The History Lesson
This week back in 1972, the first smash-hit video game was unveiled. The game that launched an industry — was made for drunks.
See, in 1971, a guy named Nolan Bushnell produced the first coin-operated video game. He and his engineer pals loved it. But average Joes couldn’t figure out the complex rules — the game flopped. So a year later, when Bushnell founded a company called “Atari?” He told his engineer to design a game so simple, you could play it tipsy.
The result? Simple video ping-pong, simply named “Pong.” Atari installed the prototype in a Silicon Valley bar. And within two weeks, fascinated customers had stuffed it so full of quarters — it broke.
The rest is gaming history: Pong machines raked in cash across America. Competitors churned out imitations. Soon there were more than ten thousand Pongs and sons-of-Pongs. Video games were suddenly big business.
Meanwhile, Pong bounced out of bars and into family rooms — Becoming the first home video game hit. And in 1977, kids could play it in public at Bushnell’s next business venture: Chuck E. Cheese restaurants.
The Booze
The Pong Pong
As engineered by Jonny Raglin, bartender at Comstock Saloon in San Francisco, CA.
In a shaker over ice, add:
- 1.5 oz. Plymouth sloe gin
- 1 oz. Drambuie
- 3/4 oz. lemon juice
Shake with ice – back and forth, back and forth – and strain into a cocktail glass. Add a lemon peel garnish, and drink until you get a high. Score.
