Over 70,000 units of the Commodore 30-in-1 Direct to TV joystick were sold in a single day on the QVC shopping channel in 2004. This system-on-a-chip, which housed a fully functional Commodore 64 within a handheld controller, propelled Jeri Ellsworth into public prominence and established her reputation as a formidable designer of integrated circuits.
Early Mechanical Education
Born in Georgia in 1974, Ellsworth spent her youth in Dallas and Yamhill, Oregon. Raised by her father, a service station owner, she gained early technical experience by disassembling discarded electronic devices and working in his automotive shop. During high school, she bypassed traditional education to design and manufacture custom dirt track racing cars. She eventually translated this hands-on engineering background into the computer industry, establishing a retail chain called Computers Made Easy in the Willamette Valley during the mid-1990s.
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After selling her retail chain in 2000, Ellsworth briefly attended Walla Walla University before leaving to pursue independent circuit design. Her work on Commodore 64 architecture culminated in the C-One, a specialized board capable of imitating early 1980s systems. This expertise led to the 2004 development of the Direct-to-TV joystick for Mammoth Toys. Beyond consumer electronics, she has documented technical projects ranging from homemade semiconductors to the construction of scanners utilizing repurposed antenna components.
Augmented Reality Development
Ellsworth joined the Valve Corporation in 2012 to develop gaming hardware but left the following year. She co-founded the startup Technical Illusions to create castAR, an augmented reality system that successfully surpassed its $400,000 funding goal on Kickstarter in 2013. Following the dissolution of Technical Illusions in 2017, she founded Tilt Five to advance similar AR technology. The Tilt Five project launched on Kickstarter in 2019, securing over $1.7 million to support its ongoing development of gaming hardware.
Fast facts
- Born: 1974, Georgia, United States
- Education: Walla Walla University
- Notable Works: C64 Direct-to-TV, C-One, castAR, Tilt5
- Former Employers: Rapport Inc, Individual Computers, Valve Corporation
- Amateur Radio License: Extra Class, AI6TK
- Hobbies: Pinball (owns over 80 machines), roller derby
Questions readers ask
What is the status of the Tilt Five project?
Following a successful 2019 Kickstarter campaign, the company has faced pandemic-related manufacturing delays but continues to sign new gaming contracts.
Did Ellsworth receive compensation for the C64 Direct-to-TV project?
Ellsworth did not receive payment or the commission she was contractually owed for the project, though the exposure led to wider public recognition.
Achievements
- Affiliated with Tilt5, Individual Computers and Rapport Inc
- Educated at Walla Walla University