Episode 43 – Next exit, Silicone Valley

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 4:43:42 — 260.1MB)

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June 2016

We are back from the Southern-Fried Gameroom Expo and in front of the mics to recap our thoughts and all the high (many) and low (one…stupid tire) points along the way.  Needless to say, it was a great weekend full of fun and excitement.  We reconnected with listeners and friends, got some good swag (beer), interviewed some very interesting people, put on a couple of sessions and met lots of great folks to boot.

This month we feature one of the first audio segments from SFGE and are proud to feature the “From Tron to Curveball: Bill Adams’ Life in Classic Gaming” session where we have the privilege of interviewing Bill Adams and talk about everything from developing Tron to naming Satan’s Hollow to the legend of “OScope”… it’s great insight and a must-listen for some fantastic history on some beloved Bally/Midway games.

If you aren’t familiar with Bill Adams, here’s a quick excerpt from his bio:

After studying computer science at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Bill Adams would go on to develop some of the most influential games during the “Golden Age” of the arcade. As an employee of Bally/Midway, Mr. Adams held the positions of programmer, designer, manager, and director on a number of notable games. Highlights during his time at Bally/Midway include working on Kickman,Satan’s Hollow, Spy Hunter, and as the designer for the now legendary Tron.

Mr. Adams also was director for Mylstar(Gottlieb) and created the game Curve Ball in 1984. The last arcade game he programmed was Triple Play in 1989 for Williams Electronics. During his career in the arcade industry Mr. Adams worked with notable designers such as John Newcomer, Brian Colin, and George Gomez.

Mr. Adams continued to write video games and animated tutors using speech recognition at IBM Corporate Research. He is currently a self employed contractor programming casino gambling games and resides in Wappingers Falls, New York.

We also cover off on some monthly updates, spend some of Brent’s money, respond to a literal boat-load of listener feedback, mis-pronounce silicon, silicone and numismatic and uncover the long-lost horn of the General Lee.

Yep – all in a month’s work!

Here’s how the show timings break down:

• 0:00 – Intro & SFGE 2016 recap
• 1:45 – Tech and Spending Brent’s Money
• 3:09 – From Tron to Curveball: Bill Adams’ Life in Classic Gaming
• 4:04 – News and Feedback
• 4:42 – Outtakes

Episode 43 - Show Links

Here's a 'one-stop' shop for all the items we mentioned in this month's episode!

Topic	Category	More Information	Notes
Strikes and Spares	Game	IPDB.org link
Hard Drive Imaging	Tech Segment	CHDMan at the Killer Instinct Project HDAT2 The Ultimate Boot CD GRC SpinRite Steve Gibson, Security Now on TWIT
Anatek Blue ESR Meter	Tools	Anatek Blue ESR Meter
Monitor adjusting tools (GC 18-530)	Tools	GC 18-530
Reproduction Spy Hunter cockpit seat	Reproduction Parts	Interest thread on KLOV
Cooling Fan Mount - For Vectors, PCB's & Power Supplies	Tools	Interest thread on KLOV
Repro ATARI 'SLAPSTIC' Security IC's Pre Order	Reproduction Parts	Interest thread on KLOV
Dedicated Major Havoc Marquee (translite)	Reproduction Parts	Sale thread on KLOV

As always, remember to check our Facebook Page for content in-between the episodes, as Brent and I keep a lively presence on the podcast page and we enjoy great discussion on trending topics in the hobby. Follow us on Twitter @BrokenToken and if you want to talk to us directly, give us a shout on the podcast voicemail line – 470-2CALLBT (470-222-5528) If you enjoy what you hear, then please consider leaving us a rating on our Apple Podcasts page and on our Spotify page. Ratings help us to promote the show and get it front of more people, so we thank you for any help you can provide! Thanks for listening and GAME ON!