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Who was the creator of Pong?
Allan AlcornPong / DesignerAllan Alcorn is an American pioneering engineer and computer scientist best known for creating Pong, one of the first video games. Wikipedia
Why did Dabney leave Atari?
By the end of 1973, Dabney left the company they had founded together, saying that as Bushnell took over more and more of the company's operations and direction, "that was the end of our relationship." Bushnell bought him out, and that was that — or so they thought at the time.
Is Ted Dabney still alive?
May 26, 2018Ted Dabney / Date of death
Who invented the pong game?
See also: Origin of Atari Inc. Atari engineer Allan Alcorn designed and built Pong as a training exercise. Pong was the first game developed by Atari. After producing Computer Space, Bushnell decided to form a company to produce more games by licensing ideas to other companies.
When was Pong released?
In Japan, Pong was officially released in November 1973 by Atari Japan, which would later become part of Namco. However, Pong had been beaten to the market by two Japanese Pong clones released in July 1973: Sega 's Pong Tron and Taito 's Elepong.
What was the first video game to be sued by Atari?
In response, Magnavox later sued Atari for patent infringement. Pong was the first commercially successful video game, and it helped to establish the video game industry along with the Magnavox Odyssey. Soon after its release, several companies began producing games that closely mimicked its gameplay.
What is pong mode?
Mode (s) Single-player, multiplayer. Pong is a table tennis –themed arcade sports video game, featuring simple two-dimensional graphics, manufactured by Atari and originally released in 1972. It was one of the earliest arcade video games; it was created by Allan Alcorn as a training exercise assigned to him by Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell, ...
Why is pong important?
Bushnell felt that Pong was especially significant in its role as a social lubricant, since it was multiplayer-only and did not require each player to use more than one hand: "It was very common to have a girl with a quarter in hand pull a guy off a bar stool and say, 'I'd like to play Pong and there's nobody to play.' It was a way you could play games, you were sitting shoulder to shoulder, you could talk, you could laugh, you could challenge each other ... As you became better friends, you could put down your beer and hug. You could put your arm around the person. You could play left-handed if you so desired. In fact, there are a lot of people who have come up to me over the years and said, 'I met my wife playing Pong ,' and that's kind of a nice thing to have achieved."
How does pong work?
Pong is a two-dimensional sports game that simulates table tennis. The player controls an in-game paddle by moving it vertically across the left or right side of the screen. They can compete against another player controlling a second paddle on the opposing side. Players use the paddles to hit a ball back and forth.
When was the first home pong system invented?
In 1974 , Atari engineer Harold Lee proposed a home version of Pong that would connect to a television: Home Pong. The system began development under the codename Darlene, named after an employee at Atari. Alcorn worked with Lee to develop the designs and prototype and based them on the same digital technology used in their arcade games. The two worked in shifts to save time and money; Lee worked on the design's logic during the day, while Alcorn debugged the designs in the evenings. After the designs were approved, fellow Atari engineer Bob Brown assisted Alcorn and Lee in building a prototype. The prototype consisted of a device attached to a wooden pedestal containing over a hundred wires, which was eventually be replaced with a single chip designed by Alcorn and Lee; the chip had yet to be tested and built before the prototype was constructed. The chip was finished in the latter half of 1974, and was, at the time, the highest-performing chip used in a consumer product.
Education and early career
Dabney was born in San Francisco, California to Irma and Samuel Frederick Dabney. His parents divorced while he was young and subsequently raised by his father. One of several schools that he attended was John A.
Career in the computer industry
Dabney left Bank of America after a year, and on recommendation of John Herbert, a colleague he worked with, was hired by Hewlett-Packard. Within a few weeks, Herbert had moved on to Ampex and convinced Dabney to interview there. Dabney joined Ampex in 1961, working in their military products section.
Later life and death
Dabney had married, and later divorced, Joan Wahrmund, with whom he had two daughters. He later married Carolyn Dabney.
When did Atari start making pong games?
A small company at the time, Atari began manufacturing the games in an old roller skating rink, and by 1972 the company had sold more than 8,000 Pong arcade machines. In 1975 Atari turned Pong into a console system game. After striking an exclusive deal with Sears, Roebuck and Company, Pong was soon in the homes of many American families.
Who sued Atari for stealing the pong?
In 1974 the makers of the Magnavox Odyssey sued Atari for stealing the concept for Pong. Magnavox won the lawsuit in 1977, upholding the company’s patent, but by then Atari had already licensed the patent for $700,000. This article was most recently revised and updated by William L. Hosch, Associate Editor.
What happened to the creator of Spongebob?
Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of the animated show “SpongeBob Squarepants,” has died following a battle with the neurodegenerative disease ALS.
What happened to Spongebob Squarepants?
Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of the animated show “SpongeBob Squarepants,” has died following a battle with the neurodegenerative disease ALS. “ [Hillenburg] was a beloved friend and long-time creative partner to everyone at Nickelodeon, and our hearts go out to his entire family,” the network said in a statement to CNN on Tuesday.
Overview
Pong is a table tennis–themed twitch arcade sports video game, featuring simple two-dimensional graphics, manufactured by Atari and originally released in 1972. It was one of the earliest arcade video games; it was created by Allan Alcorn as a training exercise assigned to him by Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell, but Bushnell and Atari co-founder Ted Dabney were surprised by the quality of Alco…
Gameplay
Pong is a two-dimensional sports game that simulates table tennis. The player controls an in-game paddle by moving it vertically across the left or right side of the screen. They can compete against another player controlling a second paddle on the opposing side. Players use the paddles to hit a ball back and forth. The goal is for each player to reach eleven points before the opponent; points are earned when one fails to return the ball to the other.
Development and history
Pong was the first game developed by Atari. After producing Computer Space, Bushnell decided to form a company to produce more games by licensing ideas to other companies. The first contract was with Bally Manufacturing Corporation for a driving game. Soon after the founding, Bushnell hired Allan Alcorn because of his experience with electrical engineering and computer science; Bushnell a…
Impact and legacy
The Pong arcade games manufactured by Atari were a great success. The prototype was well received by Andy Capp's Tavern patrons; people came to the bar solely to play the game. Following its release, Pong consistently earned four times more revenue than other coin-operated machines. Bushnell estimated that the game earned US$35–40 per day (i.e. 140–160 plays daily per console at $…
Further reading
• Cohen, Scott (1984). Zap! The Rise and Fall of Atari. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0-07-011543-9.
• Herman, Leonard (1997). Phoenix: The Fall & Rise of Videogames. Rolenta Press. ISBN 978-0-9643848-2-8.
• Kline, Stephen; Dyer-Witheford, Nick; De Peuter, Greig (2003). Digital Play: The interaction of Technology, Culture and Marketing. McGill-Queen's Press. ISBN 978-0-7735-2591-7.
External links
• Pong-story.com, comprehensive site about Pong and its origins.
• The Atari Museum An in-depth look at Atari and its history
• THE Pong Flyer
• Pong variants at MobyGames
Overview
Samuel Frederick "Ted" Dabney Jr. (May 2, 1937 – May 26, 2018) was an American electrical engineer, and the co-founder, alongside Nolan Bushnell, of Atari, Inc. He is recognized as developing the basics of video circuitry principles that were used for Computer Space and later Pong, one of the first and most successful arcade games.
Education and early career
Dabney was born in San Francisco, California, to Irma and Samuel Frederick Dabney. His parents divorced while he was young and subsequently raised by his father. One of several schools that he attended was John A. O'Connell High School of Technology, where he studied trade drafting, which led to him getting a job with the California Department of Transportation while still a teenager. He eventually got his high school diploma from San Mateo High School; Dabney credit…
Career in the computer industry
Dabney left Bank of America after a year, and on recommendation of John Herbert, a colleague he worked with, was hired by Hewlett-Packard. Within a few weeks, Herbert had moved on to Ampex and convinced Dabney to interview there. Dabney joined Ampex in 1961, working in their military products section. This work led to him becoming involved in early video imagery products within …
Later life and death
Dabney had married, and later divorced, Joan Wahrmund, with whom he had two daughters. He later married Carolyn Dabney.
After leaving the computer industry, Dabney and Carolyn managed a grocery store and later a deli in Crescent Mills, California. Around 2006, they moved from California to a property he owned near Okanogan National Forest in Washington. The Dabneys later returned to California, taking up resi…