King PONG

King PONG traces how Atari’s 1972 arcade hit PONG reshaped our relationship with games and technology. Using product positioning, market development, and category creation as lenses, Raiford Guins explains why this simple game endured—from coin‑op staple to home console, mobile app, and cultural touchstone. This book is the first devoted to the unassuming title that helped launch a consumer video‑game industry, and as a Game Histories series entry, it follows Atari’s evolving business practices as it moved from arcade novelty to broad consumer reach. Guins blends archival research with clear, engaging storytelling to show how PONG’s success was less about novelty and more about strategic market creation, distribution, and user experience. Along the way, he highlights the broader impact on game design, branding, and the infant video‑game ecosystem, including Guins’ own explorations of industry history and the famous Atari landfill tale that underscores the field’s complexity.

Who might be interested in reading?

• People interested in the origins of the video game industry and how business strategy shapes technology.
• Readers who enjoy business history, archival research, and case studies of tech startups.
• Gamers and media enthusiasts curious about the cultural impact of Pong and early home gaming.
• Students or professionals in media studies, design, or entrepreneurship who want a narrative of industry formation.