TV tennis

Thirty-five years ago, playing anything on your own TV set was all the rage, and legends were born.

We're talking about PONG, of course. Back then it was a revolutionary device, but as the following advertorial warns "...this is one of those novelties everyone will shortly get tired of..."

Yeah. Right. 35 years later, the video game industry is bigger than Hollywood, and one of those original little consoles is worth a small fortune.

I wish I had one.

"TV tennis", 1976
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X-Ray vision

Two ads for similar "inventions", in the same science magazine of 1965. Is the market for these things that big?

"Amazing X-Ray", 1965

The line art of the ads says a lot about the business and marketing ideals of the companies that sell them - the one above is a bit of an amusement, whilst the one below has got an ominous, perverted tone to it.

"X-Ray Specs", 1965

Simple is better

Somehow the message of fun and simplicity is lost on the following piece.

The ad talks a lot about the "stainless steel trim", the "new appealing bowling colors" and there's even a mention about the "nylon rail guard". And it's easy to service too.

Only at the very end of the copy it says something about the user experience. "Six profit-proven games-in-one". Wtf?

But it does not say squat about them, either.

It's a coin-op amusement machine, for crying out loud. It's supposed to be fun. And simple.

"Strike ball", 1963
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