1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:04,160 Speaker 1: It's January of nineteen eighty four, and a Detroit local 2 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 1: named Stephen Bell has become something of a rock star, 3 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:09,920 Speaker 1: one with a joystick in his hand instead of a guitar. 4 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:14,040 Speaker 1: He's the first ever winner of Atari's sword Quest contest, 5 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:17,760 Speaker 1: which promises one hundred and fifty thousand dollars in jewel 6 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:22,480 Speaker 1: encrusted treasures to players who can successfully navigate four adventure games. 7 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:25,720 Speaker 1: You might think word doesn't travel very far about a 8 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:29,080 Speaker 1: video game contest, but Atari is one of the most 9 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:32,040 Speaker 1: well known brands in the world, and Stephen is an 10 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 1: Atari champion, the Tom Brady of video games. His picture 11 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:40,879 Speaker 1: appears in Atari Age, the magazine devoted to all things Atari. 12 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 1: Each issue is poured over by tens of thousands of 13 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 1: Atari fans. This means he was at least a little recognizable. 14 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:52,880 Speaker 1: So when Stephen arrives for the second sword Quest competition 15 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:56,840 Speaker 1: in Sunnyvale, California, a little kid spots him and kind 16 00:00:56,840 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 1: of freaks out. 17 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 2: They all knew because of a magazine. I actually had 18 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 2: one younger kid come up and want my autograph. So 19 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:07,360 Speaker 2: one time in my life someb be wondered my autograph. 20 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:11,040 Speaker 1: The kid is starstruck. Stephen is one of gaming's first 21 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 1: celebrity players. In fact, all the sword Quest finalists are, 22 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:18,720 Speaker 1: and that attention can sometimes get well a little creepy. 23 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 3: And so they were calling the seven of us or 24 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 3: eight of us to see if we could tell them 25 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 3: what we did to solve the puzzle, and they wanted 26 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:30,039 Speaker 3: to give them clues as to what to do for 27 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 3: the Fireworld was starting, and so as we turned in one, 28 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:36,080 Speaker 3: the next one was going, and everybody was calling to 29 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:38,760 Speaker 3: find out how we got to where we found the answer. 30 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:43,119 Speaker 1: That's Jackie Custer, another finalist in the first game Earth World. 31 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:45,959 Speaker 3: I actually had one guy who came to my house. 32 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 3: Showed up at my house. I don't know. He found 33 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 3: my address from somewhere. 34 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 1: Like Stephen, Jackie is becoming a bit of a celebrity 35 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: and maybe something else too. Maybe they're targets. Both are 36 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: looking to the second leg of the contest, fire World. 37 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 1: The two have qualified for the in person final and 38 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 1: a chance to win the second prize, a gem studded 39 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:13,520 Speaker 1: chalice worth another twenty five thousand dollars. They have the 40 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: experience like a prize fighter who's already made the walk 41 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:20,240 Speaker 1: to the ring. There were eight finalists in the first game, 42 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 1: which was almost impossible to solve. Seven made it. One 43 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 1: missed his flight. This time, seventy three people qualified for 44 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:33,040 Speaker 1: the contest in California. Stephen and Jackie will have far 45 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:36,919 Speaker 1: more competition than ever before. There are some familiar faces 46 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 1: and some not so familiar, including the man who would 47 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 1: become Stephen's earcist rival. When the smoke clears, another winner 48 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: will be crowned, and someone will get one step closer 49 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:52,640 Speaker 1: to the grand prize, the fifty thousand dollars swored of 50 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 1: Ultimate Sorcery, but behind the scenes, Atari is playing a 51 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:03,920 Speaker 1: different game entirely. It's a contest of survival in a 52 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 1: brand new world of next level video games, one threatening 53 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 1: to leave the company in the dust. To keep going, 54 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:18,320 Speaker 1: they'll try anything, including breeding players' minds for iHeartRadio. This 55 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:22,200 Speaker 1: is the Legend of sword Quest. I'm your host, Jamie Loftus, 56 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:30,239 Speaker 1: and this is Episode three. The Chalice. Fireworld, the second 57 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 1: in the sword Quest series, hit stores in February of 58 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty three. Like Earthworld, it came packaged with a 59 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 1: DC Comics story that helped flesh out the narrative while 60 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 1: providing game hints. Twins Tor and Tara were still in 61 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 1: pursuit of the Sword of Ultimate Sorcery, which they need 62 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 1: to defeat the evil king Tyrannus, the tyrant who murdered 63 00:03:52,360 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 1: their parents. To do that, they'd have. 64 00:03:54,920 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 4: To navigate a fire drenched hellscape. It was a fable, mythology, 65 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 4: part Conan parked Star Wars, and all melodrama. 66 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 5: Fireworld, and never was a place more aptly named. Volcanoes, 67 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:15,560 Speaker 5: blazing geysers, rivers of lava as far as that I. 68 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 1: Can see, As you might expect, all the stress of 69 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 1: exacting vengeance and suffering and hostile environments takes a toll 70 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 1: on the relationship between the siblings. 71 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:29,800 Speaker 5: We'll pass out from this terrible heat unless we find 72 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:33,000 Speaker 5: a cooler spot and quickly. We'd better talk this over, 73 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 5: figure out which direction we should be going. I don't 74 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:38,520 Speaker 5: know which one's best. No time for that. This way 75 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:41,839 Speaker 5: lies as open as any. Come on, Wait, that path. 76 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 4: Looks even worse to go down. 77 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:46,120 Speaker 5: I mean, look at it. Will you quit arguing and 78 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 5: follow me. 79 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:51,479 Speaker 1: There wasn't as much drama in Fireworld the game as 80 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:54,760 Speaker 1: there was in the comic. That's because A TOI was 81 00:04:54,839 --> 00:04:57,280 Speaker 1: always in a hurry to get games out to the market, 82 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:02,919 Speaker 1: even if they weren't necessarily entire shape. Here's Stephen Bell that. 83 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:06,000 Speaker 2: Was actually harder the actual game. Well, like I say, 84 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:08,320 Speaker 2: you know, the games were in the comic books, but 85 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:12,920 Speaker 2: the games themselves were they were okay. Once again, you 86 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:16,120 Speaker 2: could tell that they had this grand vision. They didn't 87 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:18,599 Speaker 2: have enough time to do what they really wanted to 88 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:21,479 Speaker 2: do because you know, somebody, wait at the top. You 89 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:23,760 Speaker 2: could get the next game out work, you said, selling 90 00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:26,440 Speaker 2: like hotcakes. So as far as the gameplay goes, it 91 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:27,279 Speaker 2: was just okay. 92 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 1: The comic held clues, but this time players had another 93 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:36,760 Speaker 1: source of information each other. When the Earth World Contest 94 00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:40,520 Speaker 1: was held, a network began forming among gamers, not only 95 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:43,720 Speaker 1: in person, but in the pages of video gaming magazines 96 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:49,599 Speaker 1: and through the mail. Jackie Custer, another Earth World contestant, explains. 97 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:52,760 Speaker 3: Right after the contest, I was flooded with calls. I 98 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:55,359 Speaker 3: mean it was constant, and a lot of those kids 99 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:59,440 Speaker 3: were like teenagers and young adults that were into Atari 100 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 3: and was in the contest but didn't win. You know, 101 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:03,240 Speaker 3: it didn't get to be a finalist. 102 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 1: The newer sword Quest players wanted help. Some of the 103 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:11,160 Speaker 1: veteran players were fairly open minded about sharing tips and tricks, 104 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 1: but Jackie was hesitant. It felt like giving the enemy 105 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:15,680 Speaker 1: strategies on war. 106 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:18,800 Speaker 3: I had all these people calling me saying, well, how'd 107 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:21,120 Speaker 3: you get the answer? How'd you get the answer? And 108 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:23,920 Speaker 3: I could have very easily told everybody, but we still 109 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:27,280 Speaker 3: had another contest, we had Fireworld, and I didn't want 110 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:29,599 Speaker 3: everybody to win. I mean, if the more people we 111 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:32,839 Speaker 3: had going, the less chance you had of doing well. 112 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:35,279 Speaker 3: And so I sort of tried to keep it to myself, 113 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:37,240 Speaker 3: you know, but some of these people would get on 114 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 3: the phone and they would beg you and push you 115 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:41,880 Speaker 3: and push you and try to get you to break 116 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:44,200 Speaker 3: it down, you know, to where you would tell them 117 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 3: the answer how you came up with it. So many 118 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:50,760 Speaker 3: people won the second one, and I think that some 119 00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:53,720 Speaker 3: of the other guys that were finalists for Earth World, 120 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 3: I think some of them gave out secrets, you know, 121 00:06:57,080 --> 00:06:58,880 Speaker 3: kind of let their friends in on it. 122 00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 1: With Fireworld, Jackie was at a slight disadvantage for Earth World. 123 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:08,800 Speaker 1: She had done a lot of the puzzle solving while 124 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:13,320 Speaker 1: her husband Dana controlled the game using the joystick. This time, 125 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 1: he wasn't as involved in helping her navigate the game. 126 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 1: But she was still determined to make it through. The 127 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:23,240 Speaker 1: treasures in the game revolved around the Tree of Life, 128 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 1: a concept found in the Kabbalah, a study of life 129 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:29,920 Speaker 1: from the perspective of the Jewish faith. There was depth 130 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 1: in these games if you chose to look for it, 131 00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:36,040 Speaker 1: but this was the eighties. Gamers liked Frogger. Most people 132 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:37,480 Speaker 1: skipped the subtext. 133 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:43,400 Speaker 3: I practiced until it was crazy, I mean constantly, and 134 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 3: we even thought of, like Dana just churning in the 135 00:07:46,080 --> 00:07:48,640 Speaker 3: second one, but he didn't have as much time to 136 00:07:48,680 --> 00:07:51,080 Speaker 3: work on it. He was very, very busy with work, 137 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:52,840 Speaker 3: and when he came home he wanted to play with 138 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 3: the sun, and so he didn't really get into it 139 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 3: as much as I did. And so it kind of 140 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:00,600 Speaker 3: just was the belief that I would just churn it 141 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 3: in and hopefully enjoy another trip to San Francisco. But yeah, 142 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:07,160 Speaker 3: I practiced and practiced, and I got better. I got 143 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:09,360 Speaker 3: quite a bit further on the fireworld. 144 00:08:10,880 --> 00:08:14,760 Speaker 1: This time, more people qualified for the finals. Seventy three 145 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:19,360 Speaker 1: of them in fact, including Jackie and returning champion Stephen Bell, 146 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:24,800 Speaker 1: all had the correct answer. Leads to chalice. Power abounds. 147 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:28,160 Speaker 1: Like the first game, contestants had to know that the 148 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:31,400 Speaker 1: correct words were identified by a clue in the poem 149 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:32,760 Speaker 1: included in the comic. 150 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:36,959 Speaker 6: In Earth World Gred, these twins have twelve beasts of 151 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:41,480 Speaker 6: Zodiac birth and mastered thieving as they sought for sword 152 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:46,400 Speaker 6: of Ultimate worth through Fireworld's flames. They now do rage well. 153 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:50,080 Speaker 6: Time it's told is ad to seven days a year, 154 00:08:50,360 --> 00:08:53,200 Speaker 6: an age who knows in a world gone mad. 155 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:59,360 Speaker 1: In the comic, the phrase ad to seven is printed 156 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 1: in a different typeface. The pages of the comic containing 157 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:07,440 Speaker 1: the right clues needed to add up to seven. But 158 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:10,120 Speaker 1: did that? Many more people figure that out on their own. 159 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:13,480 Speaker 1: Were a lot of twelve year olds really into typography. 160 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:15,319 Speaker 1: Jackie isn't sure. 161 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 3: About that, Like this is how you do it, you know. 162 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:22,480 Speaker 3: I just don't think that all of a sudden to 163 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:25,719 Speaker 3: go from seven of us to fifty of well, I 164 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:28,040 Speaker 3: think it was seventy five of us that got it 165 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:30,640 Speaker 3: for the second one. I just think that some of 166 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:32,880 Speaker 3: the finalists on the first one. I think let lous 167 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:34,280 Speaker 3: on how it was done, you. 168 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:38,640 Speaker 1: Know, however it happened. Seventy three was way too many 169 00:09:38,679 --> 00:09:42,600 Speaker 1: contestants for Atari. The company was committed to flying out 170 00:09:42,640 --> 00:09:45,280 Speaker 1: all the finalists and putting them up in a hotel 171 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:48,880 Speaker 1: for three days in the Bay Area of California. This 172 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:52,960 Speaker 1: contest was already an expensive proposition, so when the number 173 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:56,040 Speaker 1: of winning entries grew to be too much, Atari went 174 00:09:56,240 --> 00:09:57,800 Speaker 1: full grade school teacher. 175 00:09:58,559 --> 00:10:01,800 Speaker 3: They couldn't afford to have that many people. It was 176 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:04,520 Speaker 3: just too big of an unmovie group, you know. So 177 00:10:04,559 --> 00:10:06,640 Speaker 3: they cut it down and you had to write an 178 00:10:06,720 --> 00:10:08,920 Speaker 3: essay about why you want it to go. 179 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:14,320 Speaker 1: Yes, an essay a homework assignment. Atari wrote back to 180 00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:17,760 Speaker 1: the players and told them to submit a manifesto on 181 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:23,400 Speaker 1: why they loved Fireworld. So everyone wrote something, including Stephen Bell, 182 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:25,760 Speaker 1: but as he dropped it in the mail, he wasn't 183 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:29,720 Speaker 1: sure being a returning champion was necessarily an advantage. 184 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:32,640 Speaker 2: He had a little thing on what do you like 185 00:10:32,679 --> 00:10:34,520 Speaker 2: about the game? Like I said, I was still in 186 00:10:34,520 --> 00:10:37,199 Speaker 2: contact with a middle group of friends, and once again 187 00:10:37,679 --> 00:10:39,760 Speaker 2: I was talking to Jackie on the phone. I said, 188 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:42,440 Speaker 2: you know, I don't think they're gonna pick me to 189 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:45,440 Speaker 2: be one of them because I already won one. And 190 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:48,080 Speaker 2: she says, no, they're going to pick you to see 191 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:51,440 Speaker 2: if you can win them all. Well, I guess we'll see, sure, enough, 192 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:53,679 Speaker 2: you know, I get my little acceptance letter. There you 193 00:10:53,679 --> 00:10:54,720 Speaker 2: go coming back. 194 00:10:55,320 --> 00:10:59,800 Speaker 1: Keep in mind, Fireworld was an often infuriating game, so 195 00:11:00,160 --> 00:11:02,840 Speaker 1: many of these essays expressing their love for it were 196 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:07,720 Speaker 1: probably not entirely sincere. But a golden chalice was at stake, 197 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:11,760 Speaker 1: so a little creative license was to be expected. Atari 198 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:14,839 Speaker 1: got these seventy three essays and picked the fifty they 199 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:19,560 Speaker 1: liked best. Pretty soon, Stephen Bell, Jackie Custer, and forty 200 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:22,319 Speaker 1: eight other people got a letter in the mail inviting 201 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:25,400 Speaker 1: them to the finals, which would be held in January 202 00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:29,880 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty four. Stephen and Jackie had an advantage of swords. 203 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:32,040 Speaker 1: They knew what it was like to play a game 204 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:35,319 Speaker 1: under pressure, with a time limit and rows of television 205 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:39,199 Speaker 1: set up. They were the two veterans, but now there 206 00:11:39,280 --> 00:11:41,880 Speaker 1: was just a one in fifty chance either one of 207 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:44,480 Speaker 1: them would come out on top. And that wasn't the 208 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:47,800 Speaker 1: only different thing this time around. As soon as Jackie 209 00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:50,640 Speaker 1: and Stephen got dropped off, they found themselves in an 210 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:52,520 Speaker 1: entirely new environment. 211 00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:56,679 Speaker 5: Our ghostly mentors challenged us to enter the second world 212 00:11:56,679 --> 00:11:59,160 Speaker 5: that lies below to claim both the sword and our 213 00:11:59,160 --> 00:12:03,000 Speaker 5: own destinies. Well, we've come this far, and by the gods, 214 00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:04,040 Speaker 5: we won't stop now. 215 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:13,840 Speaker 1: The first thing Jackie Custer noticed upon returning to San 216 00:12:13,880 --> 00:12:18,440 Speaker 1: Francisco was that things seemed a little more let's say, 217 00:12:18,559 --> 00:12:19,960 Speaker 1: economical with Atari. 218 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:24,240 Speaker 3: Instead of having a catered dinner, they took us all 219 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:28,000 Speaker 3: and we walked a few blocks to Chinatown and we 220 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:30,400 Speaker 3: went to a Chinese restaurant and they served us kind 221 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:33,160 Speaker 3: of like not pot luck, but buffet style, you know, 222 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:34,360 Speaker 3: a Chinese dinner. 223 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:37,560 Speaker 1: Where the first event had players in a lavish hotel 224 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:41,480 Speaker 1: with the contest and Atari's headquarters, this one was being 225 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:43,960 Speaker 1: held at a holiday inn. 226 00:12:44,600 --> 00:13:03,920 Speaker 5: It's like a roaring furnace, the greatest inferno we've encountered yet. 227 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:59,040 Speaker 3: The hotel we stayed in. It was in San Francisco, 228 00:12:59,559 --> 00:13:02,320 Speaker 3: it was, but it just wasn't at the same caliber 229 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:04,280 Speaker 3: as the hotel we had for the first game. 230 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:07,840 Speaker 1: Jackie also felt like the number of finalists may have 231 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:08,520 Speaker 1: been too. 232 00:13:08,520 --> 00:13:11,480 Speaker 3: Much the second one. I felt like I was being 233 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:14,640 Speaker 3: pushed here and there, and that there was too many 234 00:13:14,720 --> 00:13:16,240 Speaker 3: of us, and it was it was kind of like 235 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:19,439 Speaker 3: more like a herd mentality, and you know, everybody hurrying 236 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:22,040 Speaker 3: getting here and eat your dinner and hurry back to 237 00:13:22,559 --> 00:13:24,920 Speaker 3: this and you know, take the tour and then get 238 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:27,200 Speaker 3: back to the hotel and da da da da da. 239 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:31,480 Speaker 1: But not everyone agreed things were all that bad. Here's Steven. 240 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:35,080 Speaker 2: We just went to San Francisco, a hotel in San Francisco. 241 00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:37,640 Speaker 2: But I was pretty cool because they took us to Alcatraz. 242 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:40,200 Speaker 2: I was pretty cool. I don't know if anyone's ever 243 00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:43,559 Speaker 2: seen the movie Escape from Alcatraz, but we saw the 244 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:47,240 Speaker 2: cell Clint Eastwood was in and all that. 245 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:51,040 Speaker 1: There also seemed to be more camaraderie this time around, 246 00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 1: both between returning players and new ones. 247 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:57,240 Speaker 3: It was interesting in the hotel. I'm sure the other 248 00:13:57,320 --> 00:14:00,080 Speaker 3: guests didn't know what was going on, but it got 249 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:02,720 Speaker 3: pretty rowdy and a lot of fun. A big party, 250 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:06,000 Speaker 3: kind of like in the halls where our rooms were, 251 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:08,600 Speaker 3: you know, a couple different floors, they had a whole 252 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:10,680 Speaker 3: bunch of rooms. They had our rooms kind of together. 253 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:14,160 Speaker 3: We go out in the hallway and everybody bring out 254 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:17,600 Speaker 3: their drinks or whatever they had and the food, and 255 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:19,960 Speaker 3: we sit around in the I remember sitting on the 256 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:23,280 Speaker 3: floor of my feet up on the wall, just talking 257 00:14:23,320 --> 00:14:26,000 Speaker 3: and talking and talking till hours of the morning and 258 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:29,400 Speaker 3: getting to know each other and yeah, It was a 259 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:39,080 Speaker 3: big party. 260 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:38,840 Speaker 1: But not everyone wanted to party. Stephen was in the zone, 261 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:42,280 Speaker 1: and so were plenty of others. Owing to the number 262 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:46,640 Speaker 1: of players, Atari took over the holiday inns ballroom. Tables 263 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:49,960 Speaker 1: were set up with fifty televisions and fifty Atari systems. 264 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:53,200 Speaker 1: Heavy curtains covered the floorid to ceiling windows to block 265 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:56,960 Speaker 1: out the sunlight and reduce glare on the screens. Conference 266 00:14:57,040 --> 00:14:59,480 Speaker 1: chairs were set up in front of each monitor. The 267 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:01,760 Speaker 1: whole scene looked a little bit like an old school 268 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:06,080 Speaker 1: computer class. One by one, the players began taking their 269 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:09,680 Speaker 1: seats under the drop ceiling a giant Atari sign set 270 00:15:09,760 --> 00:15:12,200 Speaker 1: up to one side of the room. Off to another 271 00:15:12,280 --> 00:15:16,120 Speaker 1: side was a glass case. Inside was the object of 272 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:20,520 Speaker 1: everyone's desire, the chalice, a cup from which to sip 273 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:21,640 Speaker 1: and save your victory. 274 00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:26,000 Speaker 3: The chalice was really gorgeous and if you're Catholic and 275 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:29,160 Speaker 3: go to church, the chalice the priest has it was 276 00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:31,760 Speaker 3: kind of like the same size as a large chalice 277 00:15:31,760 --> 00:15:34,320 Speaker 3: in the church, and it was all yellow gold and 278 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:38,400 Speaker 3: just around the cup part just you know, so many 279 00:15:38,440 --> 00:15:43,760 Speaker 3: stones inlaid and just so beautiful, really really neat prizes. 280 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:49,040 Speaker 1: An Atari employee described the rules like Earth World. Playing 281 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:52,880 Speaker 1: through Fireworld would be a timed competition. Players would have 282 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:56,280 Speaker 1: to gather objects and place them in their correct electronic 283 00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:59,920 Speaker 1: rooms and in the right order to win. Atari made 284 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:02,920 Speaker 1: a special contest version of the game cartridge so players 285 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:05,400 Speaker 1: wouldn't merely be able to repeat what they had done 286 00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:08,880 Speaker 1: with the home version. The televisions were turned on and 287 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:13,920 Speaker 1: the Atari systems engaged. Each player held a joystick, also 288 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:17,840 Speaker 1: provided by Atari to prevent someone from gaining an advantage. 289 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:20,560 Speaker 1: No one was allowed to bring and use their own controllers. 290 00:16:21,280 --> 00:16:25,360 Speaker 1: With fifty players ready to go and Atari employee stepped forward, 291 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:29,200 Speaker 1: some players stole one last look at the chalice, which 292 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:32,520 Speaker 1: seemed to gleam even in the dark and dungeon like room, 293 00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:36,440 Speaker 1: illuminated only by the glare of the tube televisions and 294 00:16:36,520 --> 00:16:41,400 Speaker 1: some harsh fluorescent lighting. In this holiday Inn ballroom, the 295 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:46,560 Speaker 1: sight of wedding receptions, business conferences, and speed dating. Atari's 296 00:16:46,600 --> 00:16:50,760 Speaker 1: second sword Quest competition was on. The clacking of the 297 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:55,520 Speaker 1: joysticks was symphonic. Each player consumed by navigating each room 298 00:16:55,680 --> 00:17:00,120 Speaker 1: and grabbing objects an oil lamp and amulet, a grappling hook, 299 00:17:00,560 --> 00:17:04,639 Speaker 1: and trying to figure out where each belonged. Some needed 300 00:17:04,640 --> 00:17:07,040 Speaker 1: to be placed after you put the right object in 301 00:17:07,080 --> 00:17:10,160 Speaker 1: another room. There was a lot of trial and error. 302 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:15,119 Speaker 1: The layout of the rooms was more apparent if you 303 00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:17,440 Speaker 1: knew the design of the Tree of Life from the 304 00:17:17,520 --> 00:17:22,600 Speaker 1: Kabbala ten circles inside of three triangles. It acted as 305 00:17:22,600 --> 00:17:25,639 Speaker 1: a kind of navigator. Stephen Bell got off to a 306 00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:30,160 Speaker 1: good start, but pretty soon that optimism gave way to despair. 307 00:17:31,359 --> 00:17:34,320 Speaker 2: I just wasn't getting these wouldn't get these clues as good, 308 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:39,160 Speaker 2: and I could tell like pretty quickly. I just remember, 309 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:42,879 Speaker 2: after about ten minutes, I'm like, yeah, I ain't went 310 00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:46,680 Speaker 2: a nice one. You plu pulling away and I'm not gidneys. 311 00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:49,399 Speaker 1: The same was true of Jackie Custer, who had a 312 00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:53,400 Speaker 1: sense she was only plotting along. Using the joystick had 313 00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:56,000 Speaker 1: not been her strong suit, but she had gotten better 314 00:17:56,040 --> 00:17:59,000 Speaker 1: with it. That was thanks in part to Stephen, who 315 00:17:59,000 --> 00:17:59,720 Speaker 1: had shared. 316 00:17:59,480 --> 00:18:03,679 Speaker 3: Some of his Stephen Bell, who won the first one. 317 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:07,600 Speaker 3: He was a nice guy, and they were moving their joysticks. 318 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:09,640 Speaker 3: Later they were showing me how they could move through. 319 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:12,000 Speaker 3: And after it was over, we all kind of went 320 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:14,800 Speaker 3: around one of the screens and was looking and Stephen 321 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:16,760 Speaker 3: was showing us how he got through some of the 322 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:20,920 Speaker 3: mini games, and they were just so fast. It woggled 323 00:18:20,920 --> 00:18:22,680 Speaker 3: my mind because I couldn't do. 324 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:26,520 Speaker 1: That, you know. Eventually Jackie still fell behind. 325 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:29,040 Speaker 3: I want to say that it was like the fourth 326 00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:32,120 Speaker 3: or fifth level. Like I said, it was not fabulous. 327 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:36,320 Speaker 1: Instead, two other contestants new to the sword quest scene 328 00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:41,480 Speaker 1: began to pull ahead curiously. Both were from South Carolina. 329 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:46,040 Speaker 1: One was Rick Davidson from Kershaw, the other was Michael 330 00:18:46,119 --> 00:18:51,360 Speaker 1: Rideout from Aiken. Both were making great time. Michael knew 331 00:18:51,359 --> 00:18:53,399 Speaker 1: about the Tree of Life and was able to speed 332 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:56,960 Speaker 1: through rooms more quickly than most of the others. Rick 333 00:18:57,160 --> 00:18:59,439 Speaker 1: didn't know much about the Tree of Life, but still 334 00:18:59,480 --> 00:19:03,040 Speaker 1: managed to find what he needed. After forty minutes of play, 335 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:07,560 Speaker 1: some players had tossed aside their joysticks in exasperation. The 336 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:09,840 Speaker 1: objects had been too hard to come by and their 337 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:15,320 Speaker 1: locations too difficult to discover. Others plowed ahead, but Michael 338 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:19,520 Speaker 1: and Rick were close, very close. As Rick plunked down 339 00:19:19,560 --> 00:19:23,000 Speaker 1: his last object, he felt a surge of excitement. There 340 00:19:23,080 --> 00:19:25,680 Speaker 1: was nothing left to do. He looked around and didn't 341 00:19:25,720 --> 00:19:29,160 Speaker 1: see anyone else with their arms raised. He had done it. 342 00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:37,200 Speaker 1: He had beaten Fireworld and obtained the Chalice. Except well, 343 00:19:37,359 --> 00:19:40,800 Speaker 1: except Rick's judge didn't agree with him. As with the 344 00:19:40,840 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 1: first contest, each player was assigned a judge. This time 345 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:48,640 Speaker 1: one judge supervised two players to watch out for any 346 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:52,640 Speaker 1: suspicious activity and make certain the players completed the tasks. 347 00:19:53,600 --> 00:19:56,520 Speaker 1: What suspicious activity would have looked like in nineteen eighty 348 00:19:56,600 --> 00:19:57,800 Speaker 1: four is a mystery. 349 00:19:57,960 --> 00:19:58,919 Speaker 4: But still. 350 00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:03,080 Speaker 1: Noticed that the judge wasn't giving him me all clear. 351 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:07,719 Speaker 1: Rick had gotten all the clues and their corresponding numbers, 352 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:12,080 Speaker 1: but one, just one, was out of order. The official 353 00:20:12,080 --> 00:20:14,600 Speaker 1: told him he'd have to do it over again, so 354 00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:18,800 Speaker 1: Rick did just that. He raced through, repeating his own steps. 355 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:26,320 Speaker 1: He had just minutes to go, but then there was 356 00:20:26,359 --> 00:20:29,399 Speaker 1: a commotion on the other side of the room. Another 357 00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:33,600 Speaker 1: contestant was standing up. Rick looked over and the contestant 358 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:38,080 Speaker 1: was getting his arm raised. Applause was breaking out. Michael 359 00:20:38,440 --> 00:20:42,879 Speaker 1: not Rick had one fireworld. A dejected Rick put his 360 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:48,960 Speaker 1: joystick down. The rules were the rules. A little while later, 361 00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:51,560 Speaker 1: the judge came up to him and handed him something. 362 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:55,680 Speaker 1: It was one of the game cartridges made especially for 363 00:20:55,760 --> 00:20:59,639 Speaker 1: the contest. Attari always took them back and never allowed 364 00:20:59,640 --> 00:21:02,680 Speaker 1: players to keep them, but the judge gave one to Rick. 365 00:21:03,359 --> 00:21:06,480 Speaker 1: It was kind of a consolation prize and years later 366 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:08,800 Speaker 1: something that could fetch a pretty good price on eBay, 367 00:21:09,280 --> 00:21:13,120 Speaker 1: but it was no substitute for the chalice. Michael Rideout 368 00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:17,159 Speaker 1: had earned Atari's holy grail, and he was close to 369 00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:27,800 Speaker 1: passing out. With forty nine slightly envious people looking on, 370 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:31,399 Speaker 1: twenty four year old Michael Rideout was ushered over to 371 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:35,440 Speaker 1: the glass case containing the chalice with a flourish and 372 00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:39,280 Speaker 1: Atari Marketing employee lifted up the case and handed it over. 373 00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:42,679 Speaker 1: Both men froze for a moment to allow for a 374 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:46,560 Speaker 1: photo to be taken. There's Michael, bearded to make him 375 00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:49,439 Speaker 1: look a little older than his years, shaking hands with 376 00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:54,240 Speaker 1: a smiling Atari Marketing rep male model Handsome. Michael would 377 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:57,360 Speaker 1: later say he was so excited that he felt woozy 378 00:21:57,480 --> 00:21:59,000 Speaker 1: and feared he might collapse. 379 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:02,919 Speaker 3: He was really excited now, he Yeah, it was kind 380 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:05,159 Speaker 3: of like, Wow, I thought Steven would react, you know 381 00:22:05,359 --> 00:22:08,199 Speaker 3: at the first one. I really Michael just you know, 382 00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:13,520 Speaker 3: he was so happy and jubilant and just really partying 383 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:15,920 Speaker 3: that night and having a lot of fun, and he 384 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:19,480 Speaker 3: was enjoying the attention. Everybody wanted to talk to him. 385 00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:21,439 Speaker 3: Everyone wanted to a picture with him. 386 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:24,720 Speaker 1: Michael had done a number of things right. He had 387 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:27,240 Speaker 1: wisely sucked up to a taar rate during the essay 388 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:30,680 Speaker 1: portion of the contest, writing that he had preferred Fireworld 389 00:22:30,680 --> 00:22:34,040 Speaker 1: to the first game, Earth World. But there were things 390 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:37,280 Speaker 1: going against Michael too. He hadn't been in the loop 391 00:22:37,320 --> 00:22:41,440 Speaker 1: on trading strategies with other contestants. Winning was a surprise, 392 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:45,520 Speaker 1: a big one. Afterward, he and Stephen Bell struck up 393 00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:46,160 Speaker 1: a conversation. 394 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:50,680 Speaker 2: I don't remember what was said, gratulations. I did remember 395 00:22:51,280 --> 00:22:53,440 Speaker 2: because of what Jackie doing the last time. I think 396 00:22:53,480 --> 00:22:56,880 Speaker 2: I said, yeah, well we both get to come back now. 397 00:22:56,920 --> 00:22:59,320 Speaker 1: There were two finalists who would get to compete for 398 00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:03,160 Speaker 1: the sword. Stephen had opted to take his initial prize, 399 00:23:03,240 --> 00:23:07,320 Speaker 1: the Talisman, right away, but Michael didn't really have that option. 400 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:11,840 Speaker 1: After the first competition, Atari seemed to realize how dicey 401 00:23:11,880 --> 00:23:14,840 Speaker 1: it was to just hand the prize, worth twenty five 402 00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:17,640 Speaker 1: thousand dollars to the winner and hope it didn't get 403 00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:21,640 Speaker 1: lost or stolen. This time, they allowed Michael to hold 404 00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:25,479 Speaker 1: it just long enough for some photos. Then they explained 405 00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:27,960 Speaker 1: they'd have it sent to him, but not via the 406 00:23:27,960 --> 00:23:33,439 Speaker 1: postal service. They did enlist a Brinks truck. Brinks, of course, 407 00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:37,760 Speaker 1: is a national security transportation firm that moves around cash 408 00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:44,200 Speaker 1: and other valuables, including apparently Atari prizes. Here's Stephen would 409 00:23:44,359 --> 00:23:45,240 Speaker 1: Michael write out? 410 00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:48,800 Speaker 2: Won his channelis the second one. They didn't give it 411 00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:52,760 Speaker 2: to him right away, And if that was me, I 412 00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:56,400 Speaker 2: would have said, oh no, no, no, if that's my property, 413 00:23:56,520 --> 00:23:59,480 Speaker 2: you hand it over right now. But when he won, 414 00:24:00,359 --> 00:24:02,520 Speaker 2: they went, yeah, and the first guy we just handed 415 00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:04,680 Speaker 2: a tool when they were looking at me and they said, 416 00:24:04,840 --> 00:24:07,199 Speaker 2: we thought that wasn't such a good idea. But I 417 00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:09,560 Speaker 2: heard it took him like three months to finally get it. 418 00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:11,840 Speaker 2: Of course, because him and I we you know, we 419 00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:15,840 Speaker 2: exchanged photos when he finally got it. That's how I 420 00:24:15,880 --> 00:24:18,359 Speaker 2: know what it took so long, because you know every color, Hey, 421 00:24:18,480 --> 00:24:18,840 Speaker 2: you get it? 422 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:19,800 Speaker 5: Who really hear you? 423 00:24:20,320 --> 00:24:22,440 Speaker 2: That's what I'm like, dude, you should have just said, no, 424 00:24:22,520 --> 00:24:23,439 Speaker 2: it's mine, give it to me. 425 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:27,120 Speaker 1: Well, Michael had to wait for the literal Brinks truck 426 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:29,360 Speaker 1: to show up. He and the rest of the players 427 00:24:29,359 --> 00:24:32,840 Speaker 1: got in some sight seeing. But again Jackie felt like 428 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:36,600 Speaker 1: things were a little different this time around, that maybe Atari, 429 00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:39,639 Speaker 1: which was the king of video games, had a crown 430 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:41,399 Speaker 1: that was beginning to slide off. 431 00:24:44,359 --> 00:24:47,159 Speaker 3: They put us on buses the next day after we 432 00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:50,280 Speaker 3: had our competition, and they drove us all around the city, 433 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:53,520 Speaker 3: and pretty much the next day we left, so it 434 00:24:53,560 --> 00:24:56,800 Speaker 3: was a much shorter trip and they didn't treat us 435 00:24:56,920 --> 00:24:59,320 Speaker 3: quite as richly as they did on the first one. 436 00:24:59,359 --> 00:25:02,199 Speaker 3: You know, the first one, it was like it was 437 00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:06,359 Speaker 3: really really fancy and very very nicely done. 438 00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:11,520 Speaker 1: That left Jackie empty handed, well almost, she actually got 439 00:25:11,560 --> 00:25:15,159 Speaker 1: her hands on the sword technically sorta. 440 00:25:16,080 --> 00:25:20,320 Speaker 3: So I brought a Fireworld T shirt and three cassettes 441 00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:23,320 Speaker 3: that I have the games, one still sealed in the 442 00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:25,320 Speaker 3: box because I bought a second and third one of 443 00:25:25,359 --> 00:25:28,800 Speaker 3: some of them. And at the end of the contest, 444 00:25:29,200 --> 00:25:31,800 Speaker 3: the first one, they had these big swords hanging down 445 00:25:31,880 --> 00:25:34,320 Speaker 3: with the logo on it and everything. You've probably seen 446 00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:37,639 Speaker 3: a poster, i'm sure, or online they have pictures of 447 00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:40,760 Speaker 3: these swords. Well, there was these cardboard swords hanging from 448 00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:44,520 Speaker 3: the ceiling all over where we had the competition, and 449 00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:47,000 Speaker 3: at the end we got to take those down and 450 00:25:47,119 --> 00:25:49,159 Speaker 3: take them home with us. So it took home a 451 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:52,200 Speaker 3: big sword. It was like about, oh, maybe as long 452 00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:56,360 Speaker 3: as the yardstick. You know, three four feet something like that. Anyway, 453 00:25:56,600 --> 00:25:59,160 Speaker 3: I had that all in one piece for a long 454 00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:02,600 Speaker 3: long time and it broke into it's just like a 455 00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:06,560 Speaker 3: corgated cardboard, you know, a thick and it broke a 456 00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:09,280 Speaker 3: couple of years ago, and so I just saved part 457 00:26:09,280 --> 00:26:12,280 Speaker 3: of it, and I had that and some other goodies 458 00:26:12,320 --> 00:26:13,359 Speaker 3: that I brought home. 459 00:26:13,840 --> 00:26:16,480 Speaker 1: But for some players there was a reward beyond a 460 00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:20,200 Speaker 1: material prize. It was something Jackie had noticed while talking 461 00:26:20,240 --> 00:26:21,880 Speaker 1: with other contestants. 462 00:26:22,560 --> 00:26:26,600 Speaker 3: There were several Vietnam veterans that still were dealing with 463 00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:29,359 Speaker 3: coming home from the war, and they had taken up 464 00:26:29,359 --> 00:26:31,760 Speaker 3: this game. One of them I talked to quite a bit, 465 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:34,439 Speaker 3: and he said it gave him a sense of something 466 00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:36,720 Speaker 3: to do, like something to keep him busy, because he 467 00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:39,639 Speaker 3: had such bad thoughts from the war and it was 468 00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:43,440 Speaker 3: very difficult for him to get settled back into everyday life. 469 00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:46,080 Speaker 3: And so he was going through a lot of medical 470 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:49,320 Speaker 3: problems and he was playing the game and happened to 471 00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:52,320 Speaker 3: get the right answer and was at the second one. 472 00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:56,200 Speaker 1: This was a kind of video game therapy, a concept 473 00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:59,520 Speaker 1: that was slowly gaining attention but still largely unheard of 474 00:26:59,560 --> 00:27:03,280 Speaker 1: at the time time. But there was one inherent problem 475 00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:07,200 Speaker 1: with sword Quest. It was virtually impossible to qualify for 476 00:27:07,320 --> 00:27:10,560 Speaker 1: the finals and a shot at a real prize. Only 477 00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:12,960 Speaker 1: the best of the best had a hope in hell 478 00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:18,040 Speaker 1: or fireworld of doing it. There was another way to 479 00:27:18,080 --> 00:27:22,840 Speaker 1: play video games for profit, and unlike Atari's promotion, players 480 00:27:22,880 --> 00:27:31,560 Speaker 1: could do it on national television. In the early nineteen eighties, 481 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:36,440 Speaker 1: producers James Caruso and Mavis Arthur produced a nationally syndicated 482 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:40,159 Speaker 1: television series called Starcade, and it was a chance for 483 00:27:40,280 --> 00:27:43,520 Speaker 1: kids and adults to compete against one another in video 484 00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:45,640 Speaker 1: games in front of a wide audience. 485 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:53,880 Speaker 7: This is docade TV's first video arcade game show, starring 486 00:27:53,960 --> 00:27:57,120 Speaker 7: your favorite video games and some brand new ones being 487 00:27:57,119 --> 00:27:59,400 Speaker 7: introduced to the public for the first time. 488 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:04,440 Speaker 1: Anyone Starcaid had an Atari connection. For the pilot episode, 489 00:28:04,640 --> 00:28:08,480 Speaker 1: Atari co founder Nolan Bushnell helped producers source the game 490 00:28:08,560 --> 00:28:13,240 Speaker 1: cabinets and find contestants. They played arcade games like Centipede 491 00:28:13,320 --> 00:28:16,560 Speaker 1: or pac Man, and their scores were totaled up. The 492 00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:20,440 Speaker 1: highest scoring player who also answered some trivia questions correctly, 493 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:24,760 Speaker 1: would get to play against a celebrity. In the first episode, 494 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:28,439 Speaker 1: it was Larry Wilcox, who co starred in the California 495 00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:33,720 Speaker 1: Highway Patrol drama Chips. Sometimes parents would team up with 496 00:28:33,760 --> 00:28:37,040 Speaker 1: their kids to play. The winner might receive a full 497 00:28:37,080 --> 00:28:41,800 Speaker 1: size Arcade cabinet, or even a vacation to Hawaii. But 498 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:45,640 Speaker 1: Starkaid had a couple of things going against it. For one, 499 00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:49,479 Speaker 1: television stations believed no one would want to watch people 500 00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:54,000 Speaker 1: playing games. For another, there was still a concern video 501 00:28:54,040 --> 00:28:58,240 Speaker 1: games were making kids lazy and rotting their brains to 502 00:28:58,320 --> 00:29:01,440 Speaker 1: try and perfect the format. Darcade shot a few pilots, 503 00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:06,520 Speaker 1: three of which were hosted by Alex Trebek. Yes, my 504 00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:11,440 Speaker 1: childhood crush Alex Trebek. When Starcade was picked up by 505 00:29:11,480 --> 00:29:15,240 Speaker 1: cable channel TBS, Trebec was long gone and would soon 506 00:29:15,280 --> 00:29:18,840 Speaker 1: move on to another job, Jeopardy. Maybe you've heard of it. 507 00:29:19,680 --> 00:29:23,560 Speaker 1: The format was also different, with producers ditching the celebrities 508 00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:27,240 Speaker 1: and team format, but the show was further proof that 509 00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:31,640 Speaker 1: competitive gaming could catch on. It may have even motivated 510 00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:35,280 Speaker 1: some gamers to enter the sword Quest contest, or some 511 00:29:35,480 --> 00:29:40,320 Speaker 1: sword Quest players to audition First Arcade. Of course, Atari 512 00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:43,360 Speaker 1: already knew competitive gaming could be the next big thing. 513 00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:48,240 Speaker 1: All indications were that sword Quest was a massive success, 514 00:29:49,120 --> 00:29:52,520 Speaker 1: Atari sold five hundred thousand copies of the first game, 515 00:29:52,760 --> 00:29:57,520 Speaker 1: Earth World. Fireworld was another hit. This was also a 516 00:29:57,560 --> 00:30:00,800 Speaker 1: time of real ambition for the company, where it was 517 00:30:00,840 --> 00:30:03,720 Speaker 1: trying very hard to break out of its wood paneled 518 00:30:03,760 --> 00:30:08,200 Speaker 1: paradigm and into something new. Like mind Link, an accessory 519 00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:12,000 Speaker 1: for the Atari that seemed to be able to read minds. 520 00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:17,320 Speaker 1: Players would strap the device to their foreheads, then, using biofeedback, 521 00:30:17,680 --> 00:30:30,520 Speaker 1: users could control characters on screen, to the dismay of 522 00:30:30,560 --> 00:30:35,640 Speaker 1: impressionable kids everywhere. The mind Link couldn't actually read your thoughts. 523 00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:40,200 Speaker 1: All it really did was detect minor muscle movements in 524 00:30:40,240 --> 00:30:45,200 Speaker 1: your forehead. Supposedly, when an Atari executive demonstrated it at 525 00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:48,800 Speaker 1: the Consumer Electronics Show, it fell off his head and broke. 526 00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:52,400 Speaker 1: When the company tested it with players, they complained it 527 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:56,200 Speaker 1: gave them headaches. The mind Link was never actually released. 528 00:30:57,360 --> 00:31:01,440 Speaker 1: Another major project Atari planned was by passing physical media, 529 00:31:02,360 --> 00:31:06,640 Speaker 1: years before downloadable gaming became the norm. Atari wanted to 530 00:31:06,680 --> 00:31:10,800 Speaker 1: deliver titles through an FM radio station. The data would 531 00:31:10,840 --> 00:31:13,640 Speaker 1: be sent through the station and then received by a 532 00:31:13,680 --> 00:31:20,080 Speaker 1: special Atari peripheral. It was exciting technology, but it also 533 00:31:20,240 --> 00:31:23,760 Speaker 1: had the added benefit of helping Atari save money on inventory. 534 00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:27,360 Speaker 1: After all, if you didn't need to store plastic cartridges, 535 00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:31,040 Speaker 1: you need less warehouse space. Though it was tested in 536 00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:34,720 Speaker 1: Los Angeles, it never rolled out nationwide. It would be 537 00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:38,280 Speaker 1: several more years before modems and downloadable games took hold 538 00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:41,880 Speaker 1: in American homes. They also re released their system so 539 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:45,280 Speaker 1: it came in all black, abandoning the wood grain finish 540 00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:49,960 Speaker 1: common to audio equipment and station wagons. This was, after all, 541 00:31:50,120 --> 00:31:55,080 Speaker 1: the eighties, an era of increasingly slick esthetic choices. A 542 00:31:55,160 --> 00:31:58,240 Speaker 1: version of the console even wound up in Japan, where 543 00:31:58,240 --> 00:32:01,080 Speaker 1: it competed for gamers with a system called the Family 544 00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:06,680 Speaker 1: Computer or Famicom, made by a company named Nintendo. Prior 545 00:32:06,760 --> 00:32:10,200 Speaker 1: to the second sword Quest contest, Stephen hurt Atari might 546 00:32:10,240 --> 00:32:14,720 Speaker 1: even move the tournament over to the mecca of video games, Japan. 547 00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:21,400 Speaker 2: I think we were all like, are we going to Japan? No, 548 00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:26,240 Speaker 2: we just went to San Francisco, a hotel in San Francisco. 549 00:32:26,880 --> 00:32:30,200 Speaker 1: The Atari console cost twenty four thousand, eight hundred yen 550 00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:34,280 Speaker 1: or about one hundred five dollars, while the Famicom was 551 00:32:34,360 --> 00:32:39,480 Speaker 1: only fourteen thousand, eight hundred yen or sixty dollars. Despite 552 00:32:39,520 --> 00:32:43,400 Speaker 1: taking their name from Japan, Atari means to hit a target. 553 00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:47,880 Speaker 1: They didn't do well over there, but still all signs 554 00:32:47,880 --> 00:32:51,280 Speaker 1: were pointing to both Atari and video games in general 555 00:32:51,440 --> 00:32:55,600 Speaker 1: becoming a powerful force in entertainment. But that didn't gel 556 00:32:55,640 --> 00:32:59,480 Speaker 1: with Jackie's experience. She had been to two contests and 557 00:32:59,520 --> 00:33:03,320 Speaker 1: there was a marked difference between the two, and it 558 00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:06,720 Speaker 1: didn't match with something Michael Rideout heard when he was 559 00:33:06,760 --> 00:33:10,280 Speaker 1: at the Fireworld tournament. When Michael later gave an interview 560 00:33:10,320 --> 00:33:14,240 Speaker 1: about his experience to gaming journalist John Hardy, he mentioned 561 00:33:14,280 --> 00:33:17,720 Speaker 1: something odd had happened at the contest. Someone had walked 562 00:33:17,800 --> 00:33:21,800 Speaker 1: up to him and given him a warning. No matter 563 00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:26,320 Speaker 1: what the person said, don't agree to let Atari cancel 564 00:33:26,440 --> 00:33:32,040 Speaker 1: the contest. Cancel the contest. Why would they cancel the contest? 565 00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:36,080 Speaker 1: Was that even legal at the time. Michael had no 566 00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:38,760 Speaker 1: idea what they meant. He was in it for the 567 00:33:38,800 --> 00:33:43,320 Speaker 1: long haul. For one thing, he was keeping the jalice. 568 00:33:43,560 --> 00:33:46,240 Speaker 1: Unlike Stephen, who sold his prize to buy a car, 569 00:33:46,720 --> 00:33:50,440 Speaker 1: Michael wanted to savor his victory. There were two more 570 00:33:50,480 --> 00:33:53,520 Speaker 1: games to be played and then a final event with 571 00:33:53,600 --> 00:33:56,880 Speaker 1: a fifty thousand dollars sword on the line. Even with 572 00:33:56,960 --> 00:34:00,200 Speaker 1: a mind link, it was impossible to read Atari's mind 573 00:34:00,320 --> 00:34:02,880 Speaker 1: and know what they were thinking. But a lot was 574 00:34:02,920 --> 00:34:06,400 Speaker 1: happening in the video game industry and at Atari that 575 00:34:06,440 --> 00:34:10,640 Speaker 1: would have far reaching consequences. The third contest was due 576 00:34:10,680 --> 00:34:15,840 Speaker 1: to be held soon, at least that was the plan. Instead, 577 00:34:16,160 --> 00:34:19,600 Speaker 1: it would be over two years before Stephen and Michael 578 00:34:19,680 --> 00:34:24,640 Speaker 1: heard from Atari again. That's when they both got the letter. 579 00:34:25,680 --> 00:34:29,239 Speaker 2: That's when it hit the wall, and so they sent 580 00:34:29,280 --> 00:34:32,719 Speaker 2: out a letter to the twelve people involved. They just 581 00:34:32,760 --> 00:34:34,680 Speaker 2: wanted to end it and here's some money. 582 00:34:35,719 --> 00:34:37,640 Speaker 1: That's next time on sword Quest. 583 00:34:43,080 --> 00:34:45,680 Speaker 8: The Legend of sword Quest is a production of iHeart 584 00:34:45,719 --> 00:34:48,960 Speaker 8: Podcasts and School of Humans. This episode was written by 585 00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:52,920 Speaker 8: Jake Rosson and hosted by Jamie Loftus producers are Miranda 586 00:34:52,920 --> 00:34:58,200 Speaker 8: Hawkins and Josh Fisher. Executive producers are Virginia Prescott, Elc Crowley, 587 00:34:58,440 --> 00:35:01,759 Speaker 8: Brandon Barr, and Jason Ing English. Our show editor is 588 00:35:01,840 --> 00:35:06,279 Speaker 8: Mary Doo. Audio engineering by Graham Gibson, Research and fact 589 00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:10,239 Speaker 8: checking by Austin Thompson and Jake Rosson. Original score by 590 00:35:10,320 --> 00:35:14,360 Speaker 8: Jesse Niswanger. This episode was sound designed by Josh Fisher, 591 00:35:14,840 --> 00:35:18,600 Speaker 8: mixing and mastering by Jake Cook. Show logo by Lucy 592 00:35:18,680 --> 00:35:23,000 Speaker 8: Quintonia Voices in this episode are provided by Miranda Hawkins, 593 00:35:23,280 --> 00:35:25,520 Speaker 8: Haley Ellman, and Graham Parker.