Jamie Fenton

American video game programmer

Jamie Faye Fenton (born Jay Fenton) is a game programmer best known for the 1981 arcade game Gorf [1][2] and for being one of the creators of MacroMind's VideoWorks software (since renamed Macromedia Director). Jamie has been active in the transgender community and transitioned from male to female around 1998.[1]

Biography

Fenton was drawn to computer technology while in school because its highly predictable nature appealed to her and it provided a haven from being picked on by other students.[1]

In 1975, while studying computer science in the University of Wisconsin, Jamie and fellow student Tom McHugh volunteered to work at Dave Nutting Associates, who enlisted their help to redesign pinball machines and the Japanese arcade game Western Gun using Intel's 8080 microprocessor, [3] she also later worked on the Bally Astrocade.[4]

In 1978, Jamie created an early example of glitch art entitled Digital TV Dinner.[5][6]

In 2018, Digital TV Dinner was exhibited in the Chicago New Media 1973-1992 exhibition, curated by Jon Cates.[7]

Works

  • Datsun 280 ZZZAP (1976)[8]
  • Checkmate (1977)
  • Digital TV Dinner (1978)
  • Bally Astrocade BASIC re-write (1980)
  • Gorf (1981)
  • Robby Roto (1981)

See also

  • Biography portal
  • Video games portal

References

  1. ^ a b c Newitz, Annalee (2001). "Secrets of Ms. Gorf". Metro Silicon Valley. Archived from the original on 2019-03-30. Retrieved 2010-11-14.
  2. ^ "Classic Videogame Hardware Genius Guide". Archived from the original on 2019-03-30. Retrieved 2013-12-30.
  3. ^ Donovan, Tristan. (2010). Replay : the history of video games. East Sussex, England: Yellow Ant. pp. 74–75. ISBN 978-0-9565072-0-4. OCLC 639031262.
  4. ^ Donovan, Tristan. (2010). Replay : the history of video games. East Sussex, England: Yellow Ant. p. 141. ISBN 978-0-9565072-0-4. OCLC 639031262.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  5. ^ Betancourt, Michael. (2015) The Invention of Glitch Video: Digital TV Dinner (1978) (preview) Archived 2019-03-23 at the Wayback Machine.
  6. ^ "Stored in Memory: Recovering Queer and Transgender Life in Software History". Letters and Science. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  7. ^ Cates, Jon (2018). Chicago New Media, 1973-1992. Illinois, United States: university of illinois Press. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-252-08407-2.
  8. ^ "Datsun Was The First Car Maker To Officially Brand A Video Game". Jalopnik. Archived from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.

External links

  • Fentonia.com
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