Jerry Lawson: The Pioneer Who Helped Shape Video Games

February is Black History Month! As part of the celebration, PA Virtual is featuring blog posts about historical figures we don’t hear about often throughout the year in history class.

Jerry Lawson: The Pioneer Who Helped Shape Video Games

Every February, during Black History Month, we celebrate amazing people whose talents, creativity, and courage changed the world. Some names you’ve probably heard like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. But there are heroes whose stories aren’t told as often, and one of those is Jerry Lawson, a brilliant engineer whose work helped make video games what they are today.

If you’ve ever played a video game, whether on a console, handheld, phone, or laptop, you have Jerry Lawson’s legacy to thank. He’s often called the “father of the video game cartridge” because of how he helped design the first home gaming system with interchangeable game cartridges. That invention paved the way for console gaming as we know it.

Who Was Jerry Lawson?

Photo of Jerry Lawson by Wikimedia Commons contributor, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Born December 1, 1940, in Brooklyn, New York, Gerald “Jerry” Lawson grew up curious about how things worked. His dad was a longshoreman with a passion for science, and his mom worked for the city and helped make sure he went to a good school. From a young age, Jerry loved electronics, repairing TVs, building radios, and experimenting with gadgets.

One story from his childhood is especially inspiring: when he was in first grade, he had a picture of the famous scientist George Washington Carver on his wall. His teacher told him, “This could be you,” and that encouragement lit a spark that stayed with him throughout his life.

Even as a teen, Jerry was already tinkering with electronics. He ran his own ham radio station and fixed neighbors’ TVs to earn money. That early experience taught him how circuits, wires, and electronic components worked, which were building blocks for the future he couldn’t yet imagine.

From New York to Silicon Valley

After high school, Jerry studied at Queens College and City College of New York, where he continued exploring technology. He eventually moved to California to work in Silicon Valley, which was the heart of the tech world even back in the 1970s. There, he joined the Homebrew Computer Club, a group of tech hobbyists where some future tech legends like Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were members. Jerry was one of the only Black people in that group at the time.

Being one of the few Black engineers in Silicon Valley back then wasn’t easy. Some people were surprised to discover he was Black because they didn’t expect it, a reminder of the stereotypes and barriers that existed in tech fields. But Jerry didn’t let that stop him. He believed in his ideas and his abilities.

What Was the Big Idea?

In the early days of video games, consoles (the box you plug into your TV) usually came with games built right into the hardware, which meant you couldn’t change them. If you wanted a new game, you had to buy a whole new machine. Jerry Lawson and his team at Fairchild Semiconductor changed that. In 1976, they released a system called the Fairchild Channel F — the first home video game console that used removable game cartridges.

What made this so revolutionary? Instead of being stuck with one game, players could now:

• - Buy or trade different cartridges with new games

• - Play lots of titles on only one console

• - Store games separately from the hardware

•  

This simple idea completely changed the video game industry. Soon, other companies like Atari and Nintendo used the same idea to build their systems, leading to the explosion of games and consoles we know today.

How Did It Work? Understanding Cartridges

You might have seen old video game cartridges before, the plastic pieces you plug into a system (like the Nintendo 64 or Sega Genesis). Inside those cartridges are computer chips that store the game’s data. When you insert the cartridge into the system, the console reads the game and runs it.

Before this innovation, games were part of the console’s internal circuitry and couldn’t be changed. Lawson’s team found a way to make the game software separate from the machine, so players could swap games just like changing DVDs or CDs. That idea turned video games into something more like books in a library, with endless stories you could choose from and explore.

Challenges and Creativity

Creating the Fairchild Channel F wasn’t easy. At that time, microprocessors, the tiny computer brains inside consoles, were new and complicated. Lawson and his team had to work with parts and technology that weren’t originally designed for video games. But Jerry wasn’t afraid to experiment!

For example, before working on the Channel F, he even built his own arcade game called “Demolition Derby” in his garage. While that game never became a big hit, it helped show his talent and passion, and it laid the groundwork for bigger things to come.

Lawson’s role wasn’t just engineering, he also helped guide the team’s creative direction, working with designers and other engineers so that the console was both fun and functional. That kind of teamwork and leadership is part of what made the Channel F special.

Life After Fairchild

After the Channel F, Lawson wanted to keep innovating. In 1980, he started his own company called VideoSoft, becoming one of the earliest Black video game development companies. VideoSoft made software for popular consoles like the Atari 2600 and even created a TV color bar generator cartridge that helped people adjust their television screens.

Unfortunately, the video game industry went through a major crash in the early 1980s, and VideoSoft closed before it could release many games. But that didn’t stop Jerry. He continued working as a consultant, sharing his knowledge with big tech companies and mentoring young engineers.

Recognition — Finally — and Legacy

Jerry Lawson’s contributions weren’t widely recognized while he was alive, but over time, his legacy has grown. In 2011, the International Game Developers Association honored him as a pioneer of the industry. More recently, Lawson’s story has been shared through things like documentaries, museum exhibits, and even a Google Doodle celebrating his birthday with playable games inspired by his work. There’s also a permanent display about his work at the World Video Game Hall of Fame in Rochester, New York — showing that his influence on gaming will not be forgotten.

What We Can Learn From Jerry Lawson

1. Curiosity Is Powerful

Jerry’s interest in electronics didn’t start in a lab — it started with fixing TVs and playing with radios. Your hobbies and curiosities can lead to big discoveries!

2. Innovation Comes from Trying New Things

Before interchangeable cartridges, consoles were fixed. But Jerry and his team asked: What if games could be changed? That simple question changed the industry forever.

3. Representation Matters

Lawson was one of the few Black engineers in Silicon Valley in the 1970s. His success shows that talent exists everywhere — and that everyone deserves the chance to shine.

4. Teamwork Makes Ideas Better

Jerry didn’t invent everything alone, he led teams, worked with designers and engineers, and collaborated to solve hard problems.

5. You Don’t Have to Be Famous to Make a Difference

Even though his name wasn’t always known, Lawson’s work influenced entire generations of games, systems, and creators.

Closing Thoughts

Jerry Lawson may not be a household name yet, but his work lives on in every cartridge, every console, and every game that’s ever been swapped, shared, or played. He showed the world that smart ideas, especially those that question how things have always been done, can open up new possibilities for everyone.

This Black History Month, let’s remember not just the games he helped make possible, but the courage, persistence, and creativity of the person behind them. And who knows? Maybe you’ll be inspired to invent something amazing too.

If you would like to learn more about Jerry Lawson, or other American inventors, check out your local library! They are a great and underutilized resource for learning and fun.