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Mechanical game:Marx T.V. Tennis

Louis Marx & Company1974

The Strong National Museum of Play

The Strong National Museum of Play
Rochester , United States

By the early 1970s the Marx Company had fallen on hard times. In 1972, Louis Marx sold his company to the Quaker Oats Company. Having largely ignored industry trends toward electronic toys, Quaker struggled to keep Marx going. In 1972, Marx attempted to capitalize on the success of "Pong" with a mechanical version called "T.V. Tennis." Contrary to its name, "T.V. Tennis" could not be played on a television. Instead, Marx designed the plastic game to resemble a TV without any electronic components except a battery-powered motor and a glowing light bulb that acted as a "tennis ball." Unfortunately for Marx, its mechanical "Pong" imitator was not a success. In 1976, Quaker sold its Marx division to a British conglomerate, who finally shutdown Marx and liquidated its assets in the early 1980s.

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  • Title: Mechanical game:Marx T.V. Tennis
  • Creator: Louis Marx & Company
  • Date Created: 1974
  • Location: USA
  • Subject Keywords: electronic game, video game, tennis, mechanical toy
  • Type: Mechanical Toys, More Electronic Games
  • Medium: plastic, metal
  • Object ID: 112.5948
The Strong National Museum of Play

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