Ramtek Corporation
Company type | Defunct |
---|---|
Industry | Electronics |
Founded | September 4, 1971Palo Alto, California, United States | in
Founders | Charles McEwan, John Metzler, Jack Teeters |
Defunct | April 15, 1996[1] |
Fate | Dissolution |
Products |
|
Ramtek Corporation was a California-based manufacturer of computer display terminals founded in 1971. Co-founders Charles E. McEwan and John W. Metzler had previously worked together at the computer graphics division of Data Disc, Inc., and founded Ramtek to create devices for displaying information from computer systems.[2] Their major business was in medical monitors, as well as creating high-end graphical terminals for industrial and academic use. In 1973, they became one of the earliest manufacturers of video games, and manufactured coin-operated games until 1979. They became a publicly traded company starting in 1979. In 1981, it was reported Ramtek was the top company in the field of raster graphics display terminals.[3]
History
[edit]Ramtek Corporation was founded on September 4, 1971 by engineers Charles McEwan (1935-2006)[4] and John Metzler (1935-1982) as well as lawyer Jack Teeters.[5] The two engineers were veterans of the Western Design Labs (WDL) division of Philco-Ford as well as the video terminal division of Data Disc, Inc. Seeking to capitalize on the growing market for digital CRT displays, they established Ramtek at 1000 Elwell Court in Palo Alto, California.[2] The company recruited other members of the Data Disc terminal business to join them as well as Charles' brother Melvin McEwan. They introduced their first two commercial products, the GX-100 and GX-200 raster terminals in early 1972.[6] They entered the medical field due to the interest of Johns Hopkins University, creating a medical diagnostic device which utilized scintillation cameras to provide medical imaging.[2]
Despite the growth of the computer graphics market in the early 1970s, Ramtek initially found it difficult to survive off of contracts from high-end corporations. Payment for high-end graphic terminals was frequently on terms of 90 or 120 days until payment, leaving the company undercapitalized. The company attempted expansion into lower scale markets with black and white visual displays and they acquired venture capital from the likes of Exxon,[2][7][8] but found their break in the coin-operated video game industry. Friend of Charles McEwan and later Ramtek CFO Tom Adams was co-owner of Sunnyvale bar Andy Capp's Tavern, where the video game Pong was first location tested by Atari.[7][9] A group of Ramtek engineers including Pete Kauffman played the game at this location and were convinced that it would be lucrative to create electronic games for the coin-operated market.[10][11] Charles McEwan also later claimed to have known Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell who approved of the competition.[7]
John Metzler headed the development of Ramtek's first game, Volly, a variant of Pong released in the first wave of commercial video games in March 1973. Ramtek contacted local coin-op distributors in California and found an enthusiastic partner in Rowe International who ordered 2,500 Volly cabinets.[7][Note 1] With two subsequent games in the same vein, Hockey and Soccer, the company firmly established itself in the nascent market for video games. While maintaining their graphics terminal business, the company threw its weight behind the coin-operated industry including a partnership in Canada.[Note 2]
The company's success with video games brought several changes. Pete Kauffman left the company in late 1973 to start his own video game manufacturer, Exidy Inc., who later recruited many former Ramtek engineers including co-founder John Metzler and Howell Ivy, who created games such as Clean Sweep (1974) and Baseball (1974). Baseball initially caused problems for the growing production line as the weight of the circuit boards caused the supports inside to break. Once the game was licensed to Midway Mfg. and retooled as Ball Park (1975), it became a hit for the company.
Starting in 1974, Ramtek began to seriously explore the potential of microprocessor devices. An internal team assisted by consultant Ray Holt created a prototype pinball machine called Lucky Dice based on the Intel 4040 microprocessor. The machine failed to function properly and despite a closed door showing was never released.[14] In 1975 Ramtek purchased the company Micro Machines from Larry Krummel and commercialized the MM 80, an in-circuit emulator of the Intel 8080 microprocessor for development purposes.[15][16] Their first microprocessor-based video game, Trivia (1975), became the basis for an early shared hardware platform for arcade game releases.[17] Subsequently, Ramtek started building their graphics terminals with integrated microprocessors and began an internal software group.[18][19]
In November 1975, Ramtek's main facility at 290 Commercial Ave. in Sunnyvale caught fire and damaged a significant portion of their manufacturing facilities.[20] A collective effort by around ninety Ramtek employees and their families helped to clear the rubble of the facility, enabling them to build a temporary manufacturing plant to meet orders on their graphics display monitors.[21][22] Around mid-1976, the company relocated to a new facility on 585 N Mary Ave. in Sunnyvale.[23] In 1977, Ramtek monitors were used by Bendix in their work on the Viking space program and later by UCSC professor Ralph Abraham on an advanced mathematical project.[7][24][25]
Though Ramtek remained very successful in the coin-operated video game market, with 10,000 units sold in their first year and a half of operation[26] and 20,000 in its first three years making them one of the most successful video game companies of the time, they did not enjoy the volatility of the business. They branched out into electro-mechanical games starting with Horoscope (1976) and continued to compete in video games. Though their non-video game output became more elaborate and advanced with games like Boom Ball (1977) and GT Roadster (1979), they fell behind in the video game market which became more competitive and technology-driven in the latter years of the 1970s.
After a successful public offering in 1978,[27][28][29] Ramtek decided to cease production of coin-operated games in 1979 at the urging of their shareholders.[30][31] Their amusement assets were spun off as Rainbow Games[32] and purchased in 1980 by Meltec, a company created by Mel McEwan, brother of Ramtek co-founder Charles McEwan.[33][34] Meltec took over the Commercial Street facility as well as the manufacturing and distribution of Boom Ball which became popular for amusement fairs.[35][36][37] Meltec continued until 2003 when it was sold to Bay Tek Games.
Once publicly traded, Ramtek devoted itself entirely to its high-end computer graphics market. In 1980 the company switched its primary mode of graphics display from vector to raster. It purchased assets from Omtron Electronics Inc. revolving around display terminals for $1.6 million in 1979.[38][39][40] In 1980 it signed a deal with Ikegami Tsushinki to sell Ramtek products in Japan.[41] Loral Corp. announced intentions to acquire Ramtek in 1981, but ultimately called off the deal.[42][43] In 1982, they minted a deal with Digital Equipment Corporation to sell graphics systems based on their VAX line of computers.[44] They likewise signed an OEM deal with Control Data Corporation to provide components for their workstation line.[45]
The company's focus on the high-end business market led them not to participate in the microcomputer boom of the early 1980s.[46] They did create a few standalone systems such as the 6114, but they did not create any technology targeted at home users.[47][48] In 1983 Ramtek was sued for allegedly falsely evaluating their stock during a public stock offering to raise capital.[49] Ramtek predicted revenues of $150 million in 1984.[50] However, they instead reported a $15.4 million loss for that fiscal year.[51] In 1984, Control Data Corporation entered an agreement with Ramtek to provide it a loan of $5 million. Under this agreement, CDC had the right to purchase a 60% share of Ramtek or buy out the company's interest in Digital Productions after two years.[52][53] The Digital Productions stock and their Cray supercomputer were later sold to Omnibus Computer Graphics for $1.2 million in shares.[54]
Layoffs hit the company at the end of 1985[55] and the following year Ramtek worked out a deal with the SEC to establish a public offering to repay debt.[56] After a significant restatement in 1988, Charles McEwan was moved from CEO and President to Chairman of the corporation. Former Vice President and General Counsel James Swanson took his position as President and later that year announced the company was entering Chapter 11 bankruptcy.[57][58] They managed to escape bankruptcy protection in 1989 and posted a profit in early 1990.[59][60] The end of that year, they purchased the English company GEMS, who had an interest in satellite data.[61]
Two of Ramtek's officers - Thomas Adams and G. William Theriault - were accused of falsifying the company's revenue between September 1986 to March 1988 through fictitious purchase agreements. The two agreed to a permanent injunction by the SEC, without denial or admittance of guilt.[62][63] Ramtek subsequently dissolved in 1996.[1]
Legacy
[edit]As one of the earliest companies involved in video games, Ramtek were important pioneers in shaping the technology of the video game industry. Among their influential games include Clean Sweep (1974) which presaged Atari's Breakout (1976), Knockout (1974) that started the ball-and-paddle pinball craze, Baseball (1974) one of the earliest video games with articulated human characters, and Trivia (1975) the first video game quiz machine.
Several employees from Ramtek went on to join Exidy, one of the most consequential early game developers of the 1970s.
Ramtek's RM-3300 terminal appeared in the television show Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.[64]
Products
[edit]Graphics Display Terminals
[edit]GX series
[edit]- GX-100 (April 1972)[65][66][67][68]
- GX-200 (April 1972)[6][65][69]
- GX-300 (1972)[65]
- GX-1000 (June 1973)[70][71]
FS Series
[edit]RM 9000 Series
[edit]- RM-9000 (July 1976)[23]
- RM-9050 (June 1978)[77][78]
- RM-9100 (September 1976)[79]
- RM-9150 (1978)[80][81]
- RM-9200 (1977)[82][83]
- RM-9202 (1978)[84][83]
- RM-9250[81]
- RM-9300 (1977)[82][85]
- RM-9350[81]
- RM-9351[81][86]
- RM-9400 (April 1979)[87][88][89]
RM 3000 Series
[edit]- RM-3000[90][91]
- RM-3100[83]
- RM-3150[83]
- RM-3200[83]
- RM-3202[83]
- RM-3250[83]
- RM-3300[83]
- RM-3350[83]
- RM-3351[83]
6000 series graphics computer family
[edit]- 6114 Color-graphic Computer (1979)[92]
- 6214 Color-graphic Computer (1980) with 16 displayable colors from a palette of 64 and using UCSD Pascal. It uses a 4 MHz Zilog Z80 CPU, 64 kB RAM and a floppy disk drive, with a base price of $19,250[93]
- 2020-4228 CAD workstation (1985) with 750 kB RAM (expandable to 5 MB) and a base price of $10,995[94]
Terminals
[edit]- GM-613[95]
- GM-619[95]
- GM-301[96][97]
- GM 850[98]
- GM 870[99][100]
- GM 865C[101][98][102]
- GM 713[98]
- GM 714[101][102]
- GM 719[98]
- 8100[103]
- 8400[103]
- 6000 Series Micrographic Terminal[18][104]
- 6110 Colorgraphics[105]
- 6200A[106][107] (also known as the 6831)[108]
- 6310 Colorgraphics[105]
- 6114 Colorgraphic Computer,[47][109] the black & white version was designated the 6113[110]
- 6214 Colorgraphic [111][112]
- Ramtek 8410[113]
- Ramtek Model 8210[114][103] interactive data entry terminal – compatible with UNIVAC computers
- 8025[115]
- RM-6212 Colorgraphic[116][117]
Other products
[edit]- Ramtek 3000[118]
- Ramtek 9000 Series Display Controller[118]
- Ramtek 9050 Series Display Controller[118]
Microcomputer Utilities
[edit]- MM 80 (1975),[15] Intel 8080 in-circuit emulator.
- MM 80-211 (1976),[119][120] ROM programmer addon to the MM80.
Computer Peripherals
[edit]Software
[edit]Coin-Operated Games
[edit]Arcade video games
[edit]- Volly (March 1973)[125]
- Hockey (September 1973)[126]
- Soccer (December 1973)[127]
- Wipe Out (February 1974)[128]
- Clean Sweep (May 1974)[129]
- Baseball (October 1974)[130]
- Knockout (1974)[131] – Unreleased
- Deluxe Baseball (July 1975)[132]
- Trivia (October 1975)[133][134]
- Sea Battle (April 1976)[135][136]
- Hit Me (May 1976)[137][138]
- Barricade (January 1977)[139][140]
- M-79 Ambush (June 1977)[141][142][143]
- Star Cruiser (September 1977)[144][145][146]
Electro-mechanical Games
[edit]- Horoscope (October 1976)[147][148]
- Lie Detector (1976)[149][150] – Unreleased
- Boom Ball (November 1977)[151][152][153]
- Dark Invader (August 1978)[154][155]
- Test Driver (1978)[156] – Unreleased
- GT Roadster (February 1979)[157][158]
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "Ramtek Corporation". OpenCorporates. n.d. Archived from the original on November 23, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Speidel, Marge (1972-05-04). "New firm's backlog totals $350,000". The Peninsula Times Tribune. p. 7.
- ^ Now Eyeing Graphics, Ramtek Searches for Cash As Loral Deal Collapses, Robert Batt, CW West Coast Bureau, June 8, 1981, Computer World
- ^ "Lives Remembered". The Desert Sun. 2006-12-06. pp. B5.
- ^ Articles of Incorporation, Ramtek Corporation, September 28, 1971
- ^ a b "Searchlite Section". Instrumentation and Automation News. April 1972. p. 48.
- ^ a b c d e "Science and Amusements Team Up at Ramtek Corp". RePlay Magazine. Vol. II, no. 7. RePlay Publishing Inc. May 1977. pp. 24–25.
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- ^ Ellis, David (August 2006). "The Wayback Machine: Of Mouse Traps and Crossbows: The Exidy Story". GameRoom. Vol. 18, no. 8. pp. 48–50.
- ^ The Ultimate (So Far) History of Exidy – Part 1, May 19, 2013, allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.com
- ^ Baer, Ralph H. (2005). Videogames: In the Beginning. Rolenta Press. ISBN 978-0964384811.
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- ^ a b "RM 9000. The totally modular graphics and imagery system from Ramtek". Electronics. Vol. 49, no. 14. 1976-07-08. p. 15.
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- ^ Tilley, Ray E. (1980-06-15). "Boom Ball company sold". Play Meter. Vol. 6, no. 11. p. 68.
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- ^ "McEwan's Meltec Buys Games Wing Of Ramtek Corp". Cash Box. 1980-05-24. p. 42.
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- ^ Heinzel, Ron S. (1981-05-10). "Computer Show Dropout". The Los Angeles Times. pp. Part VI 3.
- ^ a b "Ramtek Offers Pascal Programmable Color Graphics". Computer Business News. 2 (34): 7. 1979-08-20.
- ^ "Ramtek Positions Itself for Color Terminal Campaign". Computer Business News. 2 (38): 12–13. 1979-09-17.
- ^ "High-tech firms sued after stock offerings". Oakland Tribune. 1983-10-05. pp. C-1, C-12.
- ^ "Ramtek Sets Financial Goal: Tenfold Revenue Gain by 1984". Computerworld. 14 (2): 79–80. 1980-01-14.
- ^ "Ramtek reports $15.4 million loss, but expects profitability next year". Times Tribune. 1984-10-06. pp. B-7.
- ^ "CDC to acquire 60% of Digital". Minneapolis Star Tribune. 1984-07-17. pp. 6B.
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- ^ "Today's ledger". Times Tribune. 1986-12-03. pp. C-6.
- ^ "Ramtek Corp. to restate revenue, earnings". The San Francisco Examiner. 1986-12-03. pp. C-7.
- ^ "Local". Times Tribune. 1988-09-30. pp. E-1.
- ^ "Ramtek Revitalized". The Peninsula Times Tribune. 1989-12-01. pp. G-1.
- ^ "Ramtek profit $11 million". The San Francisco Examiner. 1990-02-08. pp. D-4.
- ^ "Acquisitions". The San Francisco Examiner. 1990-12-07. pp. B-2.
- ^ Rosenfield, Seth (1992-11-17). "Jury charges fraud in Ramtek case". The San Francisco Examiner. pp. C-1, C-5.
- ^ "Permanent Injunction Entered Against Thomas Adams and G. William Theriault". sec news digest (92–234): 1–2. 1992-12-04.
- ^ "Spaced-Out Graphics". Computerworld. 14 (10): 37. 1980-03-10.
- ^ a b c "Look at some fresh ideas from Ramtek...the display company". Industrial Research. 14 (12): 95. November 1972.
- ^ "New Plasma Digivue Displays Graphics, Signatures". Computerworld The Newsweekly for the Computer Community. Vol. 6, no. 15. 1972-04-12. p. 30.
- ^ "Graphic System". Chilton's Ian Instrument and Apparatus News. Vol. 21, no. 10. October 1973. p. 6.
- ^ "Look at some fresh ideas from Ramtek... the display company". Industrial Research. Vol. 15, no. 12. November 1973. pp. Cover 3.
- ^ "Medical, P/C Graphics". Datamation. Vol. 18, no. 3. March 1972. p. 123.
- ^ "Raster Graphic System Displays Black/White And Color Images". Computerworld the Weekly Newsletter for the Computer Community. Vol. 7, no. 23. 1973-06-06. p. 30.
- ^ "Process-control display features graphics". Electronic Design. 21 (14): 84. 1973-07-05.
- ^ "Process-control display replaces tote boards, meters". Electronics. Vol. 47, no. 11. 1974-05-30. pp. 140–141.
- ^ "Display system handles graphics and characters". Electronic Design. 22 (13): 154. 1974-06-21.
- ^ "Products". Information World. 1 (12): 26. January 1979.
- ^ "United Handles Color CRTs". Computerworld. 13 (51): 42. 1979-12-17.
- ^ "A touch of color can make all your information work harder". Computer Design: 121. December 1979.
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- ^ "Raster Scan Imaging and Graphics Systems". Computer Design: 182. March 1978.
- ^ a b c d "Peripherals". Byte. Vol. 3, no. 7. July 1978. p. 184.
- ^ a b Ramtek RM-9000 Programming Manual. Ramtek Corporation. March 1977.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Ramtek Corp". Government Data Systems. 8 (4): 15. July–August 1979.
- ^ Ramtek RM-9000 Theory of Operation Vol I. Ramtek Corporation. 1978.
- ^ Dooley, Ann (1978-12-04). "'Slot Machine' Pays Off for Language Students". Computerworld. Vol. 12, no. 49. p. 14.
- ^ Analysis Techniques for Microwave Dosimetric Data. 1981-07-24.
- ^ "Color Graphics Display System Unveiled". Computerworld. 13 (14): 49. 1979-04-02.
- ^ "Ramtek Corp. Shows Color Graphic Unit". Computer Business News. 2 (15): 14. 1979-04-09.
- ^ "High Resolution Color Graphics". Digital Design. 9 (5): 121. May 1979.
- ^ "Image Display System Offers Standalone Graphics Processing". Computer Design. September 1978. pp. 28–29.
- ^ "Image Processor". Medical Electronics & Equipment News. Vol. 18, no. 6. November–December 1978. p. 33.
- ^ Ask Ramtek. (Nobody knows more about Colorgraphics). Isn't one clear, colorful picture worth a thousand lines of print-out?, March 17, 1980, Computer World
- ^ Ramtek Expands 6000 Series Of Color Graphics CPUs, June 16, 1980, Computer World
- ^ Ramtek unwraps CAD workstations, Maura McEaney, CW Staff, August 12, 1985, Computer World
- ^ a b "Products". Computer Design. December 1976. p. 136.
- ^ "Ramtek CRT Suited for Group Meetings, Functions With Color Graphics Systems". Computerworld. 13 (17): 70. 1979-04-23.
- ^ "Large-Screen Projection System". Digital Design. 9 (6): 78. June 1979.
- ^ a b c d "Ramtek Adds 1,000-Line Color Monitor". Computerworld. 14 (29): 47. 1980-07-21.
- ^ "Ramtek Unveils High-Resolution Display Monitor". Computerworld. 13 (25): 45. 1979-06-18.
- ^ "Monochrome Monitor". Digital Design. 9 (7): 58. July 1979.
- ^ a b "I/O Checklist". Computer Business News. 3 (28): 13. 1980-07-14.
- ^ a b "CRT Color Monitors". Computer Design: 226. September 1980.
- ^ a b c "Three smart buys from Ramtek". Datamation: 80. December 1979.
- ^ "Single Architecture Terminal Combines Graphic and Alphanumeric Capabilities". Computer Design. April 1977. pp. 150–151.
- ^ a b Zientara, Marguerite (1978-06-19). "Harris' IBM 3270-Type CRT Among Product Debuts at NCC". Computerworld. Vol. 12, no. 25. pp. 33–34, 37.
- ^ "Seven-Color Xerographic Printer Works on Both Originals, Input". Computerworld. Vol. 12, no. 26. 1978-06-26. p. 49.
- ^ "Color Graphics Display Controller". Chilton's Ian Instrument and Apparatus News. Vol. 26, no. 9. September 1978. p. 54.
- ^ "Ramtek Color Output CRTs Have Raster Scan". Computerworld. Vol. 12, no. 33. 1978-08-14. p. 76.
- ^ "Color Graphics Computer Programmable In Pascal/Assembly Language". Computer Design: 55. October 1979.
- ^ a b "Graphics Package Written in Pascal". Computerworld. 14 (6): 38. 1980-02-11.
- ^ "Ramtek Expands 6000 Series Of Color Graphics CPUs". Computerworld. 14 (24): 63. 1980-06-16.
- ^ "Color Graphics Computer with Pascal". Interface Age: 97. July 1980.
- ^ "Marketing Agreement set for bank transfer system". Canadian Datasytems. 12 (2): 73. February 1980.
- ^ Four reasons why UNIVAC users are switching to the Ramtek 8210/Uniscope Emulation Terminal, November 12, 1979, Computer World
- ^ "Users of CRT Terminals Blast Burroughs' Technical Support". Computerworld. 14 (44): 57, 60. 1980-10-27.
- ^ "VDT Provides Color Graphics Output From Host". Computer Business News. 3 (45): 11. 1980-11-10.
- ^ "Ramtek Offers Color Graphics". Computerworld. 14 (47): 68. 1980-11-17.
- ^ a b c When you need color graphics, Ramtek has it all, February 12, 1979, Computer World
- ^ "Products". Computer Design. July 1976. p. 146.
- ^ "New Products". Electronics. Vol. 49, no. 15. 1976-07-22. p. 128.
- ^ "Ramtek's Printer/Plotter 'True Four-Color' Device". Computer Business News. 3 (19): 2. 1980-05-12.
- ^ "Ramtek Unit Prints Black". Computerworld. 14 (22): 55. 1980-06-02.
- ^ "Modem Technology". Canadian Datasystems. 12 (8): 51. August 1980.
- ^ "Color graphics in PASCAL". Infosystems. 27 (2): 75. February 1980.
- ^ "Eastern Flashes". Cash Box. 1973-04-21. p. 57.
- ^ "California Clippings". Cash Box. 35 (13): 55. 1973-09-29.
- ^ "Move over "Pong", "Paddle Battle", "T.V. Tennis" and the other video games. Here comes Ramtek's third cash box champion - "$occer"". Cash Box. 1973-12-15. p. 43.
- ^ "California Clippings". Cash Box. 35 (35): 45. 1974-03-02.
- ^ "Streaking is new Clean Sweep is Newer". Cash Box. 1974-05-25. p. 51.
- ^ "It's a Whole New Ballgame by Ramtek!". Cash Box. 1974-11-02. pp. MOA28.
- ^ "Ramtek Test Markets New Knockout, TV-Arcade Unit". Vending Times. September 1974. p. 68.
- ^ "Amusement Price Lists". Marketplace. 40 (7): F. 1975-07-30.
- ^ "Trivia by Ramtek". Play Meter. Vol. 1, no. 10. October 1975. p. 16.
- ^ "Trivia pastime goes coin-op in Ramtek game". Play Meter. Vol. 2, no. 1. January 1976. p. 40.
- ^ "Ramtek Releases Sea Battle Video". RePlay Magazine. Vol. 1, no. 26. April 1976. p. 20.
- ^ "Ramtek Introduces New 'Sea Battle' Video Game". Vending Times. April 1976. p. 60.
- ^ "Ramtek Inc. Introduces New 'Hit Me' Video Game". Vending Times. May 1976. p. 69.
- ^ "Ramtek Deals Black Jack". Play Meter. June 1976. p. 42.
- ^ "Ramtek Intros Blocking Game". Play Meter. Vol. 3, no. 1. January 1977. p. 43.
- ^ "Ramtek Ships 'Barricade'". RePlay Magazine. Vol. 2, no. 3. January 1977. p. 56.
- ^ "Ramtek Pops 'M-79 Ambush'". RePlay Magazine. Vol. 2, no. 8. June 1977. p. 72.
- ^ "Ramtek Corp. Introducers M-79 Ambush Gun Games". Vending Times. June 1977. p. 63.
- ^ "M-79 Ambush— Cannon Game From Ramtek". Play Meter. Vol. 3, no. 13. July 1977. p. 39.
- ^ "'Star Cruiser' Launched from Ramtek Corp". RePlay Magazine. Vol. 2, no. 11. September 1977. p. 141.
- ^ "Ramtek Corp. Introduces Star Cruiser Video Unit". Vending Times. September 1977. p. 71.
- ^ "Space wars". Play Meter. Vol. 3, no. 19. October 1977. p. 45.
- ^ "Ramtek's 'Horoscope' New Astrology Game". Cash Box. 38 (21): 53. 1976-10-23.
- ^ "Future Machine". Play Meter. Vol. 2, no. 12. November 1976. p. 53.
- ^ "We Do More Than Just Play Games With You". Play Meter. Vol. 2, no. 12. November 1976. p. 75.
- ^ Lally II, Ralph C. (December 1976). "Play Meter Plays the New Games, Volume II". Play Meter. Vol. 2, no. 14. p. 26.
- ^ "Parks Show Sees 3 New Games". Play Meter. Vol. 3, no. 23. December 1977. p. 53.
- ^ "1977 IAAPA (Parks) Show Perks". RePlay Magazine. Vol. 3, no. 3. December 1977. p. 40.
- ^ "Ramtek Introduces New Boom Ball At Parks Show". Vending Times. December 1977. p. 56.
- ^ "'Dark Invader' Ships". RePlay Magazine. Vol. 3, no. 11. August 1978. p. 27.
- ^ "Ramtek, Inc. Introduces 'Dark Invader' Game". Vending Times. August 1978. p. 66.
- ^ Lally II, Ralph C. (1978-12-15). "Play Meter Plays the Games". Play Meter. Vol. 4, no. 23. p. 15.
- ^ "Ramtek Bows Roadster Game". RePlay Magazine. Vol. 4, no. 5. February 1979. p. 26.
- ^ "Living in the fast lane". Play Meter. Vol. 5, no. 5. 1979-03-15. p. 58.
External links
[edit]- The Ultimate (So Far) History of Exidy – Part 1, May 19, 2013, allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.com
- Manufacturer: Ramtek, The International Arcade Museum
- 1971 establishments in California
- 1996 disestablishments in California
- American companies established in 1971
- American companies disestablished in 1996
- Computer companies established in 1971
- Computer companies disestablished in 1996
- Computer terminals
- Defunct computer companies of the United States
- Defunct computer companies based in California
- Defunct computer hardware companies
- Defunct video game companies of the United States