Sorry to reply so tardily, but I just found this thread today. This reply might also be somewhat half-baked, as I don't have my archives handy. My two sources are a holosphere article (as usual, available upon request in a pdf format if you PM me your e-address!) and recollections of a conversation with Steve Provence, holographer extra-ordinaire, who made the sample holograms.Can anybody expand on Atari Inc's role with holography (1978-81), where it had for example created the Cosmos holographic game (never released) and held licences to key hologram technologies.
Any information would be very welcome.
regards,
Karl
http://www.atari-explorer.com
The game had a playing field populated by LED's probably not unlike the Mattel football and basketball games of the same era. The hologram, which was embossed, must have been on a thicker substrate than normal, only partially metalized, and fit on top of the playing surface so the LED's could show through. There were two reconstruction lights, so that there was an alien terrain reconstructed while playing, and when you got blown up another light went on and the king of the aliens lit up, mocking you.
Provence was working for the nascent Light Impressions Company of Steve McGrew, who had some sweet deal with Atari to set up a lab on their premises. They made the prototype holograms, and some games were made. But there was some sort of business coup that went on, where some of the founders, Bushnell in particular, departed, and a suit came in and ran the business into the ground. And of course one of the first things to go were the hologames.
Provence said he got one of the games off the truck loaded with them headed for the landfill. He sold it to Bushnell via e-Bay. Where any other machines and holos landed up, who knows? Or perhaps someone on the forum might have more information.
