12 ex-Atari women respond to #NotNolan controversy, offer ‘70s perspective
Almost immediately after Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell was un-nominated for a "Pioneer" award over accusations of sexism, questions arose from gaming fans and historians alike: was the reaction appropriate?
They wanted to know: was a "#NotNolan" campaign too quick to pass judgement based on salacious rumors? Or was it a measured response to how the gaming and technology industries look so many years later?
A report from Kotaku's Cecilia D'Anastasio came closest to answering that question on Monday. For the report, she interviewed a compelling spectrum of women who are perhaps best equipped to speak to the question: Bushnell's female peers within Atari, as well as female industry researchers and historians. The report doesn't come close to a definitive answer, and its hesitation to render any verdict on the matter is perhaps its greatest strength.