Goodbye Balls

[KingGeno]

The End of Pinball? (http://www.retroblast.com/20081031716/Latest/The-End-Of-Pinball.php)



News hit yesterday that Stern Pinball, Inc. has laid many of its line workers and several designers.

No official press release from Stern yet, but the internet groups are a buzzing with comments from various sources talking about the devastating news.

Does this signal the end of Pinball as we know it?

Sadly, with a good chunk of Stern's revenue coming from private collectors and the economy doing a headstand right now, it's probably a safe guess that Stern might be a casualty of these trying times.

Word is that Stern has been stockpiling machines for a few months now, so there certainly is an inventory to be sold, but if consumers can't afford to buy them, and operators aren't willing to place them the future is dark for Stern.

The devil in me hopes that Stern has a fire sale and liquidates their inventory at rock bottom prices. I could certainly use a new Batman Pin. The angel in me prays that we don't see a posting on some website a decade from now about some guy finding an entire warehouse of Stern pins all sitting there nestled away in their crates waiting to be played.

Best wishes to all those at Stern who's future is unknown.

I've been a HUGE pinball freak for many years. I am addicted to Addams Family and Medieval Madness. I am saddened to see this. The arcade world in america is near dead, cept in some places like the boardwalk and stuff like that. Figured Pinball would be gone someday, and replaced by something fun and nostalgic, but digital and lacking the true feel of a pinball machine. (http://screenshots.teamxbox.com/gallery/1656/Pinball-FX/p1/)

Sad days are ahead....

[Dougie Brootal]

i was really hoping this was gonna be about your vasectomy.

[ANC]

Or a "History of the World" flub

[OGC]

The End of Pinball? (http://www.retroblast.com/20081031716/Latest/The-End-Of-Pinball.php)



I've been a HUGE pinball freak for many years. I am addicted to Addams Family and Medieval Madness. I am saddened to see this. The arcade world in america is near dead, cept in some places like the boardwalk and stuff like that. Figured Pinball would be gone someday, and replaced by something fun and nostalgic, but digital and lacking the true feel of a pinball machine. (http://screenshots.teamxbox.com/gallery/1656/Pinball-FX/p1/)

Sad days are ahead....


When you get up this way, give me a call. We can go down to what my kids call the play room and play Addams Family to our hearts content. I bought a machine from a collector a few years ago and rarely go to arcades anymore.

[Marc with a c]

i always wanted to be a pinball wizard.

[Foster]

"News hit yesterday that Stern Pinball, Inc. has laid many of its line workers and several designers"

that sounds like a good thing for these guys

[ANC]

"News hit yesterday that Stern Pinball, Inc. has laid many of its line workers and several designers"

that sounds like a good thing for these guys

How do we know they weren't Robin, Hoo Hoo.

booooooo

[zildjian361]

i work for H Betti industries in Carlstadt NJ we have plenty of Stern Pinball machines new and used,we also sell all the parts for the machines. check them out online.

[Snoogans]

i thought this thread was gonna be about you gettin married

[Hottub]

Funhouse. FTW!!!!

[OGC]

Funhouse. FTW!!!!


I spent plenty of quarters torturing Rudy also. I wish I hade one of those in my playroom too.

[OGC]

i work for H Betti industries in Carlstadt NJ we have plenty of Stern Pinball machines new and used,we also sell all the parts for the machines. check them out online.


for us lazy people, a link would be nice

[KingGeno]

I used to repair pinball and arcade machines at Kahunaville back when I was younger. I miss playing so many games, kicking people off for "maintenance", etc. I used to have all the high scores for Addams Family and Medieval Madness. Take a little break and play Tekken Tag Tournament and Top Skater, then right back to playin' pinball. Funhouse was awesome too.

Last I checked, a decent condition Medieval Madness was like $7000. I want one so bad. Too lazy to check right now.

[zildjian361]

you figure it out

[Hottub]

I think I did. (http://www.betson.com/amusement/Pinball/)

[Marc with a c]

i blame opie

[Hottub]

No it was the Fabulously incompetent Al Dukes.

[Marc with a c]

No it was the Fabulously incompetent Al Dukes.

oh. al was the one who smashed it?

[Hottub]

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kH8gnd9DTxc&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kH8gnd9DTxc&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

[Marc with a c]

oh. so it was opie's fault.

thanks for the help.

[Hottub]

Nope the blame falls totally on Al.
His poor work led to Opie's rage.

[Don Stugots]

i blame opie

you should Thank opie.

[Ritalin]

When you get up this way, give me a call. We can go down to what my kids call the play room and play Addams Family to our hearts content. I bought a machine from a collector a few years ago and rarely go to arcades anymore.

You're one of my minor heros.

My two favorites are the Addams Family (THE MAMUSHKA!), and Gone Fishin.

[FUNKMAN]

kind of a thrill when you heard that popping sound when you matched. computer pinball was pretty cool too

http://ui19.gamespot.com/1362/pinball81807_2.jpg

[joethebartender]

You're one of my minor heros.

My two favorites are the Addams Family (THE MAMUSHKA!), and Gone Fishin.

Both are great games. 2 more really good ones: Twilight Zone and Red & Ted's Road Show (my favorite)

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/H7vzetaKTLU&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/H7vzetaKTLU&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>


<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MpCYuAM-BPc&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MpCYuAM-BPc&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

[KC2OSO]

The End of Pinball? (http://www.retroblast.com/20081031716/Latest/The-End-Of-Pinball.php)

I've been a HUGE pinball freak for many years. .
I love pinball.
My thing is old radio but it's basically the same story.

I know a guy with eight or ten tables in his basement. He restores them.

Tommy? Can you hear me? Tommy? Chaaarlie? This is Charrlie?

[STC-Dub]

I could not talk my wife into letting me get a Twilight Zone pinball but I did manage to get a Star Trek 25th Anniversary pinball.

[KingGeno]

I WILL have Addam's Family and Medieval one day. There is a Medieval up on ebay now for 9 grand. Yikes...

I mosey on over to TNT Amusements in Southampton, PA to get my fix.

[STC-Dub]

Only $3295 or the Addams Family Pinnball, http://www.pinballuniverse.com/AddamsFamily.htm.

[KingGeno]

I used to totally dig going to the South Jersey Expo Center for Arcade Conventions. That place rocked, shame it closed.

[Hottub]

I used to totally dig going to the South Jersey Expo Center for Arcade Conventions. That place rocked, shame it closed.

MrPibb picked up a bunch of games there.
Tapper, Galaga, MsPacman, Gauntlet, Robotron.
He never got Star Catle though.

[KingGeno]

Some big name games used to go for cheap. I almost bought a Robocop arcade cabinet and game for 15 bucks on auction. Golden Tee's and Pac-Man and classics always went higher. They had everything. I heard Valley Forge has one now, but I haven't been there.

Another decent pinball was Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and POTC:
http://mirror1.ipdb.org/images/947/Machine.gifhttp://mirror1.ipdb.org/images/5163/image-40.jpg

[TheMojoPin]

Arcade games peaked with pinball machines.

So much fucking fun.

[PapaBear]

Arcade games peaked with pinball machines.

So much fucking fun.
I agree. Odd side note... When I was a kid, I went to an arcade in Maryland. You had to be 18 to play pinball, but not video games. They said that, since you can win a free game, pinball was considered a form of gambling.

[TheMojoPin]

Miss arcades.

[KingGeno]

I agree. Odd side note... When I was a kid, I went to an arcade in Maryland. You had to be 18 to play pinball, but not video games. They said that, since you can win a free game, pinball was considered a form of gambling.

That is common actually.

Lots of places used to do a form of gambling with some of the old pinball machines. For instance, I once heard a story from an older gentleman that used to play this WWII Airplane themed pinball machine at a local deli when he was a kid. The game had a High Score as well as a "Planes Shot Down". The owner used to keep a notebook of peoples names and number shot down. He would give the person with the highest count $2.00 at the end of the week, or the next time he saw them. The game would be 5 cents to play, but imagine how many kids pumped nickels in there to get that two bucks? Apparently the guy got in trouble by doing this.

Miss arcades.

Me too. Me too. That's why I like the Jersey boardwalk so much. So many arcades and great games.....

[joethebartender]

Does anyone know of anyplace in NJ/NYC that still has a (working) pinball machine in their bar? (F Dave and Busters...I mean a real bar)

let me know in a reply or PM. Thanks.

[CountryBob]

I really enjoyed playing Eight Ball Deluxe - and The Black KNight

[RogerPodacter]

dude i used to ROCK terminator 2: judgement dasy pinball machine. that was by far the best pinball ever made. medieval and addams family werent bad either.

[TjM]

I thought this was going to be about you getting married

[KingGeno]

Been playing Family Guy recently, and it is pretty great. There is even a mini-Stewie Pinball game that is really awesome. Your ball shoots up there, a small ball is released within the mini-pinball maching inside the pinball machine, and your play it with mini-flippers.

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BiSKKPpVLZY&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BiSKKPpVLZY&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kZc6loqkrxs&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kZc6loqkrxs&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

[TjM]

This is how I rolled

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a3/Cr%C3%BCe_Ball_Coverart.png

[KingGeno]

Just an update, but it seems Stern is still cranking out games. This makes me happy.

[JustJon]

I played alot of pinball in college, Medieval Madness, Addams Family, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park. I want to own some pins one day.

Midway got out almost 10 years ago, leaving Stern as the last major producer of pinball games.

[joethebartender]

I posted to this thread again to see where you guys are playing. Anyone?:help:

[Ritalin]

That's it, I'm opening a pinball bar here in Sunnyside. Just pinball, and a guy in the corner playing the guitar.

My two favorite pinball bars: Old Town Ale House in Chicago, and the Illini Inn in Champaign (mug club card #13816)

[Liverspot]

Well, I am old.

I started playing pinball at the local bowling alley, later when I was skipping school I found a place in downtown Seattle that had lots of pinball games and other kids skipping school. We spent hours playing pinball, "Fireball" was the game I remember the most. This was through the 70's before video games. I played my share of early arcade games, asteroids, pac-man, donkey kong and such, but pinball was always the best.

My only game now is online poker but I would love to have a great pinball machine.

[joethebartender]

That's it, I'm opening a pinball bar here in Sunnyside. Just pinball, and a guy in the corner playing the guitar.



I'll man the taps! You can pay me my shift wages in quarters.