Gottleib?

[liquid_sky]

What ever happened to the gottleib company?

[Adrian M]

The Gottlieb company folded recently. I remember reading about this somewhere, but where exactly I can't remember. I believe they were a subsidiary of Williams and focused mostly on pinball machines.

[liquid_sky]

quote

 believe they were a subsidiary of Williams and focused mostly on pinball machines.

 

I guess Williams/Midway bought them out. They made the first pinball machine ever, entitled Baffle Ball. Resembeling more of a Pachinko table than anything, this prototype pinball machine had no electricity or flippers, it used skill on releasing the plunger just right. They also released Humpty Dumpty in 1948, first Pinball machine ever with flippers.

 

Interesting sidenote, Harry Williams first worked for Bally later Bally/Midway and made the first electrically powered pinball machine.

 

If you are a pinball fan you should check out Microsoft Pinball arcade, an all Gottleib collection of 7 of the most influencial pinball games.

 

http://www.microsoft.com/games/pinball/tables.htm

 

There are the tables it features... for microsoft they made a pretty good game, unlike the crappy arcade and return to arcade ports they messed up.

[Albert]

I don't think Gottlieb was bought by anyone, much less Williams. They went out of business in 1996, and I think their last game was "Barb Wire". I was never fond of their games, preferring Williams' machines over all others. In fact, I own a Black Knight 2000, which is a game I played to death in college.

 

I believe the only company still producing pins is Stern Pinball (and I'd provide a link, but their website appears to be gone, "No web site is configured at this address.") I love pinball machines and think it's a shame that they're almost history at this point.

 

..Al

[MrRetroGamer]

quote

I love pinball machines and think it's a shame that they're almost history at this point.

 

It's a shame that some of the younger generation here may not even have the pleasure of ever seeing a real pinball machine, much less one of the good old classics. The non-violent themes and the mechanical nature of these games has been lost in the newest arcade games out there.

[liquid_sky]

I must have speant the most money on the Star Trek pinbvall machine... i remember when it came to town noone was ever near it or the other pinball machine, the getaway. We have had only two arcades in this town in my entire lifetime, an allidans castle at the mall for as long as i can remember, it closed around 1995 maybe 1996. Then there was a small smoky dark arcade like youd see in early 80s movies called "video game madness." There was pool air hockey and many machines. The newer games were all along one wall and the older games were along the other wall. What is funny is after it went out of business in 1991 or 1992 the building was bought by Edward Jones Investments, and its still the local Edward Jones Branch.. if only they kept that old time pilot machine....

The alladians castle never had any classics beyond your standard burned crt mrs pac man that was operational once a month and the galaga with the sad layer of dust on it, that i would always wipe off even if i didnt play it, its a little respect for that game.

 

I know this is going really off the pinball topic and im sorry but im just reliving, and enjoying it. The video madness had most of the pinball machines, although they were placed behid the pool tables and it really was a bad location, because when all the pool tables were in use you could be speared by the back of a pool stick. Games of pinball were all the more fun when you had to catch and stall the ball on a flipper while keeping it held down and shimmying out of the way so the biker dudes could get a shot of at pool. Needless to say i was extatic when the pool tables dissapeared, being replaced with a new air hockey table and a cocktail centipede.

 

Ok thats enough reliving for today..

[Atari-Jess]

At my local arcade we have a gottleib Super Mario Bros pinball machine and some a sega twister pinball machine. Ive seen an aladins castle pinbal machine made by bally. the last pinball machine i played was terminator 2 by (i think) williams

[Adrian M]

Pinball machines are still being made, at least until fairly recently I think. Remember that Star Wars Episode 1 mini-pinball machine? And then there's that alien abductors one. They all feature small tables and much of the game is played through the LED/LCD display and I've seen these in numerous arcades in my area. I forget who makes them, but they are quite fun to play.

[Albert]

quote:

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Originally posted by Adrian M:

Pinball machines are still being made, at least until fairly recently I think. Remember that Star Wars Episode 1 mini-pinball machine? And then there's that alien abductors one. They all feature small tables and much of the game is played through the LED/LCD display and I've seen these in numerous arcades in my area. I forget who makes them, but they are quite fun to play.

---

 

Those were part of the "Pinball 2000" effort from Williams, to produce a modular table that could be easily upgraded in the field to new games. Unfortunately, those were also Williams' last games. Here's the page at Williams (which is amazingly still up) that describes Pinball 2000:

 

Williams' Pinball 2000 Page

 

..Al

 

[ 01-30-2002: Message edited by: Albert ]