VANCOUVER, WA (KPTV) -One man's determination to get his stolen pinball machine back helped lead to the arrest of two people accused of trafficking stolen property in Vancouver.

James Bray told FOX 12 that someone broke into his Vancouver home and stole his Bally Aladdin's Castle pinball machine.

The machine is just more than fun and games to Bray. It's been in the family for nearly 30 years.

Bray and his brother figured they would never see it again.

"I didn't think anyone would try to sell it around here because it's rare, and if you did, someone would know about it," he said.

Still, Bray filed a police report and kept an eye on Craigslist. Sure enough, last week his rare pinball machine was posted for sale in Vancouver.

"I was like, 'That's it, oh my gosh,'" he said. "I was calling people, I was shaking like crazy because I was excited about it."

Bray called police, which led to a SWAT operation at an apartment complex on Southeast 152nd Avenue. It was part of an ongoing theft investigation by Vancouver police that included warrants being served at several locations.

The pinball machine, along with other stolen property, was recovered, and two people were arrested.

Kristine Nelson, 25, and Shawn Justin, 36, both appeared in court on Monday and are facing charges of trafficking in stolen property.

Investigators were also interested in more than just the stolen machine for one of the suspects.


Nelson is also accused of forging checks at multiple businesses in Portland and Vancouver. They are both scheduled for formal arraignments on May 2.

For Bray and his family, they're just happy to hear the sounds of their pinball machine again.

"It's wonderful to have it back," he said. "I remember the day my dad brought it home when I was 3. He put it in the living room. My mom wasn't happy about it, but you can imagine as kids something like this was fun."

Copyright 2014 KPTV-KPDX Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved. 


Video here http://www.kptv.com/story/25314531/determination-to-find-stolen-pinball-machine-leads-to-arrests-in-vancouver

Local television station KUSA reports on the RMPS with an in-studio pinball demonstration.
Video on their site here http://www.9news.com/story/life/events/2014/04/11/pinball-convention-bounces/7589339/

KUSA - If you're on the ball, the Rocky Mountain pinball expo is finally here.

This event is perfect for all pinball wizards, arcade gamers and video game aficionados but it's also great for people who just want to have some pinball fun.

The three-day event features a selection of over 125 free pinball and arcade games to play. Don't worry, you won't need any quarters.

While you're there you can also check out various tournaments and seminars, plus they'll be tons of buying and selling exhibits. In all, for a meager ticket price of $25 you can't go wrong.

The event takes place in Greenwood Village. Find out more information onhttp://bit.ly/1kLNn4r.

(KUSA-TV © 2014 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)

On the heels of the recent Jersey Jack Pinball update, comes another in rapid-fire succession. First off is an update on Jack's visit to the Michigan Pinball Expo as well as new statistics on WOZ earnings on location. Jack and the team have been hard at work in developing The Hobbit pinball and have some videos to show us.

New Wizard of Oz machines are being delivered and check out the uber-cool new jukebox functionality from Pinnovators as well.

Read the update below and let us know what you think about it in the comments section.

Jack and team have been busy working on the new Hobbit pinball machine as well as completing orders for WOZ in order to get ready for the next release. Read the update after the break.

On Saturday a new Barcade named "82" opened in the Arts district of downtown Los Angeles to plenty of classic and contemporary pinball machines and video games.

Watch the 2 minute news segment here 
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/video/9973767-new-bar-and-arcade-is-decidedly-old-school-in-scope/

American Pop Culture Icons Converge As Stern Pinball Announces Three
New Ford Mustang-Themed Games

· A new pinball game from Stern Pinball, featuring the all-new Ford
Mustang and celebrating 50 years of the original pony car, debuts at
the Chicago Auto Show

· Stern Pinball will also offer a premium game featuring Mustang Boss
302, Boss 351 and Boss 429, plus a limited-edition game honoring the
1965 original and all-new 2015 Mustang

· Champion pinball player Zach Sharpe will challenge journalists to
beat his high score on the new machines during media preview days at
the Chicago Auto Show on Feb. 6 and Feb. 7

CHICAGO, Feb. 4, 2014 - The all-new Ford Mustang headlines a trio of
new pony car-themed pinball games to be revealed at the Chicago Auto
Show. Crafted by Chicago's own Stern Pinball, the Mustang-inspired
games combine two prime examples of 20th century American pop culture
- the coin-operated pinball machine and the original pony car.

"For five decades, Mustang has represented some of the best of
American culture, inspiring a feeling of freedom and independence for
people around the world," said Steve Ling, Ford car marketing manager.
"We're excited to have Stern Pinball join us here in its hometown of
Chicago with its brand-new games featuring Mustang."

Stern is introducing three new Mustang-themed games this spring
featuring cabinet and backboard artwork that pay tribute to 50 years
of Mustang. The pro-level machines, designed for arcades and other
public spaces, feature Mustangs from the past five decades. The more
feature-rich premium edition focuses on Mustang Boss 302, Boss 351 and
Boss 429 of 1969 to 1971 and 2012 to 2013.

Stern Pinball is one of many companies producing officially licensed
products to celebrate 50 years of Mustang. Other licensees include
Mattel with a 50 Years of Mustang Hot Wheels collection, Caddyshack
with a limited-edition Shelby GT500 Mustang golf car and the Mustang
GT pedal go kart from Berg. A range of apparel and other products are
available from http://shopfordmerchandise.com.

The all-new 2015 Mustang makes its first Chicago appearance at the
auto show alongside six of Stern's pro-level Mustang games. Top-ranked
competitive pinball player Zach Sharpe will also be on hand to
demonstrate the new game and set benchmark scores for show visitors
and media to challenge.

A special limited-edition model signed by the game designer features
the 1965 original and the all-new 2015 Mustang. Both premium and
limited-edition games feature genuine chrome Mustang badges on the
speaker grilles.

"The first car I ever bought was a 1970 Mustang Sportroof with a 302,
and I'm currently restoring a 1969 Mach 1," said George Gomez,
executive vice president for game design, Stern Pinball. "In designing
these new games, we wanted to celebrate the freedom and fun of driving
Mustang."

The games incorporate a mix of classic pinball play features and
modern technology to let players "go racing" with some of the greatest
Mustangs of all time, and even build up a dream collection as they
progress.

Different interactive sections of the playfield and sequences of shots
let players go drag racing, rallying, drifting and road racing in
pursuit of a high score. For example, hitting specific targets with
the ball enables gear shifting, and subsequent hits activate going up
or down through the gears. The games feature video displays in the
backboard and real Mustang sounds, giving players the visceral
experience of driving Mustang.

Chicago is the spiritual home of the classic coin-operated pinball
machine. The modern games were developed in the city in the 1920s and
1930s by companies such as Bally, Gottlieb and Williams as an
evolution of 18th century French parlor games. Over time, designers
added a wide array of features to enhance gameplay, and incorporated
pop culture themes from movies, television, music and comic books -
the same mediums that often incorporate Mustang.

Pinball pioneer Harry Williams said, "The ball is wild!"

"The beauty of pinball is that there is no set outcome, and it can't
be programmed like a video game," said Gary Stern, founder of Stern
Pinball. "That makes pinball a perfect match for Mustang, taking
drivers anywhere they want to go."

The very first Mustang-themed pinball game was introduced in 1964, the
same year as the car, by the now-defunct Chicago Coin Company.
Unfortunately, all of the other great Chicago pinball companies
succumbed to the challenge of the video game business. Stern has
committed to creating great games that remain true to what made
pinball fun in the first place, while incorporating modern design and
mechanical systems to challenge players.

2015 Ford Mustang

The all-new Mustang is the most advanced version yet of the iconic
pony car. The sleek new design of Mustang fastback and convertible is
backed up by world-class performance from a range of available
engines, including a new turbocharged EcoBoost(R) 2.3-liter and an
upgraded 5.0-liter V8 with more than 420 horsepower. In addition to
state-of-the-art connectivity systems, Mustang features available
advanced driver-assist systems, track apps, launch control and more.

# # #

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in
Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six
continents. With about 181,000 employees and 65 plants worldwide, the
company's automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company
provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For
more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please
visit http://corporate.ford.com.

About Stern Pinball, Inc.
Stern Pinball, Inc., located just outside of Chicago, Illinois, is the
oldest and largest producer of pinball games in the world. Stern's
highly talented creative and technical teams design, engineer and
manufacture popular arcade-quality pinball games. Recent popular Stern
titles include Star Trek, Metallica, Avengers, X-Men, AC/DC, Tron,
Transformers, Avatar, Iron Man, Batman, Spiderman and many more. All
of Stern's pinball games are crafted by hand and assembled by Stern's
expert team in the United States. Both pinball enthusiasts and casual
players around the globe enjoy Stern's games. For more information,
please visit www.sternpinball.com.

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

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

The Pinball Arcade has had a fantastic run through its first two season of tables on console, PC and mobile devices and, according to a massive update over on the official fan blog, 2014 will be another epic year full of new tables, tweaks, fixes and features across all platforms. 

Pinball Arcade Fans site writer PIN WiZ posted a huge update to ring in the new year, relaying info directly from the development team at FarSight Studios to Pinball Arcade fans (Oh, NOW I get the site name!) concerning the next year’s worth of updates. 

“2013 was another successful year for FarSight Studios’ The Pinball Arcade, which saw the addition of 22 popular and classic tables…” the post reads. “FarSight plans to greatly improve the user experience in 2014 with new featuers, game modes and even more highly anticipated tables such as Black Knight 2000, Junkyard and WHO Dunnit!” 

For those unfamiliar with the game, FarSight emulates real-world pinball tables and makes them available on all manner of digital platforms, including the most recent release of Season One tables on the PlayStation 4. From long-time favorites and more modern classics to licensed tables they had to Kickstart just to get the opportunity to recreate, The Pinball Arcade’s collection of top-notch virtual tables has grown pretty dang impressive over the years, boasting tables like Theatre of Magic, Attack from Mars, Medieval Madness, Terminator 2, The Twilight Zone and more. 

But while the game is already boasts an impressive virtual arcade, FarSight has set its sights even higher in 2014, gearing up to deliver 10 new tables for Season Three, alongside a host of new features like Challenge Mode, which gives players additional goals to shoot for after they’ve mastered existing goals, and online head-to-head play that features multiple payers tackling the same table at once, with your opponent’s score visible on your own screen. 

The 2014 update promises additional online modes, too, as well as a brand new user interface (praise the lord) to make navigating your table collection and getting in a game easier than ever. Existing tables will also receive new emulation tweaks for better play, and the game will also boast support for Linux, home cabinets and DirectX 11. 

Perhaps the most surprising addition of all is Pinball After Dark, which will likely be a separate game entirely that will allow FarSight to emulate more mature tables that would not be appropriate for the family-friendly core game. 

For those of you gaming on consoles, FarSight is planning a complete re-launch ofThe Pinball Arcade for Xbox platforms while the content train keeps rolling on the PS3, PS4 and Vita. The PS4 should get all Season 2 tables sometime around April, with Season 3’s first table, Fish Tales, available sometime in March. The final two Season Two packs are slated for January release on the PS3 and Vita. 

Via cinemablend.com

Legendo Entertainment's Pure Pinball is now available on the App Store. Players can download the game for iOS devices for $1.99. 


First introduced on PC and Xbox in 2003/2004, Pure Pinball returns to iOS devices with the newly created table T-Rex Savage that pits players as a savage dinosaur hunter during the Age of Reptiles. Jam-packed with nerve-racking game modes, special rewards and a daring multiball mode, Pure Pinball: T-Rex Savage lets you experience a slice of steel ball magic, not unlike real-life pinball. All you need is crazy-mad flipper fingers, a decent war-cry, and the attitude to play a mean game… the hunt is on! Additional tables are planned for release throughout 2014. 

To learn more, visit the Pure Pinball App Page.