Headed for Center City on the sluggish Schuylkill Expressway, an ordinary driver’s eye might wander to the dramatic lighting on the glass-faced Cira Centre alongside 30th Street Station. One night it’s the Phillies logo. Another it’s a pink ribbon for breast cancer.
Back in 2008, Drexel computer scientist Frank Lee found himself imagining something else in the Cira’s matrix of colored LED lights: a massive display for a video game. Nearly five years later, his vision is about to become a reality, as more than 100 people will get to play what’s billed as the “Grandest Game of Pong on the Planet.”
Lee plans to put his game through a dry run Thursday evening, the latest test before the main event: Giant Pong from 8 to 10 p.m. on April 19, to mark the start of Philly Tech Week, followed by two more hours on April 24.
Players will mostly be chosen through a lottery – you can sign up for a chance through 5 p.m. Friday at ph.ly/pong. They’ll play from the south terrace of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, with a clear view of the Cira’s north face over the river.