Gerald ‘Jerry’ Lawson: who was video game cartridge inventor - how to play interactive Google Doodle

Today, 1 December, the iconic Google logo honours Gerald “Jerry” Lawson, a pioneering Black video game engineer who was one of the fathers of what we know today as modern gaming. The date today is significant because it would have been Lawson’s 82nd birthday.

This is everything you need to know about Lawson and how to navigate the interactive Google Doodle.

Who was Jerry Lawson?

Lawson was an American electronic engineer best known for leading the team that pioneered the video game cartridge. He was born in Brooklyn on 1 December 1940, with his parents supporting his scientific interests and ensuring he received a good education.

In a 2009 interview with Vintage Computing and Gaming, Lawson said: “When [my mother] went to a school, she would interview the teachers, the principal, and if they didn’t pass her test, I didn’t go to that school.”

Whilst in first grade, Lawson worked with a photo of the Black scientist and inventor George Washington Carver on the wall next to his desk, and it was a comment made by his teacher that made a lasting impression on the young boy.

He said: “[The teacher] said, “This could be use”. Now, the point I’m getting at is, this kind of influence is what led me to feel, “I want to be a scientist. I want to be something”.”

Referring specifically to his focus on video games, Lawson told the San Jose Mercury News: “The whole reason I did games was because people said, “You can’t do it.” I’m one of the guys if you tell me I can’t do something, I’ll turn around and do it.”

Lawson joined Fairchild Semiconductor in San Francisco in 1970 as an engineering consultant and, a few years later, was promoted to Director of Engineering and Marketing of Fairchild’s video game department. In this department, Lawson led the development of the Fairchild Channel F system, which was the first home video game console that introduced players to interchangeable game cartridges, an eight-way digital joystick - and the pause menu. The Channel F laid the foundation for future consoles like the Atari, SNES, Dreamcast and more.

In 1980, Lawson left Fairchild to start his own company, called VideoSoft, which was one of the earliest Black-owned video game development companies. VideoSoft created software for the Atari 2600, which popularised the very cartridge that Lawson and his team had developed earlier.

In 2003, Lawson started battling with complications from diabetes, ultimately losing the use of one of his legs, which had to be amputated below the knee, and the sight from one eye. On 9 April 2011, Lawson passed away as a result of complications from diabetes.

The month prior to his death, Lawson had been honoured by the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) as a pioneer in the industry for his work on the game cartridge.

While Lawson may have died over 10 years ago, his legacy is still felt today. The University of Southern California created the Gerald A Lawson Fund in order to support underrepresented students interested in pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees in game design or computer science, and Lawson’s achievements in the field are memorialised at the World Video Game Hall of Fame in Rochester, New York.

Did he have children?

With his wife Catherine, Lawson was father to two children, Karen and Anderson.

Speaking about the Google Doodle, Lawson’s children said: “Today, we celebrate what would’ve been Dad’s 82nd birthday with the world.  We would like to thank Google for working with us to share our father’s story in this Doodle. May his story continue to inspire numerous young people around the globe to achieve something remarkable.

“Dad, you were our provider, motivator, teacher, inventor, mentor and friend. We are incredibly proud of you and miss you.  The planet knows your story and you will never be forgotten!

“Happy Birthday, Pop! We love you!”

How do I play?

The interactive Google Doodle allows you to play (and create your own!) 8-bit games. After completing a short tutorial learning how to play (use the arrow keys to move left and right, and the spacebar to jump) you’re ready to play and build as you see fit.

There are a handful pre-made games ready for you to play, including one where you play as a ghost trying to escape the clutches of some evil looking skulls - however, you can edit those games to build on them by adding things like other characters, blocks, flags, coins, keys and enemies.

You can also start entirely from scratch if you prefer, building a pixelated platformer exactly how you want.

If you feel especially proud of your creation, you can even share it with other players to try out - just tap the share button in the upper right corner (the icon looks like a sideways V) and you can share it via Facebook, Twitter or just with a link.