PONG: Godzilla or Mothra Triumphant in Philly?

Even video game nay-sayers get excited about PONG writ large: the entire side of a skyscraper in Philadelphia will serve as the screen for a PONG tournament in celebration of Philly Tech Week. The 410-foot Cira Centre, which has LEDs embedded all over its glass surface, provided the seed of an idea for Drexel University Gaming Professor Dr. Frank Lee. He imagined a giant game of Tetris there several years ago as he drove by the building with its display of lights. After persistence, perseverence, creativity, and collaboration, Dr. Lee’s dream of a giant video game will come to pass as one of the events of the third annual Philly Tech Week.

On the evenings of April 19 and 24, players situated on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where there is a clear view of the Cira Centre, will control the paddles of the giant game. The lucky players will have to be lucky– they are selected via lottery. To get a chance to play, visit http://ph.ly/pong and to see the game in action, watch the video below. Find more info about the Philly Tech Week and its other events, including a Geek Brunch, at http://phillytechweek.com/.

Click the link below to play a little old-fashioned PONG (online, not at the arcade) at http://www.learn4good.com/games/arcade/ping_pong.htm