Pong

Pong is a 1972 sports video game developed and published by Atari, Inc. for arcades. It was created by Allan Alcorn as a training exercise assigned to him by Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell. Bushnell and Atari co-founder Ted Dabney were so surprised by the quality of Alcorn's work that they decided to manufacture the game. The idea for Pong came from an electronic ping-pong game on the Magnavox Odyssey, the first home video game console.

Pong became the first commercially successful video game and helped start the video game industry. After its release, many companies made games that copied Pong's gameplay. Over time, new types of video games appeared, and Atari began making more creative games too.

Atari made several versions of Pong with new features. During the 1975 Christmas season, a home version of Pong was sold only at Sears stores, and it was very popular. The game was later remade for many different devices. Pong is considered one of the most important and greatest video games ever made and is part of the permanent collection at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C..

Gameplay

Pong is a two-dimensional sports game that simulates table tennis. Players control a paddle that moves up and down on either the left or right side of the screen. The goal is to hit a ball back and forth with the paddles. A player earns points when the other player misses returning the ball, and the first to reach eleven points wins.

Development and history

See also: Origin of Atari Inc.

Pong was the first game made by Atari. In 1971, the founders of Atari created a company to make games for computers with screens and coin slots. They made a game called Computer Space, but it did not do well. So they decided to make more games and hired Allan Alcorn to help.

Bushnell gave Alcorn a simple task to practice, which turned out to be Pong. Alcorn added fun features like making the ball change direction based on where it hit the paddle and making the ball go faster over time. He also made the paddles shorter so the game would be harder.

The game was first tested in a bar called Andy Capp’s Tavern. It became very popular. Atari then decided to make the game themselves instead of sharing the idea with another company. They made many copies of Pong and sold them in arcades.

Home version

After Pong became a hit, Atari wanted to make a version for home use. They used new technology to shrink the game down to fit on a small chip. They tried to sell it to stores, but many said it was too expensive. Finally, they made a deal with Sears to sell a home version called “Tele-Games.” The game became a popular holiday gift in 1975.

Lawsuit from Magnavox

Magnavox claimed that Atari took ideas from their game. They went to court, but Atari decided to settle and pay Magnavox instead of fighting. This helped avoid long and costly legal battles.

Impact and legacy

See also: History of the video game industry

The arcade game Pong, made by Atari, was very popular. People loved playing it at a bar called Andy Capp's Tavern. After it was released, Pong made much more money than other games—about four times as much! It earned around $35–40 each day, which was amazing for the time. Because of this success, Atari sold many more of these games. By 1973, they had filled 2,500 orders, and by the end of 1974, they sold more than 8,000 units. Today, these old Pong machines are collector's items.

Other companies quickly made their own versions of Pong, called "clones," because Atari hadn’t protected their idea with patents right away. Soon, many different companies were selling their own versions of the game. Atari tried to stay ahead by making new and better games.

Pong also became very popular in homes. When Sears started selling a home version in 1975, it was their best-selling product that year, with around 150,000 units sold. Atari sold another 50,000 units on its own. Many other companies made their own home versions too.

Pong is often called the game that started the video game industry. It was simple but fun, and it brought people together to play and laugh. Some people even met their spouses while playing Pong!

Ports

Atari made Pong available on many different gaming systems. In 1977, it was part of a collection called Video Olympics for the Atari 2600. Pong also appeared in many other collections over the years, like Arcade Classics for the Sega Genesis, and Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration for modern systems like the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4.

Sequels and remakes

After Pong’s success, Atari made several follow-up games like Pong Doubles, Super Pong, and Quadrapong. These games kept the simple paddle-and-ball gameplay but added new twists, such as allowing more players.

Atari also created Breakout, a game where players knock down bricks with a ball—similar to Pong but for one player. Many other games copied Breakout’s idea too.

In later years, Pong was updated with new graphics and features for modern computers and consoles. In 2012, Atari celebrated Pong’s 40th anniversary with a version for iOS devices. More recent versions include Pong Quest, released in 2020 for various gaming systems.

In popular culture

Pong has appeared in many TV shows and other video games. It was even part of a tennis-themed commercial and has been played live in concerts. Artists have created Pong-themed art, like a clock and light-based installations. Even Chuck E. Cheese used Pong in stories about their mascot character.