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How do I build... Pong?

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DrewKaree:

Yeah, I was paging through their catalog and happened across it...was thinking of "Coffee Table Mame" set up with one of these.  Strange how some things STILL hold your interest, although you just have no idea WHY!

Procyon:

Thanks for your responses guys, but unfortunately, that's not quite was I was looking for.  I guess what I'm really more interested in is how people like Ralph and Nolan figured out how to wire up the circuitry to make a Pong game.  What knowledge of discrete logic was used to create the game.  The chips came about as a result of advancing technology, but only after the general concept had been designed.  So I'm really curious about the origin of the development of Pong, not so much the refinements that came later.  How did they know how to make an H and V sync generator?  How did they know how to wire up a circuit that controlled the balls movement?  How did they detect collisions between the ball and the paddle?  Those kinds of things.  Anyone know a good place to find that sort of information?

Stingray:

I always assumed it was some kind of magic. Perhaps voodoo.

-S

Witchboard:

My father has an old Pong console somewhere with the two paddle spinners.  I wonder what happened to that thing?  Probably in the attic with the Atari 400.

DrewKaree:

Voodoo?  I thought they just made top-notch high-end gaming rigs!?!  You mean to tell me they created Pong TOO!?!  Man, those guys are PHAT! ;)

OK, back on topic.  I think your search for this type of info is actually gonna go better if you DON'T focus on the Pong guys, but on general brainstorming tech-type stuff related to this, such as Googling "How to's" regarding similar stuff.  

The reason I say that is because you'll find stuff written down as to the thought process used, errors made, revisions done.

Specifying those guys and the game itself will narrow your scope, but I think working like those guys did (sorry to assume I know how they worked, but it's just for illustration, I don't play a Pong inventor on T.V.! ;D) and starting with an idea and refining it through processing the info available will get you a better result.

I know that's not really answering/helping you find the SPECIFICS you're looking for, but mebbe it's something to chew on.  Spit it back @ me if necessary.

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