The History of Pinball
A Game of Skill and Endless Fun
Pinball is game that involves the movement and manipulation of a silver ball that is contained within a cabinet called a pinball machine. The general idea of a pinball game is to hit the ball along the game's targets, which includes lights, bumpers, spinners, and ramps, to obtain as many points as you can. The player gets three balls per play.
Pinball games came into prominence during the 1970s, but they have existed since the 1930s. The first popular coin-operated pinball machine was called 'Baffle Ball' and was created David Gottlieb in 1931, who would go on to found one of the first industry-leading pinball manufacturers, Gottlieb.
As pinball became more popular, new pinball manufacturers were founded to compete with success of Gottlieb. They include Williams, Data East, Sega, Bally, and Stern. Today, Stern Pinball, Inc. is one of the only remaining pinball gaming companies producing and manufacturing new games. They are known for creating games with a mixture of popular and retro themes, such as Stranger Things, Jurassic Park, and Ghostbusters.
Despite losing popularity in the 80s due to the video game boom, pinball arcades have seen a recent revival across the world as retro games have come back in fashion with the nostalgia of the millennial generation. It is through these new arcades that pinball can be appreciated by the next generation!
To read more about the history of pinball, please visit BMI Gaming.
This webpage was created by Elspeth Humble