Funworld May 2008

Flipping Out

by Jeremy Schoolfield

Is the table set for a pinball comeback?

At one time, pinball was so popular, one of the biggest rock bands in the world wrote a song about the game.

But it s been nearly 40 years since The Who sang about Tommy the “Pinball Wizard”—and that might as well be eons in the world of amusement gaming. Where once pinball was the undisputed champion of the industry, video games long ago captured the crown. First it was PacMan and his standup brethren of the early 1980s. Later that decade came Super Mario and his homeconsole cohorts that changed the world forever. “Street Fighter II” gave way to “Mortal Kombat” in the early ’90s, which gave way to … well, you get the idea. Today video gamers have more intricate, immersive options both in the home and the arcade than anyone listening to “Tommy” four decades ago could have ever dreamed. So through all of this advancement, the old pinball warhorse got pushed farther and farther into the corner, nearly to the brink of extinction.

Though not quite. Those who still keep the pinball torch aflame aren’t ready to proclaim a comeback, but if the game has a chance, now might be the time.

The Cycle of (Pinball) Life
The word pinball experts keep coming back to is “cycle”—as in, everything has one. Pinball’s been on a downward track for so long, it might finally be time for an upswing, they say. According to Roger Sharpe, codirector of the International Flipper Pinball Association, during its heyday in the 1970s pinball made up 90 percent of the $6 billion amusement gaming business; by the end of the ’80s, video arcade games had taken pinball’s place almost entirely. In the late 1990s, Chicagobased Williams (now WMS Industries)—a longtime pinball manufacturer—made a valiant attempt to reenergize the business with its “Pinball 2000” concept, but the game didn’t catch on and WMS gave up pinball altogether (for more, see “Going on ‘TILT’”).

So now the industry is down to just one manufacturer: Stern Pinball Inc. in Melrose Place, Illinois, which produces about four different titles each year. “It’s difficult—there’s a reason there aren’t a bunch of us doing this,” says Gary Stern, owner of the company that bears his name. “The coinop business as a whole is not what it was a decade and a half ago, so we’re all affected,” Stern says. “It’s a difficult business with so many other entertainments to compete with that didn’t exist before. Fifteen years ago you didn’t have games on cell phones that everybody has in their pockets.”

“It’s investment intensive.” Michael Getlan, FEC operator, consultant, and pinball collector, describes Stern, a close friend, as “a pinball fanatic” who is essentially keeping the game alive through sheer will.

But even as video games become more and more prevalent, these pinball aficionados are starting to feel a change in the atmosphere, a subtle shift away from traditional experiences that have dominated the industry for so long.

“I think the kids are burning out on the video thing. They come into my store and a lot of these kids have never seen a pinball machine before,” says Garry Foreman, owner of The Pinball Shoppe in Ohio, which refurbishes and resells pinball machines and other amusement games. “It might be getting ready to turn the corner. Everything has a cycle to it, and we’ve come to the point where [pinball machines] are almost looking new again.”

What’s more, one of pinball’s core appeals is its basis in reality—there’s nothing virtual or preprogrammed about a 2.8ounce steel ball, a few flippers, and a plunger. It’s an interactive game in a market where interactive, tactile experiences are the hottest things going. For proof, look no further than two of the most popular video game franchises of the moment: “Guitar Hero” allows wannabe rockandrollers to “play” a guitarshaped controller, while Nintendo’s Wii utilizes a revolutionary new control system that works in concert with the player’s physical movements.

“With video games it’s very cerebral, whereas with pinball you have an interaction unlike anything else that’s never duplicated,” says Zachary Sharpe, Roger Sharpe’s 26yearold son, who serves as vice president of the IFPA. “It’s much more random. You never get the same game twice.”

George McAuliffe, president of Pinnacle Entertainment and longtime FEC operator, says pinball can have a value for FECS as part of the mix.

“There’s a lot of entertainment value in pinball,” he says. “It’s a high play value type game. Some games take three seconds and other games you can keep it rolling like a pinball.”

“This is a very cyclical industry— things come and things go,” says Steve Epstein, codirector of the IFPA. “I believe pinball is unique in that it’s the only mechanical form of entertainment; you can put your hands on it and play something that’s actually real—that’s physically in front of you. You see the kinetics and the energy involved, and you direct it from your hands.”

Pinball Maintenance: Mystery or Myth?
A mechanical game, however, means mechanical parts requiring regular mechanical maintenance. The knock on pinball machines for decades has been the work it takes to keep them in playable shape, which, the experts agree, contributed to its downfall; the most you have to do to a standup video game is wipe the glass off now and then.

“It’s no different than an automobile,” Roger Sharpe says. “We’ll do routine maintenance just to keep it functioning.”

Sharpe’s son Zachary calls maintenance “a huge, huge barrier” for most location operators, but this scenario, too, has changed and improved with time. “This is not the pinball of yesterday. Today’s pinballs are very, very reliable,” Foreman confirms. “Electronics have improved, and we don’t see nearly the problems you used to see. If you have a problem it’s usually a minor thing, and nothing that’s going to stop it from earning money.”

Trouble is, pinball has a long history of efficiency problems to overcome— perception being reality, and all. For his part, Stern says service requirements for pinball “are much less today. Engineering changes over the years have made parts much more reliable.” Software built into the games keeps a better eye on things, he says, lightbulbs last longer, and the machines are made with stronger metal (for more, see Stern’s pinball maintenance checklist).

“You’re going to have lights and switches from time to time, but nothing major,” says Foreman, who also owns a handful of leisure locations where he’s installed pinball machines. “I don’t see a service issue, and I don’t hesitate to put pinballs out anymore. You go back 10, 15 years ago, and you were holding your breath.”

Competition Is Key: Searching for the Next Pinball Wizard
During the last weekend of March, 64 players from 12 different countries convened at the Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas for IFPA 5, the biggest pinball competition in years—maybe ever. It was also the culmination of a goal Epstein, Sharpe, and his two sons established three years ago when they revived the association after a decade of dormancy.

“A key part of pinball making any type of mainstream comeback is through competition,” says Zachary Sharpe. “I have friends who’ve played in pinball competitions, and it really makes a difference versus just playing for fun.” When they reopened the IFPA, the organizers set about reconnecting with players from around the world to establish a fair scoring systemagreeable to all. The association now has more than 2,000 players from around the world in its standings.At IFPA5, Boston’s Bowen Kerins—second in the world heading into the tournament—was crowned the best of the best after a grueling three-day throwdown; the competition received a good amount ofmedia coverage, including Fox and CBS.

“Competitions and tournaments have been going on around theworld for several years,” the younger Sharpe says. “What we’re trying to do is have them under one umbrella and give it a broad perspective. It helps create excitement, and there’s a big goal at the end of the year trying to become the best player in the world.”

IFPA officials believe family entertainment centers and arcades can leverage this new ranking system to help promote their own tournaments. By tapping into the hidden-until-now pinball community they know is out there, creative operators can reap the financial benefits by filling their establishments with players eager to show their skills.

“That’s why we’re doing what we’re doing, to slowly bring the idea back that you can operate pinball and you can be profitable,” Epstein says. “But the way to do it is through promotion and tournaments and leagues, a type of play where it’s a competitive sport.”

So Can We Expect a Comeback?
When it comes to predicting the future, obviously there are no certainties. The pinball experts couch their predictions primarily as “hope”; pinball’s been down for so long, it has a long way to climb.

“I think we’re going to see a resurgence,” says The Pinball Shoppe’s Foreman. “We need something that’s going to set the industry on its end again, something that’s maybe radically different. We need something that’s going to have people stand up and take notice.”

“What we want to do is demonstrate to location owners and operators that there is still a vibrancy, vitality, interest, and appeal in pinball machines,” says Roger Sharpe. “There is a hunger out there. Is there still an audience with numbers in themillions?Yes, I absolutely believe there is.”