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What they actually mean is that pong is boring compared to video games that came after, hence this line. > And yet as a Gen-Xer born too late to have enjoyed P
by wilsonnb3 4y ago
What they actually mean is that pong is boring compared to video games that came after, hence this line.
> And yet as a Gen-Xer born too late to have enjoyed Pong as a child, I have trouble fathoming how anyone could sit in front of a TV watching a square dot—not even a round ball—bounce back and forth across the dark, featureless screen. Was this really fun?
- checkyoursudo 4y agoAs a Gen Xer myself, I enjoyed climbing trees, roasting marshmallows, playing chess, camping in the woods, and building tree forts from scrap and sticks as a kid, despite the fact (as I am led to understand) that these are not bleeding-edge activities. I also enjoyed pong, despite being created before I was even born, as shocking as that may be to the author! Pong is enjoyable today for the same reason that IRL table tennis is still enjoyable today, and the reason isn't the graphical fidelity of the paddles and ball (in either case).
- mrguyorama 4y agoSince the entire point of pong was to compete with someone else, yes, of course that tiny dot moving around a black screen IS fun, because for many people, winning competition, no matter how trivial or contrived or pointless is very very fun.
- darreninthenet 4y agoAs a GenX'r myself who's first video gaming experience at a young age was a little console (no idea what it was, it wasn't a famous brand) that played Pong, it was enormous fun and 5(?) year old me was always bugging my Dad to get the "special TV" out and tune it into the console... years later one of my favourite public domain games on my Amiga was PowerPong