Video Ping-Pong (c.1969)

Three knobs -- horizontal, vertical and "english."

When Pong came on the market in the early 1970s, the only function on the control unit was a vertical lever. If players wanted to mix it up, they did so by changing the on-screen paddle to one of three sizes, the smallest being the same size as the ball. (Speed was also a variable -- normal, faster and fastest.)

But this "english" function -- why was it dropped?

Seems there is less room for "english" these days.