For many decades, coin-operated arcade games have cemented their reputation as one of the most evergreen games to ever grace the industry. Some were more extravagant than others, like the giant supercar replicas and the arcade games placed inside 4D theaters for a more immersive experience.
The gaming platform skyrocketed to fame with the release of a game that got everyone hooked: Pong. The legendary game was invented by American Atari founders Ted Dabney and Nolan Bushnell.
It all started back in 1965 when Bushnell first played Spacewar!, a game created by Steve Russel in 1961. Nolan knew that a coin-operated arcade machine would be a hit, and was he right about that!
With the rapid advancements in computer technology and costs finally becoming more reasonable, Dabney and Bushnell finally decided to make their version of Spacewar! The two created the game Computer Space, a coin-operated prototype that people could play in pool halls, pinball arcades, and amusement parks in 1970.
By 1971, the two developers had sold the game prototype to Nutting Associates who were known to be quiz machine makers. They immediately manufactured 1,500 units, making Computer Space the first commercially available arcade video game.
The game turned out to be so difficult that no one wanted to play it. Because of this, Computer Space machines ended up making very little money! It wasn't until Bushnell invented a game that included a ball and an on-screen paddle that things started looking up.
Refusing to give up after the failure of Computer Space, Bushnell created a game that involved a moving ball and an on-screen paddle. He took inspiration from a table tennis game found on the Magnavox Odyssey.
The difference with this new Bushnell creation was that it had a straightforward concept compared to the intricacies of his first game. They named it Pong, and it inspired him and Dabney to start their own company called Atari, Inc.
Pong has two paddles, a white dot that functions as a ball, and a dashed line that works like a net. The mechanics of the game loosely replicate table tennis. Players are instructed to “Avoid Missing Ball For High Score.” Crucially, the game is easy to understand and play.
Pong's coin-operated machine was first installed at a bar in Sunnyvale, California named Andy Capp's Tavern. It was a huge hit. But that wasn't enough for Atari to get companies to produce it for them. So, they were forced to do it all on their own. Fortunately, they sold a total of 35,000 Pong machines despite other companies releasing knockoffs.