
121 episodes tracked since 2023 about →
Episode 18 - The Susan B. Anthony Years / Bally
PodcastAnalysis updated 3d ago56 min listen
Highlights
- Bally was the first pinball manufacturer to adopt solid state and hit the ground running
- Stern Electronics copied the Bally board system and the companies reached a 'gentlemanly agreement' rather than pursuing litigation
- Early pinball manufacturers collaborated on mechanics (pop bumpers, spinners, drop targets) rather than enforcing patents
- Star Trek sold 16,000-17,000 units and was designed by Gary Gaten
- Kiss (1979) was designed by Jim Patla and sold approximately 17,000 units with a rare symmetrical playfield
- Atari produced the first wide body pinball machines before Bally
- Paragon (1979) sold over 9,000 units and was designed by Greg Kamek with art by Paul Ferris
- Silver Ball Mania sold over 10,000 units, making it the highest-selling non-licensed theme on the list
- Space Invaders was sued by 20th Century Fox for unlicensed use of alien xenomorph designs from the film
- Jim Patla's games consistently sold 10,000+ units, establishing him as a major driver of Bally's market dominance
Notable quotes
“they really wanted to get those coins hyped up and so it's kind of just this funny little era of i don't know them trying to sell us on these coins i guess but really it just happens to coincide with some of the best valley pinball machines of all time”
“if i see a jersey jack i'm walking the other way if you give me the option i'm not gonna do it's just why so this is why we wanted ty on the podcast because we love solid state games”
“this is where they jumped i think from number three to number one is this era they went the first to go to solid state and they started licensing games yep two things you still see today”
“Paragon's a fucking kick-ass game. It is. Paragon rules.”
“i bet at this point if you're an operator and you have some of his previous games yeah you're like cool sign me up sign me up dude i'm getting this 100 i'm getting this”
“stick your dick in the mashed potatoes”
“this is like the george christian like this is one of those games that when you play these you're just like fuck yeah this game is awesome every pinball machine would be like that”
“the one thing i will say about art and design for this period is the typography for most these games is absolutely fantastic like that is polished and that you can actually like look at with pride”
“a lot of like the time when you see modern games they kind of all blend together you know they're a bunch of bright greens bright reds bright blues or whatever and it's like the the games of this era just they really knew how to like do a lot with the art”
Entities
- Bally· company
- Stern Electronics· company
- Dolly Parton· game
- Future Spa· game
- Harlem Globetrotters· game
- Kiss· game
- Mystic· game
- Nitro Ground Shaker· game
- Paragon· game
- Rolling Stones· game
- Silver Ball Mania· game
- Space Invaders· game
- Star Trek· game
- Portland Pinball Bar Wedgehead· organization
- Alan· person
- Alex· person
- Dave Christensen· person
- Gary Gaten· person
- George Christian· person
- Greg Kamek· person
- Jim Patla· person
- Pat Lawlor· person
- Paul Ferris· person
- Steve Ritchie· person
- Ty Palmer· person


