https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/9649e212fff9002eabe38e6025458b91.jpg 4478fcf69522100cc466d60d4c08be34 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Gravis PC GamePad Subject The topic of the resource hardware: computer peripheral, game controller Description An account of the resource Historical context (by Z. Stachniak) In the final two decades of the twentieth century, the personal computer industry experienced rapid technological advances that included, among other innovations, the development of high-performance input devices (such as game controllers) as well as sound and video cards. Array Technology Inc. (ATI, founded in 1985), Creative Technology (1981), Logitech International (1981), Matrox Graphics (1976), and NVIDIA (1993) are examples of leading manufacturers of such products. In Canada, several companies—besides ATI and Matrox—successfully designed and manufactured input devices and add-on cards for personal computers. One such company was Gravis Computer Peripherals Inc. (Gravis), founded in 1982 in Burnaby, British Columbia. In 1985, the company was renamed International Gravis Computer Technology Inc., and following its amalgamation with Abaton Resources Ltd. in 1987, it adopted the name Advanced Gravis Computer Technology Ltd. In 1997, Gravis was acquired by Kensington Computer Products Group, which incorporated the Gravis brand of entertainment gamepads and joysticks into its product line. The "Company Background" published on Gravis' ftp site in 1997, described the company's origins this way Gravis originated in 1979 from the passion for computer games shared by two childhood friends, Grant Russell and Dennis Scott-Jackson. They soon found that joysticks and paddles on the market did not provide a real arcade feel or precision, and they typically broke down within weeks of intensive game use. This started them on the quest to build a better joystick. Between 1985 and 1997, Gravis designed and manufactured several award-winning joysticks and gamepads for desktop computers produced by companies such as Amiga, Apple, Atari, Commodore, IBM, and Tandy. Its first product, the Gravis Analog Joystick, introduced in 1985, quickly became a popular choice among computer gamers. The Gravis PC GamePad, released in 1991, was equally successful and was adopted by numerous electronic entertainment companies, including Nintendo and Sega. Similar success followed with the Firebird programmable game controller, introduced in 1996. By 1996, the number of retail outlets carrying Gravis products exceeded 11,000 worldwide, making the company one of the world’s largest suppliers of computer joysticks and gamepads, according to reports such as those published by PC Data. Gravis PC GamePad  The Gravis PC GamePad was introduced in November 1991. It was the first gamepad for the IBM and IBM compatible computers and one of the most popular gamepads for these platforms. The device offered a fast digital direction pad, 4 quick response digital buttons, left- or right-hand play switch, and a switch selectining a single or two pleyer use. A variant of the PC GamePad for Macintosh personal computers was introduced by Gravis under the name Mac GamePad. Museum holdings <ul> <li>Gravis PC GamePad manufactured in 1991, its user's manual and Gravis Utilities floppy diskette,</li> <li>Gravis PC GamePad manufactured in 1998 and its Quick Install manual</li> </ul> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Advanced Gravis Computer Technology Ltd. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived donated by Zbigniew Stachniak Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1991 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant world, 1991--