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.