Throwback Thursday: Pong for Atari

Happy Thursday gamers! We had to take a hiatus last week, but we're back in action and this week we're spotlighting Pong on Atari 2600 for Throwback Thursday!

Pong is one of the earliest arcade video games and was later developed for the Atari 2600 home gaming system. It's a two dimensional tennis game in which players control an in-game paddle that moves vertically on the left side of the screen. Another paddle is controlled by either a computer or another player on the right side of the screen. Players hit the ball back and forth, earning points when the opposing player fails to return the ball.

The first version of Pong for Atari's 2600 was released in 1975 and was entitled Home Pong. The game was sold exclusively through Sears during it's first year was an instant success, and was Sears most successful product at that time. Many experts and publications consider Pong the stepping stone for turning video games into a lucrative industry. Several companies that produced their own version of Pong eventually became well-known within the industry, including Nintendo and Konami.

Pong continues to be mentioned in pop culture today and it's accomplishments are a cornerstone for the foundation of gaming. There's no question as to the immortality of Pong, and because of that we welcome it into the vault!