Pong was the first hit video game, per se. This game is one that shaped the entire video game industry.
Pong was first introduced in 1972. Al Alcorn, one of Atari’s first employees, created the first Pong arcade machine, a prototype mounted on pinball bars. The system was first tested in Andy Capp’s Cavern, a bar in Sunnyvale, California. When the system was first put into place in this bar, only two people took notice of it and started playing. The next day, people were lined up outside the store at 10am waiting to play.
Two weeks later, Magnavox learned of Pong, and notified Atari that they had a patent on the ball and paddle concept. Atari paid $700,000 for use of the rights, but saw a rapid return on the investment. By March 1983, Atari had sold between 8,000 to 10,000 coin-op systems.
