The Pong Chip - General Instruments Ball and Paddle AY-3-8500

About this Artwork:

PONG was one of the first video arcade games and became a smashing success. This artwork of a Pong chip is intended to mimic the ball and paddles of the video game. In the bottom right corner is an actual "PONG" chip. The chip is over 40 years old. The original PONG game was built before computer chip technology existed. As game companies began to develop their own versions of the Pong game, they had to develop their Pong circuits from scratch. General Instruments, sensing an opportunity, created the AY-3-8500, better known as the "Pong Chip". Officially the AY-3-8500 was called the “Ball & Paddle” chip. This chip was openly available to any company wanting to build a Pong based game, which made it wildly successful. Over 500 different game consoles were made with the AY-3-8500.

Framing:  

The artwork is framed in an 8"x 8" black shadow box frame, with glass. All framing materials are acid-free. A narrative about the artwork that includes the artist’s signature is placed on the back of the artwork.

Please note:  The look of the artifacts in the artworks may vary, each piece is unique.