“I think, reading this, I realized that I’ve read a lot about Nolan Bushnell, but nothing about Ralph Baer, which sort of proves the point contained within, I suppose.
Ralph Baer definitely invented Pong, the home video game console, and Simon, that thing where you have to memorize the patterns and push the lights. I’m guessing he also invented a ton of other great things, but they weren’t game-y and didn’t really have much to do with this book, so it’s cool that they don’t appear in the book.
I need to find a book about Baer, I think. He seems like an interesting guy.
Bushnell is also interesting. It’s a very Jobs/Wozniak story, as most of these tech stories go, where one guy knows how to make amazing things, the other guy is good at saying “Hey, can we call this something a little more catchy than ElectroTelevisual Entertainment Module?”
I think you need both guys, TBH. People always want to argue that the Jobs’ of the world aren’t necessary, but I have to say, I don’t think these sorts of things work without them. People with money need convincing, and the Jobs types are really good at that part.
It makes me wonder which one I am. The nerd who has ideas and makes things. Or the charismatic…well, guess I figured it out for myself there.”