ABSTRACT
By the late 1970s, America was getting its fi rst taste of the personal computer revolution. 1977 in particular is a vital year for the industry, seeing the introduction of three historic machines: the Apple II, Tandy’s TRS-80, and the Commodore PET. Th ough astonishing for their time, these computers were woefully underpowered compared to IBM or DEC’s families of mainframes. Nevertheless, the home, or personal, computer opened up a world of possibilities for game programmers, who at last saw the potential to earn real profi ts with their favorite hobby. Th is trend would only increase as hardware dropped in price while simultaneously skyrocketing in performance. Personal computers were emerging from the extreme niche audience of a few dedicated hobbyists to the public at large.1 Th ere was money-serious money-to be made in this new industry.
