Pong by Kimberly Keyes Stark
Pong is commonly believed by many people to be the first videogame ever released. After visiting other sites and reading books, I learned that this is a popular misc onception. That honor actually belongs to Computer Space, a 1971 game that was based on a popular mainframe computer game beloved by engineering majors, developed by Syzygy as a coin-op game, and manufactured by Nutting Associates.
If you haven't ever heard of Computer Space before, that's because that game was a total flop. By all accounts (and, no, I haven't played it myself), the game was very difficult to play for most people who weren't total computer geeks and it alienated those arcade gamers wh o w ere used to playing pinball.
As a classic example of the old saying "If at first you don't succeed, try again," Syzygy decided to change its name to the more easily pronounced Atari and create a new videogame that would be easier for the general publ ic to play. The result was Pong, which was first released in 1972 and should really be known as the first successful videogame ever released.
Pong's rules were so easy that any child with a rudimentary knowledge of table tennis can easily play. Pong was a tw o-player game, where you and a friend controlled two paddles and each of you took turns hitting a little white ball back and forth. If one of you miss the ball, the opponent scores a point. The first person to reach 15 points wins.
The black and white graphics were crude. The sound consisted of nothing more than a few beeps. Yet there was something about that game that was totally compelling enough to encourage people to keep playing it.
Pong was the perfect social game. What was cool was that two peopl e could play together for the price of one quarter (which is practically impossible to do these days). Of course, the big drawback came when you wanted to play Pong but couldn't find anyone else to play with you. Sometimes, if you were dexterous en ough, y ou could play both sides of the Pong machine at once. But it wasn't as fun as having someone else challenge you and hoping that you can emerge victorious so you can engage in a little boastful trash talking afterwards.
While Pong isn't quite as compelling as later videogames (like Pac-Man), it has held up pretty well. The gameplay can still be intense at times--especially if you have a rivalry going on with someone else who is vying with you for the right to proclaim yourself as the Best Pon g Pl ayer in t he Neighborhood.
The recent home versions of Pong have an option where you can play against the computer. That's a good thing if you don't have anyone else to play Pong with or you wish to hone your Pong skills so you can trounce your frie nd th e next tim e the two of you play together. But Pong is still more fun when you play with another person instead of a computer.
DISCLAIMER: This blog is based on one person's biased opinions of which videogames should be considered to be classics an d why. It is not meant to provide a complete history of the videogame industry, the latest videogame news, technical support, or hints on how to play a certain videogame. None of the videogame manufacturers or programmers mentioned here have endorsed or s upported this blog in any way, shape, or form.
(NOTE: If there are any errors or updates, please send an e-mail to [link=mailto:kstarkREMOVE-ALL-CAPS-IF-NOT-SPAM@erols.com]kstarkREM OVE-ALL-CAPS-IF-NOT-SPAM@erols.com[/link] and I'll edit this piece when time permits.)
PONG GAMES AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE
DREAMCAST
Atari Anni versary Edition--Features the original version of Pong along wi th other classic games like Asteroids, Asteroids Deluxe, Battlezone, Centipede, Crystal Castle, Gravitar, Millipede, Missile Command, Super Breakout, and Tempest.
GAME BOY COLOR
Pong--This is an updated version where you can select different balls and paddles and also include themed variations like jungle, soccer, and Arctic.
MACINTOSH
[link=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/d etail/-/B00005A3LI/qid=1056312417/theunicornwithan/]Pong[/link]--This is a souped-up version that features 3-D graphics and improved sound.
PLAYSTATION 1
Atari Anniversary Edition--Features the original version of Pong along with other classic games like Asteroids, Asteroids Deluxe, Battlezone, Black Widow, Centipede, Gravitar, Missile Command, Space Duel, Super Breakout, Tempest, and Warlords.
Pong--This is a souped-up version that features 3-D graphics and improved sound.
WINDOWS
Atari Anniversary Edition--Features the original version of Pong along with other classic games like Asteroids, Asteroids Deluxe, Battlezone, Centipede, Millipede, Crystal Castles, Gravitar, Missile Command, Super Breakout, Tempest, and Warlords.
Atari Arcade--Features the original version of Pong along with other classic games like Asteroids, Centipede, Missile Command, Tempest, and Super Breakout.
Pong (Jewel Case)--This is a souped-up version that features 3-D graphics and improved sound.
Pong--This is a souped-up version that features 3-D graphics and improved sound.
PONG AND OTHER RELATED LINKS
ClassicGaming.com--The Museum: Pong
Google's Pong Directory--Features links to Pong games that you can plaly online for free.
Guimp Pong: The World's Smallest Pong Game--This site is not recommended to anyone who has eyesight problems.
The Internet Movie Database's Information on Pong
The Killer List of Videogames' Pong Exhibit
LiquidMedia's Pong Game--You can play Pong from a unique 3-D perspective.
Pong...It's Not Just a Game--A hilarious Flash parody of Pong.
PONG-Story--A fan site that gives a detailed history of the development of Pong as well as a consumer's guide to buying a vintage Pong game. Includes a Pong forum where people can share their enthusiasm of this game.a
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