Probably one of the most despised masterminds of modern industry

Sounds drastic, but I mean it quite simply and any parent can understand where I’m coming from.

Nolan Bushnell – I admit, as the founder of Atari, he would be up for a Nobel prize in my world some days (I have a bit of a video game affinity- hand eye coordination,  alter-reality is a great way to escape after a hard day) And from a corporate perspective – the man was genius and started a video game system revolution with a mere $500.

And believe me, my problem wasn’t with him starting the video game generation – it was his next move that most parents cringe at – He sold Atari (making an incredible amount of money) and had the audacity to open the first ShowBiz.

And through a bunch of business mumbo jumbo and mergers and friendships and drama and blah blah blah, the now oh-so-popular Chuck E. Cheese chains were born, and parents everywhere cried.

Luckily in the process of all of this business, the step was taken to attempt to maintain the sanity of parents in this establishment – they obtained a liquor license.

Yes, I just returned from Chuck E. land. Really, it wasn’t as bad as I’m making it sound and in all reality, it is an ingenious chain that is very well marketed. Heck, they even joined the new age paranoid revolution requiring all kids and parents to have matching black light numbers on the way in and out. It was asking a lot for parents to watch their own kids (that’s a different topic all together). And hey, if my kids can play mindless electronic video games – earn worthless tickets to clutter my house with even more worthless prizes – and be happy – I guess it’s worth it.

Tags: atari, chuck e cheese, nolan bushnell, parenting, showbiz, video games