History Main / Pinball

!!The Dot Matrix Era (1991-present)
The addition of dot-matrix displays ([=DMDs=]) to pinball games (starting with Creator/DataEast's ''Pinball/{{Checkpoint}}'') opened up more new possibilities to the field. Although internally similar to solid-state games, the DMD gave designers a new outlet for feedback and storytelling; the screen gave immediate information on important objectives, options could be selected on-screen, and animated clips and {{Video Mode}}s add to the entertainment value. Gameplay on these tables is far less linear than previous generations, usually with only one or more {{Wizard Mode}}s acting as a final goal. Ball times are even longer than before, and a skilled player can go for twenty minutes at a time. Even recent games using LCD screens such as ''Pinball/TheWizardOfOz'' and ''Pinball/FullThrottle'' are considered part of the DMD era.

* {{Creator/Capcom}}

That deaf, dumb, and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball.''\\
-- '''Music/TheWho''', [[Music/{{Tommy}} "Pinball Wizard"]]

'''Pinball''' is a type of UsefulNotes/ArcadeGame where players score points by manipulating one or more steel balls on a playfield inside a glass-covered cabinet. Points are scored by striking certain targets and completing various objectives, and a player's turn ends when the ball drains off the bottom of the playfield. Skilled players can extend their playtime by keeping the ball in play as long as possible and earning extra balls; bumping, nudging, and slapping the table to affect the ball's behavior are legitimate gameplay techniques, but excessive force will invoke a TILT and cause the player to lose the current ball. Free games, called "Specials", can be earned either by very skilled playing or by random award at the end of a game.

The notion that pinball was [[LuckBasedMission entirely based on luck]] reached its peak in the middle of the 20th century, when the city of New York banned pinball on claims that they [[NewMediaAreEvil were a form of gambling that led to delinquency.]] [[note]]There was some truth to this; unsavory places offered rewards or cash prizes for high scores, and the {{Mafia}} ran some pinball arcades, just as they did to other businesses.[[/note]] Although most establishments skirted the laws[[note]]It was legal to own pinball machines for personal use[[/note]] or ignored the bans, it remained on the books for over thirty years; it ended in 1976 when writer Creator/RogerSharpe testified before a committee that pinball was not a game of chance, but required skill and finesse. [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome Sharpe demonstrated this with a courtroom pinball game,]] capped when [[CallingYourShots he announced that he would launch his next ball through the center lane at the top of the playfield,]] then [[ImprobableAimingSkills proceeded to do so.]] The committee immediately removed the ban, though Sharpe later admits [[AccidentalHero his courtroom success was by sheer luck]].

-->-- '''Music/TheWho''', [[Music/{{Tommy}} "Pinball Wizard"]]

->''Light me up and knock me down\\
I’m free game whenever you're around\\
So lock me in, we're Special bound\\
'cuz you’re my silverball.''
-->-- '''Music/BarenakedLadies''', "Silverball"

'''Pinball''' is a type of ArcadeGame where players score points by manipulating one or more steel balls on a playfield inside a glass-covered cabinet. Points are scored by striking certain targets and completing various objectives, and a player's turn ends when the ball drains off the bottom of the playfield. Skilled players can extend their playtime by keeping the ball in play as long as possible and earning extra balls; bumping, nudging, and slapping the table to affect the ball's behavior are legitimate gameplay techniques, but excessive force will invoke a TILT and cause the player to lose the current ball. Free games, called "Specials", can be earned either by very skilled playing or by random award at the end of a game.

Though the game is believed to be based on ground billiards games, the original [[UrExample pre-pinball game]] is generally accepted to be ''bagatelle''; invented in France in the 17th century, it was an indoor game where players would shoot balls with a stick from one end into score holes. ArcadeGame vendors in the 19th and 20th centuries added pins, spring launchers, scoring troughs, and flashing lights to these "marble games".

->''Ever since I was a young boy, I've played the silver ball\\
From Soho down to Brighton, I must have played them all\\
But I ain't seen nothing like him in any amusement hall\\
That deaf, dumb and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball''
-->-- '''Music/TheWho''', "Pinball Wizard", from the RockOpera ''Music/{{Tommy}}''

Pinball entered the computer age with the introduction of solid-state (SS) controllers, with the first games being ''Spirit of ’76'' ([=MicroGames=]) and ''Hot Tip'' (Creator/WilliamsElectronics). The earliest SS machines played very similar to their electro-mechanical brethren, but later games added more complex scoring rules, modes, and objectives. To fend off competition from VideoGames, pinball gameplay trended toward giving players more for their money, with longer ball times and more crowd-pleasing features such as ramps, multiball, and progressive jackpots. As play times tended to be longer, games would give only three balls per play.

Major pinball companies include:

->''Ever since I was a young boy, I've played the silver ball''\\
''From Soho down to Brighton, I must have played them all''\\
''But I ain't seen nothing like him in any amusement hall''\\
''That deaf, dumb and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball''
-->-- '''Music/TheWho''', ''Pinball Wizard'', from the RockOpera ''Music/{{Tommy}}''

Pinball is a type of ArcadeGame where players score points by manipulating one or more steel balls on a playfield inside a glass-covered cabinet. Points are scored by striking certain targets and completing various objectives, and a player's turn ends when the ball drains off the bottom of the playfield. Skilled players can extend their playtime by keeping the ball in play as long as possible and earning extra balls; bumping, nudging, and slapping the table to affect the ball's behavior are legitimate gameplay techniques, but excessive force will invoke a TILT and cause the player to lose the current ball. Free games, called "Specials", can be earned either by very skilled playing or by random award at the end of a game.

Thousands of pinball tables have been created in the lifetime of the genre. Most tables have a theme, often with a [[LicensedPinballTables license of some kind]]. Although their popularity in arcades have been diminished by the rise of VideoGames, pinball continues to live on, whether it's via [[PinballSpinoff Pinball Spinoffs]] of popular video games, digital emulation of PhysicalPinballTables, or original tables made for both commercial establishments and private collectors. Even today, fans continue to collect tables as a hobby, and a vintage table in excellent condition can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Truly devoted players have created their own games, either by retheming an existing pin or by building original tables from scratch.

![-The Electro-Mechanical Era (1930-1975)-]

![-The Solid State Era (1976-1990)-]

![-The Dot Matrix Era (1991-present)-]

Thousands of pinball tables have been created in the lifetime of the genre. Most tables have a theme, often with a [[LicensedPinballTables license of some kind]]. Although their popularity in arcades have been diminished by the rise of VideoGames, pinball continues to live on, whether it's via [[PinballSpinoff Pinball Spinoffs]] of popular video games, digital emulation of PhysicalPinballTables, or original tables made for both commercial establishments and private collectors. Even today, fans continue to collect tables as a hobby, and a vintage table in excellent condition can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Truly devoted players have created their own games, either by retheming an existing pin or by building original tables from scratch.

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Pinball Eras]]

Although pinball got started with simple "pin games" like ''Pinball/BaffleBall'', the earliest age of pinball is considered to be the Electro-Mechanical (EM) Era. Starting with ''Pinball/{{Contact}}'', these were games driven by electrical mechanisms. Since there were no computer processors running these games, nearly all EM games required that every point, light, and rule change to be controlled by a complex array of relays and switches all working in perfect order. Sound effects consisted of chimes of varying tones, accompanied by the clacking of solenoids. Play style on these machines is fast and frantic, with short ball times and a lot of emphasis on careful aim and good nudging skills; many EM machines give a default five balls per play to compensate for the quick speed.

Although pinball got started with simple "pin games" like ''Pinball/BaffleBall'', the earliest age of pinball is considered to be the Electro-Mechanical (EM) Era. Starting with ''Pinball/{{Contact}}'', these were games driven by electrical mechanisms. Since there were no computer processors running these games, nearly all electro-mechanical games require that every point, light, and rule change relied on a complex array of relays and switches all working in perfect order. Sound effects consisted of chimes of varying tones, accompanied by the clacking of solenoids. Play style on these machines is fast and frantic, with short ball times and a lot of emphasis on careful aim and good nudging skills; many EM machines give a default five balls per play to compensate for the quick speed.

Although pinball got started with simple "pin games" like ''Pinball/BaffleBall'', the earliest age of pinball is considered to be the Electro-Mechanical (EM) Era. Starting with ''Pinball/{{Contact}}'', these were games driven by electrical mechanisms. Since there were no computer processors running these games, every point, light, and rule change relied on a complex array of relays and switches all working in perfect order. Sound effects consisted of chimes of varying tones, accompanied by the clacking of solenoids. Play style on these machines is fast and frantic, with short ball times and a lot of emphasis on careful aim and good nudging skills; many EM machines give a default five balls per play to compensate for the quick speed.

Pinball entered the computer age with the introduction of solid-state (SS) controllers, with the first games being ''Spirit of ’76'' ([=MicroGames=]) and ''Hot Tip'' (Creator/WilliamsElectronics). The earliest SS machines played very similar to their electro-mechanical brethren, but later games added more complex scoring rules, modes, and objectives. To fend off competition from VideoGames, pinball gameplay trended toward giving players more for their money, with longer ball times and more crowd-pleasing features such as ramps, multiball, and progressive jackpots. As play times tended to be longer, games would only give three balls per play to compensate.

The addition of dot-matrix displays ([=DMDs=]) to pinball games (starting with Creator/DataEast's ''Pinball/{{Checkpoint}}'') opened up more new possibilities to the field. Although internally similar to solid-state games, the DMD gave designers a new outlet for feedback and storytelling; the screen gave immediate information on important objectives, options could be selected on-screen, and animated clips and {{Video Mode}}s add to the entertainment value. Gameplay on these tables is far less linear than previous generations, usually with only one or more {{Wizard Mode}}s acting as a final goal. Ball times are even longer than before, and a skilled player can go for twenty minutes at a time. Even recent games using LCD screens (''Pinball/TheWizardOfOz,'' ''Pinball/FullThrottle'') are considered part of the DMD era.

----

Although pinball got started with simple "pin games" like ''Pinball/BaffleBall'', the earliest age of pinball is considered to be the Electro-Mechanical (EM) Era. Starting with ''Pinball/{{Contact}}'', these were games driven by electrical mechanisms. Since there were no computer processors running these games, every point, light, and rule change relied on a complex array of solenoids, relays, and switches all working in perfect order. Sound effects consisted of chimes of varying tones, accompanied by the clacking of solenoids. Play style on these machines is fast and frantic, with short ball times and a lot of emphasis on careful aim and good nudging skills; many EM machines give a default five balls per play to compensate for the quick speed.

Although pinball got started with early "pin games" like ''Pinball/BaffleBall'', the earliest age of pinball is considered to be the Electro-Mechanical (EM) Era. Starting with ''Pinball/{{Contact}}'', these were games driven by purely electrical mechanisms. Since there were no computer processors running these games, every point, light, and rule change relied on a complex array of solenoids, relays, and switches all working in perfect order. Sound effects consisted of chimes of varying tones, accompanied by the clacking of solenoids. Play style on these machines is fast and frantic, with short ball times and a lot of emphasis on careful aim and good nudging skills; many EM machines give a default five balls per play to compensate for the quick speed.

Pinball entered the computer age with the introduction of solid-state (SS) controllers, with the first games being ''Spirit of ’76'' ([=MicroGames=]) and ''Hot Tip'' (Creator/WilliamsElectronics). The earliest SS machines played very similar to their electro-mechanical brethren, but later games added more complex scoring rules, modes, and objectives. To fend off competition from VideoGames, pinball gameplay gave players more for their money, with longer ball times and more player-friendly features such as ramps, multiball, and progressive jackpots. As play times tended to be longer, players would only get three balls per play to compensate.

The addition of dot-matrix displays ([=DMDs=]) to pinball games (starting with Creator/DataEast's ''Pinball/{{Checkpoint}}'') opened up more new possibilities to the field. Although internally similar to solid-state games, the DMD gave designers a new outlet for feedback and storytelling; the screen gave immediate information on important objectives, options could be selected on-screen, and animated clips and VideoModes added to the entertainment value. Gameplay on these tables is far less linear than previous generations, usually with only one or more {{Wizard Mode}}s acting as a final goal. Ball times are even longer than before, and a skilled player can go for twenty minutes at a time. Even recent games using LCD screens (''Pinball/TheWizardOfOz,'' ''Pinball/FullThrottle'') are considered part of the DMD era.

The various generations of pinball games are typically divided as follows:

!The Electro-Mechanical Era (1930-1975)

!The Solid State Era (1976-1990)

!The Dot Matrix Era (1991-present)

!!This wiki offers the following pinball-related pages and indexes:

* PhysicalPinballTables
* DigitalPinballTables
* LicensedPinballTables
* PinballCreators
* PinballTropes
* TropesInPinballGames

!!!Major pinball companies:

The notion that pinball was [[LuckBasedMission entirely based on luck]] reached its peak in the middle of the 20th century, when New York banned pinball on claims that they [[NewMediaAreEvil were a form of gambling that led to delinquency.]] [[note]]There was some truth to this; unsavory places offered rewards or cash prizes for high scores, and the {{Mafia}} ran some pinball arcades, just as they did other businesses.[[/note]] Although most establishments skirted the laws[[note]]It was legal to own pinball machines for personal use[[/note]] or ignored the bans, it remained on the books for over thirty years; it ended in 1976 when writer Creator/RogerSharpe testified before a committee that pinball was not a game of chance, but required skill and finesse. [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome Sharpe demonstrated this with a courtroom pinball game,]] capped when [[CallingYourShots he announced that he would launch his next ball through the center lane at the top of the playfield,]] then [[ImprobableAimingSkills proceeded to do so.]] The committee immediately removed the ban, though Sharpe later admits [[AccidentalHero his courtroom success was by sheer luck]].

Thousands of pinball tables have been created in the lifetime of the genre. Most tables have a theme, often with a [[LicensedPinballTables license of some kind]]. Although their popularity in arcades have been diminished by the rise of VideoGames, pinball continues to live on, whether it's via [[PinballSpinoff Pinball Spinoffs]] of popular video games, digital emulation of PhysicalPinballTables, or original tables made for both commercial establishments and private collectors. Even today, fans continue to collect tables as a hobby, and a vintage table in excellent condition can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Truly devoted players have created their own games, either by retheming an existing table or by building their own games from scratch.

Thousands of pinball tables have been created in the lifetime of the genre. Most tables have a theme, often with a [[LicensedPinballTables license of some kind]]. Although their popularity in arcades have been diminished by the rise of VideoGames, pinball continues to live on, whether it's via [[PinballSpinoff Pinball Spinoffs]] of popular video games, digital emulation of PhysicalPinballTables, or original tables made for both commercial establishments and private collectors. Even today, die-hard fans continue to collect tables as a hobby, and a vintage table in excellent condition can cost tens of thousands of dollars.