Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak are two names that have become synonymous with the rise of the personal computer industry. However, before they founded Apple, the duo had a different project in mind – the creation of an arcade game. That game was none other than Breakout, a classic game that was co-created by the two tech legends in the 1970s.
The Origins of Breakout
The idea for Breakout came about when Jobs and Wozniak were approached by Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Atari. Bushnell wanted a new game that could follow in the footsteps of Pong, a simple yet addictive game that was taking the world by storm.
Jobs and Wozniak set to work on the project, and in a matter of weeks, they had created Breakout. The game was a simple concept – players had to break through a wall of bricks by bouncing a ball off a paddle that they controlled. The game quickly became a hit and was one of the most popular arcade games of its time.
The Impact of Breakout Breakout was more than just a successful arcade game – it was a key moment in the history of personal computing. The game required a custom-made microchip to function, which Wozniak was able to create with the help of a few friends. This experience gave him the knowledge and confidence to create his own computer, which would later become the Apple I.
The success of Breakout also helped to put Apple on the map. Bushnell had promised Jobs and Wozniak a payout of $700 for every chip they could eliminate from the game’s design. The duo managed to reduce the number of chips from eight to four, earning them a bonus of $5,000. This money was used to fund the development of the Apple II, the company’s first successful personal computer.
In Conclusion
Breakout may have been just a simple arcade game, but it had a profound impact on the tech industry. It helped to pave the way for the development of the personal computer and put Apple on the path to success. While the game may have been forgotten by many, its legacy lives on to this day, and it will always be remembered as the game that was co-created by two of the most important figures in tech history – Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak.