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You are here: Home / Archives for Pinball Book

Pinball Book

Williams-Bally-Midway Arcade & Pinball History Book

July 5, 2023 By ausretrogamer

Get ready to dive into the thrilling world of arcade and pinball games with Ken Horowitz’s latest tome! Get your coins ready, because the arcade awaits!

In his brand-new book, “From Pinballs to Pixels: An Arcade History of Williams-Bally-Midway,” Ken Horowitz takes us on an epic adventure through the captivating history of this legendary gaming manufacturer.

This new book takes a trip down memory lane as it explores the incredible journey of gaming publisher Williams. From the early days of pinball classics like Contact to the groundbreaking marvels like High Speed, Williams captivated arcade enthusiasts with their diverse range of quality games.

The advent of video games marked a turning point for Williams, propelling them into legendary status with unforgettable hits like Defender and Joust. The company quickly rose to prominence and, by the end of the 1980s, became the largest coin-op publisher in North America. Their influence and innovation were felt throughout the industry.

Williams’ acquisition of Bally/Midway ushered in a golden era, characterised by a string of hits that included iconic titles such as Mortal Kombat and NBA Jam. Notably, they also produced The Addams Family, a pinball machine that went on to become the best-selling of all time. Williams’ success story is a testament to their ability to take risks, innovate, and create games that captured the hearts of players worldwide.

In this book, you’ll discover the fascinating history of Williams spanning nearly six decades. The author takes you behind the scenes, providing interviews with over 40 former designers and executives from Williams/Bally/Midway. Their firsthand accounts offer unique insights into the company’s inner workings and the creative processes that led to the creation of some of gaming’s greatest classics.

Drawing from a vast array of contemporaneous news reports and documents, this book presents a comprehensive and never-before-seen chronology of Williams’ rise to coin-op juggernaut status. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of how a small company transformed into an industry powerhouse, leaving an indelible mark on the world of pinball and arcade video games.

This book is a celebration of one of gaming’s greatest publishing houses, showcasing their incredible impact on the industry and the enduring legacy of their games.

Details:

  • Title: From Pinballs to Pixels: An Arcade History of Williams-Bally-Midway
  • Author: Ken Horowitz
  • Price:
    • Amazon Australia: AU$35.98 (Kindle) / AU$95.59 (Paperback)
    • Amazon US: US$22.49 (Kindle) / US$42.03 (Paperback)



Filed Under: Pinball Tagged With: Arcade, Bally Pinball, Bally-Midway Williams, Bally/Midway, Book, From Pinballs to Pixels: An Arcade History of Williams-Bally-Midway, Golden Age, Harry Williams, Ken Horowitz, pinball, Pinball Book, Sam Stern, Williams Pinball

Keeping the Ball Alive: 30 Years of Stern Pinball

October 21, 2016 By ausretrogamer

keepingtheballalive_header

STOP THE PRESS! If you have been looking for a coffee table art book with an inside look at the world’s largest pinball manufacturer, then this Stern Pinball Inc. and PaperFlock collaborative Kickstarter is for you!

Presenting Keeping the Ball Alive: 30 Years of Stern Pinball, a commemorative coffee table art book that will give fans an inside look at the history, design, production, and manufacturing of pinball machines, as well as the people behind them! The 200-page coffee table book will feature over 160 photo pages, colour foldouts, and artwork from thirty years of games. Alongside the photos and artwork will be interviews with important game designers like John Trudeau, Steve Ritchie, George Gomez, John Borg, and many more!

The Book!
keepingtheballalive_book

To make it even sweeter, fans/backers will get a chance to become part of the books production through PaperFlock’s unique crowd collaboration process. Content will be crafted with input from the projects forum on PaperFlock.com. This gives fans a real sense of ownership in the project. With unprecedented access provided by Stern, there surely will become a highly sort after pinball tome.

The Kickstarter campaign is live and will run for a few weeks yet. So check it out, there are plenty of pledges and rewards to tickle your pinball fancy!

Behind the scenes: Stern prototypes
keepingtheballalive_slimer_kiss

The Rewards!
keepingtheballalive_the_rewards

We had to back it!
keepingtheballalive_woohoo

source: Stern Pinball Inc. and Keeping The Ball Alive – Kickstarter

 

Filed Under: Announcements, Pinball, Retro Gaming Culture Tagged With: 30 years of Stern Pinball, Keeping the Ball Alive book, Keeping the Ball Alive: 30 Years of Stern, PaperFlock, pinball, Pinball Book, pinball wizard, Stern Pinball

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