Happy birthday Pong! Gaming legend turns 34

While it wasn't the first videogame — that distinction belonged to
Willy Higinbotham's Tennis for Two —
Pong is credited with popularizing them, taking them out of the universities and laboratories and into arcades and homes. Created by Nolan Bushnell and Atari in 1972, Pong was a revelation: when it was unveiled at an Andy Capp's tavern near Atari headquarters in California, the machine caused such a sensation that people filled the bar just to play.

Now it's 34 years later, and Pong has changed everything. Pong's imprint can be found everywhere,
from Joystiq's very own logo to clocks, and in every videogame we play. Happy birthday Pong!

[Via digg]