Pong
Allan Alcorn
American, born 1948
1972
A video game software work that turns a minimalist electronic display into a playable table-tennis simulation, aiming to create immediate, physical-feeling competition between two players.
The screen is spare and graphic: two vertically hatched white paddles face each other across a black field, a tiny square 'ball' hovers mid-flight, and a dotted center line cleaves the space into opposing halves.
Released commercially in 1972, Pong helped define interactive digital entertainment, proving that simple programmed motion and player input could launch a new industry and social pastime.
Medium
Video game software
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of Atari Interactive, Inc.
Accession
700.2013
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
