tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167179463808604240.post8309670542456076119..comments2024-03-24T17:41:28.172-05:00Comments on The Golden Age Arcade Historian: PMC's Aztec - First Game With a Microprocessor?Keith Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08421308095592306594noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167179463808604240.post-42032085401238740052012-11-20T09:43:48.885-06:002012-11-20T09:43:48.885-06:00Hi. Thanks for the comments.
I went back and chec...Hi. Thanks for the comments.<br /><br />I went back and checked the 1976 issues a little more closesly and found a few more clues.<br /><br />The December 1976 issue of Replay has their review of the AMOA show. They show a picture of Video Pool. The caption refers to it as "U.S. Billiards BRAND NEW video/pool game".<br />The December 1976 issue of PlayMeter has an ad from U.S. Billiards listing their new games. They refer to "U.S.B." their "sensational new generation video game". No photo of the game but this is probably "video pool". They don't call it that but it's not really clear that "video pool" was the game's name rather than just a description. The marquee didn't say that. The flyer for the upright says "Our name is the game". Both it and the cocktail flyer say Video Pool, but it isn't entirely clear that's the name (I actually listed it as "U.S. Billiards" before I saw that TAFA listed it as "Video Pool").<br /><br />Also, I looked at a few U.S. Billiards ads prior to December of 1976. Some of them listed their various games but none that I looked at mentioned video pool - and none of the three trade magazines I looked at mentioned it being released prior to late 1976 that I can recall (though Replay didn't pulbish its first issue until October, 1975). I don't remember it being mentioned in any reviews of the 1975 MOA either, but I'll have to go back and double-check.<br /><br />It might have been released much earlier(maybe on a limited basis?) and the company would have to have not notified any of the trade magazines that they'd released it.<br /><br />OTOH, I'd like to find the source of that April 1975. date. I actually supplied some of the dates for that bronze age list about 10-15 years ago. It would be funny if I was the source.Keith Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08421308095592306594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167179463808604240.post-50396130021833152922012-11-20T04:28:42.886-06:002012-11-20T04:28:42.886-06:00Hi again Keith,
Both PMC Aztec & Princess wer...Hi again Keith,<br /><br />Both PMC Aztec & Princess were only cabinets. PMC added game boards upon the buyer's request (either Hockey or Tennis). PMC also made another cocktail cabinet called "Inca" which has a 2 or 4 player Tennis game. <br /><br />Oh and the name of the PMC Baseball Wall game you were looking for is "All-Star Baseball" which came out in 1974.<br /><br />Now about the Video Pool game: this would make lot of sense if they began developing around May 1975 since i read on a web site that the author listed the game has came out in April 1975. I finally found were that i saw this information:<br /><br />http://web.archive.org/web/20110724075512/http://www.cityofberwyn.com/bronzeage/<br /><br />The author even lists that the board uses a 6800 CPU (see the 1975 section). So the question still remains not 100% answered. Did US Billiards released the Video Pool game or began developing in April 1975 ?!? <br /><br />BTW, i can't wait to read your book even if i'm not an arcade collector. I just trying to gather infos for simulating many Discrete Logic arcades games (and also Discrete & Dedicated Chips "Pong" consoles/systems and many electronic handheld games) that can't be emulated. Just want to digitally preserve those old games before it's too late. <br /><br />Keep on the great work! :)<br /><br />--- Sylvain D.C. (aka Sly DC) --- <br />--- Sylvain D.C. (aka Sly DC) ---http://www.ccjvq.com/slydc/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167179463808604240.post-49527587498308809682012-11-07T22:46:42.490-06:002012-11-07T22:46:42.490-06:00OK. I confirmed from Play Meter that Video Pool de...OK. I confirmed from Play Meter that Video Pool debuted at the 1976 AMOA show in November.<br /><br />However, I seem to remember that in another issue (or maybe it was the Vending Times issue) U.S. Billiards claimed that the game was in development for 18 months, which would have put the start to around May of 1975.<br /><br />Of course, I'm not sure it matters when they started developing it (plus, I don't know when development of Gun Fight started). Also, even if they did start development in spring of '75 they may not have added a microprocessor until later. <br /><br />I'll have to try and track down the issue with the 18 month figure.Keith Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08421308095592306594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167179463808604240.post-86120642704698354832012-11-07T20:16:03.247-06:002012-11-07T20:16:03.247-06:00According to the November 1976 issue of Vending Ti...According to the November 1976 issue of Vending Times Video Pool (sometimes called U.S. Billiards, same as the company) debuted at the 1976 AMOA show, which was held November 12-14 that year (the first time it was called the AMOA rather than the MOA).<br /><br />I am currently going through the 1976 issues of Play Meter and will see if I can confirm that but right now it looks like it's out as well.<br /><br />I did find some more info about PMC.<br />There were indeed founded in 1965 and originally manufactured PC boards. <br /><br />The games involved in the Electromotion suit were Electomotion's Electomotion IV and PMC's Aztec.<br /><br />In addition to video games, PMC released two wall games (Kennel Club Dog Race and a baseball game whose name I don't have handy), a light organ, and the Comp-Pix computer photo booth. <br /><br />They were located in Philly when they made their first video games in 1973 (and may have been founded there) and moved into a 30,000 square foot facility in Southampton in late 1974. Keith Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08421308095592306594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167179463808604240.post-78639388244137946422012-11-07T19:56:03.875-06:002012-11-07T19:56:03.875-06:00Hi Keith,
I can confirm that the Aztec doesn'...Hi Keith,<br /><br />I can confirm that the Aztec doesn't use any CPU, only TTL's (Discrete Logic). the 4040 & 4004 are in fact CD4040 and CD4004. So you can count this one out for good as the 1st CPU arcade game.<br /><br />But there is one that i still can't confirm if it was the 1st CPU arcade game: US Billiards Video Pool. This one does use a CPU and also came out in 1975. The is a web site (don't rememeber which one) that listed this one was released in April 1975. If this is true, then this one would be the very first arcade using a CPU but need to have proof that it did came out in April 1975.<br /><br />If you can find infos about US Billiards Video Pool that proves that it did came out in April 1975, then many web sites and books would be wrong. Hopefully that anyone (like you or me) could find the exact released date. :)<br /><br />--- Sylvain D.C. (aka Sly DC) --- Sylvain De Chantalhttp://www.ccjvq.com/slydc/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167179463808604240.post-79274997523735605432012-09-03T14:18:16.547-05:002012-09-03T14:18:16.547-05:00I actually talked to a collector who owns the PCBs...I actually talked to a collector who owns the PCBs to a PMC Electronics game (it says "PACE 2000" on the board), we're going to try to figure this out.<br /><br />You should probably drop me a line, username @ URL domain<br />I can answer some questions of yours. :)Stilettohttp://www.mamedev.orgnoreply@blogger.com