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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?"

9 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

  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. 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
  4. 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.

      --
      "Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
  5. 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.

  6. 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.
  7. 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();
  8. 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.