World’s Oldest Video Game ‘Pong’, Turns 40

It’s quite amazing to see just how much things can change. Forty years ago, in 1972, Pong was released as an arcade game by video game company Atari.

It was just a simple 2D, black and white game, but it sold over 19,000 arcade cabinets. A home version of the game was then produced in 1975, which many consider the foundation of today’s home console gaming.

Many people might not know this, but originally Pong was created for Atari by designer Allan Alcorn as part of a training exercise, and wasn’t meant to be commercial. The game though proved to be so enjoyable, that a prototype was installed in a California bar, and from there the rest is history.

What blows me away, is just how far the video gaming industry has come in the past 40 years. Going from basic and pixelated 2D games, to incredible computer graphics and CGI that are so crystal clear that the lay person could mistake for the real-world.

Last week, Atari celebrated the 40th birthday of Pong by having a massive playable game on the side of a 22-story building in Kansas City.

If video gaming has come this far in the past 40 years, I can’t wait to see where the industry will be in the year 2052! – Maybe our lives will be a playable video game!??