A rare two-player Computer Space arcade machine is up for auction

The sparkly cabinet is part of a huge retro tech auction focused on Steve Jobs and the computer revolution.

Before Atari, there was Syzygy Engineering, and before Home Pong , there was the Computer Space arcade machine. And then just a little bit after that, in July 1973 to be precise, there was the two-player Computer Space arcade cabinet. This sparkling emerald beauty is what we're talking about today , 56 years on.

Released to the public in late 1971, the single-player version of Computer Space is widely recognized as the first arcade video game. It was designed by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney of Syzygy Engineering, and distributed by Nutting Associates. Computer Space was a version of the 1962 PC combat game Spacewar! , and would later influence Asteroids . Its cabinet looked like a retrofuturistic stalagmite, featuring a small, bulbous screen wrapped in primary-color fiberglass. Its gamepad had four action buttons and no joystick, and it cost a quarter to play.

While Nutting and Syzygy reportedly sold more than 1,000 Computer Space arcade cabinets and made a significant financial return, the release marked the end of their professional collaboration. Bushnell and Dabney went on to change their company name to Atari and release Pong in 1972.

A second iteration of the Computer Space arcade machine landed mid-1973, this time with two-player gameplay and two joysticks. It was produced by Nutting without Bushnell or Dabney, came in a sparkly green color and remained $0.25 per round.

A custom white Computer Space cabinet was featured in the 1973 sci-fi classic Soylent Green , marking the first appearance of a video game in a Hollywood movie, and if you pay attention during the arcade scene in 1975's Jaws , you can see a yellow version of the machine. Despite the exposure, Nutting Associates closed in 1976. Atari, as a brand at least, is still kicking today .

So is David Perry's two-player Computer Space arcade machine, apparently. Perry, the programmer of 1994's Earthworm Jim and co-founder of the game streaming company Gaikai, is selling a fully functional two-player Computer Space cabinet on RR Auction , and the bids are rolling in. As of August 12, it's sitting at $6,748 with 12 bids, and it's estimated to sell for more than $20,000.

Perry explained on social media , "I ran out of space and am selling my Computer Space arcade machine at auction (two-player). It's probably the rarest arcade game in existence, found in museums."