Tod Frye

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Tod R. Frye is a computer programmer once employed by Atari, and is most notable for being charged with the home adaptation of Pac-Man for the Atari 2600 video game system. Pac-Man proved to be a public relations nightmare, albeit a stunning financial coup for Atari, who secured the exclusive Namco home license. The game-buying public complained the design, which passively resembled its arcade counterpart, lacked in both quality control and craftsmanship-- despite brisk sales and large profits for video game maker Atari.

1 Unprecedented Success
2 Public Discontent
3 Notable Contributions
4 References

[edit] Unprecedented Success

Pac-Man would prove the most anticipated release of the upcoming holiday season, and marketing pressed Frye to produce the game on a very strict timetable. Atari engineering would demand Frye complete the game in under 4K, despite his repeated requests that 8K of ROM be allocated for the demanding translation. Under these constraints, Frye fought back. He approached Atari CEO Ray Kassar, and suggested a royalty agreement. Frye threatened to quit Atari and join Activision, leaving Pac-Man unfinished and Atari without its landmark title. Frye became the first Atari programmer to retain a royalty on his work, as Kassar placated him with an unprecedented royalty agreement. If the game was completed on schedule, it was agreed a royalty of 10 cents be paid to the creator, for each Pac-Man cartridge sold. Atari would sell nearly 10 million Pac-Man cartridges, making Frye a millionaire in the process. He would infamously post photocopies of his royalty checks on his office door. This expression of hubris wasn't lost on his fellow programmers.

[edit] Public Discontent

One Atari employee decided to write "Why Frye?" on the Pac-Man machine contained in Atari's in-office arcade room. In response, Frye drew a horizontal line over the "Why", as if to say "Why not Frye" in scientific notation.^[1]

[edit] Notable Contributions

Touch Me Atari handheld, Swordquest series Earthworld, Fireworld, Waterworld, Airworld (uncompleted). Unreleased titles include Save Mary and Shooting Arcade as well as partial or working prototypes of Xevious and Asteroids for the Atari 5200. After parting ways with Atari, Frye later worked for Axlon (one of the many companies founded by Atari Pioneer Nolan Bushnell) and was hired as a programmer alongside fellow Atari employee Howard Scott Warshaw at The 3DO Company shortly before the company disappeared. Frye remains active in video games, making technical contributions to classic compilations such as Midway Arcade Treasures.