Arcade Original Pong

Added: May 17, 2007

Duration: 2:34

During the 70's and up to the mid 80's, Atari was the recognized leader in all area's of videogames. Starting out and establishing the Video Arcade industry, Atari set the stage for the 10 billion dollar industry with the release of Pong the first arcade machine game relesead in 1972. Atari Pong would be a smash hit and Nolan Bushnell (ex-owner of Atari) knew it. Nolan being the superb salesman that he is, convinced Midway that Nutting didn't want it, and told Nutting that Midway didn't want it either, so Bushnell took the $500 in royalties he'd made off of Computer Space and set Al Alcorn to work on designing a simple game of TV tennis. He and partner Ted Dabney started Atari. Needless to say, Pong was a monster and before it could be patented, every company copied it, including Allied Leisure where Gene Lipkin was working at the time. "Nolan would roll over fresh if he hears this," says Lipkin, "but our Paddle Battle was a better game." Even Nutting Associates got into the Pong game with their own version called Space Pong. Pong would see many different cabinet versions from cocktail tables to dog houses to even Pong's in wooden barrels! Unfortunately Pong attracted so much attention, a certain company by the name of Magnavox took notice and for good reason, months earlier they demonstrated a home TV video game called Odyssey and Atari's new Pong game was strikingly similar, too much so. So after a little checking by Magnavox lawyers, sure enough, on the Magnavox guest book for the demonstration was the signature of none other then Nolan Bushnell himself. Magnavox sued Atari, Bushnell & Atari agreed to a license under the Sanders/Magnavox patents for which Atari paid a fixed sum as a paid-up license in June of 1976 for domestic games. In later years Atari paid much more for foreign rights. All in all, the settlement was certainly in Atari's favor due to its huge success with Pong and its many variations and flavors.

Channel: Film

Tags: arcade atari computer fliperama fraps game history jogo juego mame msx nes nintendinho nintendo pc pong snes videogame

Rating: 4.45 (95 ratings) Views: 77069' favoriteCount='143 Comments: 25

tomcam808 Says:

Sep 29, 2008 - right u r a geek

Deathbladejo Says:

Sep 30, 2008 - well, it is but it isn't, Tennis for Two was like the first actual video game, but idk Pong is probably what started video game popularity

blackguitarheart Says:

Oct 1, 2008 - why do people even play this game?

bearsfanx60 Says:

Oct 4, 2008 - this was the first video game ever created

curshvid Says:

Oct 4, 2008 - In 1971, Computer Space, created by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney, was the first commercially sold, coin-operated video game.

bearsfanx60 Says:

Oct 5, 2008 - they have this game as an app for macbook's

jax121467 Says:

Oct 7, 2008 - Spoiler: The left side wins. Ha!

caboose365 Says:

Oct 17, 2008 - my alltime fav game ever!!!

hordepwnage Says:

Oct 21, 2008 - wow that game beats the shit outta WoW and AoC. psh not

Pantheray Says:

Oct 25, 2008 - I have 2 original pong machines Pretty pwnfull if you ask me.

damio552 Says:

Oct 25, 2008 - my favorite game in the world.lol

madichelp0 Says:

Nov 1, 2008 - NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO now i know the ending of the most epic battle in human history!!!!!! damn you!

d0ck47 Says:

Nov 4, 2008 - (Mormon scientist)Nolan Bushnell: Founded Atari and invented the game "Pong." He was also owner of Chuck E. Cheese's for a time.

Reg197844 Says:

Nov 4, 2008 - I can remember as a little kid going to the arcade. This was the only "non pinball" game in the place. There would be a line stretching around the inside of people waiting to play.

LusterPurge94 Says:

Nov 4, 2008 - classic. i think this is the first official company-oriented video game ever made. a milestone game.

orangie84 Says:

Nov 7, 2008 - i still have my pong console but it's dead it won't power up. any ideas on what could be wrong? it originally ran on batteries (or optional power adapter) neither work.. I opened it up and the wires going to the terminals and throughout the console are not disconnected.. just no power

lookhoothetubeisnow Says:

Nov 12, 2008 - I still say....the best game ever.

niny322 Says:

Nov 13, 2008 - I downloaded this video and using it for a college assignment. Thanks! :D

Dyliumo Says:

Nov 18, 2008 - lol i can imagine somone going crazy playing this game for 50 hours straight

vayahumanidad Says:

Nov 30, 2008 - really good!

ITsPlague Says:

Dec 1, 2008 - this rapes halo 3

roflcoptersoysoy Says:

Dec 1, 2008 - Video gaming has come a LOOONG way since then!

veechi1994 Says:

Dec 1, 2008 - :D i bought a lil atarii thing at the doller store for like 10 bucks and it has this game on it and i play it allllllll day! this is the greatist fucking game ever!

CJ632 Says:

Dec 2, 2008 - yes it does

Groudonmaster687 Says:

Dec 4, 2008 - LOL. Better than a lot of games now.