Editing PLATO (computer system) (section)

== Innovations ==
[[File:Minuet in G major, BWV Anh. 114 (played by PLATO GSW).flac|thumb|[[Minuets in G major and G minor|Minuet in G major]] played on the Gooch Synthetic Woodwind, a four-voice square wave synth]]

PLATO was either the first or an earlier example of many now-common technologies:

* Hardware
** {{Citation | title = Plasma display | year = c. 1964 | type = PLATO IV | title-link = Plasma display }}. Donald Bitzer
**{{Citation | title = Touchscreen | year = c. 1964 | type = PLATO IV | title-link = Touchscreen }}. Donald Bitzer
**{{Citation | title = Gooch Synthetic Woodwind | year = c. 1972 | type = music device for the terminal| title-link = Gooch Synthetic Woodwind }}
* Display graphics
** {{Citation | title = Charset Editor | type = bitmapped picture drawing program}} storing in downloadable fonts.
** {{Citation | title = Show Display Mode | year = 1975 | type = graphics application generator (TUTOR) }}.
* Online communities
** {{Citation | type = General-purpose computer message board | year = 1973 | title = Pad}}
** Notesfiles (precursor to newsgroups), 1973.
** {{Citation | title = [[Talkomatic]] | year = 1973 | type = real-time text-based chat, with six rooms each allowing five participants }}
** Term-talk (1:1 chat)
** Screen software sharing: {{Citation | title = Monitor Mode | year = 1974 }}, used by instructors to help students, precursor of [[Timbuktu (software)|Timbuktu]].
* Common [[computer game]] genres, including many early realtime multi-player games
** Multiplayer games
*** {{Citation | title = Spacewar! | year = c. 1969 | type = Multiplayer space battle game| title-link = Spacewar! }}. Rick Blomme<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/794667914 |title=Before the crash : early video game history |date=2012 |publisher=Wayne State University Press |first=Mark J. P. |last=Wolf |isbn=978-0-8143-3722-6 |location=Detroit |oclc=794667914|page=211}}</ref>
** Dungeon games
*** {{Citation | title = dnd | year = 1974–75 | type = dungeon crawl game| title-link = dnd (1975 video game) }}. Included the first [[boss (video games)|video game boss]].
*** {{Citation | title = Pedit5 | year = c. 1974| title-link = Pedit5}}, likely the first graphical dungeon computer game.
*** {{Citation | title = Avatar | year = c. 1978 | type = 60-player 2.5-D graphical Multi-User Dungeon (MUD)| title-link = Avatar (PLATO system video game) }}.
** Space combat
*** {{Citation | title = Empire | year = c. 1974 | type = 30 person multi-player inter-terminal 2-D real-time space simulation| title-link = Empire (1973 video game) }}
*** {{Citation | title = Spasim | year = c. 1974 | type = 32-player first-person 3D space battle game| title-link = Spasim }}
** Flight simulation: {{Citation | title = Airfight| year = 1974 | type = 3-D flight simulator | first = Brand | last = Fortner| title-link = Airfight }}; this probably inspired UIUC student [[Bruce Artwick]] to start [[Sublogic]] which was acquired and later became [[Microsoft Flight Simulator]].
** Military simulations: {{Citation | title = Panther | year = c. 1975 | first = John | last = Haefeli | type = 3-D tank simulation| title-link = Panther (computer game) }}.
** 3D Maze games: {{Citation | title = Build-Up | year = 1975 | first = Bruce | last = Wallace| title-link = Build-Up }}, based on a story by [[J. G. Ballard]], the first PLATO 3-D walkthru maze game.
** Quest simulation: {{Citation | title = Think15 | year = c. 1977 | type = 2-D outdoor wilderness quest simulation| title-link = Think15 }}, like ''Trek'' with monsters, trees, treasures.
** Solitaire: {{Citation | title = Freecell | year = 1979 | first = Paul | last = Alfille| title-link = Freecell }} solitaire, {{Citation | title = Mahjong solitaire | year = 1981 | first = Brodie | last = Lockard| title-link = Mahjong solitaire }}
* Educational
** {{Citation | title = Answer Judging Machinery | type = set of about 25 commands in TUTOR that made it easy to test a student's understanding of a complex concept}}.
** Training systems; {{Citation | title = The Procedure Logic Simulator (PLS)| type = intelligent CAI authoring system | year = 1979 | first = Luke | last = Kaven}} an ambitious ICAI programming system featuring partial-order plans, used to train Con Edison steam plant operators.