Pinball machines and other arcade games don’t seem very nefarious now, but they apparently did in the early 1980s — enough so that city police code restricts these types of devices to fewer than 10 per business.

That’s why the Board of Supervisors this week approved a resolution that would exempt two businesses — one a yet-to-be opened bar in the Castro, another a screen printing shop in Cole Valley — from a section of police code limiting what it calls “mechanical amusement devices.”

Supervisors Scott Wiener and London Breed, whose districts include the businesses, proposed the exemption and said they now want to look at whether the code is obsolete and should be repealed. Wiener said the code is one of many affecting bars, restaurants and other businesses that may have made sense at the time but now seem bizarre. For example, two years ago he authored legislation to repeal outdated restaurant codes that, among other things, prevented some cafes from toasting the bagels they sold or serving ice cream in a cone (cups were all right).

“It almost seems like a kitschy thing now, but it’s part a of a broader theme,” Wiener said. “If you look at businesses and restaurants these days, there is so much variation, so much creativity — sometimes the municipal code doesn’t take into account the positive aspects of allowing businesses flexibility to offer products and services.”

The Cole Valley business, Free Gold Watch, offers T-shirt and other printing services as well as a number of pinball machines. The arcade games were flagged by the Entertainment Commission as possibly violating the police code. Neighbors love the arcade, however, and submitted dozens of letters in support, according to Breed’s office.

The soon-to-be opened Castro bar will be located on the northwest corner of Market and Sanchez streets at the location that formerly housed Leticia’s, a Mexican restaurant. Wiener said the owners, who also own the nearby Blackbird Bar, want to make it an arcade-themed watering hole. Since the police code actually restricts the number of arcade games by the businesses square footage, Wiener said they would be limited to three or four without the exemption.

If the supervisors author legislation to repeal the police code, they would probably still require business owners who want to host arcade games to apply for a special permit, he added.

via http://blog.sfgate.com/cityinsider/2014/04/23/like-pinball-supervisors-say-limits-on-arcade-games-are-outdated/

WASHINGTON -- If you love pinball, you'll flip for this.

The man who founded D.C.'s now-closed National Pinball Museum is selling his collection of hundreds of machines, andthe second in a series of auctions is set for 9 a.m. Sunday, April 27.

David Silverman, of Silver Spring, Md., first opened the National Pinball Museum in Georgetown in late 2010, then moved it to Baltimore before closing it for good last year.

Silverman says he then moved hundreds of his machines to a storage area at a former mall in Sykesville, Md., where he was told he would have one year's notice before he would have to move them.

He considered opening the museum a third time when he got word that he would have to move his items out in just 30 days. That's when he called Morphy Auctions, in Pennsylvania. Although the auction will be held in the Lancaster, Pa.-area, D.C.-area bidders can participate online or by phone.

See what is in the auction catalog here.

Silverman says he doesn't plan on going to any of the auctions.

"It's partially painful, and partially, I'm trying to get beyond it."

Among the items for sale in Sunday's auction is a 1936 machine called Daily Races, which was banned in many places because players could win money from it. That makes it a rare machine because it would often be confiscated, Silverman says.

"The interesting part about that game is that, the one that I found, it was confiscated to the basement of a policeman's home.

"I don't know how many of this game exist, but it was one of the highest-priced games that I ever bought."

Another game, called Safe Cracker, is a game within a game within a game. Scoring in the pinball game help move you forward on a second Parcheesi-style game board on the backglass, the upper part of the pinball machine. If you win this second part of the game, something amazing happens.

"You get a token that rolls right out of the game, onto the playfield glass, into your hands. That token then you can use to put into a different coin slot, and that coin slot plays a different game."

Other interesting machines in Sunday's auction include an "Indiana Jones" machine, another based on "The Creature From the Black Lagoon" and a very hard-to-find rolldown machine, which was made for states where shooting a ball with a plunger was considered gambling.

Silverman says it's a good time to buy and a bad time to sell. He says the economy has really affected the value of older pinball machines.

"The first auction has kind of taught me a lesson ... I don't even expect to come close to getting what I paid for these games."

Silverman collected about 700 games over almost 35 years, but he's not selling all of them.

"I'm keeping about 12 or 15 games, and they're for all the wrong reasons that people would think of. They're not necessarily the rarest, and not necessarily the most beautiful. They just have a lot of historical importance to me -- not only from their own historical perspective, but they had importance to me based on my collecting, where I was in my life during it.

"Like the first game I ever bought was a game called Fireball. I've always kept that game -- we kept it in this house. At one point we kept it as a night light because it had the most beautiful backglass -- these reds, oranges and yellows."

He also has a brand-new "Wizard of Oz" pinball machine at his home that he intended on showing off at the museum. Sadly, it was delivered after the museum closed.

Silverman has gone through a range of emotions since the museum was shuttered, but now he can look back and smile.

"I'm sad that it didn't survive, but it came as close to my mind's eye of what I wanted as it could have ever been. And so I'm satisfied with having that happen, and that's taken a lot for me to actually say that."

Follow @WTOP and WTOP Entertainment on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook.

© 2014 WTOP. All Rights Reserved.

via www.wtop.com

If you find yourself in or near Rochester Michigan this weekend you may want to take a trip over the the MPE 2014 and spend some time with the silver ball. With over 100 pinball machines, vendors and pinball tournament and guest speakers it is guaranteed to be a great time. Attendees will also have the chance to check out the latest and greatest pinball machines from Jersey Jack Pinball, Stern Pinball as well as custom pinball machines including Skit B Pinball based on the movie "Predator" as well as a custom home-brew game based off of the movie "The Matrix".

From the show organizer:

"This event is designed to be “FAMILY FRIENDLY” and we encourage everyone to come out and have a wonderful experience playing over 125+ machines at the Michigan Pinball Expo. All the pinball machines in the Expo room will be set on FREE PLAY. Those pinball machines will be available to the public to play for FREE* from the start of the Expo until the close of the Expo!!! 57 TOTAL HOURS!!!

Tournament machines will be located on the back wall where you can really test your pinball skills by paying low entry fees for a chance to win BIG MONEY and TROPHIES. We offer tournaments for every skill level. So whether you are a “Pinball Wizard” going for the title of “Michigan Pinball Champion” or a “Wizard in Training” competing at the kids level, we offer many divisions so you can compete among your peers.

It’s all about having FUN! We will also have many vendors along 3 walls of the Michigan Pinball Expo. Full size arcade pinball machines will be for sale from local collectors and businesses such as Prestige Pinball. We will also be announcing new additions to the show daily, so please check back often! With over 15,000 sq. ft. of pinball goodness going on, there is something for everyone at the Michigan Pinball Expo.

If you want to be appraised of the latest happenings, sign up for our Google Group mailing list, and join us on Facebook. Lots of great news is coming daily!

Thank you for your time and we hope to see you, your family, and all your friends at the Michigan Pinball Expo!!!"

–John Kosmal (Show Organizer)

Bumpers are seen on the playing field of the game "Paragon" of Daniel Spolar's private collection of pinball machines Monday, July 1, 2013 in Fort Myers, Fla. The Pittsburgh native has been collecting seriously with business partner David Denholtz since 2004. In 2007 they were contacted by the Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida saying that a "Spider-Man" machine had been sitting for a year and in need of service. Spolar thought the idea of a machine going to waste was not acceptable. He not only stepped in, fixed and maintains the machine today, but he helped to found projectpinball.org. (Corey Perrine/Staff )


Read the rest of the story via http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2014/jan/22/project-pinball-a-visit-to-the-pinball-asylum/?CID=happeningnow

Pinball may be a bit of an underappreciated art, but that doesn’t mean it’s lost and forgotten. Even in the increasingly expensive New York, pinball enthusiasts have found a way to carve out a part of the city for themselves.


The folks over at AnimalNY went and visited Modern Pinball NYC, a combination showroom and arcade, and talked to the top-ranked player of New York Steve Zahler about the current state of modern pinball.


via www.kotak_u.com.au

FARGO – A pinball arcade is coming to downtown Fargo.

Tilt Pinball will open sometime this month in former office space on the main floor of an apartment building at 413 Broadway, said owner Scott Nelson.

Nelson, an entrepreneur who operates rental property in downtown Fargo, plans to run the arcade without a staff as a membership-only operation.

Access will be controlled using a key-fob security system similar to the kind used by health clubs, said Nelson, who intends to keep the hours flexible.

“If you get off work at 3 in the morning, you can go play. If you get a break at lunch, you can go play,” Nelson said, adding there’s “a whole ton of people” who love pinball machines.

He said the person who helps keep his machines running has about 100 clients in the Fargo area.

Nelson said Tilt Pinball, which will have about 11 “pins” or pinball machines, grew out of his own need for a place to keep his personal collection of machines.

A membership in the arcade will likely cost $35 for the first year, with subsequent renewals costing $20 a year, Nelson said.

The membership gets people in the arcade. Once there, members and their guests will have to pay to play, the price per game being whatever the pinball machine originally charged.

“If it was a quarter, it’s a quarter. If it was 50 cents, it’s 50 cents,” Nelson said.

To contact Nelson, call (701) 799-3885. The arcade will also have a website at www.tiltpinballfargo.com

Two longtime pinball fans are taking advantage of a recent revival of the classic game with a new place for everyone to play right in Kips Bay. NY1's Roger Clark filed the following report.

It's the unmistakeable sound of balls hitting bumpers, points piling up, the noise exuding from a place where pinball is king.

"It's like mixing old school with new computer games so you feel like everyone can be part of it," said one pinball player.

"I mean there's an actual metal ball and you are actually hitting it," said another pinball player.

Modern Pinball NYC opened two and a half months ago, the brainchild of Steve Zahler and Steve Epstein, pinball players who met at a tournament a few years back. They've latched on to what seems to be the recent resurgence of pinball, opening the interactive showroom at 362 Third Avenue where you can buy a machine, but also play the games until your fingers just can't take it anymore.

In Epstein's case, it was a return to the business. His family owned an arcade near Times Square for years.

"The whole idea that pinball was coming back in New York City was on my radar and I thought it was time to re-open and come back really strong with something that was really special," Epstein said.

Pinball was actually illegal in the city for years until 1976. It went underground again as video games started popping up in places where pinball machines traditionally held court, and maintaining video games was a lot less expensive. That's when pinball began disappearing from corner stores and arcades.

"Pinball I believe was taken away from the people, and I think when people come here and start playing and see how much fun they are and reconnect with their past, they get addicted, and there is no pulling them away from that machine," Zahler said.

At Modern Pinball NYC they even have pinball classes to give you some tips on the game. But most of all, Zahler and Epstein want folks to have some fun playing the game they fell in love with.

"In my old store I probably used to play two hours a day here I play about an hour a day so there is a real reason to come back and do this," Epstein said.

For more information, visit modernpinballnyc.com

Watch the video here
 http://www.ny1.com/content/news/201797/modern-pinball-wizards-unite-at-kips-bay-arcade

SEATTLE - For $13, you can play pinball until your arms fall off at Seattle's working pinball museum.

The two-story storefront in Seattle's International District is filled with games from every era from the 1960s to today.

The museum, which houses about 50 or so machines, started in 2010 as one couple's obsession and grew to be something they wanted to share with others, or as Cindy Martin puts it: a good solution when they ran out of space in their garage.

"Any serious collector will tell you collecting these machines is an incurable disease," said Charlie Martin, her husband and business partner.

They keep the equipment fixed up — with some help from other collectors — offer brief historical information and "fun" ratings on small cards above the games and sell snacks, beer and soda to visitors from around the world.

The Seattle museum is one of a handful around the country celebrating a pastime that seems to be in the midst of revival.

In addition to the look back at pinball through the ages, the 1,900-square-foot space also features a glimpse of the future. In December, four one-of-a-kind artist-made machines were on display and — of course — were playable.

The Martins own dozens more pinball machines and constantly move machines in and out. The oldest machine in the building was made in 1963, but they have a few from the 1930s they keep at home.

The Martins continue to buy the newest pinball machines on the commercial market and just installed a state-of-the-art Star Trek game. Many of their machines are limited edition models, but games enthusiasts are also likely to find a favourite machine from their youth.

The museum, which isn't a non-profit, averages about 15,000 visitors a year. It isn't a profitable operation, although Charlie Martin said they're "holding steady." Both Charlie and Cindy Martin also continue to work full-time jobs.

It's smaller and less well known than the Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas or the Pacific Pinball Museum in Alameda, Calif., but Charlie Martin said they're happy staying small. "We're very comfortable with where we're at right now," he said. "We don't want a mob scene."

A couple from the Seattle area spending a day holiday shopping in Seattle and acting like tourists made a stop at the museum recently.

"This was the No. 1 thing we wanted to do," said Lisa Nordeen, of Kirkland, Wash. She and her husband John spent two hours at the museum, as long as their parking meter allowed and until they started thinking about lunch.

Richard Dyer, a University of Washington law student from Chicago, brought out-of-town visitors to the museum.

"It's very Seattle to me," Dyer said.

Read more: http://www.thestarphoenix.com/travel/Seattle+pinball+museum+part+silver+ball+revival+across+nation/9342276/story.html#ixzz2pO3gcQ7c

SEATTLE — For $13, you can play pinball until your arms fall off in Seattle's working pinball museum.

The two-story storefront in Seattle's International District is filled with games from every era from the 1960s to today.

The museum, which houses about 50 machines, started in 2010 as one couple's obsession and grew to be something they wanted to share with others or, as Cindy Martin puts it, a good solution when they ran out of space in their garage.

“Any serious collector will tell you collecting these machines is an incurable disease,” said Charlie Martin, her husband and business partner.

They keep the equipment fixed up — with some help from other collectors — offer brief historical information and “fun” ratings on small cards above the games and sell snacks, beer and soda to visitors from around the world.

The museum is one of a handful across the country celebrating a pastime that seems to be in the midst of revival.

In addition to the look back at pinball through the ages, the 1,900-square-foot space features a glimpse of the future. In December, four one-of-a-kind artist-made machines were on display.

The Martins own dozens more pinball machines and constantly move machines in and out. The oldest machine in the building was made in 1963, but they have a few from the 1930s they keep at home.

The Martins continue to buy the newest pinball machines on the commercial market and just installed a state-of-the-art “Star Trek” game. Many of their machines are limited-edition models, but games enthusiasts are likely to find a favorite machine from their youth.

The museum, which is not a nonprofit, averages about 15,000 visitors a year. It isn't a profitable operation, although Charlie Martin said they're “holding steady.” Both Charlie and Cindy Martin also continue to work full-time jobs.

It's smaller and less well-known than the Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas or the Pacific Pinball Museum in Alameda, Calif., but Charlie Martin said they're happy with staying small.

“We're very comfortable with where we're at right now,” he said. “We don't want a mob scene.”

Read more: http://triblive.com/usworld/nation/5350558-74/pinball-museum-machines#ixzz2pO33b7wu 
Follow us: @triblive on Twitter | triblive on Facebook

The Verge has a beautiful Photo Essay about Modern Pinball in NYC and the resurgence of the game including interviews with Co-Owners Steve Epstein and  Steve Zahler.

Go check it out! http://www.theverge.com/2013/12/3/5171092/shoot-again-pinball-bounces-back-in-new-york-city