The development of classic video games like Pong involved avoiding traditional computing concepts and focusing on mechanical elements, such as timers. By calibrating these timers to match the screen’s refresh rate, they were able to create the iconic white dot representing the ball and paddles. The Atari 2600, with its unconventional approach to sprites and programming, can be better understood when realizing it was designed to implement the Pong logic in a programmable chip. This unique strategy allowed for simple yet effective gameplay mechanics, including collision detection through clever AND gate operations. The Atari 2600’s design may seem strange, but it ultimately paved the way for modern gaming technology.
https://retrocomputing.stackexchange.com/questions/30698/how-were-the-70s-versions-of-pong-and-similar-games-implemented-without-a-progra