53 replies to this topic

[koi kitsune]

It SUCKS Williams dropped out of the pinball scene in 1999 and now is known today as WMS Industries creating... gambling machines. I think to this day, their major strength was creating Pinball machines. Growing up, every Williams pinball machine lighted up the rooms, created loud sounds from every sound board, had people playing on one from left to right. However, I do not think the arcade scene is dead nor is it slow. I do believe that Pinball in the arcades is still very much alive and it really sucks that the only company who is standing strong in the Pinball industry is Stern. Stern is not bad, it would be nice to see another company besides Stern creating Pinball machines.

Who else here misses Williams as a Pinball manufacturer and thinks that it sucks now that they'd rather build gambling machines that no one really wants to play? (Unless you wanna get broke real fast)

[faralos]

I disagree that pinball is still alive and well. not here it isn't! there are absolutely no arcades anywhere near me. the nearest one being two pinball museums in New Jersey a whole state away! and there are no arcades at all left anywhere eve the local movie theaters have taken out all the pins. all that are left are the big sit-down video game cabs! Pinball arcades have unfortunately gone the way of the Dodo bird. Maybe in NYC there still exists an arcade or two but not here in east PA. At least we still have the Jersey Shore for its old arcades of which some are still around since the early 1900's!
and yes i miss Williams and Bally too! Bally made some very good pins in their day

Edited by faralos, 31 March 2011 - 01:26 AM.

[koi kitsune]

You live in PA? Hmmm... Have you ever gone to Pittsburgh? They have an arcade place there stacked full of Arcade machines and Pinball machines. Check out PAPA.org
And yeah, in New York there are arcades here and there. One major one in New Rochelle, NY at New Roc City, a couple in Manhattan. Jeeze, the arcade scene needs to come back. I'm tired of the casual games hitting the console scene.

Edited by koi kitsune, 31 March 2011 - 01:43 AM.

[Tomcat Leader]

Here in Sactown and Cincinnati, there are no more arcades. (case in point: Florin Games at Florin Mall and Jupiter and Beyond in Corryville in Cincinnati, both gone.) I miss Williams, Bally, Data East, well hell, all of them. Chicago Coin had some good tables too. I still remember going to Jupiter to play HGOT and F-14 Tomcat, and then across the street to Study Hall to play Black Hole and Mars. Then go to Station Break on the Skywalk downtown to play Laser War and Truck Stop. Also at Tangeman Hall at the University of Cincinnati, they had Fire! and Firepower and they had a Rapid Fire, Flight 2000, Speak Easy, Medusa, Lightning and Rock!. God, what I wouldn't give to play a REAL machine again.

[EalaDubhSidhe]

Ironic then that Pinball 2000 was the gamble and moving into slots was the safest thing Williams ever did.

[Sheltemke]

There won't be another company what will create so FUN machines than williams/bally did.

Stern pinballs is uncomparable worse unfortunately especially the newer ones. They cannot make so fun tables than STTNG, Totan, TOM, AFM or Indiana jones(and much more...)
Just compare the indiana jones williams / stern.

I miss williams too, their machines(i mean the 1992 and after DMD ones) are pure beauties(in graphic and gameplay too).

I am very very grateful for JP and other authors to do high quality FS williams/bally tables so i can enjoy them again.

So again I miss Williams :/ But i will always play their tables in VP.

[kruge99]

Yup, original ideas cost money to develop, which is why Stern always takes the safe route these days. (Which happens to be popular licensed properties in this day and age.) It's too risky to invest all that money and not have a way to recover the development costs when you don't have arcades generating your revenue stream. I agree, not the most fun for sure. What are the chances of another "Attack from Mars" pinball eh? Not likely.


Best Regards,
Todd.

[faralos]

And this is why they are releasing a Rolling Stones pin? after how many years that group has been around? I hope it pays off for them. imo I would have chosen a newer music group. and I think Williams had by far the best pins with Bally right behind them. Chicago coin did make some nice pins but they were too few and too far between to make a big impact in the pin scene. Data east pins IMO sucked same goes for gottleib, mainly due to their crappy flipper solenoids, they sucked and were weak at best! the pf themes were ok but the pins themselves sucked. And ours were constantly blowing up boards maybe it was just the pins we had acquired when we bought out a rival company but really over 30 pins all gottleibs all had numerous running problems. but all these companies helped to keep pinball alive no matter the quality of their products and now they are all gone save one...I have my fingers crossed here but I see Stern falling by the wayside in 20 years time too unfortunately due to lack of interest with the general public. pc gaming is the way of the future like it or not it seems (hope I am wrong and we see a resurgence in pinball come back but I doubt it...)

[TAB]

It is not the theme for here...
Wanted to buy a Williams Pinbot yesterday...was too slow again. But it is a 'Grotto'. Around the flipperfingers you see the wood...f.e. and more.
Can all be restaurated.

Cool pin.

Have waste my money

[FrankT]

I miss Williams machines! I miss Gottlieb as well... it was too old to die... nowadays there isn't a single pinball for miles around.... you have to look really closely for one! Mostly it's Stern tables. I don't mind them, even if they are impossible... I don't want pinball to die! Not now!!!

[koi kitsune]

I miss Williams machines! I miss Gottlieb as well... it was too old to die... nowadays there isn't a single pinball for miles around.... you have to look really closely for one! Mostly it's Stern tables. I don't mind them, even if they are impossible... I don't want pinball to die! Not now!!!

That is the way I feel. I don't mind playing Virtual pinball, I have been doing so for years and playing real pinball machines. What we all need to do is support arcades that are still open and striving to keep revenue in. Like Pinsburge in Pittsburgh or any place else that holds arcade machines. I see it in this perspective... The people, much like us, love something, we have the power to keep it alive. Even if it is to volunteer to get people back in the arcades. Trust me, it is not impossible. No matter what anyone says, Xbox live is not a community, it's just you with a Microphone on your head talking to strangers. In an actual arcade, you can actual see the hurt on someone's face when you beat em.

I'm the type of person that looks at things positively. There are people out there that are keeping the theme alive. It's up to use to lend a hand.

Edited by koi kitsune, 31 March 2011 - 06:22 PM.

[FrankT]

Do you think we can get away with suggesting Stern a few ideas?

[Practicedummy]

Do you think we can get away with suggesting Stern a few ideas?

It's not whether you get lucky, it's whether they will take the advise. >:

[faralos]

they probably have gotten thousands of 'good ideas' over these past decades. Obviously due to some of their past pins they don't take outside advice too well! and I agree with the world going electronic
Today we can still visit an arcade or two (okay they are few and fer between but they do exist still!) but give it 5 years we'll all be sitting in our homes all alone 'communicating' with others but never really interacting with them on a personal level. is this the way of our future? will we (in 100 years or so) all be 40 year old virgins locked up in our rooms on our computers shutting out the outside world once and for all? never once actually meeting any real people just virtual ones. sound like a sad state of affairs...man am i on a depression kick today, sorry...

Edited by faralos, 31 March 2011 - 07:29 PM.

[koi kitsune]

Man Faralos, I really hope it doesn't come to that. Like I said, we gotta support the standing arcades. I'll even make a video on youtube and try and chain it around to get the message out. I will do it too, believe me. I have thought about it. Also, I plan on traveling to Pittsburgh this August for the world Pinball tournament. I am going to try and go there. I wanna support these people. If you can make it Faralos, that would be awesome.

[Flying Dutchman]

Don't look back ('I miss Williams') look forward!

At least there's a company trying to get revenue out of 'private' interest in selling Pinball Machines .. and hey' let's be honest .. The Stones are still Rockin' and Rollin' .. so, 'Never Change a Winning Team'!

Just my two cents ..

Cheers,
FD.

[faralos]

well ok they could have gotten Jon Bon Jovi (or however the hell you spell his name) and then stern would have folded due to lackluster sales.
so there is a world tourney in Pitts this year huh? Okay I may just have to get my ass out there as it's only a 6 hour drive for me! I suck at any type of competition with pins as my reflexes ain't what they used to be but I'll go just to show my support (and push this site with my vpf hat!) sounds like fun Please keep us informed as I have a lot on my plate atm and may forget...

[koi kitsune]

I would wear a VPF shirt if there is one and support the site too. But also, I have my own logo too. Heh heh... So I'll probably get the hat!

[faralos]

whatever piece of clothing you get i can tell ya' it's top quality! I am thrilled with the feel of it and the way it fastens too. it may not sound like much but if you wear caps as much as I do (wearing glasses makes me want to shield them from rain) little things like that can either make or break a hat. the fabric itself is high quality too thick yet soft and a nice denim look to it too! I have had many people ask about it and of course knowing me I launch into a fifteen minute spiel of the goodness of vp and the fun we have here! Hopefully someone who has seen it will log on and what do ya' know... more members! all from me just walking through my neighborhood! so go get one and do some advertising hey ya' never know ya' might even get laid from wearing it! okay maybe not but it's nice to fantasize about yes?

[koi kitsune]

Sounds like a good idea. I have created a cafepress for my logo but have yet to buy myself a shirt or hoodie from there. But I am definitely gonna get a hat from here.