Pinball wizardry has advanced with technology

Pinball: A simple amusement game…with a fascinating history. 

Pinball evolved from bagatelle, a parlor game invented in the late 18th century in France.

Played on a slightly inclined wooden table with randomly placed holes at one end, the game of bagatelle involved shooting ivory balls with a cue stick into the holes (scoring pockets). Pins affixed to the table were added and used to ricochet the balls into the pockets, which were assigned varying amounts of points.

In 1777, the Count of Artois (Charles Philippe), the youngest brother of King Louis XVI, hosted a party at his home in Paris, the Château de Bagatelle, where he erected a building especially to house his gaming tables.

 

Variations of bagatelle evolved in both England and America, and by 1819 the word “bagatelle” was defined as “a popular game played on a table 7’ long and 21” wide, in which 9 balls were shot into various holes surrounded by wooden pegs, affixed to the table.”

In 1871, Montague Redgrave, an Englishman who had moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, modified the game, replacing the cue with a coiled spring and plunger, which a player pulled to shoot the balls up an inclined playfield. 

The game also shrunk in size and began to fit on top of a bar or counter. The balls became marbles, and the game was an instant hit with children and adults alike.

In 1932, Raymond Moloney of Chicago, Ill., invented “Ballyhoo,” which led to the establishment of Bally Manufacturing Company. Bally was the first pinball company to put “bumpers” into play.

Yet, Harry E. Williams is generally regarded as “the father of pinball.” He is credited with the electrification of pinball in the 1930s, incorporating battery-powered solenoids to create the flashing lights, bells, chimes and buzzers that are so associated with the game.

 

Williams also introduced the “tilt mechanism” to penalize aggressive players who tried to jiggle or shake the pinball machine in an effort to manipulate the roll of the ball. 

At Williams Manufacturing Company in Chicago, he was responsible for creating more than 150 different games.

 

Another pinball pioneer was David Gottlieb. 

His company, D. Gottlieb & Co. of Chicago, invented flippers in 1947, which revolutionized play.

 

A surge in interest in pinball occurred following the release of the song “Pinball Wizard” in 1969 by The Who, the legendary rock’n’roll band from London, England. The song was composed for “The Who’s Tommy,” a rock opera.

 

It pays tribute to a young character who is deafblind and plays pinball with supernatural skill, relying on his heightened sense of touch, feeling the physical vibrations of the flippers, bumpers and the ball hitting the playfield.

Written by guitarist Pete Townshend, the tune became a pop culture anthem and rock music standard. With Roger Daltrey singing lead, the lyrics stick with you. Here’s a snippet:

 Ever since I was a young boy

I’ve played the silver ball

From Soho down to Brighton,

I must’ve played ‘em all

But I ain’t seen nothing like him in any amusement hall

That…kid sure plays a mean pinball

For a long time, the “big three” manufacturers in the pinball world were Bally, Williams and Gottlieb. In 1999, the torch was effectively passed to Stern Pinball, with headquarters in Oak Grove Village, Ill., a suburb of Chicago. Stern Pinball is the primary designer and manufacturer of contemporary pinball machines.

 

Stern Pinball sponsors the Stern Pinball Pro Circuit in collaboration with the International Flipper Pinball Association. 

Two Americans currently stand atop the world rankings. These pinballers are Jason Zahler, 20, of Elberon, N.J. (shown above), and Zach McCarthy, 21, of Conifer, Colo. (shown below).

In 2018, pinball was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame, sponsored by The Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, N.Y.

“Pinball fosters learning and discovery,” commented Jeremy Saucier, assistant vice president for interpretation and electronic games at the museum. “The game offers players the opportunity to enhance spatial awareness and sharpen their eye-hand coordination by shooting and tracking a steel ball through a miniature playground of ramps, pop bumpers and interactive toys.”

 

“Playing pinball requires quick thinking and reflexes, but it also rewards patience and persistence. Although many players are happy to just keep the ball in play, the most skilled players strive to master an individual pinball machine, attempting to experience all the modes, levels, mini-games and novelties the game has to offer,” Saucier said.