A profile of Jerry White, one of the most prolific Atari software developers and writers, known for his utilities, educational titles, music programs, and regular contributions to leading computer magazines. From Player Piano to Robin’s Halloween, his people-friendly, well-crafted BASIC programs showcase creativity, technical skill, and a deep commitment to the Atari community.
Continue readingCelebrating the Women of Atari
Article contributed by Sophia Pixelheart, Edited by John Zielke
March is Women’s History Month—a time to look back and recognize the contributions of women in every industry, including gaming. We hear a lot about the big names, the breakthroughs, the games that defined an era, but what often gets left out are the stories of the women who helped make it all happen. This article will solve that problem by celebrating the women who helped shape our Atari experience.
Atari didn’t become a gaming powerhouse because of just a few well-known figures—it was built by a whole team of talented people, many of them women. They were writing the code, designing the games, creating the music, and shaping the way players experienced video games. But for years, their contributions were left out of the story.
Dona Bailey, Carol Shaw, Carla Meninsky, Suki Lee, Evelyn Seto, Patricia Goodson—these are just some of the women who played a huge role in Atari’s success. Their work wasn’t a footnote; it was foundational. Yet, for decades, their names remained in the background, their work attributed to others, or worse, forgotten altogether.
The way history treats women in gaming isn’t all that different from how women have been written out of history in other fields. The pattern is clear—whether it’s gaming, history, or technology, women have always been there. They were doing the work. But too often, their contributions were either overlooked or erased. Let’s take a look at a few of the women who designed our favorite games!
Centipede — Dona Bailey
Dona Bailey never set out to work in video games. She was in psychology and statistics, but her path took an unexpected turn. In 1980, she saw Space Invaders for the first time, and something about it stuck with her. The way it kept players engaged, the movement, the challenge—it fascinated her. Within a few months, she left her job, moved to Sunnyvale, California, and started working at Atari. Not too long after, she was helping create one of Atari’s biggest arcade hits—Centipede.
Despite Centipede’s success, Bailey’s role was nearly erased. In 2012, an article about the game gave full credit to her male colleague, leaving out her contributions entirely. It’s a familiar story—many of the women at Atari found their work dismissed, misattributed, or minimized. But Bailey’s impact was undeniable. Centipede was one of the first major arcade games to attract both male and female players, subtly challenging the industry’s assumption that video games were only for boys.
River Raid — Carol Shaw
Carol Shaw is often credited as the first professional female game developer, and for good reason. She worked on some of Atari’s most technically impressive games, including 3-D Tic-Tac-Toe and Video Checkers, and later made history at Activision with the groundbreaking River Raid.
Shaw’s contributions weren’t just “in game” development—she also rewrote the Atari BASIC manual, fixing errors and making it easier for people to use.
Yet, despite her expertise, historical accounts often down played her role, as if she had needed help from male colleagues to do her job. But Shaw’s skills spoke for themselves—she wasn’t just part of the industry, she was shaping it.
Star Raiders — Carla Meninsky
Carla Meninsky brought a strong background in math and psychology to Atari, where she helped develop Star Raiders, Dodge’em, and Warlords.
Meninsky wasn’t just another programmer—she was in the room for major discussions, even present when Steven Spielberg visited to talk about the E.T. game. Yet when a Stanford alumni magazine published a piece on Atari’s biggest contributors, her name was missing. Although her work helped shape some of Atari’s biggest hits, history simply passed her over. She later became a lawyer specializing in Intellectual Property Rights. I wonder why?
M.U.L.E. — Danielle Bunten Berry
Note: Danielle Bunten Berry wasn’t at Atari, but her impact on gaming was just as important.
She was behind M.U.L.E., a 1983 strategy game that did multiplayer differently. Back then, most games were all about high scores and playing alone, but Berry thought games should be something more—a way for people to play together.
That idea stuck and ended up shaping everything from MMORPGs to The Sims.
Math Gran Prix — Suki Lee
Suki Lee was one of those pioneers whose work was almost lost.
She programmed Math Gran Prix, an educational Atari game, but for years, no one knew.
Lee’s name wasn’t in the credits, and it took a dedicated fan digging through history to finally connect her to the game.
It’s just one of many times women’s work in gaming was almost erased.
Black Vader — Evelyn Seto
Evelyn Seto played a big role at Atari, though most people wouldn’t know it. As lead designer, she was the one behind the packaging for the Atari 2600 “Black Vader” console—a sleek, futuristic look that became a key part of Atari’s identity.
Her work helped define how people saw Atari—not just as a gaming company, but as a brand that represented innovation. Yet, like so many women in creative roles, her contributions were barely acknowledged.
Pac-Man Jr. Theme — Patricia Goodson
Patricia Goodson’s work wasn’t seen—it was heard.
Goodson composed the tunes behind the hit game Jr. Pac-Man, creating the game’s signature sound.
Years later, the Atari Women project brought her work back in a remixed version of Pac-Man, making sure it didn’t fade into history.
The video on the right contains the Jr. Pac-Man tunes. Enjoy!
The idea that gaming and tech have always been male-dominated isn’t the full story. Women have been there from the start, coding, designing, composing, and shaping the industry in ways that often went unrecognized. The issue was never their presence—it was who got the credit and whose names were left out.
That’s why projects like ATARI WOMEN matter. They’re not just preserving stories—they’re setting the record straight and making sure these women’s contributions are finally recognized. Some of their efforts include:
- A remixed version of Pac-Man, where a female protagonist codes her way through obstacles — representing the real struggles women have faced in tech.
- Collectible tokens featuring the women of Atari, turning them into the gaming heroes they always were.
- Wikipedia edit-a-thons, ensuring these women’s work is documented properly—so it doesn’t disappear again.
This isn’t just about looking back—it’s about who gets to be part of the story moving forward. Women have always been part of gaming and tech. They were there. They built it. Recognizing their contributions isn’t just about honoring history—it’s about making sure the next generation of women in STEM knows they belong here, too.
So this Women’s History Month, share these stories. Challenge the outdated narratives. Gaming was never just a “boys’ club”—and it’s long past time to set the record straight.
PHOTO CREDITS:
“Dona Bailey” by Reflexion&Correction, licensed under CC-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
“Carol Shaw with some of her awards in 1984” by Howard Shaw, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Screenshot of Carla Meninsky from an Atari promotional or documentary video. Source unknown. Shared by Dr. Computer on Facebook, February 3, 2016.
Composite image featuring the box art of M.U.L.E. and a portrait of Danielle Bunten Berry. Source unknown; shared by RS DesignSpark on Facebook (July 3, 2020). Used here under fair use for historical and educational commentary.
Image of Suki Lee, circa 1982. Source: MobyGames. Rights status unknown; used here for educational and historical reference.
Evelyn Seto, George Opperman, and Bob Flemate reviewing Atari artwork. Photograph courtesy of The Strong Museum of Play, via The Ted Dabney Experience.
Image of Atari 2600 “Black Vader” box art. Source: Fully Retro (product listing), original packaging by Atari, Inc. Used here for historical reference.
Image of Patricia Goodson. Courtesy of AtariWomen.org. Used with appreciation for educational and historical purposes.
Atari Women logo. Courtesy of AtariWomen.org. Used with appreciation for educational and nonprofit purposes.