History- In 1972, Atari, led by Nolan Bushnell, released PONG, the game that launched the Arcade industry. The simple ball and paddle gameplay had captivated the public from the second it debuted at a run down tavern in Sunnyvale, California. PONG was created by Atari engineer Al Alcorn, who had been told to make a simple table tennis game as a way to practice making more complex games. The "practice" game turned out to be so entertaining that Bushnell decided to sell it as their first Arcade title.

The overwhelming success of the PONG coin-op led Atari to begin work on developing a home TV version of the arcade hit. Bushnell had seen a demonstration of Magnavox's Odyssey a few years earlier and was aware of the potential of home TV games. (Magnavox would later sue Atari, claiming that Bushnell had stolen the idea for PONG from the Odyssey Tennis game that he had seen at the demonstration.) Atari engineer Harold Lee proposed the home version of PONG in 1974, and after it was green lighted worked with Al Alcorn on a prototype.

Bushnell attempted to convince various retailers to carry PONG in their stores. However, the failure of the Odyssey and the PONG's $100 price tag made most retailers balk at carrying the product. After many rejections, Sears department stores finally agreed to carry PONG, just in time for the 1975 Christmas shopping season.

In 1975, PONG was sold under the Sears Tele-Games label. As part of the agreement between Atari and Sears, everytime Atari released a console, a Tele-Games version was to be made for release at Sears. This relationship will continue through the days of the 2600.

In 1976, Atari released their own version of PONG, which was sold in department stores other than Sears. PONG continued the success of it's first year, but it was soon noticed by many other electronics companies. Dozens of rival versions of PONG soon glutted the marketplace. Nolan Bushnell directed Atari to come up with newer and more advanced versions of PONG so they could stay ahead of the competition.

For the next few years, Atari released many variations of PONG. Newer variations included color graphics, on screen scoring, up to 4 player support, and multiple difficulties. Although Atari stayed ahead of the curve, it would soon become apparent that PONG was losing it's luster.

When Fairchild introduced their Video Entertainment System, which revolutionalized the home video game industry with it's programmable game cartridges, Atari knew that it had to move away from the dedicated PONG style console. The PONG line was soon discontinued in favor of the Video Computer System in 1977.

Console Variations- There are a total of 10 consoles in the Atari PONG line. All are basic table tennis style games that gradually added new features like 4 player support and multiple game modes....

Sears Tele-Games PONG- Released in 1975 by Sears. The very first PONG console. It played only one game, basic PONG, and had no extra settings. Up to two players could play at a time, using the built in knobs on the console. Sound came from the system itself, instead of the TV.

Atari PONG Model C-100- Released in 1976. The first PONG released under the Atari label. The only differance between the Atari version and Tele-Games version is the color scheme.

Atari PONG Doubles- Released in 1976. A 4 player version of basic PONG. The Sears Tele-Games version was called PONG IV.

Atari Super PONG- Released in 1976. Super PONG improved on it's predecessor by including 4 different variations of the original PONG. These included Hockey, and Handball.

Atari Hockey PONG- Released in 1976. Same as Super PONG, but with a different name.

Atari Super PONG 10- Released in 1976. This version allowed 4 players to play and included 10 different games. The console had the standard two controller knobs built in, but also included two controllers on wires.

Atari Super PONG Pro-Am- Released in 1977. Pro-Am marked the first change in the physical design of Atari's PONG console. The "pedestal" design of the previous PONGs was ditched in favor of a smaller and more slimmed down model. Pro-Am also added a difficulty setting which allowed players to switch between easy and hard mode.

Atari Super PONG Pro-Am 10- Released in 1977. Much like Super PONG 10, this version took the Pro-Am formula and expanded it to include 10 different game modes and up to 4 players. The Sears Tele-Games version is called Super Pong IV.

Atari Ultra PONG- Released in 1977. Atari upgraded from Super to Ultra, expanding the available game modes to 16. The Sears Tele-Games version is called Pong Sports II.

Atari Ultra PONG Doubles- Released in 1977. The same Ultra Pong, with 16 different game modes, but now supports up to 4 players. The Sears Tele-Games version is called Pong Sports IV.

Collector's Guide- Atari PONG consoles are highly sought after because of their important place in gaming history. Although many of these systems were produced, it can be difficult to find them in good condition because of their age. Boxed versions of the more common variants, regular PONG and Super PONG, are frequently found on Ebay, usually selling for $50-100. The original Sears Tele-Games Pong usually demands a premium. Loose versions are sold for much less.

Finding a PONG console in the wild, at garage sales or thrift stores is very difficult but not impossible. Later variants like Ultra PONG and Pro-Am seem to be a little more difficult to find than the earlier versions. The easiest way to find these systems are at conventions like CGE or NWCGE, where they are plentiful and reasonably priced

Gallery-