Matt Chat 15: The PLATO Computer System

This week, Matt takes us on a tour of the PLATO computer system, an early mainframe-based learning system that flourished in the 1970s. Not many people have seen the incredibly advanced games that originated on this system--games that would inspire later classics such as Elite, Battlezone, Star Control, and many others. Tune in to learn about Spasim, Panther, Empire, Orthanc, Avatar, and Airfight! Special thanks to The Computer Museum for some of the images in the video.

Category:

Gaming

Tags:

• plato
• matt chat
• plato computer system
• spasim
• panther
• empire
• orthanc
• avatar
• airfight
• tutor
• battlezone
• elite
• star control

[tomgee63]

This is a trip down memory lane. I discovered the Plato system at the University of Delaware in the late 70s when I was in high school. I became hooked on Panther, Empire and Airfight and spent many hours playing them. I eventually wrote my own game based on horse racing. Where did you get the game footage?

[blacklily8]

I captured it from the cyber1 emulator. Definitely worth checking out if you're into PLATO. Look for it on Google.

[andypropst]

All I can say is many thanks for the hint about cyber1 - I was a kid with all of this because my dad was the university - can't wait to revisit my first computer experiences!

[blacklily8]

You're welcome, Andy. I bet you'll have a great time exploring what they've put together. It's truly amazing--just wondering if they'll add tablet PC or touch-screen support (iPhone??) so that you can really get the full deal.

[mezrabad]

Hey, this was great! I vaguely remember seeing something about that orange video display back in the 70s (during the Montreal Summer Olympics of '76 if I'm not delusional). It's fascinating to see some of the games. Something you may wan to add to videos like this is how someone can play this stuff. Then again, I'm sure I could find something about it on the internet and now I feel inspired to look for it myself! :)

[blacklily8]

Yes, it's not hard to find. I think it's called Cyber1. Though it takes some effort if you're not already familiar with the system.

[douro20]

The PLATO V had a local processor (Intel 8080) which could be used to run applications offline from 8-inch floppy disks.

[Labzo441]

I played avatar and the flight sim game as a kid at my dads work. We would play on weekends at night till morning. I tell people this and they have no clue. Are you saying that people still play this a s that it's still alive with clans? Thanks for the trip down memory lane

[hibob418]

Friends of mine would play games all night some weekends on PLATO, and I remember reading or hearing that Control Data Corp execs had a real disdain for gaming, which they considered frivolous. They thereby overlooked the biggest opportunity for revenue generation that the 'online' PLATO system might have had. Don't know how accurate that statement is, but thanks for posting this. Major memory flashback...

[hibob418]

Can't believe I stumbled into this. As an undergrad at the University of Illinois from 1978-1982, we used PLATO to take our chemistry quizzes, leave e-mails for our TA's, and I remember a buddy of mine would send messages back & forth to his brother who was at the U of I med school. He even ran a training lesson for me that med students used to simulate patient diagnoses, what tests to run, the cost-benefit ramifications, etc etc. They tried to get us to use PLATO as much as possible.

[TinyTank2]

I never heard of the PLATO system before, interesting. Seems like this would've been incredible back in those early days of computers.

And kudos on the Troy McClure reference!

[mcartesyn]

I worked in the graphics and design department at Control Data when Bill Norris partnered with University of Illinois urbana on the Plato system. I helped in the design for the original logo. I used to bring home the Plato terminal, keyboard and modem coupler on the weekends and play Airfight all weekend long...that was 1975.

[artdeco101010]

This video is awesome ! I was 12 years old when they put a PLATO system at bcc in melbourne, florida that was hooked up to fsu. That last game you showed was called Omegaland on the bcc system. Airfight was my favorite, you could break all kinds of speed and altitude records with the X-15 in that game. I once had an airfight with some dude in Brussels...

[DOSBoxMom]

I remember I took a summer enrichment class in computer programming at UW-Parkside in 1974, when I was in high school. Mostly we spent the summer typing punch cards, but the last day of class we got to play games on the university's mainframe (probably part of PLATO). I remember 1 "moon landing" game that was quite difficult (or maybe it was an attempt at Star Trek? It's been a looong time . . .).

[Sunoco]

That's incredible. I had no idea that there were such advanced games so far back. Unlike a lot of more popular and famous games that came in the 80's, these games actually seem really fun. That might be because I am a geek who likes simulators and complicated games, but the games really are impressive.

[sleeplessjim]

I graduated from Western Il U at Macomb Il .. in 1985 .... I have fond memories of Plato ..