> >"Bally Midway didn’t want Pong, so Atari decided to make the game itself. Pong was
> > released in the end of 1972 and it was so successful that Atari.."
>
> I don't agree with this part. I suspect it was more of a "let's wait and see if this
> might make money and if it does, build cabinets immediately and ship them."
With all due respect, gregf... you're about one third right. 
For a jaw-dropping reveal of the (very) early Syzygy/Atari days, check out this incredible and rare interview with co-founder Ted Dabney. Interview starts at about 95 mins in. He describes this specific issue among many others, and actually disproves some of what is mentioned in the above article (they didn't quite "leave Nutting," for example - they never actually worked there). Fascinating stuff as I'm sure you'll agree, and well worth the (long) time you'll spend listening through it. 
I do agree with you that the above article is pretty good, though. It's packed with great information, and the author has a remarkable journalistic style that you just don't see terribly often these days, especially in most well-trodden circles.
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