History of Pong

     Almost everyone know about the video game, Pong. Released in 1972, it was one of the first video games created and its design and graphics were quite simple. Yet there is something almost addicting about it and quickly became one of the most most popular arcade games. It was based on the back and forth action of a tennis ball between two players.

     Pong was developed by Atari, the first video game/console maker. After seeing how popular Pong was as an arcade game, it also got its own console in 1975 to allow people to play at home. It was a great success and even in limited release, almost 150,000 units sold. This was the beginning of video games becoming something to not only play in the arcade, but at home. 

     Since its release in 1972, there have been numerous copies, rip-offs, and parodies of Pong. It is a game that almost everyone has played at some point.  Pong is a game that is easy enough for small children to understand and complex enough for older people to get lost in the game. It also inspired French artist Pierre Huyghe to create an installation in which people play on an illuminated ceiling. 

Programming Made (Frustratingly) Easy

With the increase of using technology in the classroom environment, programming is just one of many digital platforms being explored as a way of art-making. Through the MIT Media Lab, young learners can access the website, Scratch. Created in 2006, Scratch allows anyone the opportunity to program and create their own stories, animation, and games.  

Pros:

It is a great and interesting way to incorporate technology in art-making, and gives students a new perspective. Art is not just drawing or painting, but can also be made on the computer, requiring a completely different way of thinking.

Scratch also offers different options in what you can make. Aside from creating an animation, you can also create games and stories. With so many options, children are encouraged in thinking of new ideas and how they can portray them using programming.

The way the Scratch website is set up allows for it to be a community of creators to share their work and get ideas from others. It is a great way to gain feedback and brainstorm new ideas. 

Cons:

Despite it being a fairly easy concept, the actual programming in Scratch can be overwhelming for someone unfamiliar with it. I have also experienced numerous glitches, from being unable to program a number to being unable to save properly. For this reason, I have found myself quite frustrated in using the program and even when following direct instructions, my animations won't come out as I would like it.

This is a sight I became quite familiar with. 

Below is my progress of using Scratch.

Attempt #1- Dino

Attempt #2- Friendly Ghost

Attempt #3- Cat Dance Party

Attempts #4, 5, & 6- Remix the Pong Game

I had come up with the idea of remixing the classic pong game to allow the play to be in outer space and protect their space station from a persistent asteroid. Unfortunately, it didn't go as well as I hoped. The most common problem was that after less than two seconds, the asteroid-sprite would stop completely.

Eventually I was able to get a working pong game, but the Save failed to keep it. 

Final Thoughts:

I honestly have very mixed opinions on Scratch. It really is a great way of introducing children to programming and informing them of different ways  programming can be used for artistic purposes. It is a new medium that they may very well grow into, with today's emphasis of digital technology incorporated in the arts. Yet despite it having so much potential, it also has its flaws. The glitches I mentioned before play a major part in my distaste towards Scratch. The constant interruption from creating and unreliableness quickly wears on you. I am sure one day, Scratch's creators will have fixed these types of problems from occurring as often as they do, but until then, I think that I will appreciate Scratch from afar.