History Main / Pinball

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 [[CallingYourAttacks 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]].

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.]] 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 [[CallingYourAttacks 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]].

* Jersey Jack Pinball

* DigitalPinballTables

* Creator/WilliamsElectronics

* [[Creator/{{Gottlieb}} Gottlieb, Premier, and Mylstar]]
* {{Creator/Capcom}}
* Jersey Jack Pinball (a new company formed by former Williams and Stern staff)

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.]] 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 twenty 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 [[CallingYourAttacks 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]].

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.]] Although most establishments ignored the bans, it remained on the books for over twenty 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 [[CallingYourAttacks 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]].

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.]] Although most establishments ignored the bans, it remained on the books for over twenty years; it ended in 1976 when writer Roger Sharpe 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,]] [[CallingYourAttacks calling out what targets he would shoot for,]] [[ImprobableAimingSkills and then proceeded to do so.]] The committee immediately removed the ban, though Sharpe later admits [[AccidentalHero his courtroom success was by sheer luck]].

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; free games, called "Specials", can be earned either by very skilled playing or by random award at the end of a game.

While it was not the first game of its type, [[Creator/{{Gottlieb}} David Gottlieb's]] ''Pinball/BaffleBall'' is considered the [[TropeMaker first commercially-successful "pin game".]] It was affordable for most drugstore and tavern owners to purchase, and quickly recouped its costs with people seeking cheap entertainment during TheGreatDepression. [[FollowTheLeader Other imitators quickly followed,]] with the term "pin ball" used to describe them after the release of Mill's 1932 ''Official'' game. Attempts by manufacturers to differentiate their games caused rapid evolution in the field, leading to elements like electric bumpers and flippers, which increased the amount of chance and level of player control to the game. 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.

** Creator/DataEastPinball

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; free games, called "replays", can be earned either by ''very'' skilled playing or by random award at the end of a game.

* PinballCreators

* Creator/{{Gottlieb}}

----
!!Notable pinball designers and creators include:

!!!Creators:
* Creator/PythonAnghelo
* Creator/JohnBorg
* Brian Eddy
* George Gomez
* Joe Kaminkow
* Creator/PatLawlor
* Dennis Nordman
* Barry Oursler
* Creator/JohnPopadiuk
* Creator/MarkRitchie
* Creator/SteveRitchie
* Creator/JohnTrudeau

!!!Programmers
* Larry [=DeMar=] ("L.E.D.")
* Creator/EugeneJarvis
* Keith P. Johnson ("Keefer")
* Lyman F. Sheats Jr.

* John Trudeau

* John Borg

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.]] The ban stood for over twenty years; it ended in 1976 when writer Roger Sharpe 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,]] [[CallingYourAttacks calling out what targets he would shoot for,]] [[ImprobableAimingSkills and then proceeded to do so.]] The committee immediately removed the ban, though Sharpe later admits [[AccidentalHero his courtroom success was by sheer luck]].

* Mark Ritchie

* John Popadiuk

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.]] The ban stood for over twenty years; it ended in 1976 when writer Roger Sharpe testified before a committee that pinball was not a game of chance, but required skill and finesse. [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome Sharpe demonstrated this with a courtroom pinball game,]] [[CallingYourAttacks calling out what targets he would shoot for,]] [[ImprobableAimingSkills and then proceeded to do so.]] The committee immediately removed the ban, though Sharpe later admits [[AccidentalHero his courtroom success was by sheer luck]].

** Creator/DataEast Pinball (formed from former Stern Electronics staff, including president Gary Stern)

** Stern Pinball (currently, one of the remaining two pinball companies)

While it was not the first game of its type, [[Creator/{{Gottlieb}} David Gottlieb's]] ''Baffle Ball'' is considered the [[TropeMaker first commercially-successful pinball game.]] It was affordable for most drugstore and tavern owners to purchase, and quickly recouped its costs with people seeking cheap entertainment during TheGreatDepression. [[FollowTheLeader Other imitators quickly followed,]] with the term "pin ball" used to describe them after the release of Mill's 1932 ''Official'' game. Attempts by manufacturers to differentiate their games caused rapid evolution in the field, leading to elements like electric bumpers and flippers, which increased the amount of chance and level of player control to the game. 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.

While it was not the first game of its type, [[Creator/{{Gottlieb}} David Gottlieb's]] ''Baffle Ball'' is considered the [[TropeMaker first commercially-successful pinball game.]] It was affordable for most drugstore and tavern owners to purchase, and quickly recouped its costs with people seeking cheap entertainment during TheGreatDepression. [[FollowTheLeader Other imitators quickly followed,]] and the field evolved with electric bumpers and flippers, increasing the amount of chance and level of player control to the game. 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.

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 version of ''bagatelle'' where players would shoot balls with a stick from one end into score holes. Enhancements in the 19th and 20th centuries added pins, spring launchers, scoring troughs, and flashing lights to their "marble games".

Though the game is believed to be based on ground billiards games, the original "pinball" game is generally accepted to be ''bagatelle''; invented in France in the 17th century, players would shoot balls with a stick from one end into score holes. The modern version of pinball adapted rapidly in the early 20th century, as coin-operated machines in the United States introduced electric bumpers and flippers, increasing the amount of chance and level of player control to the game. 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.