Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

VIDEO GAME

Date Range From

1976

Date Range To

1980

Materials

PLASTIC, PAPER, ALUMINUM

No. Pieces

2

Height

15.6

Length

45.0

Width

24.8

Description

1. BOX. ABOVE DIMENSIONS. BOX HAS A BLACK BACKGROUND. TOP AND BOTTOM OF BOX FEATURE AN ILLUSTRATION OF A FAMILY GATHERED AROUND GAME SYSTEM AND TV, A LARGER PICTURE OF GAME SYSTEM, 2 ACCESSORIES (COMBINATION GAME RIFLE & PISTOL, AND SPECIAL REMOTE CONTROL) AND THE 6 DIFFERENT GAMES THAT THE SYSTEM CAN PLAY. ALSO READS "UNISONIC TOURNAMENT 2000" "ELECTRONIC ACTION TV GAME". SIDES OF BOX AGAIN ILLUSTRATE THE 2 ACCESSORIES AND 6 DIFFERENT GAMES, AS WELL AS LISTING "SPECIAL FEATURES OF ACTION TV GAME". ONE END OF BOX READS "MADE IN JAPAN"; OTHER END IS MISSING. BOX IS WORN AND TORN 2. GAME SYSTEM. 8.5 X 35.6 X 21.0 (W/O CORD). SYSTEM IS SILVER AND BLACK. CENTER, TOP OF SYSTEM IS RAISED AND FEATURES SWITCHES FOR "SIZE", "SPEED", "SERVE", "RESET", "ANGLE", AND "POWER". IT ALSO HAS SCORE SELECTORS (ONE BLUE, ONE YELLOW) AND A GAME SELECTOR, WHICH HIGHLIGHTS THE CHOSEN GAME IN BRIGHT ORANGE. FLANKING CENTER PIECE ARE 2 SPEAKERS AS WELL AS 2 SILVER SLIDERS ("LEFT TEAM" AND "RIGHT TEAM"). THERE IS A SMALL PORT ON EACH SIDE OF SYSTEM AS WELL AS 2 ON BACK FOR "GUN OUT" AND "DC9V". THERE IS ALSO A COAXIAL CABLE COMING OUT OF BACK OF SYSTEM. ON BOTTOM IS A BATTERY COMPARTMENT AND A LABEL THAT READS "UNISONIC PRODUCTS CORP. MODEL NO. T-2000-JR" "SERIAL NO. 0270025" "MADE IN JAPAN".

Subjects

DATA PROCESSING T&E

TOY

Historical Association

HOME ENTERTAINMENT

History

ONE OF MANY "PONG" CLONES MANUFACTURED AROUND 1976. THIS SYSTEM HAS LESS NAME RECOGNITION THAN MACHINES MADE BY ATARI, MAGNAVOX OR COLECO, BUT INCLUDES A CONSOLE SIMILAR TO MOST OTHER PONG VARIANTS, AND ALSO CAME WITH A LIGHT GUN UNLIKE OTHER SYSTEMS. DONOR PURCHASED SYSTEM FROM A GARAGE SALE, BUT HAS NO MEMORY OF USING IT. DONOR HAS COLLECTED, IN GENERAL, ALL HIS LIFE. HE SAW COLLECTING AS A WAY TO WORK WITH HIS SONS, DAVID (B. 1975) AND COLIN (B. 1980). COMPUTER COLLECTION WAS BEGAN IN 1988 WHEN THE DONOR WAS WORKING AT THE U OF L. PRIOR TO THAT, SYSTEMS WERE TOO EXPENSIVE. FOR 10 YEARS MOST OF THE MATERIAL WAS IN DONOR'S GARAGE. HE USED IT TO TRY AND HELP PEOPLE TO DO FAMILY HISTORY/GENEALOGY. MOST OF HIS COLLECTION WAS OFFERED TO HIM BY PEOPLE WHO WERE AWARE OF THE DONOR'S INTEREST. DONOR DIDN'T WANT TO DISPOSE OF COLLECTION BY SELLING IT WHEN HE LEFT THE U OF L, BECAUSE HE FELT IT COULD BE USED IN AN EDUCATIONAL VENUE, SO IT WAS OFFERED TO THE MUSEUM. DONOR WAS BORN AND RAISED IN STIRLING/RAYMOND; GRADUATED FROM RAYMOND HIGH SCHOOL IN 1970. HE WORKED FOR THE TREASURY BRANCH, WHICH SENT DONOR TO N.A.I.T. FOR TRAINING AS A PROGRAMMER, SO THAT HE COULD MODIFY PROGRAMS AND WORK AS AN ACCOUNT OFFICE MANAGER. HE LEFT THE BANK IN 1979. DONOR WENT ON TO PURSUE A BACHELOR OF EDUCATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE DURING WHICH TIME HE WORKED WITH THE UNIVERSITY'S CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAM IN HOME COMPUTER COURSES (STUDENTS TOOK COMPUTERS HOME). HE COMPLETED HIS B. ED. IN 1983. DONOR THEREAFTER BECAME A COMPUTING BUSINESS INSTRUCTOR IN MARWAYNE, ALBERTA AND WAS THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR ALBERTA'S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, TRAVELLING TO SCHOOLS TO TALK TO TEACHERS ABOUT THE USE OF COMPUTERS IN CLASSROOMS. IN 1988, THE DONOR RETURNED TO THE U OF L TO TEACH FOR 10 YEARS WITH THE FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT. HE TAUGHT HARDWARE MAINTENANCE & MULTI-MEDIA. U OF L WAS THE FIRST TO USE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS TO TEACH LABS. DONOR LEFT FACULTY TO WORK AS AN ASSOCIATE REGISTRAR (1998-99) AFTER WHICH HE WENT TO ARIZONA TO BE AN INSTRUCTOR WITH THE NORTHLAND PIONEER COLLEGE. DONOR CURRENTLY TRAVELS TO ARIZONA COLLEGE'S DISTANCE CENTERS TEACHING CLASSES.

Catalogue Number

P19990101005

Acquisition Date

2003-07

Collection

Museum

Less detail