Last Pong Console(s)?

[King Atari]

On 11/8/2020 at 8:01 PM, slydc said:

The last "Pong" to be released was in Russia called the "Лидер" (aka "Leader") in 1992! (No ?"@% joke!)

 

Here's a picture of the console:

 

 

On 11/9/2020 at 11:34 AM, slydc said:

Hi Schnurrikowski,

 

Good question. It was written on a web site that this one came out in 1992, but i only report what was written. The best to be exactly sure

that a game console came out a specific year is either to open up the game console and check the major components for a year or a stamp-date

(example: 4378 - which means 43th week of 1978).

 

But if you want proof, there is one "Leader" that is/was (don't know if it's still active) auctioned on bloshinyjrynok.ru and has five pictures. And this

one has a name translated which is called "Leader Play Lider" (cool, first time i see this variation!) and the date is on the back on the console which

is "1993" !

 

The title of the auction is "Телеигра Лидер Play Lider Тенис" which translates to "TV Game Leader Play Lider Tenis". The seller's name is Ludmila

and wrote this as a description of the article: "I sell the TV game Leader (Play Lider) Tenis. Production of NPO Energoavtomatika Pyatigorsk

experimental plant. Year of release 1993. Working condition. Plus the second console is out of order."

 

If anyone wants to check out the auction page (while it's still displayed on the site), just go here:

http://bloshinyjrynok.ru/items/teleigra_lider_play_lider_tenis_14371

 

And before someone makes a pun, i'll do it right away..."Take me to your LEADER!"

 

Oh and finally found the web page which indicated the "1992" reference:

http://www.rw6ase.narod.ru/00/wideo/lider.html

 

Pong consoles from 1992 & 1993?! Absolutely incredible!

[Voxel]

I recall we had a bit of a global recession around that era.  I never would have though something like austerity would prompt a Pong release.

[Voxel]

The write up on this ebay listing indicates it's also a late release Pong clone.  It seems to have attracted some bidders and I'm certainly tempted:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-TV-Games-console-Termbray-TVG204/233781222943?hash=item366e725e1f:g:pQAAAOSwXoJfr~bW

[Voxel]

Image added for reference.

[slydc]

Sorry but this Pong console and other which uses the same plastic shell were manufactured by Conic (Hong Kong) in 1977.

All game consoles (Pong-type) manufactured in Hong Kong came out in 1977-1978 and they ended production by 1979/80

as there were "no more profits" to be made out of these type of consoles.

 

So the seller made a typo, it's not made in 1997, but 1977.

[Schnurrikowski]

3 hours ago, slydc said:

All game consoles (Pong-type) manufactured in Hong Kong came out in 1977-1978 and they ended production by 1979/80

I have a pong console made in Hong Kong in my collection that was manufactured in 1976.

 

Also, what makes you sure that the production was ended in 1979/80?

Edited November 19, 2020 by Schnurrikowski

[slydc]

Because i have read many articles and books regarding the Pong era, but mostly, a book called: "Pong et la Modialisation: L'Histoire économique des Consoles" (in English: Pong and Globalization - The Economic History of Consoles), which you can get here: https://www.editionspixnlove.com/tous-nos-ouvrages/656-pong-et-la-mondialisation.html

 

Or on other web sites but the book is ONLY published in French so if you can read French then this book is a great insight of the economics during the Pong era,

which companies made/released Pong consoles, etc. But there is some few errors as the Pong era isn't accurately detailed. Here's the picture of the cover:

 

I highly recommend it as this gave be better insight of the whole "Pong" industry mostly in Europe and Asia.

 

Oh and there is one book that has all the "juice" of all Pong productions in Hong Kong and i have tried to get it transfered to another library for

consultation but when i have wrote to the library in Hong Kong which has the "only" copy of this alleged book, they told me it's a special edition

and cannot be moved from their library, so you need to go to Hong Kong to consult it....well, at 8,000 Km of distance to read i book (and cannot

even make scan of the book, they don't allow it! DAMN!!) i just said..."On va laisser faire Tabarnak...." ;(

 

Still have my notes for this book somewhere in case i ever visit Hong Kong

 

And last, i suggest to you to read "The Real Pong FAQ" as it had the biggest list of Pong consoles back then (think the last version is 1.06?).

This FAQ hasn't been updated for years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Schnurrikowski]

8 hours ago, slydc said:

"Pong et la Modialisation: L'Histoire économique des Consoles"

I own that book already (it's not that new). Do you have some page numbers at hand that confirm your claims?

 

What is the title of the other book you mentioned but could not get?

[Mikebloke]

In terms of Russian models being in 92/93, it's quite possible as we would have had fall of the soviet Union. One of the biggest elements of that in relation to video games was that of copyright and licencing, which in itself led to companies selling products competitively for profit, its not unbelievable that old tech would have been picked up to make a quick profit for something people may not have seen yet in their neck of the woods. 

[slydc]

On 11/20/2020 at 3:07 AM, Schnurrikowski said:

I own that book already (it's not that new). Do you have some page numbers at hand that confirm your claims?

 

What is the title of the other book you mentioned but could not get?

What is the fun of revealing all the details, it is more fun to try to find the answer(s). I have read the book 4-5 years ago and

i surely don't remember all the pages by memory (especially at my age....LOL!!!!).

 

As for the book in Hong Kong, i will have to dig rrreeeaaalll dddeeeeeeppppp in my archives, somewhere between 10 to 15 years.

That....may take a while to find the details but one thing i remember is i found out about this book by searching Google Books.

Edited November 25, 2020 by slydc

[slydc]

On 11/20/2020 at 2:03 PM, Mikebloke said:

In terms of Russian models being in 92/93, it's quite possible as we would have had fall of the soviet Union. One of the biggest elements of that in relation to video games was that of copyright and licencing, which in itself led to companies selling products competitively for profit, its not unbelievable that old tech would have been picked up to make a quick profit for something people may not have seen yet in their neck of the woods. 

 

Hi Mikebloke! What's new with you since the Odyssey Multicarts ?

 

I agree with what you wrote but also, Russia made their own "copy" of the AY-3-8500-1 (the К145ИК17) when the Pong era was almost non-existant

in the rest of the world and General Instrument was dropping all of their TV Games series with all the competition (Bally, Fairchild, RCA, Atari, etc...) that was

going by the end of the 70's - beginning of the 80's. Their first "Pong" console where based on the Magnavox Odyssey and also DIY TV Games by 1979-1980

in magazines. The first released Pong console was the Palestra-02 in 1978 and it was built with discrete components (TTL's) which are exactly the games found

in the AY-3-8500-1 and more - see my post on my blog here: https://discreteconsoles.blogspot.com/2015/10/emulation-of-ay-3-8500-1-and-clones-soon.html

 

And after, a few more Russian Pong consoles came out between 1978 and 1993 (the Typhup has a AY-3-8500-7 and all the rest has a K145HK17). But most people

in Russia before the fall was majorly poor so not many of Pong consoles came out and not so many were sold also.

[Mikebloke]

3 hours ago, slydc said:

 

Hi Mikebloke! What's new with you since the Odyssey Multicarts ?

 

I agree with what you wrote but also, Russia made their own "copy" of the AY-3-8500-1 (the К145ИК17)

 

Snipped for space

Wow! Lots of interesting information there thanks for sharing. 

 

I'm mostly working and playing games rather than making them at the moment, but always have time for pong XD

[Schnurrikowski]

On 11/25/2020 at 10:02 AM, slydc said:

What is the fun of revealing all the details, it is more fun to try to find the answer(s). I have read the book 4-5 years ago and

i surely don't remember all the pages by memory (especially at my age....LOL!!!!).

 

As for the book in Hong Kong, i will have to dig rrreeeaaalll dddeeeeeeppppp in my archives, somewhere between 10 to 15 years.

That....may take a while to find the details but one thing i remember is i found out about this book by searching Google Books.

[jhd]

On 11/19/2020 at 4:15 PM, slydc said:

Oh and there is one book that has all the "juice" of all Pong productions in Hong Kong and i have tried to get it transfered to another library for consultation but when i have wrote to the library in Hong Kong which has the "only" copy of this alleged book, they told me it's a special edition and cannot be moved from their library, so you need to go to Hong Kong to consult it....well, at 8,000 Km of distance to read i book (and cannot even make scan of the book, they don't allow it! DAMN!!) i just said..."On va laisser faire Tabarnak...." ;(

 

Somewhat O/T, but I once travelled about 3,500 km. primarily to visit a particular library. There was more than one book there that I wanted to see, however.  ?

[Voxel]

23 hours ago, jhd said:

Somewhat O/T, but I once travelled about 3,500 km. primarily to visit a particular library. There was more than one book there that I wanted to see, however.  ?

That's impressive.

[pacman000]

The REAL "PONG" F.A.Q. - pugo.org

 

Is this the FAQ you mentioned?