Fun Facts about Pinball Machines - Test Your Knowledge
(The answers are located below the questions. Good luck!)
QUESTIONS
How many manufacturers of coin-operated pinball machines are there?
A. 5 companies
B. 4 companies
C. 1 company
On average, about how much time does a design team need to design a new pinball game?
A. 6 months
B. 12 months
C. 18 months
About how many separate parts are built into a typical pinball machine?
A. 3,500 parts
B. 4,500 parts
C. 6,000 parts
In what year was the first shaker motor — which shakes the entire machine during game play — built into a pinball machine?
A. 1969
B. 1979
C. 1989
How many songs are designed into the typical, modern pinball machine?
A. 3 songs
B. 8 songs
C. 15 songs
One of the most eye-catching features of pinball machines is their many lights — different colors, different sizes, some blinking just to get your attention, others rewarding the player for achieving specific goals. Approximately how many lights does a typical pinball machine display?
A. 75-99 lights
B. 100-125 lights
C. More than 125 lights
Pinball machine assemblies include flippers, bumpers, targets, slingshots, ramps, etc. How many assemblies will you find in a typical, modern pinball machine?
A. 30-34 assemblies
B. 35-39 assemblies
C. 40-60 assemblies
The first pinball machine to use flippers was made in what year?
A. 1940
B. 1947
C. 1954
Modern pinball machines have how much wire running through them?
A. Approximately 1/4 mile of wire
B. Approximately 1/2 mile of wire
C. Approximately 1 mile of wire
ANSWERS
How many manufacturers of coin-operated pinball machines are there?
A. 5 companies
B. 4 companies
C. 1 company
The answer is... C. 1 company — Hard to believe, but it’s true. There’s only one manufacturer of coin-op pinball machines in existence today. Anywhere. On the planet. That company is Stern Pinball, Inc., who manufacturers all of the pinball machines sold by Pinball Take Out.
On average, about how much time does a design team need to design a new pinball game?
A. 6 months
B. 12 months
C. 18 months
The answer is... B. 12 months — A typical design team includes a game designer, software engineers, sound engineers, mechanical engineers, artists, dot matrix display artists, and others. They usually spend about one year designing a new pinball game.
About how many separate parts are built into a typical pinball machine?
A. 3,500 parts
B. 4,500 parts
C. 6,000 parts
The answer is... A. 3,500 parts — These wonderful toys really are machines composed of many different parts (mostly, lots of little pieces).
In what year was the first shaker motor — which shakes the entire machine during game play — built into a pinball machine?
A. 1969
B. 1979
C. 1989
The answer is... C. 1989 — Williams, in 1989, built their Earthshaker! pinball machine with the first shaker motor. The most recent example of this is the Black Suited Spider-Man (Limited Edition) pinball machine, made by Stern Pinball, Inc. and sold here on Pinball Take Out. The shaker motor is just one of many enhancements built into the limited edition package (but not included on Stern’s regular Spider-Man pinball machine).
How many songs are designed into the typical, modern pinball machine?
A. 3 songs
B. 8 songs
C. 15 songs
The answer is... C. 15 songs — The musical design of a typical pinball machine includes an average of 15 songs. Who knew?
One of the most eye-catching features of pinball machines is their many lights — different colors, different sizes, some blinking just to get your attention, others rewarding the player for achieving specific goals. Approximately how many lights does a typical pinball machine display?
A. 75-99 lights
B. 100-125 lights
C. More than 125 lights
The answer is... B. 100-125 lights — Wow. Pretty. What would a pinball machine be without lights? Ugly and boring comes to mind....
Pinball machine assemblies include flippers, bumpers, targets, slingshots, ramps, etc. How many assemblies will you find in a typical, modern pinball machine?
A. 30-34 assemblies
B. 35-39 assemblies
C. 40-60 assemblies
The answer is... A. 30-34 assemblies — And they all fit on the playfield, designed to provide maximum playing fun while making efficient use of the limited space. A real challenge for the game designer.
The first pinball machine to use flippers was made in what year?
A. 1940
B. 1947
C. 1954
The answer is... B. 1947 — Gottlieb’s Humpty Dumpty pinball machine was introduced in 1947, built with three pairs of player-controlled flippers. They enabled players to keep the ball in play longer, and added a skill factor that had not been part of the scene before this. Every pinball machine since then has been designed with at least one pair of flippers.
Modern pinball machines have how much wire running through them?
A. Approximately 1/4 mile of wire
B. Approximately 1/2 mile of wire
C. Approximately 1 mile of wire
The answer is... B. Approximately 1/2 mile of wire — If your shoes were 12" long, you would have to take more than 2,600 heel-to-toe steps to equal the length of this much wire. Amazingly, the pinball player never sees any of it. It all fits within the cabinet and backbox — along with everything else!
Want More Significant Trivia?
Send in your idea for additional trivia by clicking on CONTACT US (above right) and emailing us. The next update may just include your idea.
Pinball fun — you just gotta love it!
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