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Alan Kotok Dies at 64

Posted Jul 13, 2006 at 4:39AM EST by QJ Staff

Listed in: News Tags: Digital, joysticks, MIT, Pioneer

Computer pioneer and inventor Allan Kotok, has died of a heart attack at age 64 in his home in Cambridge Massachusetts. A native of Philadelphia, Kotok is an MIT alum and a W3C associate chairman.

Known for being "technically adept well beyond the norm," Kotok worked for a variety of high tech firms. While working at Digital Equipment Corp (DEC) Kotok designed a family of computers, did some consulting and went on to fulfill various leadership roles.

His background in creating the AI for chess computers was subsequently found to be indispensable in his capacity as a tech researcher and game inventor. Mr. Kotok's life was a catalyst for growth in the fledgling gaming and computing industries of his time, and he is someone all gamers should know about.

Credited with creating the first videogame, along with the joysticks used to play them, his role in the history of gaming and computing in general cannot be overstated. Who knows, without his contributions to the history of gaming, the gaming industry we see today could be drastically different.

Mr. Kotok is survived by two daughters, a son and two grandsons. Everyone who uses computers or enjoys gaming today should recognize Alan Kotok as an integral figure in the evolution of the videogame industry.

Via MIT

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Though I Nver Knew You, I wish peace on his soul and for him to have a better future in Heaven.

May God Be With You.

I suggest everyone who reads this comment does a one minute silence for this great man, as the computer this was typed with wouldn't be here without him and his efforts. 1 Minute; thats all, if you have time to waste reading this then you would have done it by now. Come on, show you're respect.

By Freshmilk (From QJ.net Forums, but i can't log in for some strange reason!)

# some comment — Guest 2006-07-13 10:19

RIP

but he didn't invent the first video game ralph baer did

# Thats correct — Guest 2006-07-13 10:24

ralph baer created the first video game but that damned nolan bushnell gets all the credit

# r.i.p. — Jx1 2006-07-13 10:39

# R.I.P — mitch111 2006-07-13 11:13

Thankyou for all the hard work u have done...you are a integral figure in the evolution of the videogame industry. may you rest in peace.

# R.I.P. — Guest 2006-07-13 11:23

You have done your duty to help start the revolution of the gaming industry. May you rest in peace for a life well lived.

# R.I.P — Guest 2006-07-13 11:26

R.I.P.

# oh — Guest 2006-07-13 11:38

so he made the first joystick well then R.I.P. then man :)

# '-(:(o):)-' — Guest 2006-07-13 11:40

Farewell and thank you for your contribution.

You have left your legacy and it will speak for itself.

# Wrong — Guest 2006-07-13 12:04

"ralph baer created the first video game but that damned nolan bushnell gets all the credit"

No, Ralph Baer created the first home video game console. Kotok created the first video game.

# too bad — Guest 2006-07-13 12:42

thats just too bad

# r.i.p. — Cao 2006-07-13 12:55

r.i,p

# rip — Guest 2006-07-13 13:13

rest in peace man

# R.I.P. — Guest 2006-07-13 13:35

May the Lord bless you. And may you rest in peace Mr. Kotok. Your contributions will always be acknowledged.

# N64 — Guest 2006-07-13 13:45

He died with the nintendo 64. Not such a bad way to die atleast X-D. Rest in Heaven kotok

# RIP — Guest 2006-07-13 13:48

Rest in peace Mr. Kotok... and didn't Willy Higinbotham make the first video game in his physics lab or something. :/ But Im sure Kotok made the first GOOD video game :)

# Thomas Jefferson — Guest 2006-07-13 13:48

100 years from now, may you be respected as the truely amazing founding father of what will become the entire entertainment industry

# Thomas Jefferson?!?! — Guest 2006-07-13 14:10

i dont get it, why is your comment title "Thomas Jefferson"??

woa, RIP!

# he was young — Guest 2006-07-13 14:29

64 is a young age to die..

# Thank you — Guest 2006-07-13 14:41

Your contributions will always be rememberd.

Thank you

# Wow — Guest 2006-07-13 15:05

I didn't know...cambridge is like a 30 minute drive from where i live...amazing...May you have gainned enough knowledge to not have to be reincarnated again and travel into the next dormains of the afterlife be prosperous.

# RIP — Guest 2006-07-13 15:31

Thanks for the memories...

# ? — Guest 2006-07-13 15:31

DOES HE HAVE A PSP!!? WHO IS THIS DUDETTE?

# @29 — Cao 2006-07-13 17:10

lol dood.

# A Tribute to Mr.Kotok — Guest 2006-07-13 17:14

For all of your great achievements, unfulfilled ambitions, you did well. You brought us more than the average techy, and were a cornerstone to so many other achievements by others.

What you did for us is something not to be forgotten. For all your efforts and successes, may you rest in peace. (For how long, who knows, as God Himself may have you creating games for those in Heaven!)

# How about putting more obituraies up? — Guest 2006-07-13 18:39

Sure, some computer guy died. Rest In Peace, in respect for the dead. But Syd Barrett Died last friday! Doesn't THAT MAKE the QJ Homepage? He was one of the greatest rockers of all time! Pink Floyd! He's Dead! Sigh.

# My respects — Guest 2006-07-13 19:02

Wow, it's incredible.. I'm impressed that somebody who can write a proper article works on this blog. Unfortunately, it's a very off topic post for this specific blog though I realize it's a "universal" post.

In any case, it's very sad that he passed away at such an age. I wish his family the best in luck at coping with their loss.

# Respect — Guest 2006-07-13 20:18

May you rest in peace dear Alan Kotok.

# Rest in Peace — cuizable 2006-07-13 20:28

He was such an important person for computers and gaming industry..Thank you for all your efforts,rest in peace..

# Uh... — Guest 2006-07-13 21:23

Alan Kotok died on May 26th. It's almost halfway through July...

# OMG #3 — Guest 2006-07-14 00:02

Just for shock value, I laughed my ass off when I read your comment.

But then again I wish you die a slow, painful death.

___________

R.I.P. Kotok

# 36 — Guest 2006-07-14 00:19

Wow, you just made me change my opinion entirely on this article.

# RIP — Guest 2006-07-14 00:59

RIP. Without your hard work we would not have the entertainment we enjoy today. May you play with the best video games and computers in Heaven.

# What ev. — Guest 2006-07-14 01:35

Never heard of this man in my life.

# there's nothing special about being first — Guest 2006-07-14 02:08

crediting people for being the first to do something is like crediting people for writing "first post"

# Yeah — Guest 2006-07-14 03:40

36 > Yeah I noticed this myself. Way to report this in a timely fashion qj!

41 > Yeah, cause inventing video games is so much like trolling a forum!

# damn — Guest 2006-07-14 03:45

some of you losers are going to be a computer guy when you grow up would you like someone laughing @ you when you die. if you do your sick.

# RIP — anonymous stranger 2006-07-14 07:14

Rest in peace

thank you for what you done for the videogame scene

# To Number 41 — Guest 2006-07-14 08:42

>crediting people for being the first to do something is like crediting people for writing "first post"

What utter tosh. Being first to post on comments has no bearing on anything else but your own childish means. Being the first to pioneer technology paves the way for others to expand on your work, to break into new avenues, to give you the kinds of things you enjoy today, like your shiny PSP. Think a little before you move your hands to the keyboard and show the world your ignorance.

# #45 — Guest 2006-07-14 09:11

lol he was just in the right place at the right time. if it wasn't him that was first it would have just been someone else. im just saying that everyone else who contributed to the video game industry deserves just as much credit as the first guy. he didn't "pave the way" for anyone; video games would still be the way they are today with or without him.

# R.I.P — Guest 2006-07-14 10:07

R.I.P, May God Be With You.

# Rest in peace — MGSROCKS1 2006-07-14 11:57

May god have mercy on his sole. We wouldn't be waiting for the PS3 and Wii if it wasn't for his contributions.

# What!? — Guest 2006-07-14 14:47

This isnt Nintendo Wii news...

# RIP — Guest 2006-07-14 18:23

no comment

# RIP — Guest 2006-07-14 20:15

Rest in peace.

# . — Guest 2006-07-14 23:35

I, too, piss on number 3 and his mother.

# That's enough!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!! — Guest 2006-07-16 18:46

Everyone who wants to piss on someone or disrespects Kotok should piss on themselves, shut the F*** up and make good comments about the man or get the F*** off QJ and go F*** yourselves. S***, it's you type of people that are a F****** disgrace.

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