From Pinball to Slot Machines: The fallacy of vertical expertise.

Following a wave of new state legislation legalizing gambling in the 1980s and 90s, worried gaming executives eyed the acres of lonely one-armed bandits with dismay. The smokey allure of spinning cherries and bells that emanated from old-school slot machines did not deliver the scale needed to make their non-Vegas casinos profitable. They realized they needed to appeal to a new generation of gamblers.?

Two iconic forms of entertainment have profoundly reshaped the landscape of casino gaming since then. Behavioral strategies burnished from pinball machines and video game development have converged to transform the one-arm bandit. Long considered the bread and butter of casinos, a new generation of interactive slots and movie-themed gaming machines now can claim upward to 80% of today’s gambling floor. This convergence illustrates how best practices developed in one vertical can inspire and transform strategies in another.

The Birth of Pinball:

The origins of pinball are intertwined with the history of many other games. Games played outdoors by rolling balls or stones on a grass course, such as bocce or bowls, eventually evolved into various local ground billiards games played by hitting the balls with sticks and propelling them at targets, often around obstacles. Indoor versions of these games were later invented and could be played on a table or the floor of a pub. Players could ricochet balls off the pins to achieve the more challenging scorable holes. A standardized version of the game eventually became known as Bagatelle. The tabletop versions of these games became the ancestors of modern pinball.

In 1869, British inventor?Montague Redgrave?settled in the United States and manufactured bagatelle tables in?Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1871 Redgrave was granted a US patent for his "Improvements in Bagatelle,” another name for the spring launcher, or plunger, first introduced in?Billard Japonais. The game also shrank in size to fit atop a bar or counter. The balls became marbles, and the wickets became small metal pins. Redgrave's popularization of the spring launcher and innovations in game design are acknowledged as the birth of pinball in its modern form.

It was in the 1930s that the modern pinball machine, as we know it today, began to take shape. In 1932, David Gottlieb introduced the "Baffle Ball," a pinball machine that incorporated flippers for the first time. This groundbreaking innovation propelled pinball into the realm of interactive gameplay. Pinball innovation hit hyperspeed less than a year later when Pacific Amusements in Los Angeles, California, produced?Contact?in 1933, which had an electrically powered?solenoid?to propel the ball out of a bonus hole in the middle of the playfield. Another solenoid rang a bell to reward the player.[5]?Contact's designer, Harry Williams, eventually formed his own company,?Williams Manufacturing, in 1944. Other manufacturers quickly followed suit with similar features. Electric lights soon became standard in all pinball games to attract players.

Yet, it was Steve Kordek's ingenious design, introduced in 1947, that truly revolutionized the pinball industry. Kordek's creation, the "Triple Action," incorporated two pairs of flippers at the bottom of the playfield, introducing a new level of player control. This design laid the foundation for future pinball machines, which would continue to push the boundaries of innovation.

The Rise of Video Games:

While pinball machines were captivating audiences, the premortal world of video games was beginning to take shape. In 1972, Atari, founded by Nolan Bushnell, unveiled "Pong," an electronic table tennis game that became an instant sensation. "Pong" marked the birth of the video game industry, establishing the concept of interactive electronic entertainment. A year later, a 6-year-old version of John Haake was unwrapping a 4-game pong console from underneath the Christmas tree.

Building on the success of "Pong," Bushnell and Atari sought to push the boundaries further. In 1975, they released "Breakout," a game designed by a young Steve Wozniak. "Breakout" introduced the concept of using a paddle to knock out bricks, adding layers of skill and strategy to the gameplay. This innovative design foreshadowed the integration of video game principles into the realm of casino gaming.

The Convergence:

The late 1970s and early 1980s witnessed the convergence of pinball and video game technologies in casino gaming. Amidst a steep downturn in pinball machine sales, Bally Technologies, a pioneering company in pinball and slot machines, recognized the potential of fusing these two mediums. In 1979, they introduced "Gorgar," the first-ever pinball machine to feature a speech synthesizer. This breakthrough technology introduced audio feedback and interactive storytelling elements, blurring the line between pinball and video games.

Meanwhile, video game technology made its way into the casino industry through International Game Technology (IGT). In 1981, IGT released "Draw Poker," the world's first video poker machine. Combining the excitement of video game interactivity with the allure of gambling, "Draw Poker" laid the foundation for a new genre of casino games.

Innovations continued to emerge in both pinball and video game design. For example, Bally Technologies launched "Twilight Zone" in 1993, featuring a groundbreaking mini-playfield within the main pinball machine. This multi-level design gave players a dynamic and immersive experience reminiscent of video game levels.

The Impact on Casino Games.?

The marriage of pinball and video game technologies revolutionized the casino gaming landscape. With the advent of digital technology, slot machines have become more interactive and engaging, with video game-like bonus rounds and features. In addition, borrowing best practices from other verticals has transformed the casino gaming experience, making it more exciting and accessible to a broader audience.

In the late 1990s, International Game Technology (IGT) introduced "Wheel of Fortune," a video slot machine that incorporated the popular game show's branding—the game utilized video game-like mechanics, including spinning wheels and bonus rounds, capturing casino-goers attention. "Wheel of Fortune" proved a massive success, inspiring the development of numerous branded video slot machines. More subtly, the “Call Mode,” where pinball machines light up and call out to potential players when not in use, is incorporated into video casino games to entice gamblers to sit down and play.?

The convergence of pinball and video game technologies in casino gaming has inspired and transformed strategies across various verticals. By borrowing best practices from these realms, marketers can infuse interactivity, immersive experiences, and digital technology into their strategy. In addition, the innovations in casino gaming provide a roadmap for captivating audiences and creating unforgettable experiences in other industries.