On this day in history, the seed of the video game revolution was planted with the release of Pong. The game, which was initially released by Atari, marked the start of a new era in gaming that eventually led to the creation of beloved characters like Mario and Sonic.
Before players could experience the thrill of swinging through the city like Spider-Man or taking on the role of iconic characters like Mario and Sonic, they were introduced to the world of gaming through Pong. This simple game featured elongated rectangles controlled by knobs as players tried to keep a pixillated square ping-ponging back and forth across a virtual net.
Developed by Atari founders Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney, Pong quickly became a hit after its debut just ahead of the 1972 holiday season. The game’s success prompted Atari to announce that they would be rolling out Pong cabinets for the rest of the country to play.
Atari’s pioneering efforts in the gaming industry paved the way for the subsequent development of home consoles and cartridges. While Atari’s journey has seen its fair share of twists and turns, the company has embraced its status as a retro brand, continuing to make an impact on the gaming world with its vintage games, including the iconic Pong.
This revolution may not have been televised, but it can certainly be played.
