{"id":10405,"date":"2016-10-21T16:27:58","date_gmt":"2016-10-21T14:27:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/grupobcc.com\/?p=10405"},"modified":"2016-10-21T16:34:44","modified_gmt":"2016-10-21T14:34:44","slug":"masons-computer-game-design-program-welcomes-nolan-bushnell-atari-founder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grupobcc.com\/en\/news\/masons-computer-game-design-program-welcomes-nolan-bushnell-atari-founder\/","title":{"rendered":"Mason\u2019s computer-game design program welcomes, Nolan Bushnell, Atari founder"},"content":{"rendered":"

The founder of the Atari video-game company and the Chuck E. Cheese\u2019s restaurant chain is bringing his technology know-how and business acumen to George Mason University\u2019s Virginia Serious Game Institute in Prince William County.<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n

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Nolan Bushnell recently was named VSGI\u2019s \u201cGame Pioneer in Residence,\u201d and he began his service by connecting with GMU computer-game design students and giving a public lecture Oct. 3. Scott Martin, founding director of GMU\u2019s computer-game design program, said the college wanted to work with Bushnell because he\u2019s such a big name in his field.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s known as one of the fathers \u2014 or the father \u2014 of the game industry,\u201d Martin said, noting that Bushnell was a mentor to Apple computing legend Steve Jobs and is still close with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.He also pointed out that, as an entrepreneur, Bushnell can teach GMU students about running a company, as well as about using technology.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo he\u2019s ideal for what we do at Mason,\u201d Martin said. VSGI, Martin\u2019s creation, is a video-game and computer-simulation business incubator on GMU\u2019s Science and Technology Campus near Manassas. Bushnell said last week that students need to understand that they can\u2019t simply create a video game and wait around for customers to appear; they have to know the market and have a strategy for selling their products.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re starting a business, not just a game,\u201d the entrepreneur said. That doesn\u2019t mean they have to hew to established norms, Bushnell said, noting the importance of creativity. \u201cI try to kind of wake up their rebel, their out-of-the-box thinking,\u201d he said. Bushnell is due to return to GMU next month to work with students, and he\u2019s scheduled to give a lecture in the spring and continue in-classroom lessons. One of the students benefiting from Bushnell\u2019s contribution to GMU is Daniel Greenberg, who is finishing work on a master\u2019s degree and is teaching game history and design as a graduate lecturer. The perspective and insight Bushnell brings as \u201carguably the most influential American in video game history\u201d is incredibly valuable to the aspiring game developers at GMU, Greenberg said in an email.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s always found ways to use his anecdotes as a way to lend context to tackling a present or future solution to a problem,\u201d said Greenberg, who\u2019s also a video-game festival panelist and the founder of the Clifton-based Winterion Game Studios, which produces a YouTube gaming series. He said Bushnell is open to talking about when success proved elusive, too. \u201cHe\u2019s humble about his failures, knowing that demonstrating ownership of them helps dispel the fear and inertia that holds newcomers back,\u201d Greenberg said.<\/p>\n

Bushnell put it more bluntly: \u201cI\u2019ve had some real serious face-plants,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

However, Bushnell is known more for his accomplishments. In addition to his work with Atari and the kids\u2019 pizza-and-game emporium Chuck E. Cheese\u2019s, he founded \u201cCatalyst Technologies, the first technology incubator; Etak, the first digital navigation system; ByVideo, the first online ordering system; and uWink, the first touchscreen menu ordering and entertainment system,.<\/p>\n

Bushnell\u2019s efforts in business continue. He announced last week the launch of Modal VR, an industrial-grade virtual-reality platform. He is the co-founder of the firm and serves as chairman of its board.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The founder of the Atari video-game company and the Chuck E. Cheese\u2019s restaurant chain is bringing his technology know-how and business acumen to George Mason University\u2019s Virginia Serious Game Institute in Prince William County.         Nolan Bushnell recently was named VSGI\u2019s \u201cGame Pioneer in Residence,\u201d and he began his service by connecting… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":10397,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[48],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\t\n