Operation is a battery-operated game of physical skill that tests players' hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. The game's prototype was invented in 1964 by John Spinello, a University of Illinois industrial design student at the time, who sold his rights to the game to renowned toy designer Marvin Glass for a sum of USD $500 and the promise of a job upon graduation (a promise that was not upheld). The game is a variant on the old-fashioned electrified wire loop game popular at funfairs