The games industry has lost one of the greats. As reported by Forbes, Commodore International founder Jack Tramiel was 83 years old when he passed away on Sunday 8 April. Tramiel is survived by his wife and three sons.
Members of the gaming community, particularly those from Europe and Australia, will remember him as one of the driving forces behind the Commodore 64. Released in 1982, this surprisingly affordable personal computer introduced millions to the concept of video games.
Born in Poland in 1928, the Jewish Tramiel suffered greatly at the hands of the Nazi regime. He spent the war years in concentration and forced labour camps, before finally being freed in 1945. He made his way to the United States in 1947 and founded the Commodore Portable Typewriter Company in 1954. The rest, as they say, is history.
We spent their much of our youths with Tramiel’s beige coloured machine, pouring hours into the likes of Paradroid, Jumpman and Wizard of Wor. Needless to say, Tramiel will be fondly remembered by the Black Panel crew.
Image Credit: Los Angeles Times
