Learn

One of the most distinctly American contributions to popular entertainment during the 20th century was the pinball machine. Its origins, however, lie in 18th century France. The rise of this gaming platform is the story of clever innovations, technology and social change. This tale is also far from over. As we shall see, the pinball game continues to develop. The machine may be disappearing from arcades, but the concept remains very much alive.

The closest ancestor of the pinball machine is the bagatelle, a table game originally developed in France during the 1700s. Bagatelle involved a narrowed billiard (or pool) table. Pins on one side were struck by a ball propelled by a cue from the other side. Over time it evolved into a game where an ivory ball was pushed up a plane into holes guarded by upright pins. When Louis XIV, King of France for over 70 years, first saw the game in 1777 he was enchanted. His brother named it Bagatelle in honor of the hunting chateau outside Paris where it was first demonstrated to the so-called Sun King. This endorsement helped make it popular around the world, including in America where French soldiers brought bagatelle tables with them to help while away the time.

In the mid-19th century, a British bagatelle maker settled in the US made a critical contribution. Montague Redgrave patented the use of a spring-loaded plunger to send a ball into the playing area instead of the arm-powered stick hitherto used (he may not have been the first to really invent it, but he was the first to benefit from it). This plunger shown here is from a typical pinball machine. The act of pulling back and letting the ball fly up into its course has since been the classic inaugural moment for a pinball game.

During the latter part of the 19th century, this new form of the game was often used for gambling. It became a fixture in bars. Separating the game from unsavory connotations was important to its wider acceptance in society. Free games and extra balls to play with instead of money became the standard reward for playing well after the turn of the century.

The great leap forward for pinball games came in the 1930s. A coin-operated version of the game, known as the Ballyhoo, was popularized by a company in Chicago. This mid-western city became the center for pinball game production in the US due to its proximity to many machine manufacturers. The Ballyhoo was made of wood, and featured the chrome balls and pins next to holes which gave the game the name pinball.

The spread of electricity enabled more features. Automatic scoring, lights and sounds enhanced the thrill of play. The Great Depression of the 1930s fueled pinball’s adoption as an inexpensive alternative entertainment. The link to gambling was not entirely erased, and anti-tilt devices had to be developed to prevent the over-enthusiastic from lifting machines to manipulate the trajectory of the pinball.

During the post World War II-era, pinball gaming flourished like never before. Game designers created beautiful gaming environments. Flippers were introduced, giving the player the chance to put a ball back into play from the bottom of the incline. This twist made the game appeal to more players. One could say that flippers were the precursors of the “twitch” game syndrome we know so well today. “Spinners” - which quickly increase scores - and “mushroom” bumpers - with their super bounce effects - were brought to market in the 1960s. Although it took longer for innovations to spread in the non-digital age, these developments helped establish the expectation of continual technical improvement that today’s gamers take for granted.

Pinball machines are enormously complex objects to manufacture. Thousands of feet of wire must be hooked up to hundreds of lights according to carefully laid diagrams. Tiny nails have to be set between metal bumpers. The whole game needs to be tested once it is in its housing. The glass that seals the top has to be especially strong to withstand frustrated players. Keeping a game in good repair is an expensive long-term undertaking.

The rise of video games and electronic game devices during the 1980s contributed to a general decline in the popularity of pinball machines. Video arcades have been replacing pinball arcades around the world. Video games are easier to manage and are in tune with the types of games that kids are playing on a variety of other electronic devices.

Nonetheless, the pinball game is far from dead. Its continuing popularity is evident in the fact that digital games continue to replicate the pinball experience, from early Atari games to recent intergalactic 3D versions. This could speak to the enduring collective brand memory of this type of game. It also suggests that the excitement of watching an object bounce around, collecting points as it hits things, partially under the control of a player, partially at random, is a compelling and fun experience. Try it out with our own Chevron Cars pinball game!