Release WPA (1981) → WarGames (1983)
Cperm presents the complete evidence set establishing that the 1981 Atari-400 dial-out CBBS WPA — World Pirate Association is the underlying source framework mirrored on-screen in WarGames (1983).
Operation-Level Signature
- Concrete IP marker (primary): the dial-out mechanic — a sysop-initiated outbound call from the system to the user. This operation-level signature is what WOPR mirrors.
- Supporting identifier (secondary): the WPA dial-out prompts — “WPA ACCESS DENIED / HANDLE: / PASSWORD:”.
Technical Mapping
- WOPR ↔ WPA: WOPR reproduces WPA’s dial-out architecture and “system-calls-you” posture.
- IMSAI/Altair cover vs. Atari‑400 reality: On screen we see an IMSAI 8080—an Altair‑line, S‑100‑bus compatible machine—while the behaviors match an Atari‑400 dial‑out system.
- Spell it out — “Altair” contains “Atari”: the word Altair (ALT‑AIR) visually/phonically encloses ATARI; this reads as deliberate code‑translation, not coincidence.
- Modem reality: the film’s acoustic coupler cannot auto-dial; WPA ran a direct-connect 300-baud setup that did — and it placed the call.
Additional Specifics
- 7-Eleven set & roofing: shingle-roof styling mirrors the minor’s home at the time of the FBI investigation visit (not an arrest). Location in San Bernardino County echoes the minor’s initials (S.B.C.).
- Casting & likeness mirroring: Lead’s on-screen styling and manner present a “dead-ringer” analogue of the minor’s likeness and persona at the time.
- Telephone-line motif: the story is built on telephone lines; the minor’s Las Vegas home number 702-458-7116 aligns with the “711” motif and the system’s dial-out posture.
- Reservation scene geography: the emphasized Paris → Las Vegas change foregrounds the minor’s Las Vegas origin.
Rationale for Information Flow
- Subject profile: a minor (~10–11) presenting as the operator of a mass-membership “syndicate” interface (listings spanning drugs, credit-card encoders, home-burglary rings, and stolen BMWs).
- Voiceprint: a confident phone voice consistent with a far older adult, heightening the urgency of call-based checks.
- Outcome: the investigation determined the “syndicate” was the minor’s simulation. Lifetime scope initiated.
Evidence Preserved
- Original program media: 5.25″ floppy disks containing the WPA system in Atari BASIC and the sysop/user (Scott ↔ Garet) daily live sessions from 1981. Cperm asserts these sessions clearly contain IP later used in WarGames, Back to the Future, and Pirates of the Caribbean—among others.
- Typewritten manuscript pages.
- Chain-of-custody and reconstruction notes (on file with Cperm).
Media Contact
Cperm Archive — Frankfurt am Main • https://cperm.com/vault/ • press@a9w.org
