The Pong Game was launched as a coin operated arcade machine in 1972 and is based on the table tennis sport game. It is named after the sound of the ball hitting the bat in the game. Pong is often regarded by many as the first true arcade game to emerge, although there was 'Computer Space' created by Nutting Associates in 1971 - I guess not many people approve of or like this game so they just forget about it!
Pong was at the forefront of the rise of the arcade games era. Its popularity in both the arcades and video game industry was huge.
The game play is rather simple, 'avoid missing the ball' for an increasingly high score.
The first game was tested in a bar in Sunnyvale California and proved so popular that on its second day of testing people were lining up waiting to play. After sometime the arcade machine broke down and once taken away to examine Al Alcorn (one of its creators) found that the milk carton placed inside to catch the quarters was overflowing with money due to the games popularity!
With the trial being a great success by March 1973 Atari had manufactured and sold between 8,000 and 10,000 arcade machines!
The 1975 home video game version of Pong introduced colour graphics (amazing!).
The Pong Game added 8 different levels of spin to the ball depending on which part of the bat it the ball hit. This feature was found on both the arcade and video game versions.
Extended play of the Pong game for a few hours or more at home lead to television screens being damaged, such was the level of technology back in 1975 that the tv's couldn't cope with producing the same consistent white lines on the screen for numerous hours!
Enough Pong talk enjoy playing this terrific and nostalgic game online for free!