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Easy to Learn, Difficult to Master: Pong, Atari, and the Dawn of the Video Game
The gripping origin story of Pong, Atari, and the digital icons who defined the world of video games.
A deep, nostalgic dive into the advent of gaming, Easy to Learn, Difficult to Master returns us to the emerging culture of Silicon Valley. At the center of this graphic history, dynamically drawn in colors inspired by old computer screens, is the epic feud that raged between Atari founder Nolan Bushnell and inventor Ralph Baer for the title of “father of the video game.”
While Baer, a Jewish immigrant whose family fled Germany for America, developed the first TV video-game console and ping-pong game in the 1960s, Bushnell, a self-taught whiz kid from Utah, put out Atari’s pioneering table-tennis arcade game, Pong, in 1972. Thus, a prolonged battle began over who truly spearheaded the multibillion-dollar gaming industry, and around it a sweeping narrative about invention, inspiration, and the seeds of digital revolution.
A deep, nostalgic dive into the advent of gaming, Easy to Learn, Difficult to Master returns us to the emerging culture of Silicon Valley. At the center of this graphic history, dynamically drawn in colors inspired by old computer screens, is the epic feud that raged between Atari founder Nolan Bushnell and inventor Ralph Baer for the title of “father of the video game.”
While Baer, a Jewish immigrant whose family fled Germany for America, developed the first TV video-game console and ping-pong game in the 1960s, Bushnell, a self-taught whiz kid from Utah, put out Atari’s pioneering table-tennis arcade game, Pong, in 1972. Thus, a prolonged battle began over who truly spearheaded the multibillion-dollar gaming industry, and around it a sweeping narrative about invention, inspiration, and the seeds of digital revolution.
112 pages, Paperback
Published September 13, 2022
6 people are currently reading
1965 people want to read
About the author
David Kushner
27 books229 followersDavid Kushner is an award-winning journalist and author. He is a contributing editor of Wired, Rolling Stone, and Spectrum and is an adjunct professor of journalism at New York University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
May 23, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and PublicAffaris for a free review copy!
This was a fantastic read. I didn't know that there was so much contention about the title of Father of the Video Game. I knew nothing about the two men, Nolan Bushnell and Ralph Baer. I loved reading about their histories and how they both brought different things to the table when it came to making video games. I really enjoyed going back and forth between the two men's perspectives as the story unfolded. Overall, I learned a lot and I really enjoyed it!
This was a fantastic read. I didn't know that there was so much contention about the title of Father of the Video Game. I knew nothing about the two men, Nolan Bushnell and Ralph Baer. I loved reading about their histories and how they both brought different things to the table when it came to making video games. I really enjoyed going back and forth between the two men's perspectives as the story unfolded. Overall, I learned a lot and I really enjoyed it!
February 7, 2023
Easy to Learn, Difficult to Master is a speedy dual biography of Ralph Baer and Nolan Bushnell, the two Silicon Valley nerds dueling for the title of "inventor of video games." Baer worked on the Magnavox, while Bushnell borrowed the idea for Pong and founded Atari. Both seem to have been successful, so it's a bit odd that Baer is framed here as the underdog left in the dust while Bushnell is the conniving wild child.
Scenes of the duo playing table tennis against each other pad out a quick read. The book is based on a magazine article and it shows. We really don't see much beyond the two main characters and Pong. A deeper dive into this rivalry would be welcome.
Scenes of the duo playing table tennis against each other pad out a quick read. The book is based on a magazine article and it shows. We really don't see much beyond the two main characters and Pong. A deeper dive into this rivalry would be welcome.
July 7, 2023
There is a lot of goofy dramatization in a framing sequence set in a surreal video game environment, but this remains a fun and informative history of the professional careers of and rivalry between a buttoned-down video game engineer, Ralph Baer, and the roguish founder of Atari, Nolan Bushnell.
The light tone helps one fly past low-key corporate shenanigans and patent infringement lawsuits, keeping focus on two intriguing men and their very different approaches to life and work.
The light tone helps one fly past low-key corporate shenanigans and patent infringement lawsuits, keeping focus on two intriguing men and their very different approaches to life and work.
April 21, 2022
(3.75/5) This was a quick read graphic novel that I found really interesting! I had no idea that the title for the "Father of Video Games" was so contentious, and this short graphic novel made me want to learn more! While the length and pacing were fine, I would have happily read an even longer version. The art was also well done, though I did have some issues with the advance copy I got from NetGalley and had to switch between my phone and computer to see the images (showed up only on my phone on some pages and only my computer on others). I'm sure that the issues will be fixed before the final version is released in September of this year.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review
January 10, 2024
Lo compré pensando que era un reportaje extenso sobre la historia del Pong y la batalla de Baer contra Bushnell por la propiedad del juego y me encontré con un tebeo sobre el tema. La historia, a groso modo, está bien perfilada y mantiene el interés, pero flaquea un poco en el dibujo. Tiene algún detalle imaginativo, como unos interludios de ambos combatiendo en alguno de los primeros videojuegos de manera figurada, pero el resto es bastante soso, con una narrativa muy acartonada. A pesar de ello, el final con el encuentro entre ambos en 2008 en el CES de Las Vegas termina siendo emocionante.
November 6, 2022
I think, reading this, I realized that I've read a lot about Nolan Bushnell, but nothing about Ralph Baer, which sort of proves the point contained within, I suppose.
Ralph Baer definitely invented Pong, the home video game console, and Simon, that thing where you have to memorize the patterns and push the lights. I'm guessing he also invented a ton of other great things, but they weren't game-y and didn't really have much to do with this book, so it's cool that they don't appear in the book.
I need to find a book about Baer, I think. He seems like an interesting guy.
Bushnell is also interesting. It's a very Jobs/Wozniak story, as most of these tech stories go, where one guy knows how to make amazing things, the other guy is good at saying "Hey, can we call this something a little more catchy than ElectroTelevisual Entertainment Module?"
I think you need both guys, TBH. People always want to argue that the Jobs' of the world aren't necessary, but I have to say, I don't think these sorts of things work without them. People with money need convincing, and the Jobs types are really good at that part.
It makes me wonder which one I am. The nerd who has ideas and makes things. Or the charismatic...well, guess I figured it out for myself there.
Ralph Baer definitely invented Pong, the home video game console, and Simon, that thing where you have to memorize the patterns and push the lights. I'm guessing he also invented a ton of other great things, but they weren't game-y and didn't really have much to do with this book, so it's cool that they don't appear in the book.
I need to find a book about Baer, I think. He seems like an interesting guy.
Bushnell is also interesting. It's a very Jobs/Wozniak story, as most of these tech stories go, where one guy knows how to make amazing things, the other guy is good at saying "Hey, can we call this something a little more catchy than ElectroTelevisual Entertainment Module?"
I think you need both guys, TBH. People always want to argue that the Jobs' of the world aren't necessary, but I have to say, I don't think these sorts of things work without them. People with money need convincing, and the Jobs types are really good at that part.
It makes me wonder which one I am. The nerd who has ideas and makes things. Or the charismatic...well, guess I figured it out for myself there.
August 21, 2022
My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Public Affairs for an advanced copy of this graphic novel history of the beginnings of the video game era.
"Success has many fathers..." is the start of a famous quote by President John F. Kennedy and when dealing with an billion dollar industry (a lot of my quarters were involved) many claimed paternity. But not even Maury Povich could help in deciding the true "Father of Video Game" as claimed by two men Atari founder Nolan Bushnell and inventor Ralph Baer in court rooms, books, interviews accusations and the public space. Easy to Learn, Difficult to Master: Pong, Atari, and the Dawn of the Video Game is a graphic novel telling of these battles and the early days of video game development and their legacys, written and reported by David Kushner, and illustrated by Koren Shadmi.
It begins with a dream about adding games to televisions giving them a selling point in a very competitive market. Or it began in the mind of a sideshow carnival man, filching coins from rubes. One helped create gaming boxes for televisions, the other might have borrowed the idea and put them in coin operated cabinets in bars. Both men had visions, but how they got there, and what they did with it were completely different. Ralph Baer had as a child fled the growing Nazi threat in Europe coming to America with nothing but a skill at inventing that made things more effective. Baer found himself in the growing market of television, with many different models all for sale, but with little differences to make any stand out. An idea, develope televisions that can play games, would he thought be a huge way of standing out from other cabinet televisions. Nolan Bushnell was a self trained inventor whose work on sideshows gave him a good sense of showmanship, and a looser sense of morality. A possible chance encounter with a game box, designed by Baer for Magnavox, gave Nolan an idea. Electronic pinball like games. Quarters rolled in as the company Nolan formed Atari began to make money and soon the lawsuits and accusations began to fly.
A look at pop culture that I was totally unaware of, though I lived through the rise of video games. I had a Pong, played on a 13 inch color television, moved up to Atari 2600 with the same television and loved it to this day. To read about its development and the men involved was very interesting, and brought up a lot of old familiar happy memories. The graphic novel is brief, but very complete, and makes me interested in knowing more about them. The writing was concise, and told both as a game competition between the two men, mixed with historical reenactments. This is a good way of telling the story as there would be just a lot of talking heads, the action helps the story move, and keep the reader interested. The art is quite good, with differnt color palettes for the characters and a nice kinetic feel to the videogame parts, even when it was only a blip on the screen.
Graphic novels are a form of storytelling that can convey quite a lot in a small package. This is a very good and complete history perfect for newbies to learn about the history of the medium and for older people like me to see what was going on when we were too busy playing games to notice. I learned alot and enjoyed both the story and the art quite a bit.
"Success has many fathers..." is the start of a famous quote by President John F. Kennedy and when dealing with an billion dollar industry (a lot of my quarters were involved) many claimed paternity. But not even Maury Povich could help in deciding the true "Father of Video Game" as claimed by two men Atari founder Nolan Bushnell and inventor Ralph Baer in court rooms, books, interviews accusations and the public space. Easy to Learn, Difficult to Master: Pong, Atari, and the Dawn of the Video Game is a graphic novel telling of these battles and the early days of video game development and their legacys, written and reported by David Kushner, and illustrated by Koren Shadmi.
It begins with a dream about adding games to televisions giving them a selling point in a very competitive market. Or it began in the mind of a sideshow carnival man, filching coins from rubes. One helped create gaming boxes for televisions, the other might have borrowed the idea and put them in coin operated cabinets in bars. Both men had visions, but how they got there, and what they did with it were completely different. Ralph Baer had as a child fled the growing Nazi threat in Europe coming to America with nothing but a skill at inventing that made things more effective. Baer found himself in the growing market of television, with many different models all for sale, but with little differences to make any stand out. An idea, develope televisions that can play games, would he thought be a huge way of standing out from other cabinet televisions. Nolan Bushnell was a self trained inventor whose work on sideshows gave him a good sense of showmanship, and a looser sense of morality. A possible chance encounter with a game box, designed by Baer for Magnavox, gave Nolan an idea. Electronic pinball like games. Quarters rolled in as the company Nolan formed Atari began to make money and soon the lawsuits and accusations began to fly.
A look at pop culture that I was totally unaware of, though I lived through the rise of video games. I had a Pong, played on a 13 inch color television, moved up to Atari 2600 with the same television and loved it to this day. To read about its development and the men involved was very interesting, and brought up a lot of old familiar happy memories. The graphic novel is brief, but very complete, and makes me interested in knowing more about them. The writing was concise, and told both as a game competition between the two men, mixed with historical reenactments. This is a good way of telling the story as there would be just a lot of talking heads, the action helps the story move, and keep the reader interested. The art is quite good, with differnt color palettes for the characters and a nice kinetic feel to the videogame parts, even when it was only a blip on the screen.
Graphic novels are a form of storytelling that can convey quite a lot in a small package. This is a very good and complete history perfect for newbies to learn about the history of the medium and for older people like me to see what was going on when we were too busy playing games to notice. I learned alot and enjoyed both the story and the art quite a bit.
June 23, 2022
This is a history graphic about everyone's favorite ping pong video game, or games rather. Ostensibly, this is a back and forth story that seeks to answer the question: who is the father of video games? Is it Ralph Baer, the engineering genius who created one of the first television-computer games? Is it Nolan Bushnell, the creator of Atari and the world wide success of arcade games like Pong? The story is pretty fair to both men, though a bit too kind in some places to Bushnell's reputation. What starts out as a historical story quickly becomes a back and forth between the two both in their virtual ping pong game and in court for intellectual property rights.
For the most part, the story follows their invention and distribution processes. From firsthand accounts in iWoz, there are a few inaccuracies with the Atari workflows, especially the creation of Breakout. That could be due to the limited source work that this book used or it could have been a simplistic choice to make the narrative flow a bit better. Still, it is a bit of a name drop to have the Steves in the book working at Atari that felt a bit like a grab.
Other than that, the story was pretty good and I liked the ping pong frame. It was a fun choice.
For the most part, the story follows their invention and distribution processes. From firsthand accounts in iWoz, there are a few inaccuracies with the Atari workflows, especially the creation of Breakout. That could be due to the limited source work that this book used or it could have been a simplistic choice to make the narrative flow a bit better. Still, it is a bit of a name drop to have the Steves in the book working at Atari that felt a bit like a grab.
Other than that, the story was pretty good and I liked the ping pong frame. It was a fun choice.
April 20, 2022
This graphic novel was super fun and super informative, two of my favourite things!
This comic was very enlightening for me. I have a decent amount of knowledge about the fallout of video games in the early 80s, but not of much before that, this has no informed me of the true beginning and I am happier for it. The way the history is presented is also very fun. There's a back and forth between the two father's of video games through the whole thing, and it pushes the events along really well, keeps you very interested. Also switching back and forth between the accomplishments of the two instead of doing all of one then all of the other is also a good way to keep people engaged.
The drawings are very nice, I enjoy the American comic style. There are a number of panels that are less detailed though, and I'm not 100% sure why. Either way, the use of colour to show whos point of view we were following at a given point was very helpful.
Overall cool memoir, I imagine this will be a graphic novel a lot of kids and adults interested in the history of video games like I am will be happy to read!
This comic was very enlightening for me. I have a decent amount of knowledge about the fallout of video games in the early 80s, but not of much before that, this has no informed me of the true beginning and I am happier for it. The way the history is presented is also very fun. There's a back and forth between the two father's of video games through the whole thing, and it pushes the events along really well, keeps you very interested. Also switching back and forth between the accomplishments of the two instead of doing all of one then all of the other is also a good way to keep people engaged.
The drawings are very nice, I enjoy the American comic style. There are a number of panels that are less detailed though, and I'm not 100% sure why. Either way, the use of colour to show whos point of view we were following at a given point was very helpful.
Overall cool memoir, I imagine this will be a graphic novel a lot of kids and adults interested in the history of video games like I am will be happy to read!
December 27, 2024
This is the first graphic novel about video games I have read. And I enjoyed it.
I had heard of Nolan Bushnell however I had not heard of Ralph Baer. Though I had heard of the things Ralph had help make happen like the Magnavox Odyssey and Smon. Though I did not know that Ralph Baer Created Simon.
I don't think I would say that Easy to learn hard to master is a deep dive because I am sure a lot more can be written about Nolan Bushnell and Ralph Bayers parts in the creation of video games though I liked looking at the images after reading the text in those images.
Another plus for me about the book is that is a quick read.
So I think that if you want to learn a little about how Ralph Bayer and Nolan Bushnell's role in early video gaming but, if you want something that is a deep dive into early video gaming well you could quickly read this book and then read another book about that subject that would give you more details. This book would at least give you some idea of how video games got started.
I had heard of Nolan Bushnell however I had not heard of Ralph Baer. Though I had heard of the things Ralph had help make happen like the Magnavox Odyssey and Smon. Though I did not know that Ralph Baer Created Simon.
I don't think I would say that Easy to learn hard to master is a deep dive because I am sure a lot more can be written about Nolan Bushnell and Ralph Bayers parts in the creation of video games though I liked looking at the images after reading the text in those images.
Another plus for me about the book is that is a quick read.
So I think that if you want to learn a little about how Ralph Bayer and Nolan Bushnell's role in early video gaming but, if you want something that is a deep dive into early video gaming well you could quickly read this book and then read another book about that subject that would give you more details. This book would at least give you some idea of how video games got started.
June 15, 2022
I read an advanced reader's copy provided by Netgalley. This is currently set to be published on September 13, 2022.
This graphic novel focuses on the battle between Atari founder Nolan Bushnell and inventor Ralph Baer for the title of “father of the video game.” Baer developed the first TV video game console and created the first ping-pong inspired game, but Bushnell took the idea and improved on it, creating Pong and starting Atari, leaving Baer feeling overlooked. I have a couple of nitpicks - the ending seems really sudden and while I love the monochromatic color scheme used for the flashbacks, on my iPad screen at least, it washed out characters' faces more than I liked - but overall, I think this does a good job of summing up a lot of years and developments. For some reason, I had a lot of students this year asking for books about the history of computers and/or video games and this is a good, quick introduction.
This graphic novel focuses on the battle between Atari founder Nolan Bushnell and inventor Ralph Baer for the title of “father of the video game.” Baer developed the first TV video game console and created the first ping-pong inspired game, but Bushnell took the idea and improved on it, creating Pong and starting Atari, leaving Baer feeling overlooked. I have a couple of nitpicks - the ending seems really sudden and while I love the monochromatic color scheme used for the flashbacks, on my iPad screen at least, it washed out characters' faces more than I liked - but overall, I think this does a good job of summing up a lot of years and developments. For some reason, I had a lot of students this year asking for books about the history of computers and/or video games and this is a good, quick introduction.
January 18, 2023
An enjoyable and quick read about the history of the early video consoles. Love the structure that has the two main characters initially playing ping pong against each other, until they move into what I'm sure are Tron games. I now wonder if some of the personal dynamics of the two male leads in Tron are based on Ralph Baer and Nolan Bushnell. Their stories are told in parallel and I got a great sense of who these men were and what drove them. Also didn't know that the Apple Steves worked with Bushnell before founding their company.
I loved the artwork. Using the colours of the original games is inspired. The lines are clear and the dialogue is easy to read, which I doubted when I first saw the colours. It's really well done.
I loved the artwork. Using the colours of the original games is inspired. The lines are clear and the dialogue is easy to read, which I doubted when I first saw the colours. It's really well done.
May 29, 2024
The introduction was very clever--perhaps even genius. It starts out two men, Ralph Baer and Nolan Bushnell, dueling over a game of Ping Pong about who is the true father of video games. With each ball return, the men likewise return another reason they deserve the title. Then BAM! The Ping Pong game is actually a game of Pong.
The analogy of Baer and Bushnell competing against each other continues through the book, switching from one video game to another. This ongoing analogy helped keep it interesting, but the over-the-top animosity between the two men was exhausting by the end.
The ending was sweet.
The analogy of Baer and Bushnell competing against each other continues through the book, switching from one video game to another. This ongoing analogy helped keep it interesting, but the over-the-top animosity between the two men was exhausting by the end.
The ending was sweet.
March 19, 2023
Picked this up last 15 minutes library was open otherwise I would’ve sat there and finished it lol. Good little book, really interesting to learn more about the video game history with Bushnell, as I mostly know him from CEC research. This in the end is to say the one page they have CEC I fully bet they referenced reskinned RAE animatronics which… is not right for the era of logo they were showing. This is my weird specific beef lol. Still a good short read, a really interesting history. Had no clue the Magnavox Odyssey creator also made those cool Simon Says toys :)
September 5, 2023
The underlying history is quite interesting, but there genuinely isn't a lot of meat on these bones. This originated as a magazine article, and it kind of shows. It's a short graphic novel to begin with, and it's padded out by pages of video game inventor Baer and Atari (and Chuck E Cheese!) founder Bushnell sniping at each other. It's also extremely obvious that Kushner liked Baer way more. I don't particularly have a problem with that, but others may question how bias colors the information provided.
July 30, 2025
I found this book both interesting and unremarkable at the same time. Interesting because I didn't know a lot of the backstory of the rivalry between Baer and Bushnell. Unremarkable because the colors of the illustrations made it flat and boring. I know the coloring was chosen on purpose to give it a retro gaming sort of feel, but it didn't work for me. Would still recommend for videogame enthusiasts.
June 1, 2023
Fun quick read on the history of early game consoles, definitely light on details but covers the broad strokes enough to get a sense of what else to read about. Like other reviewers said, definitely interested in reading more about Baer after this.
August 5, 2023
Fantastic writing and art showing two rivals and their battle for credit in creating the first video games. Excellent back stories and thoroughly entertaining. I enjoyed this and give it a strong recommend if it piques your interest.
June 14, 2024
A graphic novel history of the first video game and the fascinating feud between Ralph Baer and Nolan Bushnell who both claimed to be the “father of video games.” Hard to believe how quickly the field and the technology changed into the massive industry it is today.
May 3, 2025
I really enjoyed the way they told the story, a sparring match between Ralph Baer and Nolan Bushnell who are playing games; versus more traditional story boards sharing the actual history. I also learned a lot I didn't know before.
Read
June 10, 2022Review for Booklist pending
September 23, 2022
It was quick & entertaining.
September 30, 2022
A fun short read
This is a brief but informative dive into the creation and early history of video games. Well worth your time.
This is a brief but informative dive into the creation and early history of video games. Well worth your time.
January 31, 2023
Loved reading history the graphics way.
March 2, 2023
Succinct, imaginative depiction of the disputed origin of video games. Makes me want to play that Atari 50 Collection that recently dropped for the 50th anniversary.
June 3, 2023
I always enjoy a well-researched and well-written non-fiction graphic novel like this one. So much nostalgia to be derived from this story.
July 16, 2023
Informative and fun
November 6, 2023
Really interesting history that I knew nothing about
July 7, 2024
PopSugar Reading Challenge #22: A Book that Centers around video games. 52 Bookclub Summer Reading Challenge #21: FOOTBALL / SOCCER: A double letter word in the title.
June 3, 2025
Kind of goofy premise (the story is told over a “virtual” game of pong) but a fun history I had no idea about and an ending that everyone is rooting for. Read for the library reading challenge
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews