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Pong

Pong is one of the earliest arcade video games and the first sports arcade video game. It is a table tennis sports game featuring simple two-dimensional graphics. The game was originally manufactured by Atari and released in 1972, becoming the first commercially successful video game.

First Released
1972
Difficulty
Easy to learn, challenging to master

RMGD Pong Challenge

Ready to play?
Use your mouse or touch to move the paddle
Move your paddle with mouse or touch to play

How to Play

  • 1Controls: Move your mouse or finger up and down to control your paddle (left side)
  • 2Objective: Hit the ball with your paddle to return it to your opponent
  • 3Scoring: You score a point when your opponent misses the ball
  • 4Strategy: Hit the ball with different parts of your paddle to change its angle and speed

History of Pong

Pong was created by Allan Alcorn as a training exercise assigned to him by Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell. Bushnell had just founded Atari and wanted Alcorn's first assignment to be a simple game.

The game was so successful that Atari couldn't keep up with demand. It's often credited with establishing the video game industry, as it proved that the video game market had commercial potential.

Pong's influence extends beyond just being a popular game. It established many conventions still used in video games today and demonstrated that video games could be a viable commercial product, paving the way for the multi-billion dollar industry we know today.

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