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The Tech Archived · VIDEO ESSAY

What Happened to Silicon Graphics? Why the Hollywood Computer Disappeared

Silicon Graphics built the computers behind some of the most iconic visual effects in Hollywood history, from the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park to the liquid metal sequences in Terminator 2. At its peak the company was generating over a billion dollars in revenue and had no serious rival in professional 3D graphics. But within a decade it had filed for bankruptcy twice and sold its name for twenty-five million dollars. This video breaks down exactly how that happened, why the technology that made SGI untouchable ended up being the thing that made it irrelevant, and what the rise of commodity graphics hardware really cost the company that invented the market.

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About this video

Silicon Graphics built the computers behind some of the most iconic visual effects in Hollywood history, from the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park to the liquid metal sequences in Terminator 2. At its peak the company was generating over a billion dollars in revenue and had no serious rival in professional 3D graphics. But within a decade it had filed for bankruptcy twice and sold its name for twenty-five million dollars. This video breaks down exactly how that happened, why the technology that made SGI untouchable ended up being the thing that made it irrelevant, and what the rise of commodity graphics hardware really cost the company that invented the market.

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