APh Technological Consulting

Overview

APh, located in Pasadena, California, was hired by Mattel in 1976 to help design what became the Intellivision system; eventually they programmed the system's software, most of the development tools, and all of the first Intellivision, M Network and Keyboard Component games.

The staff of graduates and students from the nearby California Institute of Technology, under APh President Glenn Hightower, designed and programmed the games. Dave James, an artist from the Mattel Design & Development Department, worked with APh to define the Intellivision graphics (including the familiar running-man animation).

In addition to their work for Mattel, APh had many non-videogame contracts, so they survived the 1983 industry collapse in good shape. Still at the same location, today they program computer processors embedded in everything from consumer products to spacecraft.

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