Why Not Ping?

This is an important date in world history.  One this day in 1972, Pong was released.

It was a huge success, jumpstarting the videogame industry. Crude by today's standards (crude by 1978's standards), it offered people a chance to play a simple game, batting a point of light back and forth with their own electronic paddle.

Designed by Allan Alcorn as a training exercise, it was released by Atari.  Before being made available to the public, they tested it in a local bar.  It was soon so popular that the excess of quarters being fed into the machine caused technical malfunctions.

After Pong's success was apparent, everyone tried to develop their own videogames.  Interestingly, most of these were one-player games (or at least one player at a time) while Pong required two players.

I suppose videogames were going to break out sooner or later, but Pong gets the honor of starting the revolution.  You know what?  It's still kind of fun to play.

PS  Maybe I should have done a separate post, but I just want to note that my favorite Angel, Kate Jackson, turns 70 today.