Toward a Study of Pinball

Abstract

Drawing on game theory and interviews that were personally conducted with pinball pioneers—from CEOs of independent and corporate pinball companies to notable designers and historians—this essay argues that pinball machines are not solely collector’s items but complex games that contain original narratives. The narratives in the pinball games are not direct adaptations from the urtext, but rather narratives that arise through gameplay—the player’s use of the pinball to hit the various lights, toys, and ramps that represent the game’s narrative.