NES Modem and Minnesota State Lottery Cart

[RH | 4,903]

Just to be clear, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone get annoyed with a necrobump.

Keep in mind, we’re all vintage gaming nerds and collectors.  Seeing a thread like this getting bumped after 3 years can actually get us quite excited, rather than annoyed.

[Tulpa | 3,494]

1 hour ago, Collectorwanabe said:

There could by a specific cart for Minnesota, buy my gut is saying that the one pictured in the vhs is a mockup. Not able to tell without seeing the VHS. If it was not a mockup, I would assume the video would show the whole process of it being used in the NES to demonstrate the process. 

Someone who posted in this thread owns the VHS. We can probably find out.

I've thought about it being a mockup, too, but the possibility of more than one working cart out there is just as likely. I'd find it strange they didn't have at least a couple working prototypes for a project like this.

Assuming it wasn't pitched in the garbage when the whole program got shitcanned.

Edited January 27 by Tulpa

[greendookie69 | 0]

Has anyone ever submitted any government records requests to MN trying to obtain any relevant/interesting documents?

I just came across a YouTube video that mentioned this lottery thing and thought it sounded a little ridiculous - Google indexed this thread and my interest was high enough to create an account here.

One of the things the video claimed (without citing any sources) was problems with the Minnesota AG preventing this project from moving forward - perhaps MN's OAG may have some relevant documents. I'm well versed in submitting record requests in my home state, although I'm not really certain what I'd be asking for here...all of your thoughts would be very much appreciated.

I won't apologize for the bump, considering the recently preceding discussion. I guess this doesn't really even qualify as a bump - is there even still internet etiquette on that anyway?

[Jfreakofkorn | 282]

 

 

[Tulpa | 3,494]

19 hours ago, greendookie69 said:

Has anyone ever submitted any government records requests to MN trying to obtain any relevant/interesting documents?

I don't know if anyone has, but 30+ years removed I doubt there's much left in the Minnesota State Lottery records that isn't already known to collectors. @B.A. said he tried to track down the company on the label of the "official" cart, but it was long gone. I suspect most of the info and hardware went with them.

 

[Enternal | 15]

Crazy that this cart/ or related cart surfaced. I know @BlackbirdZero13mentioned he tried tracking people down, maybe the VHS has other information on the program or maybe it's just the cart running. I'm sure someone is still around that can be like, yeah we didn't make 10,000 copies but we made a few dozen to propose for a test market.

[Jimbo | 1]

Just wanted to add some details to this discussion that you might find interesting.  This is not an actual quote and was used for formatting created from my knowledge and a couple of websites.  The actual quoted info in the quote block has a citation at the end.

Quote

 

Control Data Corp. was a massive corporation and had two Fabs in Bloomington, MN near where the Mall of America is today.

One of the two Fabs was used as for its VTC "collaborative venture with Fairchild Computer to develop new semi-conductor technologies. CDC executive Larry Jodsaas became president in 1988 and acquired VTC in 1990. Sold to Lucent in 2000, but retained custom fabrication services as PolarFab, which was sold to Sanken in 2005." [1]  It is still known as PolarFab.

The other Fab was purchase along with CDC's CMOS technology assets and became "Cypress Semiconductor Minnesota—Founded in 1982 by TJ Rodgers, the company purchased Control Data’s CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) business." [1]  Cypress later sold this MN Fab to SkyWater Technology, Inc.

[1] = https://eye4innovation.typepad.com/eye4innovation/control-data-legacy-trees.html
This is an amazing page that documents what became of Control Data Corp.  You will be surprised at sheer number of major companies that stem from CDC.

 

I have my doubts whether either PolarFab or Cypress Semiconductor Minnesota would have acquired the assets for the NES modem from CDC since both were semiconductor fabs.  They would have been more likely to have made the CMOS and related IC chips used on the modem/carts circuit board than make and assemble NES modems.

I currently work at SkyWater Technology and tried asking about this to some of the oldest employees.  Unfortunately, the oldest employee never worked for Control Data and was hired back in the mid 1990's by Cypress Semiconductor Minnesota.  None of them remember anything about this.  Even more unfortunately, there have been layoffs and restructuring since then so even asking these long term employees if they know anyone to ask has become significantly less possible.

I definitely support this cause.  Good luck on acquiring and dumping the ROM.  I'd love to bust out an emulator at work and pull this up on it.  People would get a kick out of this story since it came from our parent parent company.

 

I hope that was interesting and worth your time reading it.

-Jimbo

[RH | 4,903]

5 hours ago, Jimbo said:

Just wanted to add some details to this discussion that you might find interesting.  This is not an actual quote and was used for formatting created from my knowledge and a couple of websites.  The actual quoted info in the quote block has a citation at the end.

I have my doubts whether either PolarFab or Cypress Semiconductor Minnesota would have acquired the assets for the NES modem from CDC since both were semiconductor fabs.  They would have been more likely to have made the CMOS and related IC chips used on the modem/carts circuit board than make and assemble NES modems.

I currently work at SkyWater Technology and tried asking about this to some of the oldest employees.  Unfortunately, the oldest employee never worked for Control Data and was hired back in the mid 1990's by Cypress Semiconductor Minnesota.  None of them remember anything about this.  Even more unfortunately, there have been layoffs and restructuring since then so even asking these long term employees if they know anyone to ask has become significantly less possible.

I definitely support this cause.  Good luck on acquiring and dumping the ROM.  I'd love to bust out an emulator at work and pull this up on it.  People would get a kick out of this story since it came from our parent parent company.

 

I hope that was interesting and worth your time reading it.

-Jimbo

Thanks for posting this! I, too, have been on a similar hunt for specific details for a prototype device that was made for the Genesis called New Leaf (or Game Factory) cartridges which were the earliest iteration of flash cartridges which Blockbuster Video would use to load games and rent out.

There’s a lot more information out there on that business venture but other than an obituary for one of the executives for the New Leaf company, I’ve found no one who’s worked on this project.

I point it out because even though this device/cartridge for the Minnesota Lottery is quite different, myself and others around here appreciate the effort to find the niche details.

Another thing you can try is to go and talk to engineering and see if they’ve kept historical archives.  They may not know about this project, but they might be able to rummage through some filing cabinets and find drawings for schematics or other design documents. Ask nicely… and they might let you keep them!