22 replies to this topic

[endeemillr]

Love it!  Has a similar feel to Star Fire. and I find both completely addictive, beautiful tables. Is there any link between playmatic and unidesa?

It seems to play fine with my current version of pinmame.  There is a very quiet background music that gets pretty overwhelmed by the sound effects. Is there an option anywhere, or is this one of the improvements in the latest pinmame?  Not of the channel adjustments in the tilde options seemed to increase the background.  At best I can lower the sound effects and increase the overall volume, but even then sometimes the music disappears.

[akiles50000]

Love it!  Has a similar feel to Star Fire. and I find both completely addictive, beautiful tables. Is there any link between playmatic and unidesa?

It seems to play fine with my current version of pinmame.  There is a very quiet background music that gets pretty overwhelmed by the sound effects. Is there an option anywhere, or is this one of the improvements in the latest pinmame?  Not of the channel adjustments in the tilde options seemed to increase the background.  At best I can lower the sound effects and increase the overall volume, but even then sometimes the music disappears.

 

The relationship stems from a corporate acquisition and takeover process in the 1980s. The reason for the relationship:

The purchase of Playmatic: Playmatic was one of the most important and respected pinball manufacturers in Spain during the 1970s and 80s.

 

Towards the end of the 80s, the company experienced financial difficulties. The CIRSA Group (owner of Unidesa) ended up buying Playmatic's assets.

 

The "Iron Balls" pinball machine (1987): After the purchase, Unidesa took advantage of Playmatic's latest developments, components, and engineers

 

Thanks to this, Unidesa launched its own pinball machine under the Universal de Desarrollos Electrónicos (Unidesa) brand, called Iron Balls.

 

This pinball machine shares much internal technology with the final models that Playmatic designed before its demise.

 

Two different paths in the history of Spanish arcades: Company, Origin and Role, Destiny: Playmatic, Founded in 1967 in Barcelona.

 

It was an absolute pioneer, famous for exporting its own electromechanical and electronic pinball machines worldwide (including the USA).

 

It closed its doors in the late 1980s after being acquired by the Unidesa group.

 

Unidesa was founded in the 1980s within the CIRSA group. It specialized mainly in slot machines (type B) and gambling systems for arcades and bars. It is the

 

leading company in the recreational sector in Spain today, although it no longer manufactures pinball machines.

 

In short, the connection is that Unidesa absorbed Playmatic's technical legacy, marking the end of Playmatic as an independent brand and Unidesa's brief foray into the world of pinball machines with the Iron Balls model.

 

Take a look to this link too,very interesting:

 

https://blogpinball.blogspot.com/2016/

 

The man with glasses in the picture is a friend of mine; I usually talk to him on WhatsApp and I talk to him by phone,Victor Calvo.

Edited by akiles50000, 08 June 2026 - 08:20 PM.

[endeemillr]

Thanks! What a gem of information!  There is a feel to these machines that is much different from the big US manufacturers. I think it is a combo of artwork and the gameplay seems either more cohesive or logical. I'm lacking the words here. It seems like the US manufacturers tend to add disjointed point mechanisms while european and latin designs (when they are not rip-offs) work together better. I'm also a big Zaccaria fan.