Which came first? Games pac for ... ?

[Gene]

Haven't been able to find an easily accessible answer, but ...

What was the first manufacturer produced Games pac?

The SR-52 had one that TI sold and so did the HP-67/97.

The SR-52 seems to have a copyright date of 1976, while the HP-67/97 games pac seems to not be available until mid-1977 per Keynotes June 1977.

Anyone able to answer? Did TI actually get theirs out first? I do remember the SR-52's game pac was pretty sad in comparison to the HP's pac.

(Of course, PPC had been publishing a number of great games oriented issues long before these).

Gene

[Sylvain Cote]

FWIW, 1976 is written on the back side of the cover page of my HP-67/97 Games Pac 1 Version B.

[mfleming]

Likewise, (c) HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY 1976, no version letter found. All mag card labels are GA1-xxA so I wonder what changed in revision B?

[Gene]

Ah, so the plot thickens. :-)

1976 for both. Which was first? Surely one or both knew the other was coming out with it as well.

[Sylvain Cote]

(04-20-2022 11:10 AM)mfleming Wrote:  Likewise, (c) HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY 1976, no version letter found. All mag card labels are GA1-xxA so I wonder what changed in revision B?

On the back of the book, you have A B C D E letters, the black spot on top of one of the letter is the revision.

All mag card labels are also GA1-xxA on my pac, so version A.

In the book, the following cards and listings are B version:
GA1-03B SLOT-MACHINE
GA1-05B ARTILLERY
GA1-13B RACETRACK
GA1-16B THE DEALER

[Sylvain Cote]

I do not know for TI, but in HP case, PACs and Solutions Books programs were taken from the User's Library.
Everyone could build his own (games) pac/sb by buying the programs from the User's Library and putting them in a binder.

[Didier Lachieze]

From 52-NOTES V2N1p2 January 1977:

" Games PAC: The Games bonus offered in the December Scientific American TI
advertisement to buyers of new SR-52s will be available as a regular PAC 15 January
1977."

(04-20-2022 12:44 AM)Gene Wrote:  the HP-67/97 games pac seems to not be available until mid-1977 per Keynotes June 1977.

It is the last pac listed p23 of HP Digest Volume 2 from March 1977.

[mfleming]

(04-20-2022 11:55 AM)Sylvain Cote Wrote:  

(04-20-2022 11:10 AM)mfleming Wrote:  Likewise, (c) HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY 1976, no version letter found. All mag card labels are GA1-xxA so I wonder what changed in revision B?

On the back of the book, you have A B C D E letters, the black spot on top of one of the letter is the revision.

All mag card labels are also GA1-xxA on my pac, so version A.

In the book, the following cards and listings are B version:
GA1-03B SLOT-MACHINE
GA1-05B ARTILLERY
GA1-13B RACETRACK
GA1-16B THE DEALER

Version A then according to the back cover. Wish there were some indication of month or a sales receipt to resolve the who-came-first question

[John Garza (3665)]

I wonder why there was never a Games Pac for the HP-65.

Maybe it was considered a machine for professional work and not frivolity?

Interesting to note that shortly after the introduction of the 65, the hobbyist computer market blossomed (MITS Altair 1975) and many were playing games on their new computers. After that point, both TI and HP produced Games Pacs/Libraries.

-J

[rprosperi]

There was little point in introducing a Games Pac until there was a sufficient number of machines already in people's hands, as no one would buy a 65 (or even a 67) to play games. But once the machine purchase was justified for professional or academic purposes, well.... then it could be interesting to buy a Games Pac to use from time to time, in between the important calculations...