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64-436: "What if I could invent something which would allow my grandma to pick up a card game, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, without leaving home, at a cost she could afford?" — Ken Williams, original TSN mission statement TSN was conceived by Ken Williams , co-founder of Sierra On-Line, who saw potential in expanding the gaming experience beyond single-player adventures to a more social, interactive medium. This vision led to

128-411: A Homer Simpson -themed Mr. Potato Head. On April Fools Day 2019, Hasbro jokingly announced that Mr. Potato Head would be replaced by "Mr. Avo Head", a hipster avocado . To celebrate the release of Toy Story 4 , Hasbro produced new Toy Story versions of Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head. These versions feature the "Active Adventures" model of the bodies and ears with a mix of various parts, including

192-477: A 20% stake in TSN to AT&T . This decision resulted in the renaming of the network to "The ImagiNation Network". In 1994, AT&T completed its investment by purchasing the remaining stake for $ 40 million, taking over network infrastructure and customer acquisition and billing process to address the operational challenges previously faced by Sierra. AT&T planned to invest $ 5 million into developing new games for

256-577: A Mr. Potato Head balloon has also joined others in the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade . Toy Story Midway Mania! , in Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort , also features a large talking Mr. Potato Head. Hasbro updated the brand in 2021, dropping the honorific in the name and marketing the toy simply as Potato Head , while retaining the individual characters of Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head. In

320-534: A Web site construction tool called Talkspot, which aims to redefine how small businesses communicate with their customers on the Internet. He has published three books on boating, talking about his worldwide cruising along with his wife Roberta on their 68-foot Nordhavn trawler. In addition, he publishes a blog about cruising, Ken's Blog, and his years at Sierra, Sierra Gamers. His memoir, Not All Fairy Tales Have Happy Endings: The Rise and Fall of Sierra On-Line ,

384-494: A commercial for Bridgestone tires during Super Bowl XLIII in 2009, Mr. Potato Head is driving a car and Mrs. Potato Head is nagging him. Larger-than-life versions of Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head are "guests" in the 1980s section of Pop Century Resort at Walt Disney World in Florida. In 1990, the sketch comedy series In Living Color parodied the toy and entertainer Michael Jackson and his penchant for plastic surgery in

448-412: A dial-up connection limited potential growth to users within the continental United States. Despite raising prices, the company was losing money rapidly and struggled to meet the initial goal of 50,000 subscribers. Faced with financial challenges from The Sierra Network (TSN), which was incurring significant losses without a clear path to profitability, Sierra opted for a strategic shift in 1993 by selling

512-417: A few months later (in 1952), the toy company Hassenfeld Brothers (now known as Hasbro ) and Lerner bought back the rights to Funny Face Man kits from Post. In Hasbro's version, the kits included a styrofoam head. However, because the styrofoam head had limited reusability, the packaging still recommended that the accessories be affixed to potatoes or other produce. On April 30, 1952, Mr. Potato Head became

576-406: A massive polio outbreak in 1952 resulted in children spending more time indoors. Over one million kits were sold in the first year. In 1953, Hasbro introduced a Mrs. Potato Head variant, and soon after, Brother Spud and Sister Yam completed the family, followed by accessories reflecting the affluence of the 1950s: a car, boat trailer, kitchen set, stroller, and pets marketed as Spud-ettes . In

640-414: A month, offered 30 hours of access during nights and weekends, but this was limited to Clubhouse games. Additional access to each of the three theme parks required an extra $ 4 per month. For broader access, packages could cost up to $ 150 a month, offering more playing time. These prices did not include the telephone charges required for connection, which could cost an additional $ 6.00 per hour. The need for

704-477: A skit called "The Michael Jackson Potato Head Kit", offering children a multitude of different noses to represent different stages in Jackson's career. Jackson's vitiligo was also mocked when one child said the toy did not look quite right and his father peels it, revealing white skin underneath. The toy helped inspire the classic Macintosh software toy Tuberling by John Calhoun of Soft Dorothy Software, which

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768-485: A slight variation of this story, the items he attached to the potatoes were smaller fruits and vegetables (e.g., grapes for eyes and carrots for noses). However, others have speculated that he got the idea from his wife's nephew Aaron Bradley, who was seen placing sticks inside of potatoes in the family garden. Yet another version states that Lerner came up with the idea in 1949 and was inspired by his own children, who often played with their food. Various sources list 1949 as

832-433: A space that vertically targeted different audiences and interests. TSN also introduced FaceMaker, a tool allowing members to design a virtual "face" or avatar for their online identity. These avatars, which could be seen during games or chats, offered customization options for gender, age, and style, enabling users to tailor their digital representation to their preferences. The style of avatars could also change depending on

896-449: A supporting role in the short-lived syndicated series Potato Head Kids , his first dramatic television appearance. From 1998 to 1999, he had his own short-lived Fox Kids series The Mr. Potato Head Show . In addition to film and television, the character has been the subject of a comic strip created by Garfield creator Jim Davis . Cartoonist Gary Larson included the character in several of his The Far Side cartoons. In

960-436: Is an American toy produced by Hasbro since 1952. It consists of a plastic model of a potato "head" to which a variety of plastic parts can attach; typically ears, eyes, shoes , hat , nose, mustache, pipe (1952–1987), pants (1973–1983, 2010–present), headphones (2024–present), glasses , and mouth. Mr. Potato Head was invented and manufactured by George Lerner in 1949, but was first distributed by Hasbro in 1952. It

1024-638: Is one of Andy's remaining toys, alongside his wife, the Aliens, and others. The toys are donated to a daycare center and are later almost killed in a landfill incinerator. When the Aliens rescue the toys with a giant crane, Mr. Potato Head finally accepts them as his sons. Eventually, Mr. Potato Head and his friends are donated to a new owner named Bonnie ( Emily Hahn ). Mr. Potato Head has appeared in all three Toy Story Toons shorts: Hawaiian Vacation (2011), Small Fry (2011), and Partysaurus Rex (2012), voiced again by Don Rickles. He also appeared in

1088-423: Is spent looking at product ... To me, everything is about being able to build awesome product ... Any game which does not push the state of the art leaves an opportunity for a competitor's game to look better." In Sierra's later years, the company's focus had shifted to publishing many titles from other studios, including Valve 's Half-Life . Commenting on first-person shooters , Williams recalls, "By

1152-687: The Entertainment Software Association (ESA), which was set up in response to concerns over violent and sexually explicit video games. In 2014, Ken and Roberta were honored with the Game Awards inaugural Industry Icons award. Williams has cited Microsoft and The Walt Disney Company as influencing Sierra's business model. "These two companies were our role models. I read every book written on both companies. I did everything to try to understand how they thought, and how they did business." Microsoft currently owns

1216-685: The Three Stooges , Star Trek ( Kirk and Kor ), and SpongeBob SquarePants . These were all released through PPW Toys from Hasbro. In 2012, Hasbro and PPW Toys released Mr. Potato Head in Batman form for the movie The Dark Knight Rises . The model, known as "The Dark Spud", features Mr. Potato Head dressed up as the Caped Crusader. Before the release, the model was unveiled at the 2012 New York Toy Fair. In 2014, to celebrate The Simpsons ' 25th anniversary, PPW Toys produced

1280-712: The 1960s, Hasbro also introduced the Tooty Frooty Friends kit, which came with over 60 pieces for building four additional characters: Katie the Carrot, Kooky the Cucumber, Oscar the Orange, and Pete the Pepper. Although the toys were originally produced as separate plastic parts to be attached to a real potato or other vegetable, in 1964, Hasbro began to include a separate plastic head and body in each box and made

1344-663: The 1990s, the League of Women Voters used Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head to promote a "Get Out the Vote" campaign. Additionally, Mr. Potato Head received an award from the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports . The award was presented by Arnold Schwarzenegger , who was chairman of the organization at that time. In 1995, Mr. Potato Head was featured in a leading role in the Disney/Pixar animated feature Toy Story , with

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1408-684: The Halloween special Toy Story of Terror! (2013), where he disappears and Bonnie's other toys must find him. Mr. Potato Head appeared in the Christmas special, Toy Story That Time Forgot (2014). Mr. Potato Head appeared in Toy Story 4 (2019). However, Rickles died in 2017 due to kidney failure, and did not record any lines for him for the film. With permission from Rickles's family, Pixar used unreleased lines that Rickles recorded in previous Toy Story films for his final performance as

1472-660: The ImagiNation Network in 1996 to America Online . By 1998, the service was discontinued, concluding a significant chapter in the history of online gaming. In a compelling alternate history, Bill Gates and Microsoft showed interest in purchasing The Sierra Network (TSN) concurrently with AT&T's initial investment. Gates felt let down when Sierra chose not to explore Microsoft's proposal further, arguing that Microsoft's bid would have been more advantageous for Sierra's shareholders compared to AT&T's offer. He pointed out that Microsoft's emphasis on online ventures

1536-684: The Lost Ark " set (which, despite the title, was released as a tie-in to 2008's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ), an Iron Man 2 -themed "Tony Starch", and a "Trick or Tater" version for Halloween in October 2008. An additional five Star Wars -themed potato heads were sold exclusively through Disney theme parks : "Luke Frywalker", "Yam Solo", "Spuda Fett", "Princess Tater", and "Darth Mash". In 2009, " Bumble Spud "

1600-835: The Nontoonyt natives and Williams, the annoying joke teller (both appearing in Leisure Suit Larry games), as well as a whipper of "ScumSoft" in Space Quest III , and Kenny the Kid in Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist . Ken married Roberta Williams at the age of 19. They have two children, D.J. (born 1973) and Chris (born 1979). The Williams family has homes in Seattle, France, and Mexico. Mr. Potato Head Mr. Potato Head

1664-475: The Sierra brand and its intellectual property, following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard in 2023. After a spell of being inactive in the computer game industry, in 2022, it was reported that he was currently working with his wife Roberta on a new VR and flatscreen version of Colossal Cave 3D Adventure , a redux of the text-adventure title from 1977. Prior to this, he had focused on writing and managing

1728-444: The area of The Sierra Network being accessed. The modular design was inspired by Mr. Potato Head . FaceMaker was among the first instances of customizable avatars, a concept that would quickly become a staple in online platforms. In June 1992, TSN introduced a new flat rate pricing model, starting at $ 12.95 for up to 30 hours of service each month. At the time, this approach was regarded as a significant long-term marketing strategy for

1792-601: The attachments less sharp, leaving them unable to puncture vegetables easily. These changes were due, in part, to parental complaints about finding spoiled food in their homes, but there were also reports of children choking on the small pieces or cutting themselves with the sharp ends. In 1973, further changes were made to increase safety. To comply with the Child Protection Act of 1966 and the Child Protection and Toy Safety Act of 1969, Hasbro combined

1856-755: The book Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution . He wrote the textbook Apple II Computer Graphics , and articles for Softline . Williams and wife Roberta co-founded On-Line Systems in 1979. Sierra's notable online service, the ImagiNation Network , was purchased by AT&T in 1994. Ken Williams served as the president of Sierra until July 1996, when the company was sold to CUC International . He stayed on to guide its strategic direction until November 1997. In his role as Sierra's CEO, Williams focused on innovation: "I'm not sure how typical I am of other CEOs ...most of my time

1920-520: The character. Mr. Potato Head had 7 lines in Toy Story 4 , which was dedicated to Rickles's memory. Mr. Potato Head first appears in the prologue of the movie. Later during the main events of the film, he and his wife join Bonnie and her parents on their RV road trip. At the end of the film, they say goodbye to Woody who chooses to stay with Bo Peep ( Annie Potts ). Mr. Potato Head is seen dancing in

1984-570: The classic Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head. To promote The Looney Tunes Show , Hasbro unveiled Bugs Bunny -, Daffy Duck -, and Tasmanian Devil -themed Mr. Potato Head dolls. In 2011, it was announced at the New York Toy Fair that a second Elvis Mr. Potato Head (based on his 1968 TV special ) would be released, as well as sets for The Wizard of Oz (Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Lion),

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2048-637: The classic versions of the arms and shoes, film-accurate facial features and the newer designs of the parts. Hasbro also produced new "Active Adventures" versions of "Woody's Tater Roundup" and "Spud Lightyear". In 2020, Hasbro announced a sustainable version of the toy known as Mr. Potato Head Goes Green . This version was made from plant-based plastic derived from sugarcane . To celebrate Mr. Potato Head's 70th anniversary in 2022, Hasbro produced elderly versions of Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head. Mr. Potato Head's popularity has led to some appearances in films and television. From 1986 to 1987, Mr. Potato Head played

2112-424: The company had invested $ 10 million in developing the service, aiming for 50,000 members by March 1993. Unlike many services available at the time, TSN differentiated itself by utilizing a graphical interface to enhance the visual appeal of online interactions, as opposed to the prevalent text-based interfaces. The platform supported both multiplayer and single-player games, and it promoted social interactions through

2176-431: The company. A central challenge was TSN's high operational costs. The service predated the widespread consumer use of the internet . Users had to dial in through local telephone numbers, which then connected to TSN via Telnet . "It was costing us more per hour to have customers online than what we were getting in revenue," said Williams. By 1993, the pricing structure had evolved. A basic membership, priced at $ 12.95

2240-485: The content. As a result, TSN was designed with a user-friendly interface and launched with a variety of well-known games, such as bridge . The company expanded and rented additional office space in Oakhurst within a building previously known as The Old Barn, a restaurant with a rustic Wild West theme. This building, recognizable by its water tower, would later be featured in the game's home screen. By November 1992,

2304-404: The creation of avatars and the ability for users to form guilds or clubs. TSN also introduced online shopping features, exploring a concept that was relatively uncommon in digital services of that era. In other words, TSN was "tragically ahead of its time". Inspired by Disneyland 's themed lands, Williams envisioned The Sierra Network as a digital theme park with distinct areas, aiming to create

2368-455: The creation of The Sierra Network (TSN) in 1991, a pioneering platform enabling real-time interactions and gameplay among users across different locations. Previously, Williams had released a modem-supported helicopter flight simulator , showcasing his early fascination with multiplayer gaming. Additionally, he took an interest in Prodigy, an early online service, which he called a "preview of

2432-437: The early 1940s, Brooklyn-born toy inventor George Lerner came up with the idea of inserting small, pronged body and face parts into fruits and vegetables to create a "funny face man". The exact origin and inspiration for this idea are unknown. One theory is that, as a child, Lerner often took potatoes from his mother's garden and, using various other fruits and vegetables as facial features, made dolls for his younger sisters. In

2496-536: The film, he is overjoyed to hear Andy's sister Molly getting a Mrs. Potato Head on Christmas. In Toy Story 2 (1999), Mr. Potato Head goes with Andy's other toys to rescue Woody, who has been stolen by Al McWhiggin ( Wayne Knight ). After Mr. Potato Head saves three Alien toys ( Jeff Pidgeon ) from falling out of a Pizza Planet truck , only for them to continually pester him, his wife Mrs. Potato Head ( Estelle Harris ) decides to adopt them, much to her husband's dismay. In Toy Story 3 (2010), Mr. Potato Head

2560-601: The film. In the 2000s, Hasbro has produced Mr. Potato Head sets based on several media properties that Hasbro produces toys for under license. These include the Star Wars -themed " Darth Tater ", " Spud Trooper ", and " R2-POTATOO ", a 2007 Transformers film -themed " Optimash Prime " (the appearance is based on Optimus Prime from the original television series ), a pair of Spider-Man -themed "Spider-Spud / Peter Tater" (both red suit and black suit, to tie in with Spider-Man 3 ), an Indiana Jones -themed " Taters of

2624-484: The first toy advertised on television. The campaign was also the first to be aimed directly at children; before this, commercials were only targeted at adults, including toy advertisements. The commercial revolutionized marketing by focusing on children as a target audience and encouraging them to ask their parents to buy the product (a concept that came to be known as the "nag factor"). Additionally, between 1949 and 1952, television sales had increased exponentially, and

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2688-399: The future." Prodigy stood out as the first platform to integrate text with an easy-to-use graphical user interface and wide-ranging content designed for a diverse and mainstream audience. Williams initially proposed an innovative device: "The Constant Companion", envisioned as a compact unit that could be connected to a television, similar in appearance to conventional video game systems. It

2752-554: The head and body into one large piece and made the attachments larger to prevent choking. Arms were no longer included in the kits. Additionally, Hasbro replaced the holes with flat slots, allowing only one possible orientation for the attached parts. In 1983, Hasbro tweaked the Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head design by adding white bendable arms wearing white gloves. A storage compartment was also added to this larger head/body combination piece. In 1985, Mr. Potato Head received four postal votes in

2816-492: The necessary computers and equipment to develop a prototype for the Constant Companion. However, as discussions about manufacturing the device progressed, NEC's interest in the project diminished. In response, Sierra redirected its strategy to enhancing the device's gaming content and making the Constant Companion accessible to a wider audience, specifically targeting individuals with personal computers. At that point,

2880-502: The official year that the Funny Face Man was invented. In 1951, Lerner completed a prototype for Funny Face Man. Finding a buyer was initially a challenge because companies thought consumers would be hesitant to waste food so soon after the rationing that was widespread during World War II . However, Post Cereals purchased the rights to Funny Face Man that same year, with plans to include the kits in breakfast cereal boxes. Just

2944-431: The original release. On February 25, 2021, Hasbro dropped the honorific in the brand name and began marketing the toy simply as "Potato Head", while retaining the individual characters of Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head. However, several media outlets misinterpreted the announcement as stating that all Potato Head products would henceforth be gender neutral. While continuing to offer the classic Mr. and Mrs. characters, Hasbro

3008-578: The platform. It also entered into an agreement to make ImagiNation accessible on Sega video game consoles. Furthermore, AT&T officials expressed intentions to develop a version of a 3DO player that would include software for accessing the Sierra Network, indicating a strategy to expand and improve the network's reach. However, the service struggled under the new corporate ownership, hampered by bureaucracy and attempts to overhaul its underlying code base. After several frustrating years, AT&T sold

3072-489: The program was rebranded as "The Sierra Network", a change thought to broaden its appeal and leverage the recognition of the Sierra On-Line brand. The technical execution of this idea fell to Jeff Stephenson, Sierra's lead system programmer, who faced the task of developing a new programming language specifically for online gaming. The result, an online-enabled version of Sierra's Creative Interpreter, aimed to address

3136-469: The run for mayor of Boise, Idaho in the "most votes for Mr. Potato Head in a political campaign" as verified by Guinness World Records . In November 1987, Mr. Potato Head became "Spokespud" for the annual Great American Smokeout and surrendered his pipe to Surgeon General C. Everett Koop in Washington, D.C. In 1989, Hasbro replaced the attached bendable arms with the removable plastic arms. In

3200-560: The same year, Hasbro introduced a line called "Sports Spuds" with a generic plastic potato (smaller than the standard size) customized to a wide variety of professional sports teams. In 2010, Hasbro received a Toy & Game Innovation Award from Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. In the same year, Hasbro tweaked the Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head body design to give it a slimmer appearance, commonly referred to as "Active Adventures". As of 2012, sales of Mr. Potato Head and related products were reported to have exceeded 100 million units since

3264-519: The time I decided we wanted into the genre, we were too far behind. With 20/20 hindsight, I blew it when I had the chance to buy id and didn't ... Valve was the first group I had spoken with that could put Sierra in front of id." In 1992, Williams advocated for a software rating system akin to that of the movie industry. This preceded the establishment of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) in 1994 by

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3328-418: The unique challenges of supporting multiple players in an online environment and creating an intuitive user interface. In developing The Sierra Network, Williams prioritized simplicity to ensure the platform was accessible to a broad audience, especially those new to online gaming. His objective was to create an environment where users, regardless of their gaming experience, could easily navigate and engage with

3392-535: The voice provided by comedian Don Rickles . Mr. Potato Head later returned in Toy Story's three sequels — Toy Story 2 (1999), Toy Story 3 (2010) and Toy Story 4 (2019) — with Rickles reprising the role; however, Rickles died in April 2017 due to kidney failure, so the latter's director Josh Cooley used unused archival audio of his voice in the film. Also in 1995, the Mr. Potato Head Pals Mix 'n' Match game

3456-427: Was a better match for TSN's direction than AT&T's wider-ranging strategy, suggesting a missed opportunity for a potentially more synergistic partnership. Ken Williams (game developer) Kenneth A. Williams (born October 30, 1954) is an American businessman and game programmer who co-founded On-Line Systems together with his wife Roberta Williams . On-Line Systems eventually became Sierra On-Line and

3520-445: Was designed to be straightforward, requiring only a power source and a telephone line connection, with a built-in modem facilitating its operation. The goal was to market this device at an accessible price point of approximately $ 99, employing a business strategy where the initial sale would cover hardware costs, with the primary revenue coming from monthly or hourly subscription fees. NEC initially collaborated with Williams, supplying

3584-407: Was joined by Mrs. Potato Head in 1953 and later supplemented with accessories including a car and boat trailer. Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head both appeared in the Toy Story franchise , voiced by Don Rickles and Estelle Harris , respectively. Additionally, in 1998, The Mr. Potato Head Show aired but was short-lived, with only one season being produced. As one of the prominent marks of Hasbro,

3648-547: Was later reimplemented for the K Desktop Environment as KTuberling. Starting in the 2000s, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head also starred in commercials for other brands. An example is an ad for Lay's in 2014 where the "Active Adventures" Mr. Potato Head comes home to see the "Active Adventures" Mrs. Potato Head eating them despite being a potato herself. Mr. Potato Head is also a character in the Disney/ Pixar Toy Story franchise , voiced by Don Rickles . He

3712-724: Was made. This box contained four bodies and four sets each of hands, eyes, noses, mouths, hats, and shoes. Aimed at young children, the goal of the game was to build characters to match the provided cards. In 2000, Mr. Potato Head was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame at The Strong in Rochester, New York . In 2006, Hasbro also began to sell sets of pieces without bodies for customers to add to their collections. Some of these themed sets included Chef, Construction Worker, Firefighter, Halloween, King, Mermaid, Police Officer, Pirate, Princess, Rockstar, and Santa Claus. In

3776-401: Was one of Andy's toys before being given to Bonnie in Toy Story 3 . In Toy Story (1995), Mr. Potato Head is shown to be moody towards Andy's other toys, though he is friends with Hamm the piggy bank ( John Ratzenberger ). When Sheriff Woody ( Tom Hanks ) accidentally pushes Buzz Lightyear ( Tim Allen ) out of a window, Potato Head accuses Woody of doing it on purpose. At the end of

3840-453: Was praised by some for being progressive , although others called it a "PR stunt". Since 2024, new models of the Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head toys have been produced. In 1995, to celebrate the release of Toy Story , Hasbro produced the first licensed Mr. Potato Head which used pieces from the 1987 Bucket of Parts (a black derby hat, an orange nose, a long mustache, pink ears, a tall set of eyes, and blue sneakers) to replicate his look from

3904-549: Was produced based on Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen . A Kiss version of Mr. Potato Head was produced recently. Disney, in cooperation with Hasbro, also released "Chipbacca", "Mashter Yoda", and "C-3PotatO" in October 2009 at Disney Parks. To celebrate Toy Story 3 , five new Mr. Potato Heads were unveiled including " Woody's Tater Roundup ", " Spud Lightyear ", " Jessie the Spud-slinging Cowgirl ", and

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3968-422: Was released on July 24, 2020. In June 2021, Williams has announced he and Roberta have been working on the game The Secret , in collaboration with artist Marcus Maximus Mera. Williams's trademarks have been his mustache and hair. His appearance has inspired Sierra's designers for some sprites , honoring Williams with cameo appearances in some games. One of these "incarnations" is the chief Keneewauwau of

4032-402: Was the first toy advertised on television and has remained in production since. In its original form, Mr. Potato Head was offered as separate plastic parts with pushpins to be affixed to a real potato or other vegetable. Due to complaints regarding rotting vegetables and new government safety regulations, Hasbro began including a plastic potato body with the toy set in 1964. The original toy

4096-543: Was ultimately renamed Sierra Entertainment . The couple were leading figures in the development of graphical adventure games . At its height, Sierra employed nearly 1,000 people prior to its acquisition in 1996. Williams was born on October 30, 1954, in Evansville, Indiana but later grew up in Simi Valley, California . Ken and Roberta's early contributions to the computer game industry were partially chronicled in

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