Born: 1955 (Little Rock, Arkansas)
Biography:
Dona Bailey is an American video game programmer and educator, best known for her role in developing Atari, Inc.’s arcade video game Centipede. Born in 1955, in Little Rock, Arkansas, Bailey showed her exceptional intellect and drive from a young age. She graduated high school early and began attending the University of Arkansas at Little Rock when she was just 16 years old. Determined to accelerate her education, she took classes year-round, including during the summers. By the time she turned 19, she had earned herself a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, with three minors in English, Math, and Biology. But her thirst for knowledge was insatiable, and she went on to pursue a master’s degree in Math.
Bailey’s career as a programmer began in 1978 when she was hired by General Motors. She underwent training in assembly language programming and spent two years working on displays and microprocessor-based cruise control systems. However, it was during this time that she had her first encounter with video games. Inspired by the arcade classic Space Invaders, her fascination with the game led her to explore the world of video game programming.
Intrigued by the microprocessor technology used in video games, Bailey decided to leave General Motors and move to Sunnyvale, California, with the intention of working for Atari. In 1980, she joined Atari, Inc.’s coin-op division, where she became the only woman on the team. At the time, Atari had a notebook filled with potential game ideas, but one stood out to Bailey – a simple description of a bug winding down the screen. In her own words, she said, It didn’t seem bad to shoot a bug.
Working as a software developer and engineer, Bailey played a pivotal role in the creation of Centipede. Assigned to the project by her supervisor Ed Logg, she collaborated with him on the game’s design, while also handling approximately half of the programming. Released in 1981, Centipede went on to become one of Atari’s most successful coin-op games, second only to Pac-Man. Its popularity was such that Atari’s production line had to run two shifts to keep up with the demand.
One of the remarkable aspects of Centipede was its appeal to a broad audience, including female players. Logg and Bailey intentionally designed the game to attract both male and female gamers, incorporating vibrant pastel colors and trackball-based gameplay. This approach marked a notable departure from the traditionally male-centric arcade games of the time, making Centipede one of the first coin-op based arcade machines to have a substantial female player base.
Bailey’s contributions to the video game industry and her role in promoting inclusivity have had a lasting impact. As a pioneering woman in a male-dominated field, she broke barriers and inspired countless aspiring programmers. Today, she continues to educate and inspire future generations as an esteemed educator.