inspiration and basis for the Atari 2600, which revolutionized the design of video game consoles and the use of cartridges.
Lawson was also one of only two Black members of the Homebrew Computer Club during his tenure at Fairchild. This group of tech enthusiasts counted a number of notable industry names among its ranks, including Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, founders of Apple. The Google Doodle celebrating him lets visitors choose among five different iconic cartridges like Pong and Space Invaders. And if you choose, you can further customize as you play.
Lawson is known as the father of video game cartridges, an integral component of modern video gaming consoles. He worked as chief hardware engineer at Fairchild, where he created the Fairchild Channel F console and the pause button. While the Fairchild console never went mainstream, its cartridge design was the inspiration and basis for the Atari 2600, which revolutionized the design of video game consoles and the use of cartridges.
