New “Guess, Jerry!” App Celebrates Jerry Lawson, The Father Of The Video Game Cartridge

To mark Black History Month, a new game titled “Guess, Jerry!” has made its debut on the App Store.

Created by Microsoft Senior Software Engineer Michael Curd, the app pays tribute to Jerry Lawson, who shaped modern video gaming.

Father Of Video Game Cartridge

Jerry is an AI buddy inspired by video game legend Jerry Lawson, who was often named the “Father of the video game cartridge”.

Lawson was one of the first prominent African American figures in the gaming industry.

As chief hardware engineer for Fairchild Semiconductor, Lawson steered the development of the first home video gaming system with interchangeable game cartridges.

The Netflix documentary “High Score” and the Audible podcast “Raising the Game” both shed light on Lawson’s contributions, which sparked a renewed interest in his legacy.

“Guess, Jerry!”

The game “Guess, Jerry!” integrates Lawson’s story through its character, Jerry, an AI buddy modeled after Lawson himself. 

The creative approach provides an entertaining gaming experience while educating players about a significant figure in technology history.

“I thought it would be fitting to release this game during Black History Month,” said Curd on LinkedIn.

“I always find it odd I didn’t learn about him (Jerry Lawson) earlier because he accomplished so much, and the video game industry has been heavily shaped by his contributions.”

Available on iOS and web platforms, the developers are also working to bring “Guess, Jerry!” to Android users.