Pong
A 1972 table tennis arcade game created by Allan Alcorn and widely called the first commercially successful video game.
Allan Alcorn created Pong as a training exercise for Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell. Bushnell and co-founder Ted Dabney liked it enough to manufacture it.
Bushnell based the idea on the electronic ping-pong game on the Magnavox Odyssey. Magnavox later sued Atari for patent infringement. In the 1975 Christmas season, Atari released a home version through Sears stores.
Why it matters
Pong was the first commercially successful video game. It helped establish the video game industry along with the Magnavox Odyssey.
Key facts
- Created in 1972 by Allan Alcorn.
- Atari's first game.
- Based on a game on the Magnavox Odyssey.
- Magnavox sued Atari for patent infringement.
- Home version sold through Sears in 1975.
Sources
- Wikipedia, "Pong", en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pong, accessed October 14, 2026.
- Wikipedia, "Atari", en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari, background reading, accessed October 14, 2026.