(Topic ID: 331424)

The greatest selling and most successful pinball machine ever made?

By Vic_Camp

1 year ago


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    13
    #1 1 year ago

    Found this article in my Pool and Billiard magazine from November 1992. Not sure if has been posted here in the past. Check it out!

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    #2 1 year ago

    I love how even in this blurry old photo you can pick out Roger Sharpe in the back with supreme ease

    #3 1 year ago

    Also the number one requested recreation in virtual pinball... 30 years later. Just released AGAIN for Pinball FX.

    Unbeatable popularity.

    #4 1 year ago

    It's the machine that got me hooked over three decades ago.

    #5 1 year ago

    over 22,000 units-nothing has come close since and may never will? BTTF-maybe if global sales pick up(5 year license)?

    #6 1 year ago

    I really want to see this article become overcome by events. Stern, Spooky, American Pinball, Multimorphic, JJP, I don't care who it is, but I want to frame one of these on my wall with your name on it.

    #7 1 year ago
    Quoted from Vic_Camp:

    Found this article in my Pool and Billiard magazine from November 1992. Not sure if has been posted here in the past. Check it out!
    [quoted image]

    Love it!!! I doubt we will ever get a machine that reaches this level again, but I know Metallica shattered some records at Stern.

    #8 1 year ago

    More impressive is the fact almost all of those machines were location games.

    That would seem impossible to ever beat.

    #9 1 year ago

    Yup, will never happen again

    #10 1 year ago

    I still consider TAF the best “modern” pin made.

    You look at production numbers in the early 90’s at Williams, and try and compare to stuff today and it isn’t even close.

    Take 1992. If you add up ALL the pinballs made that year from all manufacturers I think you can approach 400-500K units. Bally/williams, DE, gottlieb.

    I would be surprised if there are 100K new pins made today. Might be a lot less than that even.

    For sure TAF is a great game. My TAFG300 isn’t going anywhere

    #11 1 year ago
    Quoted from Vic_Camp:

    Found this article in my Pool and Billiard magazine from November 1992. Not sure if has been posted here in the past. Check it out!
    [quoted image]

    Is that Pat Lawlor in the front?

    #12 1 year ago
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    #13 1 year ago
    Quoted from KozMckPinball:

    Is that Pat Lawlor in the front?

    Yes, between the game and Steve Kordek.

    It's a shame that they had to exaggerate the claim. The true claim (TTBOMK), that it's the best-selling game since pinball got electrified, is a great bragging point. Why couldn't they be happy with that?
    .................David Marston

    #14 1 year ago

    Wouldn't be marketing if it wasn't obfuscating, exaggerating our outright lying about something.

    #15 1 year ago

    When management would actually wear dress shirts & ties to work!!!

    -1
    #16 1 year ago
    Quoted from KozMckPinball:

    Is that Pat Lawlor in the front?

    Yes

    #17 1 year ago

    That's most likely a unique machine in the picture. I don't think it's a gold edition as the bookcase doesn't look like it's gold, but the coin door is definitely gold(or chrome). The circle Bally sticker is on the backglass, instead of the playfield glass.

    I wonder where that particular machine is, as well as that ribbon. I'm willing to bet someone still has them.

    #18 1 year ago

    Not a true gold. Does not have the buy in button. But, might be a gold cabinet. The story. When they broke the record the went to a gold cabinet game, these were regular production games but not the numbered gold games. Then, the last 1000 made were the true gold games

    I believe the regular production games with the gold cabinets are more rare than the real gold games

    #19 1 year ago
    Quoted from chris_p:

    [quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]

    Yeah I get the argument, but I don't care. Is it really a pinball machine? Its more of a bagatelle. Sure pinball has its roots in that type of thing but its nothing like what we would consider pinball today. When people try to ACKCHYUALLY when Addams is the brought up as the best ever seller I just roll my eyes.

    -1
    #20 1 year ago

    It had coin equipment. That makes it equivalent to a JJP CE or a Stern Pro, in some areas.

    Harry Williams first game, first solenoid kick out. First sound (bell). There is a flow and evolution in both features and mechs - is this really so different than early wood rails? It had a plunger with a skill shot (contact hole). It had RULE SET!

    https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=14026
    The player launched the ball with a plunger. The ball then came down striking pins along the way. The object was to nudge the ball into holes to score points. Two holes had lightning bolts next to them. Another was the 'Contact' hole. You wanted to get two of the balls into the lightning holes then a third into the 'Contact' hole. This would eject the first two balls and ring a bell, allowing for more points. You had to keep track of your own points as the machine didn't do this for you.

    This was the pinnacle of fun back in that era - THIS is what Pinsiders were all ABOUT back in the day

    contact (resized).jpgcontact (resized).jpgcontact skill (resized).jpgcontact skill (resized).jpg
    #21 1 year ago
    Quoted from chris_p:

    THIS is what Pinsiders were all ABOUT back in the day

    I had no idea Pinside was around before the internet. What’s REALLY amazing is how young robin looks for his age!!

    #22 1 year ago
    Quoted from wolverinetuner:

    I had no idea Pinside was around before the internet. What’s REALLY amazing is how young Robin looks for his age!!

    LOL some Pinsiders were around even before CELL PHONES!

    #23 1 year ago
    Quoted from chris_p:

    It had coin equipment. That makes it equivalent to a JJP CE or a Stern Pro, in some areas.

    Well then I guess some gumball machines are actually the best selling pinball of all time

    11
    #24 1 year ago
    Quoted from Miguel351:

    I wonder where that particular machine is,

    Accidentally crated and sold to a distributor in Michigan. Al at Action Pinball Warehouse in Fridley, MN. bought it from the distributor along with a NIB Bally Harley Davidson. Didn't know what he had until he opened it, he was after the Harley pin, he had to buy both games to get the Harley pin. He and his wife added their signatures inside the cabinet along with the other signatures.

    Williams wanted it back. Traded a NIB video game for it. I believe it was for a Cruisin USA, which was worth a lot more at the time.

    No idea what Williams did with it then.

    LTG : )

    #25 1 year ago
    Quoted from LTG:

    Accidentally crated and sold to a distributor in Michigan. Al at Action Pinball Warehouse in Fridley, MN. bought it from the distributor along with a NIB Bally Harley Davidson. Didn't know what he had until he opened it, he was after the Harley pin, he had to buy both games to get the Harley pin. He and his wife added their signatures inside the cabinet along with the other signatures.
    Williams wanted it back. Traded a NIB video game for it. I believe it was for a Cruisin USA, which was worth a lot more at the time.
    No idea what Williams did with it then.
    LTG : )

    Thats an awesome story. I do wonder if its still around somewhere and what happened after Williams got it.

    #26 1 year ago
    Quoted from LTG:

    Accidentally crated and sold to a distributor in Michigan. Al at Action Pinball Warehouse in Fridley, MN. bought it from the distributor along with a NIB Bally Harley Davidson. Didn't know what he had until he opened it, he was after the Harley pin, he had to buy both games to get the Harley pin. He and his wife added their signatures inside the cabinet along with the other signatures.
    Williams wanted it back. Traded a NIB video game for it. I believe it was for a Cruisin USA, which was worth a lot more at the time.
    No idea what Williams did with it then.
    LTG : )

    That's awesome Lloyd! At least someone knows the start of the story. Makes me wonder if WMS/Scientific Games has it somewhere, or if it got sold during a move or warehouse closing. To quote Henry Jones, Jr., "It belongs in a museum!"

    #27 1 year ago
    Quoted from Miguel351:

    That's awesome Lloyd! At least someone knows the start of the story. Makes me wonder if WMS/Scientific Games has it somewhere, or if it got sold during a move or warehouse closing. To quote Henry Jones, Jr., "It belongs in a museum!"

    Yeah, maybe SGMS has it now, or its in Pat or another ex Williams employees personal collection, maybe Gene Cunningham acquired it and who knows what happened after that. A mystery I would love to know the answer to!

    #28 1 year ago

    I wonder if the serial number is known to someone, and perhaps even on the IPSND website. Either way, a start to the story of that game is huge head start.

    #29 1 year ago
    Quoted from chris_p:

    LOL some Pinsiders were around even before CELL PHONES!

    Cell phones??C'mon man, cell phones weren't even a idea when I was young playing Ems! Cell phones,computors,ufo.s,none of that exist,back then!!

    #30 1 year ago

    I seem to recall they had that Addams at Expo that year or the year after. I'll have to dig through my pictures... The ones I probably had processed at the Fotomat booth down the street from where I worked at the time.

    #31 1 year ago

    I think I see Larry DeMar (L.E.D.) in the lower left of the picture, next to the machine.

    #32 1 year ago
    Quoted from JWCpinball:

    I think I see Larry DeMar (L.E.D.) in the lower left of the picture, next to the machine.

    Yes, lots of pinball royalty in that pic. Aside from Larry, Pat, and Kordek over there, I can see Dwight Sullivan, Roger Sharpe (previously mentioned), Jim Patla, Barry Oursler, and Neil Nicastro, and some other management here and there.

    #33 1 year ago
    Quoted from MattElder:

    Yes, lots of pinball royalty in that pic. Aside from Larry, Pat, and Kordek over there, I can see Dwight Sullivan, Roger Sharpe (previously mentioned), Jim Patla, Barry Oursler, and Neil Nicastro, and some other management here and there.

    I guess Steve Ritchie didn't want to be in the picture for some reason

    #34 1 year ago
    Quoted from Haymaker:

    I guess Steve Ritchie didn't want to be in the picture for some reason

    Him and LOTS of other people.

    #35 1 year ago
    Quoted from MattElder:

    Yes, lots of pinball royalty in that pic. Aside from Larry, Pat, and Kordek over there, I can see Dwight Sullivan, Roger Sharpe (previously mentioned), Jim Patla, Barry Oursler, and Neil Nicastro, and some other management here and there.

    I used to work with Larry, Joe Kaminkow, and a few others from time to time. I wish that I had gotten to know Larry better.

    #36 1 year ago

    I wonder how many Godzilla units have been produced.

    Cooo story about this too

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