Atari Pong

Summary

Following Pong’s huge success in arcades from 1972, Atari decided to develop a home console version. Three years later, it introduced its first home Pong console, model C-100, complete with the characteristic Pong sound.

The first game console, the Odyssey, achieved little success, and Magnavox stopped production in 1974. Atari Pong also initially attracted little interest in 1975. Only when retail giant Sears took over marketing and ordered 150,000 consoles did it become a Christmas-season success. Sears sold it under the Tele-Games name.

Between 1975 and 1977 Atari developed several telegames connected to the TV, such as PONG Double for 4 players, or Super PONG TEN with 10 variants of the Pong game.

Not only Atari develops pong consoles, but also competitors. In 1978, Pong becomes so popular that the market collapses under a variety of imitations.