10 Questions
What was the daily production of Pong machines during Atari's early days?
About 10 machines
What was the profitability of Pong compared to other coin-operated games?
It brought in four times as much
Who was bought out as Atari grew?
Ted Dabney
Who were "the King, the Queen, and the Five Princes" in Atari's crew?
Ampex expatriates and young gun executives
Who was the only executive with a background in the coin-operated amusement industry?
Gene Lipkin
What was unusual about Atari board meetings?
They were held in hot tubs
What did Steve Mayer and Larry Emmons start in Grass Valley?
A consulting company
What did Grass Valley build for Atari?
Technical stuff that people said couldn't be built
What effect did Magnavox Odyssey have on Pong?
They had a complementary effect on each other
Who handled practical engineering matters at Atari?
Alcorn and Bristow
Study Notes
- Atari's game production started as a haphazard process, resulting in the production of about 10 Pong machines a day.
- Pong became one of the most profitable coin-operated games in history, frequently bringing in four times as much as other machines.
- Ted Dabney, Bushnell's longtime friend and co-founder of Atari, was bought out as the company outgrew him.
- Bushnell assembled a crew of Ampex expatriates and young gun executives, known as "the King, the Queen, and the Five Princes."
- Gene Lipkin was the only executive with a background in the coin-operated amusement industry.
- Atari board meetings were unconventional, held in hot tubs and sometimes involving drugs and alcohol.
- In 1974, Steve Mayer and Larry Emmons started a consulting company in Grass Valley, which became the Atari think-tank.
- Grass Valley built the technical stuff that people said couldn't be built.
- Magnavox Odyssey became increasingly popular as Pong expanded into new markets.
- Pong and Magnavox Odyssey had a complementary effect on each other.
- Grass Valley, California was a retreat location for Atari executives.
- Atari's success led to Bushnell focusing on future growth and new ideas.
- Bushnell applied for patents to protect Atari products.
- The patent for Pong's technology came too late to prevent imitators.
- Computerized ping-pong machines were in many US bars and bowling alleys.
- Atari made less than one-third of the ping-pong machines.
- Bushnell referred to competitors as "the Jackals."
- Grass Valley became an important part of Atari culture.
- Bushnell bought the Grass Valley facility outright.
- Alcorn and Bristow handled practical engineering matters.
How much do you know about the history of Atari and its iconic game, Pong? Test your knowledge with this quiz that covers everything from the company's unconventional board meetings to the complementary effect Pong had on its competitor, Magnavox Odyssey. See if you can answer questions about Atari's early days, its key players, and the factors that led to its success. This quiz is perfect for gaming enthusiasts and anyone interested in the history of technology and innovation.
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