Editing Pong (section)

==Impact and legacy==
{{see also|Video game industry#History|l1=History of the video game industry}}
[[File:Турнир-Game-Console.jpg|thumb|left|Dedicated ''Pong'' consoles made their way to various countries, like the Soviet [[Turnir (console)|Turnir]].]]

The ''Pong'' arcade games manufactured by Atari were a great success. The prototype was well received by Andy Capp's Tavern patrons; people came to the bar solely to play the game.<ref name="PriceGuide-1"/><ref name="Ultimate-4"/> Following its release, ''Pong'' consistently earned four times more revenue than other coin-operated machines.<ref name="Ultimate-8">{{cite book| title = Ultimate History of Video Games| first = Steven| last = Kent| pages = 53–54| chapter = The King and Court| publisher = Three Rivers Press| isbn = 0-7615-3643-4| year = 2001}}</ref> Bushnell estimated that the game earned US$35–40 per day (i.e.{{nbsp}}140–160 plays daily per console at $0.25 per play), which he described as nothing he'd ever seen before in the coin-operated entertainment industry at the time.<ref name="GI-215"/> The game's earning power resulted in an increase in the number of orders Atari received. This provided Atari with a steady source of income; the company sold the machines at three times the [[Cost-of-production theory of value|cost of production]]. By 1973, the company had filled 2,500&nbsp;orders, and at the end of 1974, sold more than 8,000&nbsp;units.<ref name="Ultimate-8"/> The arcade cabinets have since become collector's items, with [[cocktail cabinet]]s being the rarest.<ref name="PriceGuide-5">{{cite book| title = Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games| first = David| last = Ellis| page = [https://archive.org/details/officialpricegui00davi/page/400 400]| chapter = Arcade Classics| publisher = Random House| isbn = 0-375-72038-3| year = 2004| chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/officialpricegui00davi/page/400}}</ref> Soon after the game's successful testing at Andy Capp's Tavern, other companies began visiting the bar to inspect it. Similar games appeared on the market three months later, produced by companies like Ramtek and [[Nutting Associates]].<ref name="Ultimate-9">{{cite book| title = Ultimate History of Video Games| first = Steven| last = Kent| pages = 60–61| chapter = The Jackals| publisher = Three Rivers Press| isbn = 0-7615-3643-4| year = 2001}}</ref> Atari could do little against the competitors as they had not initially filed for patents on the [[Solid state (electronics)|solid state]] technology used in the game. When the company did file for patents, complications delayed the process. As a result, the market consisted primarily of "''Pong'' clones"; author Steven Kent estimated that Atari had produced less than a third of the machines.<ref name="Ultimate-10">{{cite book| title = Ultimate History of Video Games| first = Steven| last = Kent| page = 58| chapter = The King and Court| publisher = Three Rivers Press| isbn = 0-7615-3643-4| year = 2001}}</ref> Bushnell referred to the competitors as "Jackals" because he felt they had an unfair advantage. His solution to competing against them was to produce more innovative games and concepts.<ref name="Ultimate-9"/><ref name="Ultimate-10"/>

''Home Pong'' was an instant success following its limited 1975 release through Sears; around 150,000&nbsp;units were sold that holiday season.<ref name="PriceGuide-2">{{cite book| title = Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games| first = David| last = Ellis| pages = [https://archive.org/details/officialpricegui00davi/page/33 33–36]| chapter = Dedicated Consoles| publisher = Random House| isbn = 0-375-72038-3| year = 2004| chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/officialpricegui00davi/page/33}}</ref><ref name="Ultimate-Home3">{{cite book| title = Ultimate History of Video Games| first = Steven| last = Kent| pages = 94–95| chapter = Strange Bedfellows| publisher = Three Rivers Press| isbn = 0-7615-3643-4| year = 2001}}</ref> The game became Sears' most successful product at the time, which earned Atari a Sears Quality Excellence Award.<ref name="Ultimate-Home3"/> Atari's own version sold an additional 50,000 units.<ref>{{cite magazine | url = https://www.wired.com/2012/06/atari-40th-anniversary/ | title = Timeline: A Look Back at 40 Years of Atari | first = John | last = Booth | date = 27 June 2012 | access-date = 14 August 2020 | magazine = [[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] }}</ref> Similar to the arcade version, several companies released clones to capitalize on the home console's success, many of which continued to produce new consoles and video games. Magnavox re-released their Odyssey system with simplified hardware and new features and, later, released updated versions. [[Coleco]] entered the video game market with their [[Telstar (game console)|Telstar console]]; it features three ''Pong'' variants and was also succeeded by newer models.<ref name="PriceGuide-2"/> Nintendo released the [[Color TV-Game|Color TV-Game 6]] in 1977, which plays six variations of electronic tennis. The next year, it was followed by an updated version, the Color TV-Game 15, which features fifteen variations. The systems were Nintendo's entry into the home video game market and the first to produce themselves—they had previously licensed the Magnavox Odyssey.<ref name="GameOver-LightTennis"/> The dedicated ''Pong'' consoles and the numerous clones have since become varying levels of rare; Atari's ''Pong'' consoles are common, while APF Electronics' [[APF TV Fun|TV Fun]] consoles are moderately rare.<ref name="PriceGuide-3">{{cite book| title = Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games| first = David| last = Ellis| pages = [https://archive.org/details/officialpricegui00davi/page/37 37–41]| chapter = Dedicated Consoles| publisher = Random House| isbn = 0-375-72038-3| year = 2004| chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/officialpricegui00davi/page/37}}</ref> Prices among collectors, however, vary with rarity; the Sears Tele-Games versions are often cheaper than those with the Atari brand.<ref name="PriceGuide-2"/>

Several publications consider ''Pong'' the game that launched the [[video game industry]] as a lucrative enterprise.<ref name="AmerHert"/><ref name="Gamesutra-Pong"/><ref name="IGN-Pong">{{cite web| url = http://www.ign.com/games/pong/arcade-9096| title = Pong| website = [[IGN]]| access-date = 25 December 2008| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120702082633/http://www.ign.com/games/pong/arcade-9096| archive-date = 2 July 2012| url-status = live| df = dmy-all}}</ref> Video game author David Ellis sees the game as the cornerstone of the video game industry's success, and called the arcade game "one of the most historically significant" titles.<ref name="PriceGuide-1"/><ref name="PriceGuide-5"/> Kent attributes the "arcade phenomenon" to ''Pong'' and Atari's games that followed it, and considers the release of the home version the successful beginning of home [[video game console]]s.<ref name="Ultimate-9"/><ref name="Ultimate-Home3"/> Bill Loguidice and Matt Barton of [[Gamasutra]] referred to the game's release as the start of a new entertainment medium, and commented that its simple, intuitive gameplay made it a success.<ref name="Gamesutra-Pong"/> In 1995, [[Flux (magazine)|Flux]] magazine ranked the game 56th on their "Top 100 Video Games."<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=April 1995 |title=Top 100 Video Games |url=https://archive.org/details/flux-issue-4/page/n29/mode/2up |magazine=Flux  |issue=4 |pages=31}}</ref> In 1996 ''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'' named it one of the "Top 100 Games of All Time", recounting that "''Next Generation'' staff ignor[ed] hundreds of thousands of dollars of 32-bit software to play ''Pong'' for hours when the Genesis version was released."<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Top 100 Games of All Time |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=21 |date=September 1996|page=47}}</ref> In 1999, ''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'' listed ''Pong'' as number 34 on their "Top 50 Games of All Time", commenting that, "Despite, or perhaps because of, its simplicity, ''Pong'' is the ultimate two-player challenge – a test of reaction times and very simple strategy stripped down to its barest essentials."<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Top 50 Games of All Time |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=50 |date=February 1999|page=76}}</ref> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' named ''Pong'' one of the top ten games for the Atari 2600 in 2013.<ref name=ew>{{cite magazine | url=http://www.ew.com/article/2013/01/25/the-10-best-atari-games | first=Aaron | last=Morales | title=The 10 best Atari games | magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] | date=25 January 2013 | access-date=17 April 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180115174334/http://ew.com/article/2013/01/25/the-10-best-atari-games/ | archive-date=15 January 2018 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }}</ref> Many of the companies that produced their own versions of ''Pong'' eventually became well known within the industry. [[Nintendo]] entered the video game market with clones of ''Home Pong''. The revenue generated from them—each system sold over a million units—helped the company survive a difficult financial time, and spurred them to pursue video games further.<ref name="GameOver-LightTennis">{{cite book| title = [[Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children]]| first = David| last = Sheff| author-link = David Sheff| chapter = In Heaven's Hands| pages = [https://archive.org/details/gameoverhowninte00shef/page/26 26–28]| publisher = Random House| isbn = 0-679-40469-4| edition = 1st| year = 1993}}</ref> After seeing the success of ''Pong'', [[Konami]] decided to break into the arcade game market and released its first title, ''Maze''. Its moderate success drove the company to develop more titles.<ref>{{cite magazine| title = Developer Lookback: Konami Part I| magazine = [[Retro Gamer]]| issue = 53| page = 25|date=August 2008| author = Retro Gamer Staff}}</ref> In 2015, [[The Strong National Museum of Play]] inducted ''Pong'' to its [[World Video Game Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Pong |url=https://www.museumofplay.org/games/pong/ |website=[[The Strong National Museum of Play]] |publisher=[[The Strong]] |access-date=6 May 2022}}</ref>

Bushnell felt that ''Pong'' was especially significant in its role as a [[social lubricant]], since it was multiplayer-only and did not require each player to use more than one hand: "It was very common to have a girl with a quarter in hand pull a guy off a bar stool and say, 'I'd like to play ''Pong'' and there's nobody to play.' It was a way you could play games, you were sitting shoulder to shoulder, you could talk, you could laugh, you could challenge each other ... As you became better friends, you could put down your beer and hug. You could put your arm around the person. You could play left-handed if you so desired. In fact, there are a lot of people who have come up to me over the years and said, 'I met my wife playing ''Pong'',' and that's kind of a nice thing to have achieved."<ref>{{cite magazine|title=What the Hell has Nolan Bushnell Started? |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=4|date=April 1995|page=11}}</ref>

===Ports===
Atari remade the game on numerous platforms. In 1977, ''Pong'' and several variants of the game were featured in ''[[Video Olympics]]'', one of the original release titles for the [[Atari 2600]].

''Pong'' has also been included in several Atari compilations on many different platforms, such as ''[[Arcade Classics]]'' on the [[Sega Genesis]], Paired with ''[[Asteroids (video game)|Asteroids]]'' and ''[[Yars' Revenge]]'' on the [[Game Boy Advance]]. ''Atari Classics Evolved'' on the [[PlayStation Portable]], ''[[Retro Atari Classics]]'' on the [[Nintendo DS]], and ''[[Atari Anthology|Atari: 80 Classic Games in One!]]'' for [[personal computer]], and the ''[[Atari 50|Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration]]'' (2022) compilation for [[Nintendo Switch]], [[PlayStation 4]], [[Steam (service)|Steam]], and [[Xbox One]].<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.ign.com/games/arcade-classics/gen-591| title = Arcade Classics| website = [[IGN]]| access-date = 25 December 2008| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150713094513/http://www.ign.com/games/arcade-classics/gen-591| archive-date = 13 July 2015| url-status = live| df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.gamespot.com/psp/action/atariclassicsevolved/news.html?sid=6184181| title = Retro Arcade Masterpieces Hit Store Shelves in Atari Classics Evolved| author = Atari| website = [[GameSpot]]| date = 20 December 2007| access-date = 25 December 2008| author-link = Atari| archive-url= https://archive.today/20120913102038/http://www.gamespot.com/news/retro-arcade-masterpieces-hit-store-shelves-in-atari-classics-evolved-6184181| archive-date= 13 September 2012| url-status= dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/retro-atari-classics-review/1900-6120954/| title = Retro Atari Classics Review| first = Jeff| last = Gerstmann| author-link = Jeff Gerstmann| website = GameSpot| date = 23 March 2005| access-date = 25 December 2008| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180316024040/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/retro-atari-classics-review/1900-6120954/| archive-date = 16 March 2018| url-status = live| df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/atari80games/news.html?sid=6094407| title = Atari: 80 Classic Games in One Company Line| website = GameSpot| date = 23 April 2004| access-date = 25 December 2008 | archive-url= https://archive.today/20120905164829/http://www.gamespot.com/news/atari-80-classic-games-in-one-company-line-6094407|archive-date=5 September 2012| url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.gamespot.com/articles/atari-opens-up-massive-classic-game-library/1100-6106808/| title = Atari opens up massive classic-game library| first = Chris| last = Kohler| website = GameSpot| date = 7 September 2004| access-date = 25 December 2008| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180125120143/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/atari-opens-up-massive-classic-game-library/1100-6106808/| archive-date = 25 January 2018| url-status = live| df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Machkovech|first=Sam|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/09/the-103-classic-games-that-did-and-didnt-make-the-atari-50-anniversary-cut/|title=The 103 Classic Games That Did, and Didn't, Make the Atari 50 Anniversary Cut — Retailer Leak Suggests Games from Arcade to Jaguar; Surprises Apparently Still Await|work=[[Ars Technica]]|publisher=[[Condé Nast]]|date=September 12, 2022|access-date=May 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220914101824/https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/09/the-103-classic-games-that-did-and-didnt-make-the-atari-50-anniversary-cut/|archive-date=September 14, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref>

Through an agreement with Atari, [[Bally Technologies|Bally Gaming and Systems]] developed a [[slot machine]] version of the game.<ref name="PongSlots">{{cite web| url = http://www.gamespot.com/arcade/action/pong/news.html?sid=6107053| title = Atari, Alliance Gaming to Develop Slots Based on Atari Video Games| website = GameSpot| date = 9 September 2004| access-date = 25 December 2008 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130111002707/http://www.gamespot.com/news/atari-alliance-gaming-to-develop-slots-based-on-atari-video-games-6107053|archive-date=11 January 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The game was also included as a loading screen minigame on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions of ''[[TD Overdrive: The Brotherhood of Speed]]''; however, the Windows version doesn't include it.<ref>{{cite magazine| url = http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=28451| title = PS2 Review: TD Overdrive| magazine = [[Computer and Video Games]]| first = Simon| last = Munk| date = 4 May 2002| access-date = 25 December 2008 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070309003314/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=28451|archive-date=9 March 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/qt_tdoverdrive| title = TD Overdrive Xbox Review| date = 18 August 2002| author = Gestalt| website = [[Eurogamer]]| access-date = 25 December 2008| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111113131227/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/qt_tdoverdrive| archive-date = 13 November 2011| url-status = live| df = dmy-all}}</ref>

===Sequels and remakes===
[[File:Atari Super Pong IV (1976) 2.jpg|thumb|alt=Photograph of a dedicated video game console.|Tele-Games ''Pong IV'', [[Sears]]' version of ''Pong'' sequel (''Pong Doubles''), was one of the many consoles that flooded the market by 1977.]]
Bushnell felt the best way to compete against imitators was to create better products, leading Atari to produce sequels in the years following the original's release: ''Pong Doubles'', ''Super Pong'', ''Quadrapong'' and ''Pinpong''.<ref name="Fever"/> The sequels feature similar graphics, but include new gameplay elements; for example, ''Pong Doubles'' allows four players to compete in pairs, while ''Quadrapong''—also released by [[Kee Games]] as ''Elimination''—has them compete against each other in a four-way field.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9075| title = Pong Doubles| publisher = Killer List of Videogames| access-date = 31 December 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9187| title = Quadrapong| publisher = Killer List of Videogames| access-date = 31 December 2008}}</ref> Bushnell also conceptualized a [[free-to-play]] version of ''Pong'' to entertain children in a Doctor's office. He initially titled it ''Snoopy Pong'' and fashioned the cabinet after [[Snoopy]]'s doghouse with the character on top, but retitled it to ''[[Doctor Pong|Puppy Pong]]'' and altered Snoopy to a generic dog to avoid legal action. Bushnell later used the game in his chain of [[Chuck E. Cheese|Chuck E. Cheese's]] restaurants.<ref name="Fever"/><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=7597| title = Doctor Pong| publisher = Killer List of Videogames| access-date = 31 December 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9159| title = Puppy Pong| publisher = Killer List of Videogames| access-date = 31 December 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9598| title = Snoopy Pong| publisher = Killer List of Videogames| access-date = 31 December 2008}}</ref><ref name="PriceGuide-4">{{cite book| title = Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games| first = David| last = Ellis| pages = [https://archive.org/details/officialpricegui00davi/page/402 402]| chapter = Dedicated Consoles| publisher = Random House| isbn = 0-375-72038-3| year = 2004| chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/officialpricegui00davi/page/402}}</ref> In 1976, Atari released ''[[Breakout (video game)|Breakout]]'', a single-player variation of ''Pong'' where the object of the game is to remove bricks from a wall by hitting them with a ball.<ref name="Ultimate-7">{{cite book| title = Ultimate History of Video Games| first = Steven| last = Kent| page = 71| chapter = The Jackals| publisher = Three Rivers Press| isbn = 0-7615-3643-4| year = 2001}}</ref> Like ''Pong'', ''Breakout'' was followed by [[Breakout clone|numerous clones]] that copied the basic gameplay, such as ''[[Arkanoid]]'', ''[[Alleyway (video game)|Alleyway]]'', and ''[[Break 'Em All]]''.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1630/breaking_down_breakout_system_and_.php| title = Breaking Down Breakout: System And Level Design For Breakout-style Games| first = Mark| last = Nelson| website = Gamasutra| date = 21 August 2007| access-date = 23 February 2011| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110228031838/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1630/breaking_down_breakout_system_and_.php| archive-date = 28 February 2011| url-status = dead| df = dmy-all}}</ref>

A [[3D computer graphics|3D]] [[platform game]] with [[puzzle]] and [[Shooter game|shooter]] elements was reportedly in development by [[Atari Corporation]] for the [[Atari Jaguar]] in September 1995 under the title ''Pong 2000'', as part of their series of arcade game updates for the system and was set to have an original storyline for it,<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Quartermann|url=https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File:EGM_US_070.pdf&page=54|title=Gaming Gossip|magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=70|date=May 1995|page=54}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Gore|first=Chris|url=https://archive.org/stream/Video_Games_The_Ultimate_Gaming_Magazine_Issue_80_September_1995#page/n21/mode/1up|title=The Gorescore – Industry News You Can – The Return of Pong|magazine=[[VideoGames & Computer Entertainment#VideoGames - The Ultimate Gaming Magazine|VideoGames – The Ultimate Gaming Magazine]]|issue=80|date=September 1995|page=20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Schmudde|url=https://atariage.com/forums/topic/231545-lost-interview-with-francois-yves-bertrand/|title=Lost interview with Francois Yves Bertrand|website=[[AtariAge]]|date=5 November 2014|access-date=2019-04-12}}</ref> but it was never released.

In 1999, [[Hasbro Interactive]] released a new title known as ''[[Pong: The Next Level]]'' for home computers and the [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]]. This game was released as part of a trend within the time period of popular arcade games being remade with [[3D computer graphics|3D graphics]] and art styles. The game also featured many [[power-up]]s.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.ign.com/games/pong-the-next-level/pc-13321| title = Pong: The Next Level (PC)| website = [[IGN]]| access-date = 11 January 2009| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121031105332/http://www.ign.com/games/pong-the-next-level/pc-13321| archive-date = 31 October 2012| url-status = live| df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.ign.com/games/pong-the-next-level/ps-11431| title = Pong: The Next Level (PlayStation)| website = [[IGN]]| access-date = 9 January 2009| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121026071945/http://www.ign.com/games/pong-the-next-level/ps-11431| archive-date = 26 October 2012| url-status = live| df = dmy-all}}</ref>

In 2012, Atari celebrated the 40th anniversary of ''Pong'' by releasing ''Pong World'' for [[iOS]], which was developed by zGames.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.engadget.com/2012/11/29/atari-40th-anniversary-pong-world/| title = Atari celebrates 40 years of Pong with new, free iOS Pong game, custom portable Xbox 360| date = 29 November 2012| publisher = [[Engadget]]| access-date = 12 July 2015| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170906091244/https://www.engadget.com/2012/11/29/atari-40th-anniversary-pong-world/| archive-date = 6 September 2017| url-status = live| df = dmy-all}}</ref> In 2020, a new game titled ''Pong Quest'' was developed by Chequered Ink and released by [[Atari, Inc. (1993–present)|Atari]] on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pong Quest|url=https://www.atari.com/games/pong-quest/|website=[[Atari]]|archive-date=February 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220211130715/https://www.atari.com/games/pong-quest/}}</ref> A remake of ''Pong'' has been announced for release exclusively for the [[Intellivision Amico]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Intellivision Reveals Initial Details For The Upcoming Amico Home Video Game Console!|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/intellivision-reveals-initial-details-for-the-upcoming-amico-home-video-game-console-300734998.html|website=PR Newswire|author=Intellivision Entertainment|date=22 October 2018|access-date=12 February 2021}}</ref>

===In popular culture===
<!-- Please keep this listing limited to actual appearances of Pong-type coin-ops and consoles in movies, or where the name/or game of Pong is integral to the subject itself. The Airport '77 and King of the Hill episode entries are examples of the first, and the Frank Black song and Andy Roddick commercial are examples of the latter. If not sure, kindly refer to this article's talk page. -->
[[File:Universum TV Multispiel 2006.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|First generation ''Pong'' console in a retro 1970s installation at the [[Computerspielemuseum Berlin]], in 2017|alt=Two children playing ''Pong'' on a television set.]]
The game is featured in episodes of television series including ''[[That '70s Show]]'',<ref>{{cite episode| title = Punk Chick| episode-link = List of That '70s Show episodes#Season 1: 1998–1999| series = That '70s Show| series-link = That '70s Show| network = Fox Broadcasting Company| air-date= 21 June 1999| season = 1| number = 22}}</ref> ''[[King of the Hill]]''<ref>{{cite episode| title = It Ain't Over 'Til the Fat Neighbor Sings| episode-link = List of King of the Hill episodes#Season 9: 2004–2005| series = King of the Hill| series-link = King of the Hill| network = Fox Broadcasting Company| air-date= 15 May 2005| season = 9| number = 15}}</ref> and ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''.<ref>{{cite episode| title = Episode 5| episode-link = List of Saturday Night Live episodes#Season 1| series = Saturday Night Live| series-link = Saturday Night Live| network = NBC| location = New York City| air-date= 15 November 1975| season = 1| number = 5}}</ref> In 2006, an [[American Express]] commercial featured [[Andy Roddick]] in a tennis match against the white, in-game paddle.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://kotaku.com/gaming/television/roddick-vs-pong-195709.php| title = Roddick vs. Pong| first = Brian| last = Ashcraft| date = 22 August 2006| publisher = [[Kotaku]]| access-date = 26 December 2008|archive-url=https://archive.today/20090629220432/http://kotaku.com/gaming/television/roddick-vs-pong-195709.php|archive-date=29 June 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> Other video games have also referenced and parodied ''Pong''; for example [[Neuromancer (video game)|''Neuromancer'']] for the [[Commodore 64]] and ''[[Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts]]'' for the [[Xbox 360]].<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/greatestgames/p-37.html| title = The Greatest Games of All Time: Neuromancer| first = Sam| last = Parker| date = 13 February 2004| website = GameSpot| access-date = 14 January 2009 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130102171130/http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/greatestgames/p-37.html|archive-date=2 January 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.gamespot.com/articles/banjo-kazooie-nuts-and-bolts-updated-hands-on/1100-6197547/| title = Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts Updated Hands-On| first = Luke| last = Anderson| website = GameSpot| date = 11 September 2008| access-date = 14 January 2009| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171223220152/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/banjo-kazooie-nuts-and-bolts-updated-hands-on/1100-6197547/| archive-date = 23 December 2017| url-status = live| df = dmy-all}}</ref> The concert event [[Video Games Live]] has performed audio from ''Pong'' as part of a special retro "Classic Arcade Medley".<ref>{{cite web| url = http://games.ign.com/articles/816/816582p1.html| title = Microsoft Brings Video Games Live To London| website = GameSpot| author = Microsoft| date = 28 August 2007| access-date = 7 September 2008| author-link = Microsoft |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070719050209/http://games.ign.com/articles/816/816582p1.html|archive-date=19 July 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Black Francis|Frank Black]]'s song "Whatever Happened to Pong?" on the album ''[[Teenager of the Year (album)|Teenager of the Year]]'' references the game's elements.<ref>{{cite AV media| people = [[Black Francis|Frank Black]] (Singer)| title= Album: [[Teenager of the Year (album)|Teenager of the Year]] Song: Whatever Happened to Pong?| date = 23 May 1994| publisher = [[Elektra Records]]}}</ref>

Dutch design studio Buro Vormkrijgers created a ''Pong''-themed clock as a fun project within their offices. After the studio decided to manufacture it for retail, Atari took legal action in February 2006. The two companies eventually reached an agreement in which Buro Vormkrijgers could produce a limited number under license.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://kotaku.com/gaming/pong-clock/atari-threatens-pong-clock-makers-157394.php| title = Atari Threatens Pong Clock Makers| publisher = Kotaku| date = 28 February 2006| first = Brian| last = Crecente| access-date = 22 October 2008|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120712000450/http://kotaku.com/157394/atari-threatens-pong-clock-makers?tag=gamingpongclock|archive-date=12 July 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1999, French artist [[Pierre Huyghe]] created an installation titled "Atari Light", in which two people use handheld gaming devices to play ''Pong'' on an illuminated ceiling. The work was shown at the [[Venice Biennale]] in 2001, and the [[Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León]] in 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mid-day.com/articles/tech-rewind-interesting-facts-about-the-hit-arcade-video-game-pong/15795171|title=Tech rewind: Interesting facts about the hit arcade video game Pong|work=[[Mid-Day]]|date=29 November 2015|access-date=5 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170306133228/http://www.mid-day.com/articles/tech-rewind-interesting-facts-about-the-hit-arcade-video-game-pong/15795171|archive-date=6 March 2017|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The game was included in the [[London]] [[Barbican Art Gallery]]'s 2002 [[Game On (exhibition)|Game On exhibition]] meant to showcase the various aspects of video game history, development, and culture.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.gamespot.com/articles/london-museum-showcases-games/1100-6159465/| title = London museum showcases games| author = Boyes, Emma| website = GameSpot| date = 9 October 2006| access-date = 9 May 2008| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140323001946/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/london-museum-showcases-games/1100-6159465/| archive-date = 23 March 2014| url-status = live| df = dmy-all}}</ref>

Beginning in 2012, [[Chuck E. Cheese|Chuck E. Cheese's]] began referencing Pong as a part of the rebranding of the [[Chuck E. Cheese (character)|Chuck E. Cheese]] character. According to a backstory of the character published in 2014, Chuck E. won $50 in a Pong tournament and moved to [[New York City]], where he eventually met the rest of the band members.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-05-07 |title=The story of Chuck E. Cheese by Chuck E. Cheese |url=https://issuu.com/chuckecheeses/docs/the_story_of_chuck_e?e=11869875/7768485 |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=issuu.com |language=en}}</ref>