After Ralph Baer and Magnavox proved that home video game systems were feasible, Atari's Al Alcorn was eager to do a home version of Pong. His project was code named "Darlene" after a female coworker that worked with Alcorn at the time.In the fall of 1974, Alcorn began developing the "Darlene" system. Several months later Atari released Home Pong. Home Pong was aptly named. It only played Pong. If you were to have opened one, you would have found only three LSI's and a few other distinct components such as transistors, capacitors and conductors. Due to new technologies available, Atari was able to achieve a higher resolution than Magnavox's Odyssey., thus making the resolution dependent controls more responsive.
While Atari's profits had been high in the arcade arena, they were not quite financially equipped to permeate the home console market. At the time, the video game companies were either arcade only (such as Baily) or home console only (such as Magnavox). The two markets were dramatically different requiring separate technologies, and distribution networks. Atari's success in the arcade was sufficient to fund the facilities to produce the alternative technologies, but they required the assistance of Sears, Roebuck to gain access to distribution. This would pave the way for the next generation of video games headed by the Atari VCS/2600.9
Nolan Bushnell's first exposure to video games was a game called "Spacewar." Programmed by an MIT student named Steve Russell in the early sixties, this game has circulated computer labs across the country by the time Bushnell would play it in a lab at the University of Utah in 1962. He would spend the next seven years of his life trying to reproduce that game on a smaller, less expensive computer. When it was completed, Bushnell's Spacewar variation (known as "Computer Space") did not sell. Frustrated by this, Bushnell changed his entire perspective on computer game design.
In an interview, Bushnell later said, "You had to read the instructions before you could play, people didn't want to read instructions. To be successful, I had to come up with a game people already knew how to play; something so simple that any drunk in any bar could play."
In 1972, Bushnell quit his job at Ampex in Sunnyvale, California, and with two other former Ampex engineers started his company. Originally, the three applied for the company name "Syzygy," but that had already been taken by a roofing firm. Bushnell enjoyed playing the Japanese game "go" and his next suggestion was "atari" which means "check." This name was accepted by theCalifornia Secretary of State, and on June 27, 1972, Atari was officially established.
Al Alcorn, one of Atari's first employees, was the engineer who constructed the first Pong arcade game. The game was named after the desired sound that Bushnell wanted incorporated in the game. The dictionary defines "pong" as a hollow, ringing sound, and this was the sound Bushnell felt was necessary in the game.
The first Pong arcade machine was placed in a local bar in Sunnyvale called Andy Capp's. It was more of a trial than anything else, as the unit did not even have a fully constructed case. The following is an account of the first night Pong was in this bar,reproduced from "Zap! The Rise and Fall of Atari" by Cohen.
"One of the regulars approached the Pong game inquisitively and studied the ball bouncing silently around the screen as if in a vacuum. A friend joined him. The instructions said: 'Avoid missing ball for high score.' One of [them] inserted a quarter. There was a beep. The game had begun. They watched dumbfoundedly as the ball appeared alternately on one side of the screen and then disappeared on the other. Each time it did the score changed. The score was tied at 3-3 when one player tried the knob controlling the paddle at his end of the screen. The score was 5-4, his favor, when his paddle made contact with the ball. There was a beautifully resonant "pong" sound, and the ball bounced back to the other side of the screen. 6-4. At 8-4 the second player figured out how to use his paddle. They had their first brief volley just before the score was 11-5 and the game was over.
"Seven quarters later they were having extended volleys, and the constant pong noise was attracting the curiosity of others at the bar. Before closing, everybody in the bar had played the game. The next day people were lined up outside Andy Capp's at 10 A.M. to play Pong. Around ten o'clock that night, the game suddenly died."
The reason for this was that the milk carton coin container inside the machine was overflowing into the electronics. After it was emptied, the game continued its usual operation.
Pong would become a huge hit in the arcades, spawning numerous imitations and several official sequels. Its popularity would not die down, until it was replaced by more advanced systems that used microprocessors instead of LSI (Large Scale Integrated) circuits.
The TOMY Blip, a simple handheld version of Pong used red LEDs to simulate the ball bouncing back and forth.
The Videomaster Rally, a Pong game system released in 1974. Really very simple in design and make.
The Acetronic Tele-sports IV, the UK-branded version of a Hong Kong-made that played simple, pong-like games.
Pong Review: The Game That Started It All
Released in 1972 by Atari, Pong is widely regarded as the first commercially successful video game, and in many ways, it laid the foundation for the entire video game industry. Based on the concept of table tennis, the game is simple: players control paddles and try to bounce a ball past their opponent to score points. The idea is simple, yet the impact of Pong was monumental, helping to kickstart the video game boom and cementing its place in gaming history.
Design & Gameplay
The gameplay in Pong is as straightforward as it gets. Two players (or one player against the computer) control paddles on opposite sides of the screen, using knobs or sliders to move them up and down. The goal is to hit the ball back and forth, much like table tennis, and score by getting the ball past the opponent's paddle.
Despite its simplicity, Pong was addictive. The fast-paced nature of the gameplay and the competitive element made it easy to pick up and hard to put down. The early arcade version featured a minimalist design with black-and-white visuals, but the basic concept was enough to keep players coming back for more. It wasn't the graphics or sound that made Pong exciting; it was the engaging and easy-to-learn-but-hard-to-master gameplay.
Impact on the Industry
Pong's biggest achievement was how it demonstrated the potential of video games as a form of entertainment. Before Pong, video games were largely an unknown concept to the masses, but once it hit arcades, its popularity skyrocketed. People lined up to play, and it quickly became the centerpiece of arcade culture.
Pong's success also led to the creation of home consoles. In 1975, Atari released a home version of the game, bringing the experience to living rooms and helping to make video games a part of mainstream entertainment. This move helped to inspire the development of future gaming systems, like the Atari 2600 and others that followed in its footsteps.
Limitations
While Pong was revolutionary, its simplicity also became one of its limits. The gameplay, while fun, could get repetitive after a while. There were only a few variations of the core game, and there wasn't much room for advancement in terms of gameplay mechanics or graphics.
Additionally, the graphics, which were limited to basic paddles and a square ball, were extremely rudimentary even for the early 1970s. The black-and-white visuals could be seen as charming in hindsight, but for players who were used to more elaborate arcade games later on, Pong might have felt a bit dated.
Final Verdict
Pong is a true pioneer in the world of video games. It's simple, addictive, and innovative, and it has earned its place as a cornerstone of gaming history. While it may not have the depth or visual complexity of modern games, its impact on the industry cannot be overstated. Pong was the spark that ignited the flame of the video game revolution, and its cultural significance remains unmatched.
Score: 8/10 A timeless classic that helped shape the future of video games. Its simplicity and addictiveness make it a must-play for anyone interested in the origins of gaming.
