So classic arcade games are making a comeback. These games range from Pac-Man to Mike Tyson’s Punch Out. But what about the original video game, Pong? Is Pong making a comeback? This is a CES update.
So Universal Space showed off their modern day Pong ant the CES tech conference. Maybe I shouldn’t call it modern day. Because from what I’m seeing, it’s still more 1975 than 2019. I say this because this Pong is a heavy, bulky table-style machine, just like they used in the 1970s and ’80s. But instead of joysticks, they use magnets as controls. Okay, there are a few buttons too.
So here’s how it works. There is a square ball in the center. Then there are paddles the size of rectangles on each side. One player is on one side, and the other is on the opposite side. You control the paddles by controlling the magnets. The game starts off slow but gets faster and faster. You score every time you strike the ball coming your way. Your orange button fires back at your opponent. This game can go on and on. Furthermore, you can use the one player option, playing against the game itself. But this one is more fun with two.
I know this game sounds a lot like the 1970s game, doesn’t it? However, the price sounds all too 2010s. You will pay about $3,000 for this table top game piece. Or, you can buy an arcade style version of Pong for $1,500. For those born after 1990, sorry, but I don’t have time to explain what ‘arcade style’ gaming is. But I do know CES is like the promise land for IT service heads and computer tech addicts alike. So of course we’ll see games like this. Yes, arcade games are coming back. However, nobody wants to let their modern day games go either. And who is going to pay $1,500-$3,000 for this? Is Pong making a comeback?