Great story about John Reuter and his massive collection of pinball machines.

GORHAM, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- The game of Pinball has a rich history, with it's origin dating back to the days of Louis XIV. It of course has evolved from the days of the 1600's, to the machines you're more familiar with. Like any sport, it's gone through its lulls, with the evolution of the internet changing the game. There is one Mainer, who's doing his best to keep it alive.

After playing his first game of pinball in 1964, John Reuter was hooked. He's been an avid player participating in competitions all across New England. After seeing the game die out after the 1980's, he decided to create an environment in his own home for others to be able to come play.

"I wanted a variety of machines and I didn't want to get bored with the ones I had so that's what I did what I did. I bought a bunch of them," said Reuter.

He now has around 95 pinball machines total in his Gorham home. Alot of sound and alot of options for other players to choose from like Mike Haycock. He took home first place in the 2014 Maine Pinball Championship, that was held at John's home.

"There's no slouchers," said Haycock. "Anybody can have a bad game at any time. That's how pinball is."

To find out more about John and his pinball tournaments, you can visit his Facebook page, New England Pinball.

Read more and watch the video here http://www.wcsh6.com/news/article/271568/50/Pinball-player-collects-95-pinball-machines-in-his-home

Rob Stickney spent seven years taking night classes to get degrees in the electrical engineering technician field but had no intention of leaving his job with the city of Madison, Wis., where he maintains parking ramps.

Instead, his time at Madison Area Technical College was all about making sure that his "Judge Dredd," "Pin-Bot" and "Fire Power" pinball machines were in proper working order. Hiring someone to fix a 25- to nearly 30-year-old pinball machine isn't cheap, and technicians are scarce.

"It's strange motivation, I know," said Stickney, who remodeled his basement four years ago to accommodate his pinball habit. "There's no room for a bar. If I had more space, I'd have more (pinball) machines.

Stickney, 45, is part of a growing niche of enthusiasts resurrecting the pinball machine, an arcade game that has been overshadowed in the past 30 years by video games. While pinball has never been extinct, you could say it has been on the endangered-species list.

At first, stand-up video games crowded pinball machines out of places such as Space Port on State Street, Tilt at Westgate and the Aladdin's Castles at East Towne and West Towne. Home systems eventually closed the arcades, and now smartphones let us play wherever and whenever we want.

Bars, fraternal organizations and American Legion halls also dumped pinball in favor of more lucrative games such as video poker gambling machines and the "Golden Tee" video golf games that would bring in more money in a day than a pinball machine would generate in a month, Stickney said.

But pinball might be making a comeback.

A tournament that drew players from five states was held on a recent Saturday in Waunakee while the Mad City Flippers Pinball League formed last fall and has 20 players. They travel throughout southern Wisconsin and play in the homes of pinball machine owners once a month in cities that include Reedsburg, Waterloo, Madison, Black Earth and Lodi.

Milwaukee is home to the Twisted Flippers Pinball League, while the Appleton area has the Fox Cities Pinball League.

All the leagues keep standings and amass points that qualify players for state and national tournaments such as the Professional and Amateur Pinball Association World Championships held each August in Carnegie, Pa. The event is held in a 30,000-square-foot facility jammed with 450 pinball machines, according to its website. The International Flipper Pinball Association holds its U.S. tournament in May in Lyons, Colo."It's just the chaos," said Tim Enders, when asked why he likes pinball. "Every game is going to be different."

Enders, 43, of the town of Westport, is an industrial engineer at a fuel controls manufacturer and has been playing since he was a kid growing up in Madison. He can quickly rattle off some of his old, now-defunct pinball haunts.

Enders owns 11 pinball machines.

"It just builds from childhood," he said.

Members of the Mad City Flippers come from a cross section of professions. Todd McIlwee, 42, manages the Waun-A-Bowl, a 16-lane bowling alley attached to a Pizza Hut in Waunakee.

It was McIlwee who started the Waun-A-Pinball tournament in 2011 after meeting Steve Tully, a technician with Quarter Time Distributors, a Waunakee-based vending company founded in 1932. Tully, who has been with Quarter Time for 24 years, also loves his pinball and has 10 machines in his heated garage in Waterloo.

"I thought it would be just Madison players here, but now we have five states represented," McIlwee said of the tournament. "It's a hobby thing. Some guys work on their cars; some guys work on their pinball machines."

The Saturday tournament, held in the bowling alley's banquet room, was limited to 50 players, and had eight people on the waiting list and a purse of $750. Five pinball machines were used, including "Big Buck Hunter," which features a deer that slides across the machine and challenges players to hit it with a silver ball flicked from a flipper. Other games included "Operation Thunder," "The Avengers," "Judge Dredd" and "Scared Stiff."

"We mix and match and try to change it up every year," Tully said. "We set them harder for good players. If you don't, they're going to (play) for 20 minutes on one ball."

Tully, 54, grew up in Watertown, where his father was a minister. After high school, he worked as an auto mechanic in Madison before delivering for Pizza Pit and enrolling at what is now Herzing College to study electronics. Tully's interest in pinball can be traced to an aunt who had a pinball machine in her basement.

The annual Waunakee tournaments have helped revive the game locally and led to the formation of the traveling league. The pinball machines can be in garages, basements, living rooms and dining rooms. Sometimes, in all four.

"It's neat to have like-minded people together," Tully said. "It's just kind of a childhood thing run amok."

To get a peek at the pinball and other gaming worlds, Tully suggests a trip to Brookfield on April 12 and 13 to the Midwest Gaming Classic, a massive trade show and convention at the Sheraton Hotel, near Brookfield Square. The event started in 2001 with console games but now includes video arcade, pinball and tabletop games and fills a 40,000-square-foot convention hall.

Pinball also is getting a further boost locally.

Hilton Jones, who has 10 machines in the living and dining rooms of his Madison home, is putting four pinball machines in April into Pooley's, a sports bar on Madison's Far East Side. In September, the bar will host the Mad Rollin Pinball tournament, which raises money for cancer.

"Steve's kind of the godfather of pinball," Jones said of Tully. "We just want to bring back real pinball.' "

http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_25304409/pinball-machines-making-comeback-state?source=rss_emailed

With the release of impending production of the high end models Stern pinball has released details and images of the upcoming Mustang pinball variants. If you notice some details have been blocked out with a "Top Secret" banner on the translight and cabinet of the LE model. Astute Mustang fans who look closely will be able to identify the cars represented so it's not too much of a secret.

It appears that Stern has kept with it's new metal speaker panel design first introduced with Star Trek as well as lighted speakers on the LE model. The premium model also sports a center racing stripe on the speaker panel which is a nice touch. It also appears that the Premium and LE models get a revised side-rail design.

Update: In addition to the differences in games it also appears that different versions will come with varying playfield artwork, an additional "crossover" ramp and more. In addition the return of 6-ball gameplay makes a return. Check the feature matrix sheet below for details.

Read more after the break

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.

In the pinball world there are but a few designers that have truly revolutionized the game. Pat Lawlor is among the top of that very elite list of people. Let's put it this way, if Pat were a president hey might be George Washington, Abraham Lincoln or Thomas Jefferson. Love his style or not, Pat has changed pinball forever with the groundbreaking introductions of the shaker motor, talking heads, a vertical playfield, you name it. If it was a crazy idea, it came from Pat. An innovators innovator always looking to push the limits of pinball. 

Having been outside of pinball since his stint at Stern pinball Pat has never stopped working on his pinball designs. As such it is with great privileg that JJP welcomes Pat to their team. Pat will rejoin working with long time friend and programmer Ted Estes to create his new game which will be, for the first time in many years, an original themed game from a major manufacturer and not a license which is great news for pinball fans who recall the era of Funhouse, Whirlwind and other games from Pat and team.

We look forward to seeing what this new team brings to pinball as it's rebirth is upon us here in 2014.  

Read the Press Release and video after the break.

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

LAKEWOOD, NJ -- Jersey Jack Pinball Inc. said it has entered into an equity partnership with an investment firm identified only as JDA. The up-and-coming pinball machine manufacturer said the partnership will provide means to fund multiple game platforms, allow it to expand into related technologies and markets, and attract "deeper management" resources. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Jersey Jack Pinball's announcement provided little detail about its new partner other than that "JDA has a proven track record of success and generated over $40 million for their shareholders in their last transaction," and that the firm's principals are pinball enthusiasts who own more than 40 machines, including Jersey Jack's The Wizard of Oz. "We are very excited to combine the strengths of these two dynamic organizations," said Jack Guarnieri, who founded the pinball company in 2011. "The expanded talent, experience and financial strength that this brings will enhance the future products we are able to build and add to the enjoyment of our player base." Reaction to the news from the pinball community has been mixed, but many fans see the deal as a necessity. (See comments at Pinside.com). At the end of 2009, Stern Pinball Inc. brought in a group of investors led by David J. Peterson, a founder and managing director of Hagerty Peterson & Co. LLC (Barrington, IL). 
Jersey Jack Pinball began shipping the Wizard of Oz flipper game, now in full production, in the second quarter of 2013. At the end of last year, the factory had shipped more than 700 games. Much of the funding for Wizard of Oz development was provided by down payments for preorders. Its next title, The Hobbit, is scheduled to ship at the end of this year. The Wizard of Oz line consists of various models, including the 75th Anniversary game, the Emerald City edition and a "standard" machine. The latter is targeted at coin machine operators, who represent the smallest number of buyers. The 1,000-unit production run of the Emerald City edition is expected to end soon. The 75th Anniversary model, which pays homage to MGM's 1939 Technicolor classic, recently entered production; about 1,500 units are planned. Once 3,000 WoZ pinball machines are sold, Jersey Jack Pinball can likely say it's a $20 million company.

See more at: http://www.vendingtimes.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=EB79A487112B48A296B38C81345C8C7F&nm=Vending+Features&&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=B6126CB1783844459FEB5E3C2DA854C5#sthash.V5ZljWwV.dpuf

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

Tournament to raise funds for Kids Fight Cancer

MELROSE PARK, IL -- Stern Pinball Inc. will be a premier sponsor of the International Flipper Pinball Association's upcoming state championship series. The first-ever IFPA state series is expected to draw 440 finalists representing 28 different IFPA championships all taking place on Saturday, Feb. 8, in different locations across the country.

Every IFPA state championship will incorporate a special charity challenge to raise money for Kids Fight Cancer. Stern Pinball, a manufacturer of flipper games based here, will match funds during the tournament.

More than 5,000 players last year played in matches to qualify for this year's inaugural state series. The popularity of the series is a welcomed reminder of the renewed interest in pinball, according to the pinball manufacturer.

"We are pleased to sponsor the first IFPA state championship series. It is wonderful to acknowledge the talented players and be part of the resurgence," said Stern Pinball chairman and chief executive Gary Stern. "It's also a great opportunity for us to help out Kids Fight Cancer, a local Chicago-based organization, whose motto 'celebrate life' is represented in each creative project we undertake."

Founded eight years ago, the International Flipper Pinball Association now ranks more than 22,000 players competing in over 1,500 leagues and tournaments around the world. There are IFPA directors in 29 countries.

The winners of the IFPA state championship series will qualify for the IFPA's U.S. national championship, which will be held in May in Denver.

More information can be had from IFPA's Zach Sharpe at (847) 877-6344 or Josh Sharpe at (847) 601-1609).

- See more at: http://www.vendingtimes.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=EB79A487112B48A296B38C81345C8C7F&nm=Vending+Features&&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=A9EB11D00B744246B1B44287F09D6A0B#sthash.2tFJjNwV.dpuf