Underappreciated Invention from This Utah Man Has Impacted How Modern Americans Spend Their Time

There have been some notable inventors from Utah, but Nolan Bushnell, who grew up in Clearfield and graduated from the University of Utah, had a big impact on how people live. Specifically, what we do when we have nothing to do. 

Computer Games are an Engaging Way to Pass the Time 

Before there was Minecraft and Mario Brothers, even before Tetris, way back at the beginning there was Pong. Bushnell and a partner from California formed a game company and named after a term in the Japanese game Go. You know it as Atari. 

With it came the game Pong that was a simple and addicting game involving a bouncing ball and two paddles. It was simple and a huge hit. Especially when it was introduced as a home game you could hook up to your television. 

This of course led to the Atari game system which brought arcade games into the home and became a new way to spend time at home. Playing games in our free time has become second nature and it all started with Bushnell’s Pong. 

The Combination of Pizza and Arcade Games 

Bushnell wasn’t done. He had another creation that would change American lives. This video game developer had another idea he had been sitting on since Atari took off. He wanted a family friendly place that would combine arcade games and food. 

Taking inspiration from Disney animatronics, Bushnell designed a large arcade that would serve pizza and feature a group of singing robots. You know it as Chuck E. Cheese.

Read More: Hurricane & Sand Hollow Becoming Utah’s New Theme Park

Though it has taken new forms and added a bowling alley, pizza arcades are in every city. Alongside other inventors from Utah, Bushnell’s inventions may have had the greatest impact on how most of us live.