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Atari Wants To Reinvent Pong
mikejuk writes "Atari is offering up to $100,000 in a contest for a new version of Pong, the classic game that launched video games 40 years ago, for the iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch. The judges for the contest include Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari, who came up with the original idea for Pong. So, what does a 21st century Pong look like? How does it play? And what role does touch have in this, the simplest of games?"
plasma pong...except atari had the creater take it down because of property rights
It needs to be first person, it needs to have blood, also needs to have dubstep music.
Oh, and don't forget DLC with new tennis balls and racket designs.
You can't deny it Atari, this is the only way to go.
You have to get a Government form completed. You bounce backwards and forwards between departments. The only difference is that you never get out and the game lasts forever.
They should call it Ms. Pong, and it should be essentially the same game, except the ball has a ribbon in its hair.
Space game using normal deck of cards: http://BattleCards.org
already been done... http://www.addictinggames.com/sports-games/curveball.jsp
Try Air Hockey for iOS (maybe other platforms as well - I don't know). I'd imagine something with the Pong brand would do pretty well though.
Apparently everything, as it turns out. Atari is nothing but a name, bought and sold like something found at Best Buy, and now brandished by a company with no resemblance or heritage to the company that defined the name.
Arkanoid?
... a post-modern Pong, where two balls would throw a stick at each other.
http://www.indiegamemag.com/slicing-the-industrys-atari-just-how-offensive-is-the-pong-indie-developer-challenge
No further comment. Just read it!
Atari is offering up to $100,000 in a contest for a new version of Pong ... So, what does a 21st century Pong look like?
You realize that the people with the really good ideas are not going to answer your question given the prize money at stake? You are going to have to wait for the end of the contest to get your answer.
Augmented reality pong. There is no ball, but you and the other player swing your devices around madly whilst still trying to see the virtual ball superimposed on reality. Should result in many dropped or flung devices and a surge in replacement sales.
Silence is a state of mime.
Use the accelerometers such that the entire phone is your paddle.
Eligibility:
"The contest is open only to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columba, eighteen (18) years of age or older as of the date of their entry who have an Apple developer ID and have published a valid and proper Apple iTunes U.S. App Store game prior to the date of their entry...."
I was semi-excited there for a minute.
I say don't drink and drive, you might spill your drink. Before you get behind the wheel just stop and think.
Im not telling you my hot new Pong ideas, no way ! Well, im off to collect my $100,000, see ya !
That is what 21st Century Pong looks like.
I like microcars
This is an insanely cheap way for them to get software developed for their brand. A straight $100k with no significant % of income is a rip off for the developer in this market. A good branded Pong app will make millions. A similar brand only gets about 20-25% of the sales. But I'm sure they'll get plenty of entries. Ah well, to be young and ignorant again.
"Atari Wants To Reinvent Pong" is incorrect. It should be:
"Foreign company that owns the Atari trademark wants someone else to reinvent Pong for them, because they blew it trying to reboot a few of Atari's classic titles themselves."
do() || do_not();
I have had ideas for new versions of pong and for many games but I damn sure am not going to give my idea to Atari or any game company. Atari if you want my idea for pong hire me for $100,000 a year and I'll even help you code it.
Otherwise fuck off :)
It's called Bit.Trip Beat and it's great.
One of the best, recent pong/breakout/arkanoid style games I've seen as of recently is just as you describe - Shatter. www.shattergame.com and http://store.steampowered.com/app/20820/ for more info. It has many levels that spherical/circular in design, sometimes in different "stages" - stage one is against the "front hex" , stage 2 is the "back hex" stage 3 is inside the sphere against the "second-tier front hex and then third-tier front hex" followed by your ship going deeper inside until fighting the "core" in a boss fight.
What does 21st century pong look like?
Imagine a man in an orange jumpsuit with black lettering that reads "enemy combatant." He's wandering around a cell at Guantanamo Bay, alternately bumping into a U.S. military judge, a civilian judge and an official from his home country, who keep shoving him back toward the others.
It's accurate, but not much fun.
Don't you mean the people who bought the name/rights after the real Atari quietly disbanded and had its "brains" scatted among silicon valley, to be absorbed into the gray corporate goo? ( http://www.atarihq.com/othersec/dthomas/100496.html )
This is just another investment firm trying to profit off the past of others. Just say no.
Ya, i'm still resentful, even after all these years.
---- Booth was a patriot ----
Gamasutra covered how much of a scam this contest is.
The executive summary: Atari gets full ownership and rights to every submission, winning or otherwise, and you'll never earn anywhere near $100k even if you win the top prize.
All of this is rather unsurprising, given the dirty tricks Atari Legal have been playing lately.
I started submitting an idea for this in line with a game I am presently working on. At a glance, they seem to share profit and everything is ok, but read the rules. This is what you give up with your entry: All Entries become the sole and exclusive property of Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned. Sponsor shall own all right, title and interest in and to each Entry, including without limitation all results and proceeds thereof and all elements or constituent parts of Entry (including without limitation the Mobile App, the Design Documents, the Video Trailer, the Playable and all illustrations, logos, mechanicals, renderings, characters, graphics, designs, layouts or other material therein) and all copyrights and renewals and extensions of copyrights therein and thereto. http://files.atari.com/pongContest/Indie_Pong_Developer_Challenge_Rules.pdf I bet this company has no clue how to reinvent PONG or how to successfully reach the mobile market. Under $50,000 in cash is not worth a real developer's time an intellectual property and that's just the winner. They own every entry, so without getting a dime, they own full rights to every idea in your submission. This type of exploitation of talent in the form of a gimmicky competition makes me sick. I can't believe I let myself get excited about it at first. Don't let the same thing happen to you.
Let's face it, we're dealing with two sticks... and a ball. The only real way I would think it could "revolutionized" is instead of having on a 2d playing field, have it be more 3d oriented inside of a sphere. Again, though... it'll still be 2 sticks and a ball.
"Be the ball!"
It's all about different perspective!
I want a pong where game play is I'm the ball and I choose the amount of english on the spin
I want frogger from a first person view. I want an turn based "defender" where I control a massive army against an overpowered computer AI player.
Dammit, I want a lunar lander where I am fucking gravity......
every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
If you want to use my idea, feel free to take it an run with it. Just promise to cut me in for a small share. ;-)
Pong is tired because it's a flat the game needs to evolve.
At the start screen you first choose a character, like baseball player, karate guy, lacrosse player, soccer player, etc.
- Stage 1: classic pong, that looks nearly identical to the classic. Only some minor variation based on your character choice. For example, the baseball player may have a little longer paddle, and the soccer player can get more deflection on the puck if he hits it on the edges. The puck slowly gets faster with each hit (to ensure the round progresses quickly). Play to 6 or whatever round-number so puck serves to each side equal #'s.
- Stage 2: upgraded pong. I call it "force pong" in my notes. You have the ability to hit a button to effect the puck. Effects depends on character. Baseball = harder (but less deflection) . Lacrosse may nab the puck for a split second and release it with extremely high deflection, karate guy "damages" the puck so on it's next rebound to him it travels at a slighter slower speed, etc. If you use a special effect then it take xx seconds to recharge, and your paddle moves slower while you recharge.
- Stage 3: 3D pong, with player. Now you see a 2D render of your selected character, and the world looks like a 'Street Fighter' type match-up screen. There are now physics in the game (gravity from top of screen toward bottom) will pull the puck downward, etc. Instead of only slide up and down now you need to crouch, stand, jump, or double jump to get to the puck. Players still only get very basic "effects" on the puck. Eg, baseball guy can get line-drive and bunt.
- Stage 4: battle ball. Same as above but now you get attacks and more special moves. (And ability to go into a "block" stance). Lacrosse player tries to peg you with a rock, baseball player "greases the ball" to reduce your deflection or even allow ball to go past on a near-hit. All effects still only effect the puck movement, or effect the players move speed or special power attacks. Scoring is still classic pong style: ball goes past == 1 point.
- Stage 5: Hero mode. Your players turn full-blown comic book style, with styling like Street Fighter. You now have a full retinue of moves. Your scoring in rounds 1-2 determine your health bar, and rounds 3-4 determine your special power bar and recharge speed. Now is the only "real" round to determine the winner. Any puck that goes past you now only lowers your health a bit, and then it will rebound back to the opposing player. This allows fast, non-stop action, and the potential for combo attacks. Karate guy can now throw energy balls, baseball guy can hit a line-drive flaming ball directly at the opponent (stand in way == health damage, block == slight damage, but successful riposte == extremely high speed return), etc.
As you can see, this game becomes more of a classic 2D fighter than just straight pong. But it sticks with the heart of pong since at it's heart it's still a "goal defense" game. I think it'd be fun to play. You can also offer a direct-to-stage-5 mode to play for players that only want the "final" game.
Anyhow, I hope somebody sees this, and thinks it's worth a shot. I wish you the best of luck! If you want to catch me you can email me at my username at gmail.com.