10 replies to this topic

[rolenta]

I just recently completed an article about early ball & paddle games for a new book that Mark J. Wolf will be publishing next year. This led to an argument between the two of us because he's fixed on calling the game PONG, while I refer to it as Pong. My reasoning is that it is not an acronym and there should be no reason for the caps. Just because it appears on the marquee as PONG, that's no reason to refer to it. After all when we refer to Missile Command, we don't call it MISSILE COMMAND.

Mark asked Nolan Bushnell and Bushnell simply responded "PONG". However I found a 1996 article that Bushnell wrote and in several places he refers to the game as 'Pong'. I asked Ted Dabney, Marty Goldberg, and Curt Vendel. Curt didn't have an answer one way or another but Marty sent me loads of fliers which referred to it as PONG. Marty also explained that the name has fallen into the public domain so PONG refers to the actual game while Pong refers to the generic. My argument is that the fliers show the name in all caps because it was a new game and Atari natually wanted people to notice it. Wikipedia, which Marty told me he was involved in a discussion with concerning this subject, refers to it as "Pong (marketed as PONG)". I sent Marty a copy of the instruction manual for the 2600's Video Olympics, which refers to it as Pong.

Finally, Ted Dabney wrote to me: "As I recall, all of the PONG brochures have it spelt with all caps. I have always written it as "Pong" but I think "PONG" is probably the proper way. I personally like "Pong" and will stay with it. After all, Pong is a name not an acronym. I'm with you on this one."

So my question to all of you: which way do you prefer?

Edited by rolenta, Thu Jul 21, 2011 8:11 PM.

[rmaerz]

PONG - as shown on both the PONG and PONG DOUBLES flyers

[Rex Dart]

I've always considered myself a Dabnist.

[toiletunes]

I agree with Marty-

PONG is a game, Pong is a genre

[onmode-ky]

I think you should make reference to the marketing/official name being all caps but use "Pong" in the rest of the article. After all, what you're writing is a journalistic work, not Atari promotional material. This all-caps thing is not uncommon; the "real" name of Final Fantasy is "FINAL FANTASY" (technically followed by the ® symbol as well, and that comes before any Roman numerals). However, I've never seen the name written that way throughout a piece of journalism. I think it gives an impression of bias if you do that.

In my opinion, the name of the genre is "ball-and-paddle" rather than "Pong"; however, it may certainly be the case that "Pong" is now a de facto name for the genre.

onmode-ky

P.S. As another example, most people write the name of 2009's Darius-series game as "Darius Burst." Taito themselves always refer to the game as "DARIUSBURST." I use a compromise: "DariusBurst."

Edited by onmode-ky, Fri Jul 22, 2011 11:17 AM.

[rolenta]

onmode-ky, on Fri Jul 22, 2011 11:11 AM, said:

In my opinion, the name of the genre is "ball-and-paddle" rather than "Pong"; however, it may certainly be the case that "Pong" is now a de facto name for the genre.

Actually, my preferred usage for the genre is either Ball & Paddle games, or Pong-type games. In fact the name of the article is simply "BALL & PADDLE CONSOLES"

Edited by rolenta, Fri Jul 22, 2011 11:23 AM.

[Cynicaster]

I think creative use of caps and lower-case letters (i.e. in ways that are not in accordance with general rules) is a fairly common marketing technique.

Heck, even the company I work for markets their "premium" product with all caps, and the "mid-level" product with all lower case. Neither of the product names are acronyms.

[Retro Rogue]

rolenta, on Thu Jul 21, 2011 8:09 PM, said:

After all when we refer to Missile Command, we don't call it MISSILE COMMAND.

We as in? It was used as all caps in the 2600 and 5200 manuals as well. If by we you mean writers, and press and people who post in forums, certainly and that speaks more towards onmode-ky's point.

Quote

However I found a 1996 article that Bushnell wrote and in several places he refers to the game as 'Pong'.

Wrote and edited/published are two different things. As I mentioned, that was from the ACM which like most publications has editors and standards it imposes on written material. It's far more likely that it was put in to that format as part of the process. Especially if as you say, he responded to Mark with "PONG" when directly asked. It's not a lot different than how Ralph uses video games and you edited to a standard (throughout) videogames when you produced his book.

Quote

My argument is that the fliers show the name in all caps because it was a new game and Atari natually wanted people to notice it.

You'd need some direct interview or comment wise to support that, otherwise it's a theory. As I mentioned, the actual trademark filing is all caps as well. Likewise in all the marketing materials and original home PONG manual, it's even used in all caps in paragraphs of text as well. And while it was new in 1972, it ceased being new after that so that logic doesn't make sense in light of the continued usage of all caps except for the few exceptions (more likely mistakes by layout people) we mentioned or when it was referring more to a genre (such as the Robot Pong game on the 2600 variant).

Quote

Wikipedia, which Marty told me he was involved in a discussion with concerning this subject, refers to it as "Pong (marketed as PONG)".

You're misreading the ramifications of that. The discussion there was in whether we could include all caps or not for the article, and the result was that there's a certain laid out guideline regarding no caps for all articles (across the board) that the PONG one had to follow. Wikipedia only allows caps for acronyms. The compromise was the addition of the parenthesized statement in the intro.

Quote

I sent Marty a copy of the instruction manual for the 2600's Video Olympics, which refers to it as Pong.

As I mentioned, one of the few mistakes/exceptions. It happened on the Puppy Pong flyer as well, and it's certainly not without precedent. How many times has Yars' Revenge been misspelled as Yar's by Atari's own people over the years? Enough that the current Atari went back in the mid-2000's to trademark that spelling as well.

Quote

Finally, Ted Dabney wrote to me: "As I recall, all of the PONG brochures have it spelt with all caps. I have always written it as "Pong" but I think "PONG" is probably the proper way. I personally like "Pong" and will stay with it. After all, Pong is a name not an acronym. I'm with you on this one."

So my question to all of you: which way do you prefer?

I think that's the right idea. If historical vs. literary accuracy isn't important, just go with what people here want. After all, they're the ones that'll be reading and enjoying whatever you're writing.

Edited by wgungfu, Fri Jul 22, 2011 3:25 PM.

[ledzep]

I think it boils down to does anybody care. By this I mean that are there people who will refuse to buy the book or read your article simply because 'PONG' is in all caps? I don't think so. From what's been discussed it seems to be that 'PONG' is the correct form to be used and 'Pong' (or 'pong') is what most people accept. But I don't know of anybody who would stop reading an article about PONG because 'PONG' was in all caps. Further, accurate is more important than what other people accept, especially for a book about video games (videogames) vs. a simple blog post or email about it.

To put this into non-acronym perspective, I'm a huge LEGO fan. Yes, it's spelled 'LEGO'. It's not an acronym, either. I was told that it should be 'LEGO' years ago when I wrote a letter to LEGO in Denmark (I think, maybe England) about their bricks and about some literature I wanted. Now, besides myself, I've never known another non-LEGO employee to write 'LEGO' instead of 'Lego' (or 'lego'). That doesn't make it right any more than everybody saying ain't makes that correct vs. isn't or using 'irregardless' instead of 'regardless'. By the way, technically 'irregardless' is acceptable but only if you use it correctly, that being as a negation of 'regardless' ('ir' negates words that start with 'r' like 'irrespective' and 'irresponsible'). But everybody who uses 'irregardless' thinks it means regardless. Ya, English sucks.

Bottom line, does it matter to you? If 'PONG' is how it should be written then write it that way. I for one will write it as 'PONG' from now on now that I have read the history of that game here.

[0078265317]

Or why not just use both. In fact mention that in the book about the Pong or PONG part andf let the reader decide. They will be interested to read that and try to figure out which is better.

Edited by 0078265317, Sat Aug 13, 2011 12:13 PM.

[Cebus Capucinis]

Paddle
Oriented
Nonviolent
Game

?