Pong — Mediated Wiki

{{short description|1972 video game}} {{other uses}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}} {{Use American English|date=December 2024}} {{good article}} {{Infobox video game | title = Pong | image = Signed Pong Cabinet.jpg | alt = A vertical wooden structure with a visual display unit embedded in the front side. | caption = An upright cabinet of ''Pong'' on display at the Neville Public Museum of Brown County | developer = Atari, Inc. | publisher = Atari, Inc. | designer = Allan Alcorn | platforms = Arcade, dedicated console | released = '''Arcade'''{{vgrelease|NA|November 29, 1972|JP|November 1973<ref name="Akagi"/>|EU|1973<ref>{{cite magazine |title=After ''Pong'' |magazine=ACE |date=4 February 1988 |issue=6 (March 1988) |pages=29–32 (31) |url=https://archive.org/details/ACE_Issue_06_1988-03_Future_Publishing_GB/page/n30/mode/1up}}</ref>}} '''Home version'''<br>October 1975<ref name="1975-10-11 Cash Box"/> | genre = Sports | modes = Single-player, multiplayer }}

'''''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. Bushnell based the game's concept on an electronic ping-pong game included on the Magnavox Odyssey, the first home video game console; in response, Magnavox later sued Atari for patent infringement.

''Pong'' was the first commercially successful video game,<ref>{{cite web |title=Atari PONG |url=https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/4007/Atari-PONG |website=The Centre for Computing History |access-date=17 February 2024}}</ref> helping to establish the video game industry along with the Magnavox Odyssey. Soon after its release, several companies began producing games that closely mimicked its gameplay. Eventually, Atari's competitors released new types of video games that deviated from ''Pong''<nowiki/>'s original format to varying degrees; this, in turn, led Atari to encourage its staff to move beyond ''Pong'' and produce more innovative games themselves.

Atari released several sequels to ''Pong'' that built upon the original’s gameplay by introducing new features. During the 1975 Christmas season, Atari released a home version of ''Pong'' exclusively through Sears retail stores. The home version was also a commercial success and led to numerous clones. The game was later remade on numerous home and portable platforms. ''Pong'' is regarded as one of the most influential and greatest video games of all time, and is considered one of the most culturally significant video games, being part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C..

==Gameplay== thumb|left|alt=the video game is a representation of a game of table tennis.|The two paddles return the ball back and forth. The score is displayed at the top of the screen. ''Pong'' is a two-dimensional sports game that simulates table tennis. The player controls an in-game paddle by moving it vertically across the left or right side of the screen. They can compete against another player controlling a second paddle on the opposing side. Players use the paddles to hit a ball back and forth. The goal is for each player to reach eleven points before the opponent; points are earned when one fails to return the ball to the other.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9074| title = Pong| publisher = Killer List of Videogames| access-date = 22 October 2008}}</ref><ref name="Fever">{{cite book| title = Arcade Fever: The Fan's Guide to The Golden Age of Video Games| first = John| last = Sellers| chapter = Pong | pages = 16–17| publisher = Running Press|date=August 2001| isbn = 0-7624-0937-1}}</ref><ref name="Ultimate-2">{{cite book| title = Ultimate History of Video Games| first = Steven| last = Kent|author-link=Steven L. Kent| pages = 40–43| chapter = And Then There Was Pong| publisher = Three Rivers Press| isbn = 0-7615-3643-4| year = 2001}}</ref>

==Development and history== {{see also|Atari, Inc#Origin|l1=Origin of Atari Inc.}} [[File:AlAlcorn-Cropped.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=A close up photo of a bearded man.|Atari engineer Allan Alcorn designed and built ''Pong'' as a training exercise.]]

''Pong'' was the first game developed by Atari.<ref name="PriceGuide-1">{{cite book| title = Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games| first = David| last = Ellis| pages = [https://archive.org/details/officialpricegui00davi/page/3 3–4]| chapter = A Brief History of Video Games| publisher = Random House| isbn = 0-375-72038-3| year = 2004| chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/officialpricegui00davi/page/3}}</ref><ref name="Ultimate-3">{{cite book| title = Ultimate History of Video Games| first = Steven| last = Kent| pages = 38–39| chapter = And Then There Was Pong| publisher = Three Rivers Press| isbn = 0-7615-3643-4| year = 2001}}</ref> In 1971, Bushnell and Dabney founded Syzygy Engineering to develop the concept of a standalone computer system with a monitor and attaching a coin slot to it to play games on. Drawing inspiration from ''Spacewar!'', the duo created ''Computer Space''.<ref>{{cite video|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=763CFRuxovo|date=November 24, 2022|title=The Evolution of Video Games: Pong's 50-Year Legacy|author=The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age|work=YouTube|access-date=November 5, 2024}}</ref> As the game did not fare well commercially, Bushnell decided to form a company to produce more games by licensing ideas to other companies. The first contract was with Bally Manufacturing Corporation for a pinball game and a video game that Bushnell told Bally would have a hockey theme.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=Alexander |title=They Create Worlds: The Story of the People and Companies That Shaped the Video Game Industry, Vol. I: 1971-1982 |date=19 November 2019 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-0-429-75261-2 |pages=159–160}}</ref> Soon after the founding, Bushnell hired Allan Alcorn because of his experience with electrical engineering and computer science; Bushnell and Dabney also had previously worked with him at Ampex. Prior to working at Atari, Alcorn had no experience with video games.<ref name="AlcornInterview">{{cite web| url = http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/03/11/al-alcorn-interview| title = Al Alcorn Interview| first = Cam| last = Shea| website = IGN| date = 10 March 2008| access-date = 13 October 2008| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170727190507/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/03/11/al-alcorn-interview| archive-date = 27 July 2017| url-status = live| df = dmy-all}}</ref>

To acclimate Alcorn to creating games, Bushnell gave him a project secretly meant to be a warm-up exercise.<ref name="AlcornInterview"/><ref name="AmerHert">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.americanheritage.com/people/articles/web/20061129-pong-video-games-nolan-bushnell-atari-al-alcorn-nintendo.shtml |title=The Mother of All Video Games |magazine=American Heritage |first=David |last=Rapp |date=29 November 2006 |access-date=25 October 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517011435/http://www.americanheritage.com/people/articles/web/20061129-pong-video-games-nolan-bushnell-atari-al-alcorn-nintendo.shtml |archive-date=17 May 2008 }}</ref> Bushnell told Alcorn that he had a contract with General Electric for a product, and asked Alcorn to create a simple game with one moving spot, two paddles, and digits for score keeping.<ref name="AlcornInterview"/> In 2011, Bushnell stated that the game was inspired by previous versions of electronic tennis he had played before; Bushnell played a version on a PDP-1 computer in 1964 while attending college.<ref name="GI-215">{{cite magazine| magazine = Game Informer| title = The Father of the Game Industry Returns to Atari| first = Matt| last = Helgeson| issue = 215| page = 39|date=March 2011}}</ref> However, Alcorn has claimed it was in direct response to Bushnell's viewing of the Magnavox Odyssey's Tennis game.<ref name="AlcornInterview"/> In May 1972, Bushnell had visited the Magnavox Profit Caravan in Burlingame, California where he played the Magnavox Odyssey demonstration, specifically the table tennis game.<ref name="RB-History">{{cite web| url = https://www.ralphbaer.com/video_game_history.htm| title = Video game history| publisher = R. H. Baer Consultants| year = 1998| access-date = 22 October 2008| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111223011401/https://www.ralphbaer.com/video_game_history.htm| archive-date = 23 December 2011| url-status = live| df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="visit">{{cite book | last = Baer| first = Ralph| author-link = Ralph H. Baer| title =Video Games: In The Beginning | publisher = Rolenta Press|date=April 2005| location = New Jersey, USA| page = 81| isbn= 0-9643848-1-7 }}</ref> Though he thought the game lacked quality, seeing it prompted Bushnell to assign the project to Alcorn.<ref name="GI-215"/>

Alcorn first examined Bushnell's schematics for ''Computer Space'', but found them to be illegible. He went on to create his own designs based on his knowledge of transistor–transistor logic (TTL) and Bushnell's game. Feeling the basic game was too boring, Alcorn added features to give the game more appeal. He divided the paddle into eight segments to change the ball's angle of return. For example, the center segments return the ball at a 90° angle in relation to the paddle, while the outer segments return the ball at smaller angles. He also made the ball accelerate the longer it remained in play; missing the ball reset the speed.<ref name="Ultimate-2"/> Another feature was that the in-game paddles were unable to reach the top of the screen. This was caused by a simple circuit that had an inherent defect. Instead of dedicating time to fixing the defect, Alcorn decided it gave the game more difficulty and helped limit the time the game could be played; he imagined two skilled players being able to play forever otherwise.<ref name="AlcornInterview"/>

Three months into development, Bushnell told Alcorn he wanted the game to feature realistic sound effects and a roaring crowd.<ref name="AlcornInterview"/><ref name="ArtOfGameWorlds">{{cite book| title = The Art of Game Worlds| first = Dave| last = Morris| page = 166| chapter = Funky Town| publisher = HarperCollins| isbn = 0-06-072430-7| year = 2004}}</ref> Dabney wanted the game to "boo" and "hiss" when a player lost a round. Alcorn had limited space available for the necessary electronics and was unaware of how to create such sounds with digital circuits. After inspecting the sync generator, he discovered that it could generate different tones and used those for the game's sound effects.<ref name="Ultimate-2"/><ref name="AlcornInterview"/> To construct the prototype, Alcorn purchased a $75 Hitachi black-and-white television set from a local store, placed it into a {{convert|4|ft|m|adj=on}} wooden cabinet, and soldered the wires into boards to create the necessary circuitry. The prototype impressed Bushnell and Dabney so much that they felt it could be a profitable product and decided to test its marketability.<ref name="Ultimate-2"/>

thumb|left|alt=A horizontal photograph showing the top half of an orange arcade cabinet.|The ''Pong'' prototype that was used in the tavern

In August 1972, Bushnell and Alcorn installed the ''Pong'' prototype at a local bar, Andy Capp's Tavern.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metroactive.com/features/columns/pong-40th-anniversary-rooster-t-feathers.html|title=Pong 40th anniversary – Rooster T. Feathers – Features & Columns|website=www.metroactive.com|access-date=9 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170709091930/http://www.metroactive.com/features/columns/pong-40th-anniversary-rooster-t-feathers.html|archive-date=9 July 2017|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2010/11/1129pong/|title=Nov. 29, 1972: Pong, a Game Any Drunk Can Play|magazine=WIRED|access-date=9 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901154356/https://www.wired.com/2010/11/1129pong|archive-date=1 September 2017|url-status=live|df=dmy-all|last1=Long|first1=Tony}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/story/183|title=Pong – CHM Revolution|website=www.computerhistory.org|access-date=9 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170709182848/http://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/story/183|archive-date=9 July 2017|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2011/03/pong-excerpt-201103|title=The Origins of the First Arcade Video Game: Atari's Pong|first=Harold|last=Goldberg|magazine=Vanity Fair|date=28 March 2011|issue=March|access-date=9 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150111232305/http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2011/03/pong-excerpt-201103|archive-date=11 January 2015|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> They selected the bar because of their good working relationship with the bar's owner and manager, Bill Gaddis;<ref name="Ultimate-4">{{cite book| title = Ultimate History of Video Games| first = Steven| last = Kent| pages = 43–45| chapter = And Then There Was Pong| publisher = Three Rivers Press| isbn = 0-7615-3643-4| year = 2001}}</ref> Atari supplied pinball machines to Gaddis.<ref name="Ultimate-3"/> Bushnell and Alcorn placed the prototype on one of the tables near the other entertainment machines: a jukebox, pinball machines, and ''Computer Space''. The game was well received the first night and its popularity continued to grow over the next one and a half weeks. Bushnell then went on a business trip to Chicago to demonstrate ''Pong'' to executives at Bally and Midway Manufacturing;<ref name="Ultimate-4"/> he intended to use ''Pong'' to fulfill his contract with Bally.<ref name="Ultimate-2"/><ref name="PriceGuide-1"/> A few days later, the prototype began exhibiting technical issues and Gaddis contacted Alcorn to fix it. Upon inspecting the machine, Alcorn discovered that the problem was due to the coin mechanism overflowing with quarters.<ref name="Ultimate-4"/>

thumb|right|The former site of Andy Capp's Tavern in 2023, which was replaced by the Rooster T. Feathers comedy club in 1984<ref name="BayAreaStandUp_Page_87">{{cite book |last1=G |first1=Nina |last2=Patterson |first2=OJ |title=Bay Area Stand-Up Comedy: A Humorous History |date=2022 |publisher=The History Press |location=Charleston, South Carolina |isbn=9781467149884 |page=87 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sShaEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA87 |access-date=June 24, 2023}}</ref>

After hearing about the game's success, Bushnell decided there would be more profit for Atari to manufacture the game rather than license it. Bushnell had difficulty finding financial backing for ''Pong''; banks viewed it as a variant of pinball, which at the time the general public associated with the Mafia. {{Citation needed|date=May 2025}} Atari eventually obtained a line of credit from Wells Fargo that it used to expand its facilities to house an assembly line.<ref name="Ultimate-5">{{cite book| title = Ultimate History of Video Games| first = Steven| last = Kent| pages = 50–53| chapter = The King and Court| publisher = Three Rivers Press| isbn = 0-7615-3643-4| year = 2001}}</ref> The company announced ''Pong'' on 29 November 1972.<ref name="atari_production99">{{cite web|title=Production Numbers|url=https://www.atarigames.com/atarinumbers90s.pdf|publisher=Atari|access-date=19 March 2012|year=1999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120084729/https://www.atarigames.com/atarinumbers90s.pdf|archive-date=20 January 2013|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.computerhistory.org/tdih/November/29/|title=This Day in History: November 29|publisher=Computer History Museum|access-date=28 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180103230403/http://www.computerhistory.org/tdih/november/29/|archive-date=3 January 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Management sought assembly workers at the local unemployment office, but was unable to keep up with demand. The first arcade cabinets produced were assembled very slowly, about ten machines a day, many of which failed quality testing. Atari eventually streamlined the process and began producing the game in greater quantities.<ref name="Ultimate-5"/> By 1973, they began shipping ''Pong'' to other countries with the aid of foreign partners.<ref name="Ultimate-6">{{cite book| title = Ultimate History of Video Games| first = Steven| last = Kent| page = 74| chapter = The Jackals| publisher = Three Rivers Press| isbn = 0-7615-3643-4| year = 2001}}</ref>

{{Anchor|Pong Tron|Pong-Tron|Elepong}}In Japan, ''Pong'' was officially released in November 1973 by Atari Japan, which would later be sold to Namco.<ref name="Akagi">{{cite book |last1=Akagi |first1=Masumi |title=アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005) |trans-title=Arcade TV Game List: Domestic • Overseas Edition (1971-2005) |date=13 October 2006 |publisher=Amusement News Agency |language=ja |location=Japan |isbn=978-4990251215 |page=51 |url=https://archive.org/details/ArcadeGameList1971-2005/page/n52}}</ref> However, ''Pong'' had been beaten to the market by two Japanese ''Pong'' clones released in July 1973: Sega's ''Pong Tron'' and Taito's ''Elepong''.<ref name="Smith">{{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=Alexander |title=They Create Worlds: The Story of the People and Companies That Shaped the Video Game Industry, Vol. I: 1971-1982 |date=19 November 2019 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-0-429-75261-2 |pages=191–95 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Cxy_DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT191}}</ref>

===Home version {{anchor|console|consoles}}=== [[File:TeleGames-Atari-Pong.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Photo of a dedicated video game console with two knobs.|Atari's ''Home Pong'' console, released through Sears in 1975]] After the success of ''Pong'', Bushnell asked his employees to create new products.<ref name="PriceGuide-1"/><ref name="Ultimate-Home1">{{cite book| title = Ultimate History of Video Games| first = Steven| last = Kent| pages = 80–83| chapter = Could You Repeat That Two More Times?| publisher = Three Rivers Press| isbn = 0-7615-3643-4| year = 2001}}</ref> A new electronic technology, the large-scale integration (LSI) chip, had recently become available, which Bushnell believed would "allow pioneering in new" game concepts. Atari began working on the reduction of ''Pong'' from a large arcade printed circuit board (PCB) down to a small LSI chip for use in a home system. The initial development cost for a game on a single LSI chip was expensive, costing around {{US$|50,000|1971|long=no|round=-3}}, but once the chip was developed, it became significantly cheaper to mass-produce the game as well as more difficult to reverse-engineer.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Albarardo |first=Sonny |title=Silicon Gulch cowboys aim to be top guns of games |magazine=Play Meter |date=October 1975 |volume=1 |issue=10 |pages=31–7 |url=https://archive.org/details/play-meter-volume-1-number-10-october-1975-600dpi/Play%20Meter%20-%20Volume%201%2C%20Number%2010%20-%20October%201975/page/31}}</ref>

In 1974, Atari engineer Harold Lee proposed a home version of ''Pong'' that would connect to a television: ''Home Pong''. The system began development under the codename ''Darlene'', named after an employee at Atari. Alcorn worked with Lee to develop the designs and prototype and based them on the same digital technology used in their arcade games. The two worked in shifts to save time and money; Lee worked on the design's logic during the day, while Alcorn debugged the designs in the evenings. After the designs were approved, fellow Atari engineer Bob Brown assisted Alcorn and Lee in building a prototype. The prototype consisted of a device attached to a wooden pedestal containing over a hundred wires, which would eventually be replaced with a single chip designed by Alcorn and Lee; the chip had yet to be tested and built before the prototype was constructed. The chip was finished in the latter half of 1974, and was, at the time, the highest-performing chip used in a consumer product.<ref name="Ultimate-Home1"/>

Bushnell and Gene Lipkin, Atari's vice-president of sales, approached toy and electronic retailers to sell ''Home Pong'', but were rejected. Retailers felt the product was too expensive and would not interest consumers.<ref name="Three Rivers Press">{{cite book|last1=Kent|first1=Steven L/|title=the Ultimate History of Video Games|date=2001|publisher=Three Rivers Press|isbn=0-7615-3643-4}}</ref> Bushnell contacted Sears after coming across a Magnavox Odyssey advertisement in the sporting goods section of its catalog. Atari staff (including Bushnell and Lipkin) discussed the game with a representative, Tom Quinn, who expressed enthusiasm and offered the company an exclusive deal. Believing they could find more favorable terms elsewhere, Atari's executives declined and continued to pursue toy retailers. In January 1975, Atari staff set up a ''Home Pong'' booth at the American Toy Fair (a trade fair) in New York City, but was unsuccessful in soliciting orders due to high price of the unit.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=Alexander |title=They Create Worlds: The Story of the People and Companies That Shaped the Video Game Industry, Vol. I: 1971–1982 |date=2019 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=9780429752612 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Cxy_DwAAQBAJ&q=Atari+home+pong+toy+trade+fair+1975&pg=PT207 |access-date=16 February 2020}}</ref>

While at the show, they met Quinn again, and, a few days later, set up a meeting with him to obtain a sales order. In order to gain approval from the Sporting Goods department, Quinn suggested Atari demonstrate the game to executives in Chicago. Alcorn and Lipkin traveled to the Sears Tower and, despite a technical complication in connection with an antenna on top of the building which broadcast on the same channel as the game, obtained approval. Bushnell told Quinn he could produce 75,000 units in time for the Christmas season; however, Quinn requested double the amount. Though Bushnell knew Atari lacked the capacity to manufacture 150,000 units, he agreed.<ref name="Ultimate-Home1"/> Atari acquired a new factory through funding obtained by venture capitalist Don Valentine. Supervised by Jimm Tubb, the factory fulfilled the Sears order.<ref name="Ultimate-Home2">{{cite book| title = Ultimate History of Video Games| first = Steven| last = Kent| pages = 84–87| chapter = Could You Repeat That Two More Times?| publisher = Three Rivers Press| isbn = 0-7615-3643-4| year = 2001}}</ref> The first units manufactured, branded with Sears' "Tele-Games" name, started to sell around the end of October<ref name="1975-10-11 Cash Box">{{cite magazine |title=Atari Markets 'Pong' TV Home Unit; Consumer Distribution Thru Sears |url=https://archive.org/details/cashbox37unse_19/page/48/mode/2up?q=pong |access-date=19 August 2023 |magazine=Cash Box |date=1975-10-11}}</ref> to mid-November 1975<ref name="1975-11-15 Cash Box">{{cite magazine|title=Atari Brings 'Pong' Into The Livingroom |url=https://archive.org/details/cashbox37unse_24/page/44/mode/2up?q=pong |access-date=19 August 2023 |magazine=Cash Box|date=1975-11-15 |page=45}}</ref> with a 1-year warranty for $98.95 and an additional $7.95 for the optional AC adapter.<ref name="1975 Sears Christmas Catalog">{{cite book |title=Wish Book for the 1975 Christmas Season |date=1975 |publisher=Sears |page=410 |url=https://archive.org/details/1975-sears-christmas-wish-book/page/410/mode/2up?q=pong |access-date=19 August 2023 |language=English}}</ref> Atari later released a version under its own brand in 1976.<ref name="Gamesutra-Pong">{{cite web| url = https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/the-history-of-i-pong-i-avoid-missing-game-to-start-industry| title = The History Of Pong: Avoid Missing Game to Start Industry| first = Bill| last = Loguidice| author2 = Matt Barton| website = Gamasutra| date = 9 January 2009| access-date = 10 January 2009| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090112004852/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3900/the_history_of_pong_avoid_missing_.php| archive-date = 12 January 2009| url-status = live| df = dmy-all}}</ref>

===Lawsuit from Magnavox=== [[File:Magnavox-Odyssey-Console-Set.jpg|thumb|alt=Photograph of a dedicated video game console with two input devices connected to it with cables.|The Magnavox Odyssey, invented by Ralph H. Baer, inspired ''Pong''{{'}}s development.]] In April 1974, Magnavox filed suit against Atari, Allied Leisure, Bally Midway and Chicago Dynamics.<ref name="Magnavox Sues">{{cite news| title = Magnavox Sues Firms Making Video Games, Charges Infringement| newspaper = The Wall Street Journal| date = 17 April 1974}}</ref> Magnavox argued that Atari had infringed on Sanders Associates' patents relating both to the concept of TV games generally and to the interaction of player and machine-controlled objects rendered on a screen and presented detailed records Ralph Baer kept of the Odyssey's design process dating back to 1966. Other documents included depositions from witnesses and a signed guest book that demonstrated Bushnell had played the Odyssey's table tennis game prior to releasing ''Pong''.<ref name="RB-How">{{cite web| url = https://www.ralphbaer.com/how_video_games.htm| title = Genesis: How the Home Video Games Industry Began| first = Ralph| last = Baer| publisher = R. H. Baer Consultants| year = 1998| access-date = 22 October 2008| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160424064425/https://www.ralphbaer.com/how_video_games.htm| archive-date = 24 April 2016| url-status = live| df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="Ultimate-Legal">{{cite book| title = Ultimate History of Video Games| first = Steven| last = Kent| pages = 45–48| chapter = And Then There Was Pong| publisher = Three Rivers Press| isbn = 0-7615-3643-4| year = 2001}}</ref> In response to claims that he saw the Odyssey, Bushnell later stated that, "The fact is that I absolutely did see the Odyssey game and I didn't think it was very clever."<ref>{{cite AV media | people = Nolan Bushnell | title = The Story of Computer Games | medium = video | publisher = Discovery Channel |date = 2003}}</ref>

After considering his options, Bushnell decided to settle with Magnavox out of court in June 1976. Bushnell's lawyer felt they could win; however, he estimated legal costs of US$1.5 million, which would have exceeded Atari's funds. Magnavox offered Atari an agreement to become a licensee for US$1.5 million payable in eight installments. In addition, Magnavox obtained the right to full information on Atari products publicly announced or released over the next year.<ref name="RB-How"/><ref name="Ultimate-Legal"/> Magnavox continued to pursue legal action against the other companies, and proceedings began shortly after Atari's settlement. The first case took place at the district court in Chicago, with Judge John Grady presiding. Magnavox won the suit against the remaining defendants.<ref name="RB-How"/><ref name="Ultimate-Legal"/><ref name="Ultimate-CourtYr">{{cite book| title = Ultimate History of Video Games| first = Steven| last = Kent| page = 201| chapter = A Case of Two Gorillas| publisher = Three Rivers Press| isbn = 0-7615-3643-4| year = 2001}}</ref> Atari may have delayed the announcement of the Atari 2600 by a few months to avoid disclosing information about the system under the settlement agreement.<ref name="Ultimate-Legal"/><ref name="atari fun chp5">{{cite book | title = Atari Inc: Business is Fun | first1 = Marty | last1 = Goldberg | first2 = Curt | last2 = Vendel | year = 2012 | isbn = 978-0985597405 | publisher = Sygyzy Press | chapter=Chapter 5 }}</ref>

==Impact and legacy== {{see also|Video game industry#History|l1=History of the video game industry}} [[File:Турнир-Game-Console.jpg|thumb|left|Dedicated ''Pong'' consoles made their way to various countries, like the Soviet Turnir.]]

The ''Pong'' arcade games manufactured by Atari were a great success. The prototype was well received by Andy Capp's Tavern patrons; people came to the bar solely to play the game.<ref name="PriceGuide-1"/><ref name="Ultimate-4"/> Following its release, ''Pong'' consistently earned four times more revenue than other coin-operated machines.<ref name="Ultimate-8">{{cite book| title = Ultimate History of Video Games| first = Steven| last = Kent| pages = 53–54| chapter = The King and Court| publisher = Three Rivers Press| isbn = 0-7615-3643-4| year = 2001}}</ref> Bushnell estimated that the game earned US$35–40 per day (i.e.{{nbsp}}140–160 plays daily per console at $0.25 per play), which he described as nothing he'd ever seen before in the coin-operated entertainment industry at the time.<ref name="GI-215"/> The game's earning power resulted in an increase in the number of orders Atari received. This provided Atari with a steady source of income; the company sold the machines at three times the cost of production. By 1973, the company had filled 2,500 orders, and at the end of 1974, sold more than 8,000 units.<ref name="Ultimate-8"/> The arcade cabinets have since become collector's items, with cocktail cabinets being the rarest.<ref name="PriceGuide-5">{{cite book| title = Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games| first = David| last = Ellis| page = [https://archive.org/details/officialpricegui00davi/page/400 400]| chapter = Arcade Classics| publisher = Random House| isbn = 0-375-72038-3| year = 2004| chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/officialpricegui00davi/page/400}}</ref> Soon after the game's successful testing at Andy Capp's Tavern, other companies began visiting the bar to inspect it. Similar games appeared on the market three months later, produced by companies like Ramtek and Nutting Associates.<ref name="Ultimate-9">{{cite book| title = Ultimate History of Video Games| first = Steven| last = Kent| pages = 60–61| chapter = The Jackals| publisher = Three Rivers Press| isbn = 0-7615-3643-4| year = 2001}}</ref> Atari could do little against the competitors as they had not initially filed for patents on the solid state technology used in the game. When the company did file for patents, complications delayed the process. As a result, the market consisted primarily of "''Pong'' clones"; author Steven Kent estimated that Atari had produced less than a third of the machines.<ref name="Ultimate-10">{{cite book| title = Ultimate History of Video Games| first = Steven| last = Kent| page = 58| chapter = The King and Court| publisher = Three Rivers Press| isbn = 0-7615-3643-4| year = 2001}}</ref> Bushnell referred to the competitors as "Jackals" because he felt they had an unfair advantage. His solution to competing against them was to produce more innovative games and concepts.<ref name="Ultimate-9"/><ref name="Ultimate-10"/>

''Home Pong'' was an instant success following its limited 1975 release through Sears; around 150,000 units were sold that holiday season.<ref name="PriceGuide-2">{{cite book| title = Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games| first = David| last = Ellis| pages = [https://archive.org/details/officialpricegui00davi/page/33 33–36]| chapter = Dedicated Consoles| publisher = Random House| isbn = 0-375-72038-3| year = 2004| chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/officialpricegui00davi/page/33}}</ref><ref name="Ultimate-Home3">{{cite book| title = Ultimate History of Video Games| first = Steven| last = Kent| pages = 94–95| chapter = Strange Bedfellows| publisher = Three Rivers Press| isbn = 0-7615-3643-4| year = 2001}}</ref> The game became Sears' most successful product at the time, which earned Atari a Sears Quality Excellence Award.<ref name="Ultimate-Home3"/> Atari's own version sold an additional 50,000 units.<ref>{{cite magazine | url = https://www.wired.com/2012/06/atari-40th-anniversary/ | title = Timeline: A Look Back at 40 Years of Atari | first = John | last = Booth | date = 27 June 2012 | access-date = 14 August 2020 | magazine = Wired }}</ref> Similar to the arcade version, several companies released clones to capitalize on the home console's success, many of which continued to produce new consoles and video games. Magnavox re-released their Odyssey system with simplified hardware and new features and, later, released updated versions. Coleco entered the video game market with their Telstar console; it features three ''Pong'' variants and was also succeeded by newer models.<ref name="PriceGuide-2"/> The dedicated ''Pong'' consoles and the numerous clones have since become varying levels of rare; Atari's ''Pong'' consoles are common, while APF Electronics' TV Fun consoles are moderately rare.<ref name="PriceGuide-3">{{cite book| title = Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games| first = David| last = Ellis| pages = [https://archive.org/details/officialpricegui00davi/page/37 37–41]| chapter = Dedicated Consoles| publisher = Random House| isbn = 0-375-72038-3| year = 2004| chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/officialpricegui00davi/page/37}}</ref> Prices among collectors, however, vary with rarity; the Sears Tele-Games versions are often cheaper than those with the Atari brand.<ref name="PriceGuide-2"/>

Several publications consider ''Pong'' the game that launched the video game industry as a lucrative enterprise.<ref name="AmerHert"/><ref name="Gamesutra-Pong"/><ref name="IGN-Pong">{{cite web| url = http://www.ign.com/games/pong/arcade-9096| title = Pong| website = IGN| access-date = 25 December 2008| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120702082633/http://www.ign.com/games/pong/arcade-9096| archive-date = 2 July 2012| url-status = live| df = dmy-all}}</ref> Video game author David Ellis sees the game as the cornerstone of the video game industry's success, and called the arcade game "one of the most historically significant" titles.<ref name="PriceGuide-1"/><ref name="PriceGuide-5"/> Kent attributes the "arcade phenomenon" to ''Pong'' and Atari's games that followed it, and considers the release of the home version the successful beginning of home video game consoles.<ref name="Ultimate-9"/><ref name="Ultimate-Home3"/> Bill Loguidice and Matt Barton of Gamasutra referred to the game's release as the start of a new entertainment medium, and commented that its simple, intuitive gameplay made it a success.<ref name="Gamesutra-Pong"/> In 1995, Flux magazine ranked the game 56th on their "Top 100 Video Games."<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=April 1995 |title=Top 100 Video Games |url=https://archive.org/details/flux-issue-4/page/n29/mode/2up |magazine=Flux |issue=4 |pages=31}}</ref> In 1996 ''Next Generation'' named it one of the "Top 100 Games of All Time", recounting that "''Next Generation'' staff ignor[ed] hundreds of thousands of dollars of 32-bit software to play ''Pong'' for hours when the Genesis version was released."<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Top 100 Games of All Time |magazine=Next Generation|issue=21 |date=September 1996|page=47}}</ref> In 1999, ''Next Generation'' listed ''Pong'' as number 34 on their "Top 50 Games of All Time", commenting that, "Despite, or perhaps because of, its simplicity, ''Pong'' is the ultimate two-player challenge – a test of reaction times and very simple strategy stripped down to its barest essentials."<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Top 50 Games of All Time |magazine=Next Generation|issue=50 |date=February 1999|page=76}}</ref> ''Entertainment Weekly'' named ''Pong'' one of the top ten games for the Atari 2600 in 2013.<ref name=ew>{{cite magazine | url=http://www.ew.com/article/2013/01/25/the-10-best-atari-games | first=Aaron | last=Morales | title=The 10 best Atari games | magazine=Entertainment Weekly | date=25 January 2013 | access-date=17 April 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180115174334/http://ew.com/article/2013/01/25/the-10-best-atari-games/ | archive-date=15 January 2018 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }}</ref> Many of the companies that produced their own versions of ''Pong'' eventually became well known within the industry. Nintendo entered the video game market with clones of ''Home Pong''. The revenue generated from them—two systems sold over a million units combined—helped the company survive a difficult financial time, and spurred them to pursue video games further.<ref name="GameOver-LightTennis">{{cite book| title = Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children| first = David| last = Sheff| author-link = David Sheff| chapter = In Heaven's Hands| pages = [https://archive.org/details/gameoverhowninte00shef/page/26 26–28]| publisher = Random House| isbn = 0-679-40469-4| edition = 1st| year = 1993}}</ref> In 2015, The Strong National Museum of Play inducted ''Pong'' to its World Video Game Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pong |url=https://www.museumofplay.org/games/pong/ |website=The Strong National Museum of Play |publisher=The Strong |access-date=6 May 2022}}</ref>

Bushnell felt that ''Pong'' was especially significant in its role as a social lubricant, since it was multiplayer-only and did not require each player to use more than one hand: "It was very common to have a girl with a quarter in hand pull a guy off a bar stool and say, 'I'd like to play ''Pong'' and there's nobody to play.' It was a way you could play games, you were sitting shoulder to shoulder, you could talk, you could laugh, you could challenge each other ... As you became better friends, you could put down your beer and hug. You could put your arm around the person. You could play left-handed if you so desired. In fact, there are a lot of people who have come up to me over the years and said, 'I met my wife playing ''Pong'',' and that's kind of a nice thing to have achieved."<ref>{{cite magazine|title=What the Hell has Nolan Bushnell Started? |magazine=Next Generation|issue=4|date=April 1995|page=11}}</ref>

===Ports=== Atari remade the game on numerous platforms. In 1977, ''Pong'' and several variants of the game were featured in ''Video Olympics'', one of the original release titles for the Atari 2600.

''Pong'' has also been included in several Atari compilations on many different platforms, such as ''Arcade Classics'' on the Sega Genesis, Paired with ''Asteroids'' and ''Yars' Revenge'' on the Game Boy Advance. ''Atari Classics Evolved'' on the PlayStation Portable, ''Retro Atari Classics'' on the Nintendo DS, and ''Atari: 80 Classic Games in One!'' for personal computer, and the ''Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration'' (2022) compilation for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Steam, and Xbox One.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.ign.com/games/arcade-classics/gen-591| title = Arcade Classics| website = IGN| access-date = 25 December 2008| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150713094513/http://www.ign.com/games/arcade-classics/gen-591| archive-date = 13 July 2015| url-status = live| df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.gamespot.com/psp/action/atariclassicsevolved/news.html?sid=6184181| title = Retro Arcade Masterpieces Hit Store Shelves in Atari Classics Evolved| author = Atari| website = GameSpot| date = 20 December 2007| access-date = 25 December 2008| author-link = Atari| archive-url= https://archive.today/20120913102038/http://www.gamespot.com/news/retro-arcade-masterpieces-hit-store-shelves-in-atari-classics-evolved-6184181| archive-date= 13 September 2012| url-status= dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/retro-atari-classics-review/1900-6120954/| title = Retro Atari Classics Review| first = Jeff| last = Gerstmann| author-link = Jeff Gerstmann| website = GameSpot| date = 23 March 2005| access-date = 25 December 2008| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180316024040/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/retro-atari-classics-review/1900-6120954/| archive-date = 16 March 2018| url-status = live| df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/atari80games/news.html?sid=6094407| title = Atari: 80 Classic Games in One Company Line| website = GameSpot| date = 23 April 2004| access-date = 25 December 2008 | archive-url= https://archive.today/20120905164829/http://www.gamespot.com/news/atari-80-classic-games-in-one-company-line-6094407|archive-date=5 September 2012| url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.gamespot.com/articles/atari-opens-up-massive-classic-game-library/1100-6106808/| title = Atari opens up massive classic-game library| first = Chris| last = Kohler| website = GameSpot| date = 7 September 2004| access-date = 25 December 2008| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180125120143/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/atari-opens-up-massive-classic-game-library/1100-6106808/| archive-date = 25 January 2018| url-status = live| df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Machkovech|first=Sam|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/09/the-103-classic-games-that-did-and-didnt-make-the-atari-50-anniversary-cut/|title=The 103 Classic Games That Did, and Didn't, Make the Atari 50 Anniversary Cut — Retailer Leak Suggests Games from Arcade to Jaguar; Surprises Apparently Still Await|work=Ars Technica|publisher=Condé Nast|date=September 12, 2022|access-date=May 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220914101824/https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/09/the-103-classic-games-that-did-and-didnt-make-the-atari-50-anniversary-cut/|archive-date=September 14, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref>

Through an agreement with Atari, Bally Gaming and Systems developed a slot machine version of the game.<ref name="PongSlots">{{cite web| url = http://www.gamespot.com/arcade/action/pong/news.html?sid=6107053| title = Atari, Alliance Gaming to Develop Slots Based on Atari Video Games| website = GameSpot| date = 9 September 2004| access-date = 25 December 2008 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130111002707/http://www.gamespot.com/news/atari-alliance-gaming-to-develop-slots-based-on-atari-video-games-6107053|archive-date=11 January 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The game was also included as a loading screen minigame on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions of ''TD Overdrive: The Brotherhood of Speed''; however, the Windows version does not include it.<ref>{{cite magazine| url = http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=28451| title = PS2 Review: TD Overdrive| magazine = Computer and Video Games| first = Simon| last = Munk| date = 4 May 2002| access-date = 25 December 2008 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070309003314/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=28451|archive-date=9 March 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/qt_tdoverdrive| title = TD Overdrive Xbox Review| date = 18 August 2002| author = Gestalt| website = Eurogamer| access-date = 25 December 2008| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111113131227/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/qt_tdoverdrive| archive-date = 13 November 2011| url-status = live| df = dmy-all}}</ref>

===Sequels and remakes=== [[File:Atari Super Pong IV (1976) 2.jpg|thumb|alt=Photograph of a dedicated video game console.|Tele-Games ''Pong IV'', Sears' version of ''Pong'' sequel (''Pong Doubles''), was one of the many consoles that flooded the market by 1977.]] Bushnell felt the best way to compete against imitators was to create better products, leading Atari to produce sequels in the years following the original's release: ''Pong Doubles'', ''Super Pong'', ''Quadrapong'' and ''Pin-Pong''.<ref name="Fever"/> The sequels feature similar graphics, but include new gameplay elements; for example, ''Pong Doubles'' allows four players to compete in pairs, while ''Quadrapong''—also released by Kee Games as ''Elimination''—has them compete against each other in a four-way field.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9075| title = Pong Doubles| publisher = Killer List of Videogames| access-date = 31 December 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9187| title = Quadrapong| publisher = Killer List of Videogames| access-date = 31 December 2008}}</ref> ''Pin-Pong'' was called by Atari the "only video game simulating play of the classic pin-ball machine".<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=January 1975 |title=New Products |url=https://elibrary.arcade-museum.com/Play-Meter/1975-January/40 |magazine=Play Meter |page=42 |volume=1 |issue=2}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Guins |first=Raiford |title=King Pong: How Atari Bounced Across Markets to Make Millions |date=February 10, 2026 |publisher=The MIT Press |isbn=978-0-262-05133-0 |series= |location=Cambridge, MA |pages=117, 123}}</ref> Bushnell also conceptualized a free-to-play version of ''Pong'' to entertain children in a doctor's office. He initially titled it ''Snoopy Pong'' and fashioned the cabinet after Snoopy's doghouse with the character on top, but retitled it to ''Puppy Pong'' and altered Snoopy to a generic dog to avoid legal action. Bushnell later used the game in his chain of Chuck E. Cheese's restaurants.<ref name="Fever"/><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=7597| title = Doctor Pong| publisher = Killer List of Videogames| access-date = 31 December 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9159| title = Puppy Pong| publisher = Killer List of Videogames| access-date = 31 December 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9598| title = Snoopy Pong| publisher = Killer List of Videogames| access-date = 31 December 2008}}</ref><ref name="PriceGuide-4">{{cite book| title = Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games| first = David| last = Ellis| pages = [https://archive.org/details/officialpricegui00davi/page/402 402]| chapter = Dedicated Consoles| publisher = Random House| isbn = 0-375-72038-3| year = 2004| chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/officialpricegui00davi/page/402}}</ref> In 1976, Atari released ''Breakout'', a single-player variation of ''Pong'' where the object of the game is to remove bricks from a wall by hitting them with a ball.<ref name="Ultimate-7">{{cite book| title = Ultimate History of Video Games| first = Steven| last = Kent| page = 71| chapter = The Jackals| publisher = Three Rivers Press| isbn = 0-7615-3643-4| year = 2001}}</ref> Like ''Pong'', ''Breakout'' was followed by numerous clones that copied the basic gameplay, such as ''Arkanoid'', ''Alleyway'', and ''Break 'Em All''.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1630/breaking_down_breakout_system_and_.php| title = Breaking Down Breakout: System And Level Design For Breakout-style Games| first = Mark| last = Nelson| website = Gamasutra| date = 21 August 2007| access-date = 23 February 2011| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110228031838/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1630/breaking_down_breakout_system_and_.php| archive-date = 28 February 2011| url-status = dead| df = dmy-all}}</ref>

A 3D platform game with puzzle and shooter elements was reportedly in development by Atari Corporation for the Atari Jaguar in September 1995 under the title ''Pong 2000'', as part of their series of arcade game updates for the system and was set to have an original storyline for it,<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Quartermann|url=https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File:EGM_US_070.pdf&page=54|title=Gaming Gossip|magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly|issue=70|date=May 1995|page=54}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Gore|first=Chris|url=https://archive.org/stream/Video_Games_The_Ultimate_Gaming_Magazine_Issue_80_September_1995#page/n21/mode/1up|title=The Gorescore – Industry News You Can – The Return of Pong|magazine=VideoGames – The Ultimate Gaming Magazine|issue=80|date=September 1995|page=20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Schmudde|url=https://atariage.com/forums/topic/231545-lost-interview-with-francois-yves-bertrand/|title=Lost interview with Francois Yves Bertrand|website=AtariAge|date=5 November 2014|access-date=2019-04-12}}</ref> but it was never released.

In 1999, Hasbro Interactive released a new title known as ''Pong: The Next Level'' for home computers and the PlayStation. This game was released as part of a trend within the time period of popular arcade games being remade with 3D graphics and art styles. The game also featured many power-ups.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.ign.com/games/pong-the-next-level/pc-13321| title = Pong: The Next Level (PC)| website = IGN| access-date = 11 January 2009| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121031105332/http://www.ign.com/games/pong-the-next-level/pc-13321| archive-date = 31 October 2012| url-status = live| df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.ign.com/games/pong-the-next-level/ps-11431| title = Pong: The Next Level (PlayStation)| website = IGN| access-date = 9 January 2009| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121026071945/http://www.ign.com/games/pong-the-next-level/ps-11431| archive-date = 26 October 2012| url-status = live| df = dmy-all}}</ref>

In 2012, Atari celebrated the 40th anniversary of ''Pong'' by releasing ''Pong World'' for iOS, which was developed by zGames.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.engadget.com/2012/11/29/atari-40th-anniversary-pong-world/| title = Atari celebrates 40 years of Pong with new, free iOS Pong game, custom portable Xbox 360| date = 29 November 2012| publisher = Engadget| access-date = 12 July 2015| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170906091244/https://www.engadget.com/2012/11/29/atari-40th-anniversary-pong-world/| archive-date = 6 September 2017| url-status = live| df = dmy-all}}</ref> In 2020, a new game titled ''Pong Quest'' was developed by Chequered Ink and released by Atari on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pong Quest|url=https://www.atari.com/games/pong-quest/|website=Atari|archive-date=February 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220211130715/https://www.atari.com/games/pong-quest/}}</ref> A remake of ''Pong'' has been announced for release exclusively for the Intellivision Amico.<ref>{{cite web|title=Intellivision Reveals Initial Details For The Upcoming Amico Home Video Game Console!|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/intellivision-reveals-initial-details-for-the-upcoming-amico-home-video-game-console-300734998.html|website=PR Newswire|author=Intellivision Entertainment|date=22 October 2018|access-date=12 February 2021}}</ref>

===In popular culture===  [[File:Universum TV Multispiel 2006.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|First-generation ''Pong'' console in a retro 1970s installation at the Computerspielemuseum Berlin, pictured in 2017|alt=Two children playing ''Pong'' on a television set.]] The game is featured in episodes of television series including ''That '70s Show'',<ref>{{cite episode| title = Punk Chick| episode-link = List of That '70s Show episodes#Season 1: 1998–1999| series = That '70s Show| series-link = That '70s Show| network = Fox Broadcasting Company| air-date= 21 June 1999| season = 1| number = 22}}</ref> ''King of the Hill''<ref>{{cite episode| title = It Ain't Over 'Til the Fat Neighbor Sings| episode-link = List of King of the Hill episodes#Season 9: 2004–2005| series = King of the Hill| series-link = King of the Hill| network = Fox Broadcasting Company| air-date= 15 May 2005| season = 9| number = 15}}</ref> and ''Saturday Night Live''.<ref>{{cite episode| title = Episode 5| episode-link = List of Saturday Night Live episodes#Season 1| series = Saturday Night Live| series-link = Saturday Night Live| network = NBC| location = New York City| air-date= 15 November 1975| season = 1| number = 5}}</ref> In 2006, an American Express commercial featured Andy Roddick in a tennis match against the white, in-game paddle.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://kotaku.com/gaming/television/roddick-vs-pong-195709.php| title = Roddick vs. Pong| first = Brian| last = Ashcraft| date = 22 August 2006| publisher = Kotaku| access-date = 26 December 2008|archive-url=https://archive.today/20090629220432/http://kotaku.com/gaming/television/roddick-vs-pong-195709.php|archive-date=29 June 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> Other video games have also referenced and parodied ''Pong''; for example ''Neuromancer'' for the Commodore 64 and ''Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts'' for the Xbox 360.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/greatestgames/p-37.html| title = The Greatest Games of All Time: Neuromancer| first = Sam| last = Parker| date = 13 February 2004| website = GameSpot| access-date = 14 January 2009 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130102171130/http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/greatestgames/p-37.html|archive-date=2 January 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.gamespot.com/articles/banjo-kazooie-nuts-and-bolts-updated-hands-on/1100-6197547/| title = Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts Updated Hands-On| first = Luke| last = Anderson| website = GameSpot| date = 11 September 2008| access-date = 14 January 2009| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171223220152/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/banjo-kazooie-nuts-and-bolts-updated-hands-on/1100-6197547/| archive-date = 23 December 2017| url-status = live| df = dmy-all}}</ref> The concert event Video Games Live has performed audio from ''Pong'' as part of a special retro "Classic Arcade Medley".<ref>{{cite web| url = http://games.ign.com/articles/816/816582p1.html| title = Microsoft Brings Video Games Live To London| website = GameSpot| author = Microsoft| date = 28 August 2007| access-date = 7 September 2008| author-link = Microsoft |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070719050209/http://games.ign.com/articles/816/816582p1.html|archive-date=19 July 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> Frank Black's song "Whatever Happened to Pong?" on the album ''Teenager of the Year'' references the game's elements.<ref>{{cite AV media| people = Frank Black (Singer)| title= Album: Teenager of the Year Song: Whatever Happened to Pong?| date = 23 May 1994| publisher = Elektra Records}}</ref>

Dutch design studio Buro Vormkrijgers created a ''Pong''-themed clock as a fun project within their offices. After the studio decided to manufacture it for retail, Atari took legal action in February 2006. The two companies eventually reached an agreement in which Buro Vormkrijgers could produce a limited number under license.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://kotaku.com/gaming/pong-clock/atari-threatens-pong-clock-makers-157394.php| title = Atari Threatens Pong Clock Makers| publisher = Kotaku| date = 28 February 2006| first = Brian| last = Crecente| access-date = 22 October 2008|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120712000450/http://kotaku.com/157394/atari-threatens-pong-clock-makers?tag=gamingpongclock|archive-date=12 July 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1999, French artist Pierre Huyghe created an installation titled "Atari Light", in which two people use handheld gaming devices to play ''Pong'' on an illuminated ceiling. The work was shown at the Venice Biennale in 2001, and the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León in 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mid-day.com/articles/tech-rewind-interesting-facts-about-the-hit-arcade-video-game-pong/15795171|title=Tech rewind: Interesting facts about the hit arcade video game Pong|work=Mid-Day|date=29 November 2015|access-date=5 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170306133228/http://www.mid-day.com/articles/tech-rewind-interesting-facts-about-the-hit-arcade-video-game-pong/15795171|archive-date=6 March 2017|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The game was included in the London Barbican Art Gallery's 2002 Game On exhibition meant to showcase the various aspects of video game history, development, and culture.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.gamespot.com/articles/london-museum-showcases-games/1100-6159465/| title = London museum showcases games| author = Boyes, Emma| website = GameSpot| date = 9 October 2006| access-date = 9 May 2008| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140323001946/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/london-museum-showcases-games/1100-6159465/| archive-date = 23 March 2014| url-status = live| df = dmy-all}}</ref>

Starting in 2012, Chuck E. Cheese's began referencing Pong as a part of the rebranding of its eponymous mascot. According to a backstory of the character published in 2014, Chuck E. won $50 in a Pong tournament and moved to New York City, where he eventually met the rest of the band members.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-05-07 |title=The story of Chuck E. Cheese by Chuck E. Cheese |url=https://issuu.com/chuckecheeses/docs/the_story_of_chuck_e?e=11869875/7768485 |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=issuu.com |language=en}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== {{refbegin}} * {{cite book| last = Cohen| first = Scott| title = Zap! The Rise and Fall of Atari| publisher = McGraw-Hill| year = 1984| isbn = 978-0-07-011543-9| url = https://archive.org/details/zaprisefall00cohe}} * {{cite book| first = Leonard| last = Herman| title = Phoenix: The Fall & Rise of Videogames| publisher = Rolenta Press| year = 1997| isbn = 978-0-9643848-2-8}} * {{cite book| last1 = Kline| first1 = Stephen| first2 = Nick| last2 = Dyer-Witheford| first3 = Greig| last3 = De Peuter| title = Digital Play: The interaction of Technology, Culture and Marketing| publisher = McGill-Queen's Press| year = 2003| isbn = 978-0-7735-2591-7}} * {{cite journal|author=Lowood, H. |title=Videogames in Computer Space: The Complex History of Pong |journal=IEEE Annals of the History of Computing|volume=31|issue=3|pages=5–19|year=2009|doi=10.1109/MAHC.2009.53|bibcode=2009IAHC...31c...5L |s2cid=7653073 }} {{refend}}

==External links== {{commons category|Pong}}  * [http://www.pong-story.com Pong-story.com], comprehensive site about ''Pong'' and its origins * [http://www.atarimuseum.com/ The Atari Museum], an in-depth look at Atari and its history * [http://flyers.arcade-museum.com/flyers_video/atari/11013001.jpg ''Pong'' Flyer] * {{moby game|id=-group/pong-variants|name=Pong variants}}

{{Pong series}} {{1970s Atari arcade games}} {{Atari hardware}} {{First generation game consoles}} {{World Video Game Hall of Fame}} {{portal bar|1970s|Video games|Sports|United States}} {{Authority control}}

Category:1972 in video gaming Category:1972 video games Category:Arcade video games Category:Atari arcade games Category:Atari games Category:Cancelled Atari Jaguar games Category:Computer-related introductions in 1975 Category:Discrete video arcade games Category:First-generation video game consoles Category:Home video game consoles Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games Category:Paddle-and-ball video games Category:Products introduced in 1972 Category:Table tennis video games Category:Video games developed in the United States