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Atari Wants To Reinvent Pong

Posted by Soulskill on from the officially-out-of-ideas dept.

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?"

25 of 180 comments (clear)

  1. o like plasma pong by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    plasma pong...except atari had the creater take it down because of property rights

    1. Re:o like plasma pong by Dogtanian · · Score: 4, Interesting

      plasma pong...except atari had the creater take it down because of property rights

      There are doubtless countless clones, derivatives and clever variants of Pong. The fact that the current "Atari" (i.e. owners of the name/IP) will bless one as official probably makes little difference. It's common for such companies to produce numerous "official" sequels to famous arcade games over the years. Those are generally forgotten when they want to sell the *next* pointless update of the original.

      It's like Space Invaders. That's a very simple game- you can tart it up or add gimmicks, but they're either going to end up as (a) Space Invaders with shiny graphics, bells and whistles that just exaggerate how simplistic the core game is or (b) something so modernised and far from the original that it's an "in name only".

      The "truest" sequel would be a game that started from the same basic concept as Space Invaders, retaining what made it work, but moving it on and enhancing it, making the original look slightly staid in the process. But Namco basically did that (unofficially) already... 30 years ago with "Galaxian" and then "Galaga".

      Tetris is probably *the* uber-example of a simple game that works well *because* of its simplicity and absolutely doesn't need bells or whistles- the game was probably perfected with the Game Boy version. However, that hasn't stopped them making countless official sequels and spinoffs that add nothing but gimmickry to justify the sale of a game we've already bought many times. I appreciate that Alexey Pajitnov got shafted on the rights early on, and probably wants to make some money from his creation, but it doesn't change the fact that it's all pointless.

      --
      "Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
  2. Oh, oh, I know this one! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.

  3. Game play by thoughtspace · · Score: 4, Funny

    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.

  4. Ms. Pong by SteveFoerster · · Score: 5, Funny

    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
  5. Curveball by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    already been done... http://www.addictinggames.com/sports-games/curveball.jsp

  6. What's in a name? by macraig · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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.

    1. Re:What's in a name? by Dogtanian · · Score: 5, Informative

      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.

      Yep- the current "Atari" is really just the company formerly known as Infogrames, who bought the name from Hasbro Interactive around a decade back.

      The original- and most famous- Atari Inc. was split in 1984. The computer and home division became Jack Tramiel's Atari Corp. (legally separate, but an obvious successor in interest) which fizzled out in the mid-90s and merged with a second-rate hard drive manufacturer that went bankrupt soon after. The arcade division (Atari Games) was sold to Midway who dropped the "Atari" name in the late 90s, and closed it altogether a few years later.

      IMHO that's where anything resembling a true continuation of the original Atari ended.. Hasbro Interactive and Infogrames were/are connected in name and rights only, but obviously it serves Infogrames', er... *Atari's* retro-credibility better if they get to present themselves as the "classic" Atari and present Bushnell as- or at least imply that he was- their founder.

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    2. Re:What's in a name? by RyuuzakiTetsuya · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Bushnell is and was a whore.

      That fact alone makes the "new" Atari like the old one in the most important way possible. Except this one has sustainable ideas on how to structure it's business.

      --
      Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
  7. I see... by Vlaix · · Score: 3, Funny

    ... a post-modern Pong, where two balls would throw a stick at each other.

  8. The good answer won't be forthcoming ... by perpenso · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.

  9. AR by wbr1 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    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.
  10. Great, but... by SIR_Taco · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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.
  11. No, Sir ! by lbalbalba · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Im not telling you my hot new Pong ideas, no way ! Well, im off to collect my $100,000, see ya !

  12. Hah! by aarku · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.

    1. Re:Hah! by kat_skan · · Score: 5, Interesting

      What I really like is that the rules say that Atari becomes the owner of your entry. So if you don't win, you can't even throw your game on the app store and see it makes a few bucks there instead.

      Without limiting the foregoing, each Eligible Entrant agrees that upon completion of each stage of production of his or her Entry until final completion of such Entry, such completed stage of production, all materials used in the production of such completed stage of production, the Entry, all derivatives thereof, Eligible Entrant's contributions thereto, and all right, title and interest pertaining thereto, including without limitation the copyright and renewals and extensions thereof, shall be entirely the property of Sponsor.

      You'd have to be some kind of moron to enter this contest.

    2. Re:Hah! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      Seriously, anyone entering this should read the rules very carefully. First of all, it isn't a straight 100k. It's 50k with POTENTIAL for 100k depending on how well it sells. Also, they take all rights for anyone who even enters the contest. Why is that? That's because they aren't going to just sell a new Pong. They're selling a Pong Pak (c) according to the rules. So they're going to take all the entrants that are decent and create a PAK of Pong games and sell that for pure profit.

      Oh, and bonus, the whole 50k to 100k revenue sharing part is minus any and all costs they can conjure up to defray it. So if the CEO flies to Jamaica for a week to "promote" the game, that's coming our of your pay check. Just an FYI.

      This contest is bullshit pure and simple. It just ain't worth it.

  13. Misleading Title by devphaeton · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "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(); // try();
    1. Re:Misleading Title by faedle · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Doubly so considering Atari didn't invent Pong, they stole it from Magnavox and the original developer Ralph Baer.

  14. A nice way to steal our ideas and profit millions. by elucido · · Score: 3, Insightful

    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 :)

  15. They already made that game by SageinaRage · · Score: 4, Informative

    It's called Bit.Trip Beat and it's great.

  16. What does 21st century pong look like? by guttentag · · Score: 4, Funny

    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.

  17. This contest is bad for the contestants by bw777 · · Score: 3, Informative

    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.

  18. Think about your intellectual property before you by swell8 · · Score: 4, Informative

    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.

  19. Noooo! Danny, remember Bill Murray .. by way2trivial · · Score: 4, Funny

    "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