subject: The History Of Pinball And The Cultural Revolution Of The 1970's And Beyond [print this page] Pinball was still a popular pastime in the 1970's, and some of the most collectible machines come from this decade of decadence. In the 1970's, it was considered cool to "hang out" at the arcade. In fact, by this time, there was hardly a teen-oriented establishment that didn't have at least one of the popular pinball machines of the day.
Up to this time, pinball machines were Electro-Mechanical (EM), and stepper motors and relay banks were required to make them work. With the 1970's came the introduction of solid state pinball machines. These machines had more features, making the game even more fun and interesting for players. Unfortunately, with the advent of solid state came newer games, and the birth of the video game, which would cause a sharp decline in pinball playing worldwide.
Pinball, Levi's and Coca Cola: Representing Freedom In Poland
When the communist government began allowing western goods into Poland in the 1970's, pinball tagged along for the ride, becoming almost an overnight sensation in the country. The game was immensely popular with students, and many machines were installed in dormitories, bringing in plenty of cash for the machine owners. Other machines were installed in bars and cafes. Many of these first pinball machines were brought to Poland by sailors who had relatives in nearby Germany. Pinball, was one of many things, like Levi's and Coca Cola, that represented a new freedom for the citizens, but today, it is becoming more and more difficult to find arcades and pinball machines in Poland.
Pinball Goes Bionic
Many of the pinball machines of the 1970's were television-themed, based off the popular programs of the decade. A classic example is the 1978 "Six Million Dollar Man" game. This game was the first, and only, six-player solid-state pinball machine, and the artwork was done by Dave "Mad Dog" Christensen, who designed artwork for such popular pinball games as Fireball and Capt. Fantastic.
The "Six Million Dollar Man" game featured "Bionic Power" rewards of 50,000 points, and if players at certain skill levels made the right shots, all of the exits will be blocked, so players can not lose balls during this mode of play, and would, for all intents and purposes, become invincible.
Popular Pinball Machines of The 70's
Up until around 1975, there were four pinball machine manufacturers in Chicago alone, shipping out about 500 machines each daily. There were many pinball machines based on popular music, television, movies and sports, and many of the more popular machines were sci-fi in nature. Some of the most popular pinball machines of the 1970's were: Aquarius, 1970; Tahiti Bingo Pinball, 1974; Pinball, 1977; Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 1978; and Star Wars, 1979.
While the 70's was a decade that saw a huge surge in the popularity of pinball, and the lifting of the ban in 1976, the 80's would actually see a decline in the once-popular game. Below we will see how the introduction of video games pushed pinball machines into the dark corners of arcades.
Did Video Kill The Pinball Machine?
Video games. These two simple words were responsible for the beginning of the 1980's decline in the popularity of pinball. The latest in gaming technology, Pong, had been introduced in 1972, followed by the popular Asteroids and Space Invaders, but, pinball was still the ruling arcade game. Then, in 1979, along came the game that would revolutionize gaming and change the face of arcades forever: Pac-Man.
Cuz I Got Pac-Man Fever!
Introduced by the Japanese company Namco, and distributed in the US by Midway, Pac-Man became the top-selling video arcade game of all time. Pac-Man didn't involve battles in outer space with players needing to shoot at space ships and other objects. In fact, compared to Space Invaders, Pac-Man seemed relatively simple.
Basically, the player's "man" would eat dots throughout a maze while being directed by the player, trying to avoid the ghosts along the way. By eating a power pellet, Pac-Man would be able to eat the ghosts. At each level, play became faster, and more and more ghosts appeared. Pac-Man became such a sensation that it spawned an animated television program, and was the inspiration for the Top 40 hit song, "Pac-Man Fever", released by Buckner & Garcia in 1982.
Video Games Push Pinball To The Back of The Class
Following Pac-Man was a whole new world of electronic arcade games that fascinated players. Suddenly, there was a new generation of video games, and the world was constantly being bombarded with the latest in video game technology at an amazing rate of speed. Video arcades began replacing pinball arcades, and any pinball machines that were in arcades were usually found at the back of the room. You still saw a few people playing pinball, but the fascination mainly lay with the challenge and entertainment offered by the latest in video game technology.
Instead of playing pinball, kids were in the arcades playing Galaga, Gorf, Galaxian, Time Pilot, and all of the other video games that were popular in the 80's. Was this the end of pinball as everyone knew it? Of course not! Even though video games were growing steadily in popularity with each new game released, there were still pinball fans who refused to give up their favorite games.
Sure, they played many of the newer video games, but, they always returned to their roots of pinball. Now, the thing the "old" pinball players had to do was turn kids on to a game that did not offer all of the challenges, stories, graphics and sound effects. How was pinball going to stay alive to see the end of the century that saw the meteoric rise of game as one of the favorite pastimes of kids and adults around the world? Was it going to enter the century as a lion, but go out like a lamb?
The 90's And Beyond
In the early 90's, pinball seemed to see a resurgence in popularity, with the introduction of many games based off popular movies and television programs, including the Addam's Family and the Simpsons pinball machines. But, as video game technology advanced, players went back to their video screens after the newness of these pinball games wore off.
Pinball Factories Shut Their Doors
By the mid-1990's, pinball had begun to decline so sharply that many of the pinball machine manufacturers that had been in operation since the 70's and earlier were beginning to see large declines in their profits. This doesn't mean that pinball wasn't still loved by many, it's just that with video gaming technology getting better and better with each passing year, pinball seemed boring to many youths who loved the fast-paced action of their favorite video games. At the end of the decade, only one pinball manufacturer was left standing, which still manufactures pinball machines today.
The Future of Pinball
Just as video arcades replaced pinball arcades, video gaming home consoles began replacing the video arcade. One by one, arcades all around the world began shutting down, and these days, video arcades are becoming more and more hard to find.
But, even though arcades don't seem to be as abundant as they once were, pinball seems to be coming back into popularity in full force. The adults of today are the pinball players of the 70's, and, many are collecting the games that once provided them with hours and hours of entertainment. People are enjoying playing pinball in bars, taverns, restaurants, and even in hotel lobbies, and are loving the nostalgia playing pinball brings.
Today, you will find many people who have turned their rec-rooms into full-fledged arcades, complete with their favorite pinball machines. In fact, some purists refuse to allow video games into their personal arcades. These are the people pinball needs...the people who absolutely refuse to let it die! And, they seem to be doing their jobs quite well, because pinball machines can still be found everywhere!
Conclusion
Aaahhh, pinball. A game that has been popular for more than 100 years, and even with all of the technological wonders in the video gaming world today, thousands of people still flock to the pinball machines at the arcades, which have now moved back to the front of the store. What does the future hold in store for this wonderful invention? Will history repeat itself, and pinball will return to its former glory? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure...as long as there are people in this world who still love pinball, they will make sure that the game is around for many generations to come.
