If you ask many people who are video enthusiasts what game they believe is the most historic, there will be one answer. Pong. Granted, this game was hardly the first or even the second video game, this game is entrenched in the minds of people. Let see if we can dig out the history of this iconic game.
Pong and it’s Legacy
Pong clearly did not come out first. At a time when people were pooling resources together to make sure video games came true, Spacewar became the very first video game to make it to the limelight. This game was produced by Bushnell.
Pong was actually inspired by the presence of pinball machines. Back then, this was often the center of attention when people visited the arcade. Thus, with the inspiration buzzing in his head, Bushnell made one of the smartest moves he had ever made. He hired Al Alcorn. Al Alcorn was an engineer who was even smarter than Bushnell. He would go on to engineer the first Pong Arcade game that the world had ever seen.
The very first time the Pong game would hit the streets was on the 29th day of November in 1972. While Bushnell and his young engineer held their breaths, the gaming world would not disappoint. Soon, a crowd of people had gathered at the tavern where the game was installed and the rest was history.
Why Pong Grew in Popularity
By now, you probably have a rough idea that pong instantly became a hit back then. While the game was a wonderful innovation, there were also some business reasons why the game took off the way it did.
One reason would be its affordability. Back then, the game would cost users just 25 cents which were a fair value for their money. It was also a game with an option of two players. This means you could easily play the game with others. combine this with the notion that it was fun and easy to learn. There was no stopping this game from being the blockbuster it went on to be.
Cometh the Hour, Cometh Atari
It was surely the break that Bushnell needed. Together with his favorite young engineer, Al Alcorn, he would go on to make Atari in all its flavor. As usual, the opening of Atari would see lots of people waiting for an opportunity to play the game. Bushnell was on cloud nine.
