Atari Co-founder Ted Dabney Passes Away at Age 80

Atari Co-founder Ted Dabney has passed away at the age of 80, due to esophageal cancer.

News of Dabney's passing first started on social media, and the diagnosis of esophageal cancer was first reported by Eurogamer. Dabney reportedly chose to forego treatment.

Samuel F. Dabney, known as Ted, was born May 15, 1937, in San Francisco, California. After graduating high school, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. There was where he gathered an interest in technology and computer development.

Dabney is best known for co-founding Atari in 1972 with partner Nolan Bushnell, where they developed the first commercially available arcade game. The pair first partnered the year prior at Syzygy Engineering, who developed Computer Space, the true first arcade game. Computer Space launched a year before Pong, and was a variant of Spacewar! by MIT in 1962. Dabney left Atari later that decade, after a falling out with Bushnell.

Dabney helped create one of the most influential game companies of all time. Our sympathies go out to those affected by his passing.