Editing Pinball (section)

==History==
The history of pinball machines varies by the source. These machines definitely arrived in recognizable form prior to [[World War II]]. The opinions on the relevance of the earlier prototypes varies depending on the definition of the pinball machine, for example:{{sfn|DeLeon|2021|p=5}}
* some researchers, like [[Steven L. Kent]], declare that the history begins in the 1930s when Gottlieb's [[Baffle Ball]] and Raymond Maloney's Ballyhoo were manufactured in large quantities;
* [[Roger Sharpe (pinball)|Roger Sharpe]], a pinball historian, asserts that the origin lies in [[Montague Redgrave]]'s patents for the [[spring plunger]] and playfield bells (1871);
* Richard M. Bueschel traces the history way back to the 1500s when the table versions of garden bowling games were invented.

===Pre-modern: Development of outdoor and tabletop ball games===

The origins of pinball are intertwined with the history of many other games. Games played outdoors by rolling balls or stones on a grass course, such as [[bocce]] or [[bowls]], eventually evolved into various local [[ground billiards]] games played by hitting the balls with sticks and propelling them at targets, often around obstacles. [[Croquet]], [[golf]] and [[pall-mall]] eventually derived from ground billiards variants.{{citation needed|date=October 2016}}

The evolution of outdoor games finally led to indoor versions that could be played on a table, such as [[Cue sports|billiards]], or on the floor of a pub, like [[bowling]] and [[shuffleboard]]. The tabletop versions of these games became the ancestors of modern pinball.

===Late 18th century: Spring launcher invented===
[[File:Early Pinball.jpg|thumb|''{{lang|fr|Billard japonais}}'', Alsace, France {{circa}} 1750–70. It already has a spring mechanism to propel the ball, 100 years before Montague Redgrave's patent.]]
In France, during the long 1643–1715 reign of [[Louis XIV of France|Louis XIV]], billiard tables were narrowed, with wooden pins or skittles at one end of the table, and players would shoot balls with a stick or cue from the other end, in a game inspired as much by [[bowling]] as billiards. Pins took too long to reset when knocked down, so they were eventually fixed to the table, and holes in the table's bed became the targets. Players could ricochet balls off the pins to achieve the more challenging scorable holes. A standardized version of the game eventually became known as [[bagatelle]].

Somewhere between the 1750s and 1770s, the bagatelle variant ''{{lang|fr|Billard japonais}}'', or Japanese billiards in English, was invented in Western Europe, despite its name.{{clarification needed|date=January 2025}} Also called ''[[Stosspudel]]'', it used thin metal pins and replaced the cue at the player's end of the table with a coiled spring and a plunger. The player shot balls up the inclined playfield toward the scoring targets using this plunger, a device that remains in use in pinball to this day, and the game was also directly ancestral to [[pachinko]].{{citation needed|date=October 2016}}

===1869: Spring launchers become mainstream===
[[File:Patent model for the Montague Redgrave's bagatelle.jpg|thumb|[[Patent model]] for U.S. Patent #115,357]]
In 1869, British inventor [[Montague Redgrave]] settled in the United States and manufactured bagatelle tables in [[Cincinnati]], Ohio. In 1871 Redgrave was granted U.S. Patent #115,357 for his "Improvements in Bagatelle",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=4542&depth=0&picno=6000 |title=Internet Pinball Machine Database: M. Redgrave Bagatelle Company '1871 Redgrave Parlor Bagatelle' Images |publisher=Ipdb.org |access-date=October 27, 2012}}</ref> another name for the spring launcher that was first introduced in ''{{lang|fr|Billard japonais}}''. The game also shrank in size to fit atop a bar or counter. The balls became marbles and the wickets became small metal pins. Redgrave's popularization of the spring launcher and innovations in game design (playfield bells{{sfn|DeLeon|2012|p=36}}) are acknowledged as the birth of pinball in its modern form.

===1931: Coin operation introduced===
[[File:Flipper1948.jpg|thumb|250px|An early pinball game without flippers, c. 1932]]

By the 1930s, manufacturers were producing coin-operated versions of bagatelles, now known as "marble games" or "pin games". The table was under glass and used Montague Redgrave's plunger device to propel the ball into the upper playfield.<ref>{{cite book|title=Amazing Facts - The Indispensable Collection of True Life Facts and Feats|date=October 1991 |publisher=Sterling Publishing Company|page=221|isbn=978-0-884-86043-3}}</ref> In 1931 David Gottlieb's ''[[Baffle Ball]]'' became the first hit of the coin-operated era. Selling for $17.50, the game dispensed five to seven balls for a penny.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-01-21 |title=The Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, NV - Episode 209 |url=http://www.travelthruhistory.tv/pinball-hall-fame-las-vegas-nv-episode-209/ |access-date=2024-01-30 |website=Travel Thru History |language=en-US}}</ref> At its peak, Gottlieb produced 400 ''Baffle Ball'' machines per day and establishing the company as the first major manufacturer of pinball machines.<ref name="bk-pinball"/>{{rp|33}}

In 1932, Gottlieb distributor [[Raymond Moloney]] found it hard to obtain more Baffle Ball units to sell. In his frustration he founded Lion Manufacturing to produce a game of his design, ''Ballyhoo'', named after a popular magazine. The game became a smash hit. Its larger playfield and ten pockets made it more challenging than ''Baffle Ball'', selling 50,000 units in 7 months.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scholzroland.de/VPStuff/BALLYHOO.htm |title=Ballyhoo |publisher=Scholzroland.de |date=April 2, 1932 |access-date=October 27, 2012}}</ref> Moloney eventually changed the name of his company to [[Bally Manufacturing|Bally]] to reflect the success of this game. These early machines were relatively small, mechanically simple and designed to sit on a counter or bar top.

===1933: Electrification and active bumpers introduced===

The 1930s saw major advances in pinball design with the introduction of electrification. Pacific Amusements in Los Angeles, California produced ''Contact'' in 1933, which had an electrically powered [[solenoid]] to propel the ball out of a bonus hole in the middle of the playfield. Another solenoid rang a bell to reward the player.<ref>{{patent|US|2073132}}</ref> ''Contact'''s designer, Harry Williams, eventually formed his own company, [[WMS Industries|Williams Manufacturing]], in 1944. Other manufacturers quickly followed suit with similar features. Electric lights soon became standard on all pinball games, to attract players.

By the end of 1932, approximately 150 companies manufactured pinball machines, most of them in Chicago, Illinois.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.afr.com/politics/pinball-wizards-last-twist-20050414-jl3du|title = Pinball wizard's last twist|date = 14 April 2005}}</ref> Chicago has been the center of pinball manufacturing ever since. Competition was strong, and by 1934, only 14 companies remained.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/flipper-fantasy-collecting-pinball-machines-7588|title = Flipper Fantasy: Collecting Pinball Machines}}</ref>

During [[World War II]], all major manufacturers of coin-operated games turned to manufacturing for the war effort. Some, like Williams, bought old games from operators and refurbished them, adding new artwork with a patriotic theme. At the end of the war, a generation of Americans looked for amusement in bars and malt shops, and pinball saw another golden age. Improvements such as the tilt-sensing mechanism and the awarding of free games (replays) appeared.

===1947: Flippers introduced===

Gottlieb's ''[[Humpty Dumpty (pinball)|Humpty Dumpty]]'', introduced in 1947, was the first game to add player-controlled flippers to keep the ball in play longer.<ref name="bk-pinball-portfolio">{{cite book|last=McKeown|first=Harry|year=1976|title=Pinball Portfolio|page=27|publisher=New English Library |url=https://archive.org/details/pinballportfolio0000harr/page/26/mode/2up}}</ref><ref name="bk-pinball">{{cite book|last=Sharpe|first=Roger|year=1977|title=Pinball!|isbn=0-525-47481-1|url=https://archive.org/details/pinball-roger-c.-sharpe-1977/Pinball%21%20%5BRoger%20C.%20Sharpe%5D%20%281977%29/}}</ref>{{rp|54–55}}<ref name="bk-tilt">{{cite book|last1=Tolbert|first1=Candace|last2=Tolbert|first2=Jim|year=1978|title=Tilt: The Pinball Book|page=94|isbn=0-916870-14-6|url=https://archive.org/details/tiltpinballbook00tolb/page/94/mode/2up}}</ref><ref name="bk-pinball-lure">{{cite book|last1=Flower|first1=Gary|last2=Kurtz|first2=Bill|year=1988|title=Pinball: The Lure of the Silver Ball|pages=36–39|publisher=Chartwell Books |isbn=1-55521-322-7|url=https://archive.org/details/pinball0000gary/page/36/mode/2up}}</ref> The low-power flippers required three pairs around the playfield to get the ball to the top.

''Triple Action'' was the first game to feature just two flippers at the bottom of the playfield. Unlike in modern machines, the flippers faced outwards. These flippers were made more powerful by the addition of a [[direct current|DC]] (direct current) power supply. These innovations were some of many by designer [[Steve Kordek]].

The first game to feature the familiar dual-inward-facing-flipper design was Gottlieb's ''Just 21'' released in January 1950. However, the flippers were rather far apart to allow for a turret ball shooter at the bottom center of the playfield. Another 1950 Gottlieb game, ''Spot Bowler'', was the first with inward-facing flippers placed close together.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bmigaming.com/pinballhistory.htm |title=The History of Pinball Machines |publisher=Bmigaming.com |access-date=October 27, 2012}}</ref>

The post-war era was dominated by [[Gottlieb]]. Game designers Wayne Neyens and [[Ed Krynski]], with artist Leroy Parker, produced games that collectors consider some of the best classic pinball machines.{{citation needed|date=October 2016}}

===1970s: Solid-state electronics and digital displays introduced===

[[File:Visible Pinball III - Pacific Pinball Museum cropped.jpg|thumb|right|A clear-walled electromechanical pinball machine created by the [[Pacific Pinball Museum]] to illustrate the inner workings of a typical pinball machine]]

The introduction of [[microprocessor]]s brought pinball into the realm of [[electronic game|electronic gaming]]. The electromechanical [[relay]]s and scoring reels that drove games in the 1950s and 1960s were replaced in the 1970s with [[circuit board]]s and digital displays. The first pinball machine using a microprocessor was Flicker, a prototype made by Bally in 1974. Bally soon followed that up with a solid-state version of Bow and Arrow in the same year with a microprocessor board that was also used in eight other machines through 1978, which included Eight Ball, the machine that held the sales record from 1977 to 1993.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ipdb.org/search.pl?gtype=SS&yr=1973-77&sortby=date&searchtype=advanced|title=The Internet Pinball Machine Database|website=www.ipdb.org}}</ref>

The first solid-state pinball is believed by some to be [[Mirco Games]]' ''[[The Spirit of '76 (pinball)|The Spirit of '76]]'' (1976),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/toys/4276614|title=Top 8 Most Innovative Pinball Machines of All Time|work=Popular Mechanics|date=5 August 2008|access-date=April 6, 2015}}</ref> though the first mainstream solid-state game was Williams' ''Hot Tip'' (1977).  This new technology led to a boom for Williams and Bally, who attracted more players with games featuring more complex rules, digital sound effects, and speech.

The [[Golden age of arcade video games|video game boom]] of the 1980s signaled the end of the boom for pinball. Arcades replaced rows of pinball machines with video games like 1978's ''[[Space Invaders]]'', 1979's ''[[Asteroids (video game)|Asteroids]]'', 1980's ''[[Pac-Man]]'', and 1981's ''[[Galaga]]''. These earned significantly greater profits than the pinball machines of the day while simultaneously requiring less maintenance. Bally, Williams, and Gottlieb continued to make pinball machines while also manufacturing video games in much higher numbers.

Many of the larger companies were acquired by, or merged with, other companies. [[Chicago Coin]] was purchased by the Stern family, who brought the company into the digital era as Stern Enterprises, which closed its doors in the mid-1980s. Bally exited the pinball business in 1988 and sold their assets to Williams, who subsequently used the Bally trademark from then on for about half of their pinball releases.

While the video game craze of the late 1970s and early 1980s dealt a severe blow to pinball revenue, it sparked the industry's creative talents. All companies involved tried to take advantage of the new solid-state technology to improve player appeal of pinball and win back former players from video games. Some of this creativity resulted in landmark designs and features still present today. Some of these include speech, such as Williams' ''[[Gorgar]]''; ramps for the ball to travel around, such as Williams' ''[[Space Shuttle (pinball)|Space Shuttle]]''; "multiball", used on Williams' ''[[Firepower (pinball)|Firepower]]''; multi-level games like Gottlieb's ''[[Black Hole (pinball)|Black Hole]]'' and Williams' ''[[Black Knight (pinball)|Black Knight]]''; and blinking chase lights, as used on Bally's ''[[Xenon (pinball)|Xenon]]''. Although these novel features did not win back players as the manufacturers had hoped, they changed players' perception of pinball for decades.

===1980s and 1990s: Pinball in the digital age===
[[File:20080405-Vegas004-PinballHOF02.jpg|thumb|right|400px|A row of pinball machines at the [[Pinball Hall of Fame]] in Las Vegas, Nevada]]
During the 1980s, pinball manufacturers navigated technology changes while going through changes of ownership and mergers: Gottlieb was sold to Premier Technologies, and Bally merged with Williams. The [[video game crash of 1983]] made the manufacturers refocus on their pinball sales. A trend started of pinball becoming increasingly elaborate to use more computing resources, following video games.

Games in the latter half of the 1980s such as [[High Speed (pinball)|High Speed]] started incorporating full soundtracks, elaborate light shows and backbox animations - a radical change from the previous decade's electromechanical games. Although pinball continued to compete with video games in arcades, pinball held a premium niche, since the video games of the time could not reproduce an accurate pinball experience.

By the first years of the 1990s, pinball had made a strong comeback and saw new sales highs. Some new manufacturers entered the field, such as Capcom Pinball and Alvin G. and Company, founded by Alvin Gottlieb, son of David Gottlieb. Gary Stern, the son of Williams co-founder Sam Stern, founded [[Data East]] Pinball with funding from Data East Japan.

The games from Williams now dominated the industry, with complicated mechanical devices and more elaborate display and sound systems attracting new players to the game. Licensing popular movies and icons of the day became a staple for pinball, with Bally/Williams' ''[[The Addams Family (pinball)|The Addams Family]]'' from 1992 hitting a modern sales record of 20,270 machines. In 1994, Williams commemorated this benchmark with a limited edition of 1,000 ''Addams Family Gold'' pinball machines, featuring gold-colored trim and updated software with new game features. Other notable popular licenses included ''[[Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure]]'' and ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation (pinball)|Star Trek: The Next Generation]]''. Expanding markets in Europe and Asia helped fuel the revival of interest. [[Pat Lawlor]] was a designer, working for Williams until their exit from the industry in 1999. About a year later, Lawlor returned to the industry, starting his own company,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.patlawlordesign.com/ |title=Pat Lawlor Design |publisher=Pat Lawlor Design |date=December 29, 2009 |access-date=October 27, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111142800/http://www.patlawlordesign.com/ |archive-date=November 11, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> working in conjunction with Stern Pinball to produce new games.

The end of the 1990s saw another downturn in the industry, with Gottlieb, Capcom, and Alvin G. closing by the end of 1996. Data East's pinball division was acquired by [[Sega]] and became [[Sega Pinball]] in 1994. By 1997, there were two companies left: Sega Pinball and Williams. In 1999, Sega sold their pinball division to Gary Stern, President of Sega Pinball at the time, who called his company [[Stern (game company)|Stern Pinball]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sternpinball.com |title=Stern Pinball |publisher=Stern Pinball |access-date=October 27, 2012}}</ref>

By this time, Williams games rarely sold more than 4,000 units. In 1999, Williams attempted to revive sales with the [[Pinball 2000]] line of games, merging a video display into the pinball playfield. The reception was initially good with ''[[Revenge from Mars]]'' selling well over 6,000 machines, but short of the 10,000-plus production runs for releases just six years earlier. The next Pinball 2000 game, ''[[Star Wars Episode I (pinball)|Star Wars Episode I]]'', sold only a little over 3,500 machines.

Williams exited the pinball business on October 25, 1999 to focus on making gaming equipment for casinos, which was more profitable.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/28/technology/pinball-line-closing-down.html|title=Pinball Line Closing Down|newspaper=The New York Times |date=28 October 1999 |last1=Headlam |first1=Bruce }}</ref> They licensed the rights to reproduce Bally/Williams parts to Illinois Pinball and reproduce full-sized machines to The Pinball Factory. Stern Pinball remained the only manufacturer of original pinball machines until 2013, when [[Jersey Jack Pinball]] started shipping ''[[The Wizard of Oz (pinball)|The Wizard of Oz]]''. Most members of the design teams for Stern Pinball are former employees of Williams.

Amid the 1990s closures, virtual pinball simulations, marketed on computers and home consoles, had become high enough in quality for serious players to take notice: these video versions of pinball such as [[Epic Pinball]], [[Full Tilt! Pinball]] and the [[Pro Pinball]] series found marketplace success and lasting fan interest, starting a new trend for realistic pinball simulation. This market existed largely independently from the physical pinball manufacturers, and relied upon original designs instead of licenses until the 2000s.

===2000s and beyond: Revival===
After most pinball manufacturers' closure in the 1990s, smaller independent manufacturers started appearing in the early 2000s.

In November 2005, The Pinball Factory (TPF) in [[Melbourne]], Australia, announced that they would be producing a new ''[[The Crocodile Hunter|Crocodile Hunter]]''-themed pinball machine under the Bally label. With the death of [[Steve Irwin]], it was announced that the future of this game was uncertain.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pinballnews.com/news/irwin.html |title=Pinball News article with Steve Irwin update |publisher=Pinballnews.com |date=September 19, 2006 |access-date=October 27, 2012}}</ref> In 2006, TPF announced that they would be reproducing two popular 1990s era Williams machines, ''[[Medieval Madness]]'' and ''Cactus Canyon''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pinballnews.com/news/reruns2.html |title=Pinball News article on The Pinball Factory's rereleases |publisher=Pinballnews.com |access-date=October 27, 2012}}</ref> TPF, however, was unable to make good on its promises to produce new machines, and in October 2010 transferred its Williams Electronics Games licenses as well as its pinball spare parts manufacturing and distribution business to Planetary Pinball Supply Inc, a California distributor of pinball replacement parts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.planetarypinball.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=PP&Screen=PRESS|title=Planetary Pinball: Press Releases}}</ref>

In 2006, Illinois pinball company PinBall Manufacturing Inc. produced 178 reproductions of Capcom's ''Big Bang Bar'' for the European and US markets.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pinballnews.com/news/bigbang.html |title=Pinball News article on Big Bang Bar |publisher=Pinballnews.com |access-date=October 27, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pinballnews.com/news/bbb2.html |title=Pinball News article on Big Bang Bar update |publisher=Pinballnews.com |access-date=October 27, 2012}}</ref>

In 2010, MarsaPlay in Spain manufactured a remake of [[Inder (company)|Inder's]] original ''Canasta'' titled ''New Canasta'',<ref name="ipdb.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=5554|title=Internet Pinball Machine Database: MarsaPlay 'New Canasta'|website=www.ipdb.org}}</ref><ref name="vendingtimes.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.vendingtimes.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?nm=Vending+Features&type=Publishing&mod=Publications::Article&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=560086B3E849473C9394876637FA79FF|title=Spain's Marsaplay Introduces Pinball Machine That Unites Classic And Modern Features - Articles - Vending Times|website=www.vendingtimes.com|access-date=2017-12-05|archive-date=2010-04-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100422010033/http://www.vendingtimes.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=EB79A487112B48A296B38C81345C8C7F&nm=Vending+Features&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=560086B3E849473C9394876637FA79FF|url-status=dead}}</ref> which was the first game to include a [[liquid-crystal display]] (LCD) screen in the backbox.

In 2013, [[Jersey Jack Pinball]] released ''[[The Wizard of Oz (pinball)|The Wizard of Oz]]'' pinball machine, based on the [[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|1939 film]]. It is the first pinball machine manufactured in the US with a large color display ([[Liquid-crystal display|LCD]]) in the backbox,<ref name="huff">{{cite news|url=https://huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/26/jersey-jack-pinball_n_3504566.html |title=Jersey Jack Pinball CEO Explains How He's Making The Beloved Arcade Game Cool Again (VIDEO) |publisher=Huffingtonpost.com |date= June 26, 2013|access-date=November 26, 2013 |first=Harry |last=Bradford}}</ref> the first widebody pinball machine since 1994<ref name="minist">{{cite web |url=http://site.ministryofpinball.nl/news/top-ten-things-you-should-know-about-wizard-oz-pinball |title=Top Ten Things You Should Know About Wizard of Oz Pinball &#124; Ministry of Pinball |language=nl |publisher=Site.ministryofpinball.nl |access-date=November 26, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203000247/http://site.ministryofpinball.nl/news/top-ten-things-you-should-know-about-wizard-oz-pinball |archive-date=December 3, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> and the first new US pinball machine not made by [[Stern (game company)|Stern Pinball]] since 2001.<ref name="poly">{{cite web|last=Plante |first=Chris |url=http://www.polygon.com/features/2013/2/28/4036620/jersey-jack-wizard-of-pinball |title=No Place like Jersey: Inside the factory of the wizard of pinball |website=Polygon |date=February 28, 2013 |access-date=November 26, 2013}}</ref> This game was followed several additional pinball machines, incorporating both existing media properties and original themes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=6222|title=Internet Pinball Machine Database: Jersey Jack Pinball 'The Hobbit (Standard Edition)'|website=www.ipdb.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=6350|title=Internet Pinball Machine Database: Jersey Jack Pinball 'Dialed In! (Standard Edition)'|website=www.ipdb.org}}</ref>

In 2013, the [[Chicago Gaming]] Company announced the creation of a remake of ''[[Medieval Madness]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://vendingtimes.com/main/articles.aspx?iid=9A1679B86AD74858B79A08F544F812C0|title=Chicago Gaming's Medieval Madness Debut Ushers In Modern Pinball Era's Latest Sensation - Articles - Vending Times|website=vendingtimes.com|access-date=2017-09-25|archive-date=2017-09-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170926041139/https://vendingtimes.com/main/articles.aspx?iid=9A1679B86AD74858B79A08F544F812C0|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=February 10, 2016 |title=Medieval Madness Remake: In-Depth Review |url=https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2016/02/10/medieval-madness-remake-in-depth-review/ |access-date=2024-08-19 |website=Pinball News}}</ref> This was later followed by three additional remakes of earlier machines. They announced their first original title, ''Pulp Fiction'', based on the film ''[[Pulp Fiction]]'', in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Alsheimer |first=Colin |title=Pulp Fiction is the Next Chicago Gaming Company Pinball Machine |url=https://www.kineticist.co/post/pulp-fiction-is-the-next-chicago-gaming-company-pinball-machine |website=Kineticist}}</ref>

In 2014, the new pinball manufacturer Spooky Pinball released their first game ''America's Most Haunted''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=6161|title=Internet Pinball Machine Database: Spooky Pinball LLC 'America's Most Haunted'|website=www.ipdb.org}}</ref> This was followed by a few more themed, original, and contracted titles.

In 2015, the new British pinball manufacturer [[Heighway Pinball]] released the racing themed pinball machine ''Full Throttle''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=6301|title=Internet Pinball Machine Database: Heighway Pinball 'Full Throttle (Standard Edition)'|website=www.ipdb.org}}</ref> The game has an LCD screen for scores, info, and animations located in the playfield surface at player's eye view.<ref>{{cite web |date=2015-01-17 |title=Full Throttle Launch Party |url=http://www.pinballnews.com/games/fullthrottle/index9.html |access-date=2024-08-19 |website=Pinball News}}</ref> The game was designed with modularity in mind so that the playfield and artwork could be swapped out for future game titles. Heighway Pinball's second title, ''Alien'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=6419|title=Internet Pinball Machine Database: Heighway Pinball 'Alien (Standard Edition)'|website=www.ipdb.org}}</ref> was released in 2017<ref>{{cite web|url=http://arcadeheroes.com/2016/10/08/heighway-pinballs-alien-flyer-unveiled/|title=Heighway Pinball's Alien Pinball Machine Unveiled|date=8 October 2016|work=arcadeheroes.com|access-date=7 January 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://arcadeheroes.com/2017/02/14/heighway-pinball-begins-shipping-alien/|title=Heighway Begins Shipping Alien|date=14 February 2017|work=arcadeheroes.com|access-date=24 February 2019}}</ref> and was based on the [[Alien (film)|''Alien'']] and [[Aliens (film)|''Aliens'']] films. Due to internal company issues,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.replaymag.com/heighway-pinball-reportedly-shuttered/|title=Heighway Pinball Reportedly Shuttered |magazine=Replay Magazine |date=2 May 2018 |access-date=24 February 2019}}</ref> Heighway Pinball ceased manufacturing operations and closed its doors in April 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2018/04/26/heighway-pinball-faces-liquidation/|title=Heighway Pinball Faces Liquidation|date=26 April 2018|access-date=8 May 2018}}</ref> The company assets were obtained by the [[Scandinavia|Scandinavian]] company named Pinball Brothers, and in 2020, they officially announced the remake of the ''Alien'' pinball machine.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2020/12/18/alien-remake-announced/|title=Alien Remake Announced|date=2020-12-18}}</ref> Pinball Brothers released additional game titles, including ''Queen'' revealed in 2021<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2021/09/29/queen-pinball-revealed/|title=Queen Pinball Revealed|date=2021-09-29|website=pinballnews.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2022/07/21/queen-revealed/|title=Queen Revealed|date=2022-07-21|website=pinballnews.com}}</ref> (based on the rock band [[Queen_(band)|Queen]], and ''ABBA'' in 2024<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2024/04/04/pinball-brothers-reveals-abba/|title=Pinball Brothers Reveals Abba|date=2024-04-04|website=pinballnews.com}}</ref> (based on the Swedish rock band [[ABBA]]).

In 2016, Dutch Pinball, based in the Netherlands, released their first game ''The Big Lebowski'', based on the 1998 film, ''[[The Big Lebowski]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=6320|title=Internet Pinball Machine Database: Dutch Pinball 'The Big Lebowski Pinball'|website=www.ipdb.org}}</ref> 

In 2017, Multimorphic began shipping its pinball machine platform after several years of development.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=6449|title=Internet Pinball Machine Database: Multimorphic, Inc. 'Lexy Lightspeed Escape From Earth'|website=www.ipdb.org}}</ref> It is a modular design where different games can be swapped into the cabinet. It also has a large interactive display as the playfield surface, which differs from all prior pinball machines traditionally made of plywood and embedded with translucent plastic inserts for lighting. Multimorphic released several more unlicensed titles, and in 2022, released their first licensed game: 
''Weird Al's Museum of Natural Hilarity''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.knapparcade.org/post/multimorphic-reveals-the-theme-of-its-upcoming-pinball-module-weird-al|title=MULTIMORPHIC REVEALS THE THEME OF ITS UPCOMING PINBALL MODULE...WEIRD AL|date=2022-02-21|website=knapparcade.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2022/02/24/weird-als-museum-of-natural-hilarity/|title=Weird Al’s Museum of Natural Hilarity|date=2022-02-24|website=pinballnews.com}}</ref> (based on [["Weird_Al"_Yankovic|parody music artist "Weird Al" Yankovic]]). This was followed by additional licensed titles: ''The Princess Bride'' in 2024<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.knapparcade.org/post/multimorphic-reveals-the-princess-bride-pinball|title=Multimorphic Reveals The Princess Bride Pinball|date=2024-02-19|website=knapparcade.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2024/02/19/the-princess-bride-revealed/|title=The Princess Bride Revealed|date=2024-02-19|website=pinballnews.com}}</ref> (based on [[The_Princess_Bride_(film)|the movie of the same name]]), and ''Portal'' in 2025<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2025/03/17/portal-revealed/|title=Portal Revealed|date=2025-03-17|website=pinballnews.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.knapparcade.org/post/multimorphic-reveals-next-game-for-the-p3-pinball-platform-portal|title=Multimorphic Reveals Next Game for the P3 Pinball Platform - Portal|date=2025-03-17|website=knapparcade.com}}</ref> (based on the [[Portal_(series)|Valve video game series]] of the same name).

In 2017, American Pinball released its first production game, Houdini, followed by Oktoberfest (2018), Hot Wheels (2020), Legends of Valhalla (2020), Galactic Tank Force (2023), and Barry O's BBQ Challenge (2024).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2024/03/08/barry-os-barbecue-challenge/|title=Barry O’s Barbecue Challenge|date=2024-03-08|website=pinballnews.com}}</ref> ''Barry O's BBQ Challenge'' was a tribute to and the final game designed by pinball designer Barry Oursler,<ref>{{cite av media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YurIUCMrUvI|title=
American Pinball Update - 2024|publication-date=2025-02-07|orig-date=2024-04-13|people=Bowden, Steven; McQuaid, Ryan; Reynolds, Brianna|location=Pintastic Pinball & Game Room Expo, Marlborough, MA, USA|website=youtube.com}}</ref> who passed in 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2022/02/22/barry-oursler-dies/|title=Barry Oursler Dies|date=2022-02-22|website=pinballnews.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.knapparcade.org/post/rest-in-peace-barry-oursler|title=Rest In Peace Barry Oursler|date=2022-02-22|website=knapparcade.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.replaymag.com/iconic-pinball-designer-barry-oursler-passes-on/|title=Iconic Pinball Designer Barry Oursler Passes On|date=2022-02-22|website=replaymag.com}}</ref>

In 2023, Barrels of Fun released its first production game, Jim Henson's Labyrinth.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Silverman |first=Dwight |date=2023-10-13 |title=Houston's Barrels of Fun takes aim at pinball revival with game based on Bowie film |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/barrel-of-fun-pinball-bowie-labyrinth-film-18415311.php |access-date=2024-08-19 |work=Houston Chronicle}}</ref> Barrels of Fun followed up with Dune in 2025,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.knapparcade.org/post/barrels-of-fun-officially-reveals-game-2-dune|title=Barrels of Fun Officially Reveals Pinball Machine #2, DUNE!|date=2025-04-15|website=knapparcade.org}}</ref> based on the 2021 [[Dune_(2021_film)|Dune film]] and [[Dune:_Part_Two|2024 sequel]].

In 2024, Turner Pinball began production on their first game named Ninja Eclipse,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.knapparcade.org/post/turner-pinball-begins-production-of-ninja-eclipse-big-sale-at-american-pinball|title=Turner Pinball Begins Production of Ninja Eclipse|date=2024-10-09|website=knapparcade.org}}</ref> and in 2025 revealed their second game named Merlin's Arcade.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.knapparcade.org/post/turner-pinball-reveals-second-game-merlin-s-arcade|title=Turner Pinball Reveals Second Game - Merlin's Arcade|date=2025-03-19|website=knapparcade.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2025/03/19/merlins-arcade-revealed/|title=Merlin's Arcade Revealed|date=2025-03-18|website=pinballnews.com}}</ref>

In 2024, Pedretti Gaming released a remake of [[FunHouse_(pinball)|Funhouse]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.knapparcade.org/post/pedretti-gaming-reveals-remake-of-williams-funhouse-pinball-machine|title=Pedretti Gaming Reveals Remake of Williams FunHouse Pinball Machine|website=knapparcade.org|date=2024-05-14}}</ref> and incorporated an LCD display into the backbox, as well as a number of other technological updates to the original game.

===Relation to gambling===
{{external media | width = 210px | float = right | headerimage = [[File:Pinball 3web.jpg|210px]] | video1 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeFjYDRMggc When Pinball was Illegal, Retro Report Voices], 2:12, [[Retro Report]]<ref name="retro1">{{cite web | title =When Pinball was Illegal… | date =26 October 2015 | publisher =[[Retro Report]] | url =https://www.retroreport.org/video/sex-drugs-and-gore/ | access-date =December 15, 2016 }}</ref> }}
Pinball machines, like many other mechanical games, were sometimes used as gambling devices.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.marvin3m.com/wmswood/index.htm |title=Williams Pinball Machines Woodrail Flipper and Arcade Games 1940s/1950s |publisher=Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum |access-date=October 27, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323172028/http://www.marvin3m.com/wmswood/index.htm |archive-date=March 23, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Some pinball machines, such as Bally's "bingos", featured a grid on the backglass scoring area with spaces corresponding to targets or holes on the playfield. Free games could be won if the player could get the balls to land in a winning pattern; however, doing this was nearly [[randomness|random]], and a common use for such machines was for gambling. Other machines allowed players to win and accumulate large numbers of "free games" which could then be cashed out for money with the location owner.

Later, this type of feature was discontinued to legitimize the machines, and to avoid legal problems in areas where awarding free games was considered illegal, some games, called Add-A-Ball, did away with the free game feature, instead giving players extra balls to play, between 5 and 25 in most cases. These extra balls were indicated via lighted graphics in the backglass or by a ball count wheel, but in some areas that was disallowed, and some games were shipped with a sticker to cover the counters.

Pinball was banned beginning in the early 1940s until 1976 in New York City.<ref name="PopularMecg1">{{cite web | title=11 Things You Didn't Know About Pinball History | date=September 1, 2009 | publisher=[[Popular Mechanics]] | url=http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/toys/4328211-new#fbIndex1 |first1=Seth |last1=Porges | access-date=September 1, 2011}}</ref> New York mayor [[Fiorello La Guardia]] was responsible for the ban, believing that it robbed school children of their hard-earned nickels and dimes. La Guardia spearheaded major raids throughout the city, collecting thousands of machines. The mayor participated with police in destroying machines with [[sledgehammer]]s before dumping the remnants into the city's rivers.<ref name="PopularMecg1" />

The ban ended when [[Roger Sharpe (pinball)|Roger Sharpe]], a star witness for the AMOA – Amusement and Music Operators Association, testified in April 1976 before a committee in a [[Manhattan]] courtroom that pinball games had become games of skill and were not games of chance, which are more closely associated with gambling. He began to play one of two games set up in the courtroom, and – in a move he compares to [[Babe Ruth]]'s home run in the [[1932 World Series]] – called out precisely what he was going to shoot for, and then proceeded to do so. Astonished committee members reportedly voted to remove the ban, which was followed in other cities. Sharpe reportedly acknowledges, in a self-deprecating manner, his courtroom shot was by sheer luck although there was admittedly skill involved in what he did.<ref name="ChicagoReader">{{cite news |title=End Game |last=Porges |first=Seth |url=http://www.chicagoreader.com/pdf/050902/050902_section_1.pdf |newspaper=[[Chicago Reader]] |date=September 2, 2005 |access-date=September 30, 2011}}</ref>

Like New York, Los Angeles banned pinball machines in 1939. The ban was overturned by the [[Supreme Court of California]] in 1974 because (1) if pinball machines were games of chance, the ordinance was preempted by state law governing games of chance in general, and (2) if they were games of skill, the ordinance was unconstitutional as a denial of the [[Equal Protection Clause|equal protection of the laws]].<ref>''Cossack v. City of Los Angeles'', [http://online.ceb.com/CalCases/C3/11C3d726.htm 11 Cal. 3d 726] (1974).</ref> Although it was rarely enforced, Chicago's ban on pinball lasted three decades and ended in 1976.  Philadelphia and Salt Lake City also had similar bans.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/end-game/Content?oid=919800|title=End Game|work=Chicago Reader|date=September 2005|access-date=April 6, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/5899281/did-you-know-pinball-was-once-declared-illegal|title=Pinball Was Once Illegal|last=Plunkett|first=Luke|publisher=Gawker Media|work=Kotaku|access-date=April 6, 2015}}</ref> Regardless of these events, some towns in America still have such bans on their books; the town of [[Kokomo, Indiana]] lifted its ordinance banning pinball in December 2016,<ref name="ars-kokomoban">{{cite web|title=Game over for law outlawing pinball in Indiana town|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/12/game-over-for-law-outlawing-pinball-in-indiana-town/|website=Ars Technica|date=12 December 2016|access-date=December 13, 2016}}</ref>and although the law is no longer enforced, [[South Carolina]] still bans minors under 18 from playing pinball machines (SC-63-19-2430).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Code of Laws - Title 63 - Chapter 19 - Juvenile Justice Code |url=https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t63c019.php |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=www.scstatehouse.gov}}</ref>