# Video Games On That 70s Show?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-on-that-70s-show/611832>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 5, 2012, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-on-that-70s-show/611832 "2012-02-05T05:10:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-on-that-70s-show/611832/1 "2012-02-05T05:10:54Z")

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Did “That 70s Show” ever have an episode where they’re playing a Pong or Atari, or at least had one visible in the background?

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**Author:** ![gatorslap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gatorslap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gatorslap)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-on-that-70s-show/611832/2 "2012-02-05T05:31:51Z")

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I distinctly remember seeing a Space Invaders arcade machine.

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**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-on-that-70s-show/611832/3 "2012-02-05T06:15:48Z")

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Yes, there is at least one episode where they mention playing Pong. Oddly enough, Kelso and Red Foreman are both very good at the game. So good they’re bored with it, until Kelso modifies the game to make the paddles smaller…

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**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-on-that-70s-show/611832/4 "2012-02-05T07:23:55Z")

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> [@Oakminster](#):
>
> Yes, there is at least one episode where they mention playing Pong. Oddly enough, Kelso and Red Foreman are both very good at the game. So good they’re bored with it, until Kelso modifies the game to make the paddles smaller…

[Not computers, soldering!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Td0P9Mqu68)

There is also an episode (“Donna’s Story”) where the owner of The Hub wants to replace the pinball machine with Space Invaders (after Kelso buys a stake in the pinball machine).

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**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-on-that-70s-show/611832/5 "2012-02-05T08:10:58Z")

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I remember the first time I saw (a genuine original) Pong. It must’ve been 1976 or so. It was a revelation.

Or a revolution. One of the two.

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**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-games-on-that-70s-show/611832/6 "2012-02-05T15:06:35Z")

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> [@GuanoLad](#):
>
> I remember the first time I saw (a genuine original) Pong. It must’ve been 1976 or so. It was a revelation.
> 
> Or a revolution. One of the two.

There is danger of thread diversion here, but what the heck. The first time I saw Pong was around 1975, in the laundromat next to where I waited after school to take karate. Talk about something hooking directly into your brain, and so quickly. Shortly after that a game called Death Race showed up at the mall, and addiction had set in.